TABOO (A DEAL WITH THE SHADOW ALPHA) のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 51 - チャプター 60

AxelI'd never wanted to kill someone more in my entire life.And I'd lived a very, very long life, and I'd killed hundreds of assholes but this one. I want to make it a slow, merciless death. The type that would haunt him even after death.Seeing Addison like that, broken, terrified, sobbing on her couch, had unleashed something in me that I'd been keeping carefully locked away. Kage inside me wasn't just angry. It was murderous. Feral. Screaming for blood.Feign's blood, specifically.I held her while she cried, stroking her hair, murmuring soft words that I wasn't even sure she could hear. But inside, I was planning. Calculating. Figuring out exactly how I was going to make that bastard pay for every tear on her face."Addison," I said gently, pulling back just enough to look at her. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face blotchy from crying. She looked so small. So vulnerable. "You can't stay here anymore.""What?" Her voice was hoarse."This apartment. It's not safe. He has acce

Addison"Okay, so let me get this straight." Jules was sitting cross-legged on Axel's ridiculously expensive couch, a glass of wine in one hand, gesturing wildly with the other. "You're living with him now. Like, full-time living with him. In his penthouse. After dating for what, a few weeks?""It's complicated," I said, curling up in the armchair across from her with my own glass of wine.Axel had left about an hour ago for some business meeting that apparently couldn't wait. He'd kissed me goodbye, told me to have fun with Jules, and reminded me that Marcus was right outside if I needed anything. Then he'd hesitated at the door, like he didn't want to leave, before finally forcing himself to go.It was sweet. But also a little intense."Complicated how?" Jules raised an eyebrow. "Addison, I love you, but you're living with a man you barely know.""I know him," I protested. "We've spent almost every day together for weeks. And after Italy—""After Italy, which was amazing and romanti

AddisonThe water was perfect. Warm and inviting, steam rising slightly in the cool evening air. Just perfect. I hadn't even known Axel had a pool until tonight. It was on a private terrace off his bedroom—our bedroom, I kept trying to remind myself, with a view of the city lights that stretched out below us."You've been holding out on me," I said, treading water near the edge. "How long have you had this pool and not told me?"Axel emerged from the penthouse carrying two glasses of wine, wearing only swim trunks that sat low on his hips. The sight of him made my mouth water. "I was waiting for the right moment," he said, setting the glasses down on the edge and sliding into the water beside me. "Wanted it to be special.""And tonight is special?""Every night with you is special." He moved closer, his hands finding my waist under the water. "But tonight feels different. Doesn't it?"It did. There was an electricity in the air, a tension that had been building between us for weeks.

ADDISON The penthouse felt too big when Axel wasn't in it.I'd gotten home from work about an hour ago, expecting to find him already here. But Axel had informed me that he had been delayed at the office and would be home later than expected.So I'd changed into comfortable clothes, made myself some tea, and settled onto the couch with my sketchbook, trying to work on some designs for next season's collection.But I couldn't focus. My mind kept wandering back to last night. To the pool. To his bedroom. To the way he'd looked at me like I was the only thing in the world that mattered.To the way he'd made me feel cherished and wanted and completely loved.I touched the key hanging around my neck—the one he'd given me. The symbol of trust, of openness, of no more secrets between us.I smiled, feeling warm and content and so incredibly lucky.How had I gotten so fortunate? To find someone like Axel, who saw all of me and loved me anyway? Who made me feel safe after so many years of feel

AXELI stood outside Jules's apartment building for a long time, staring up at the lit windows on the third floor.She was up there. I could feel it, the mate bond pulling me toward her like. I could smell her scent even from down here, faint but unmistakable. Could hear the elevated heartbeat that told me she was awake, probably still crying.Because of me.Every instinct I had screamed at me to go up there. To see her. To explain. To fix this somehow.But another part of me, the part that still remembered how to be human, knew this was wrong. Knew showing up uninvited would only make things worse. Would only prove to her that I was exactly what the evidence suggested: obsessed, controlling, unable to let go.But I couldn't stay away. Couldn't spend another second not knowing if she was okay, not seeing her face, not hearing her voice.Even if she hated me. Even if seeing me only caused her more pain.I needed to see her.I made my way into the building, the security door was old, cl