Axel Summer Shifters Season 2

by Raines, Harmony

  In that moment they were everything to each other.

  “Are you okay?” he murmured against her ear as she lay breathless in his arms.

  “Yes. That was intense.” She turned to look at him and cupped his face in her hands. “Are you okay?”

  “Why wouldn’t I be? I have everything I have ever wanted right here in my arms.” He kissed her, his mouth soft and gentle.

  “If only this was our life.” She looked into his eyes. “I’m sorry we have to go and find Tyler.”

  “I’m not.” He drew the covers over them.

  “You’re not?” she asked in surprise.

  “No, I think it will be a bonding experience.” He gave a short laugh. “That sounds weird, but we’ll learn so much about each other. And if we get through it, we’ll be stronger.”

  “A bonding experience.” She made a face. “You have some strange ideas.”

  “I do. But I’m right. You’ll see. By the end of this, we will have a unique insight into how we work together. And you’ll have your brother back in your life.” He lifted himself on one elbow and looked down on her. “If I’m right then this won’t seem so bad.”

  She swallowed hard as a lump formed in her throat. “I hope you are right, Axel. I really do.”

  “Then go to sleep. Tomorrow will be a busy day.” He kissed her lips gently.

  “Thank you. For being here, for being you.” She smiled sadly as she stared at his lips. “I wish we’d met sooner. Maybe if you had been in my life, Tyler might have talked to you about his mate. He might have found a way to deal with the situation without just running off.”

  “There’s no point living with ifs and buts. The past is written, and we cannot change it.”

  “I know.” She snuggled closer to him as the warmth from his body seeped into her bones. Her eyes drooped as she nestled against him, the scent of his warm skin washing over her, comforting her. “I just feel as if I failed him.”

  “Tyler made his own choices, and you should never forget that. He could have come to you, he could have gone to your dad or a member of his gang that he trusted. But he didn’t.” Axel closed his arms around her as her breathing deepened. “And I could be wrong.”

  “I don’t think so,” she murmured. “Everything about you is right.”

  He gave a low laugh. “No one has ever said that to me before.”

  “No one has ever known you like I do before. I see you, Axel, I see what’s beneath your skin. You have a big heart, and you will do amazing things.” If he replied, she didn’t hear, her eyes slid shut and she fell asleep, in the safety of Axel’s arms.

  Chapter Seventeen – Axel

  “How was your run last night?” Axel left Jenessa sleeping and went out into the living area as soon as he heard Cooper up and moving around. He hated to leave her and would not have taken much persuading to stay by her side and listen to her breathing as she slept, but he needed to talk to Cooper. The sooner they were on their way to finding Tyler, the sooner they would find him and the sooner he and Jenessa could start their lives together.

  “It was good. As good as can be expected around here.” He poured two mugs of coffee and handed one to Axel. “My bear was preoccupied with thoughts of the mountains. We’ll come for a visit as soon as you are settled.”

  “You’re welcome anytime.” Axel sipped the hot coffee. “Do you have what I need?”

  Cooper leaned back against the counter and stretched his legs out in front of him as he looked at Axel lazily over his coffee cup. “I have, although with such short notice, it’s not much.”

  “That’s okay. As long as it has two wheels and an engine, it’ll be better than Jenessa’s red car.” Axel walked to the window and looked out, the sun had risen, and the day looked warm. The road beckoned.

  “I can park Jenessa’s car at the back of the workshop and cover it up. Or you can drive it to the suburbs and leave it there. No one will look at it twice.” Cooper chuckled as Axel glanced over his shoulder at his old friend. “Sorry, I never expected to see you in a car like that.”

  “Jenessa’s worked hard to make something of herself. She’s not like us, she’s not like her father.” His eyes narrowed. “What happened between you and her dad?”

  “Ah, it’s in the past. I should let it go but it’s like a raw wound that’s been ripped open.” Cooper paused to take a drink. “She’s right, it’s the past. The man lost his mate, I don’t think there is any worse punishment than that.”

  “I can’t even imagine how that must hurt.” Axel’s stomach flipped at the thought of losing Jenessa. “I’m scared of taking Jenessa anywhere near the people we used to know.”

  “I bet she won’t like being left behind, though.” Cooper studied Axel for a long moment. “You’re a lucky man. I always thought finding my mate would change my life. I’ve gotten stuck in a rut here waiting for that to happen when I should have been out there changing other people’s lives.”

  “It’s not too late. For either of us.” Axel stared into the distance, his eyes fixed on the sliver of the horizon he could see through the gap in the buildings. “If this has taught me anything, it’s that there are people out there like you and me that might want a new start but they’re up against this solid wall that they can’t get around and they can’t get over.”

  “That’s true. Of course, Tyler might not be trying to get over or around any wall. It’s pure speculation, but there is a rumor that Hogg’s daughter has run off with Tyler.”

  Axel swung around to face Cooper. “Hogg’s daughter is missing?”

  “So I heard from one of the guys I helped a while back. He told me there was some trouble a few weeks ago and that she tried to leave and the guys over at the Hell Fire gang locked her away.” Cooper turned around and poured himself another cup of coffee. “The theory that she found her mate in Tyler and her father refused to let her go is sound. Can you imagine Tyler walking away from his mate and letting her be controlled by her father when they were meant to be together?”

  “No, I would move heaven and earth to be with Jenessa. The Hell Fire MC would certainly not stop me.” He straightened up and stretched his back. “I guess it’s time to get out there and see what we can find. The devil, as they say, is in the detail. Somewhere someone must have an idea of where they would go. There has to be a place where they would feel safe.”

  “They might have left the country.” Cooper tilted his head on one side. “Or they might be living on a mountain somewhere. There are lots of places two shifters can hide.”

  “Yeah, that’s my thought. That they would slink off into the wild and keep themselves hidden until all of this has died down.” He drained his coffee cup and shook his head as Cooper offered him a refill. “No, thanks. I’m going to wake Jenessa up. We need to get moving. We have a lot of miles to cover before nightfall.”

  “Do you have somewhere lined up to stay?” Cooper asked. “If not, I can ask around. I’m sure someone will help you out.”

  “I have it covered, but thanks.” Axel placed his coffee cup in the sink. “Thanks, Coop.”

  “My pleasure, it’s good to see you again, Axel. It’s good to know you’ve stayed out of trouble. Just make sure this whole experience, no matter how it turns out, doesn’t drag you back in.” Cooper left the kitchen area. “I have to go open up downstairs, those kids will be in for the gasket and I want to talk to them to see how they are doing. After I’ve hidden the red car. Unless you are going to drive it to the suburbs. It might be safer there. And it might draw less attention to the fact you and Tyler’s sister were here. Those kids saw you last night and it only takes a word in the wrong ear for questions to be asked.”

  “I’ll check with Jenessa. We have to sort out what gear we’re taking, too.” Axel didn’t like making decisions for his mate. “Give me ten minutes?”

  “Sure.” Cooper left the apartment and ran downstairs, leaving Axel to go and check in on Jenessa.

  “Hey, morning.” Axel opened
the bedroom door to the sight of his mate dressing.

  “Morning. How is Cooper?” Jenessa’s eyes flickered toward the door before she went back to buttoning up her shirt. “I think I lost a couple of buttons.”

  “Sorry, I should have taken my time to undo them, but I was too impatient.” He watched her dress, enjoying the way she moved.

  “I’ll forgive you.” She came around the side of the bed and kissed him on the cheek. “And Cooper?”

  “Oh, he’s okay. He’s gone down to the garage to work. He wants to know if we’re leaving your car here with him or if we are going to drive it to the suburbs and leave it in plain view.”

  “How are we going to travel if we don’t use my car?” Her eyes narrowed., “You didn’t call the dragon, did you?”

  “No, Kelos is for special emergencies only.” Axel chuckled, feeling lighter than he had for a while even though they were about to go on a journey that might take them into danger.

  “So how are we traveling?” Her eyes widened and she shook her head. “Oh, no, I swore I would never get on a bike.”

  “It’ll be fun, you are in expert hands.” He held up his hands as if that was proof she would be safe.

  “I don’t have a helmet or anything,” she protested. “And how are we going to take all our stuff with us?”

  “There are boxes on the side where we can pack most of the stuff. I’ll manage with one backpack.” He mentally emptied his stuff out of his pack and figured out what he could ditch. He was used to traveling light. “And Cooper will have helmets we can use.”

  “How long are we going to be away for?” Jenessa asked the one question he had no answer for.

  “I don’t know. Because I have no idea where the road is going to take us.” He went to her and put his arms around her shoulders. “We need to do whatever it takes to track Tyler down. From what Cooper has found out, there’s a chance your brother did run off with a woman from the Hell Fire MC. If it’s true we then have to try to figure out where exactly they have gone.”

  “And then?” Jenessa leaned on his chest. “Even if we find them, this isn’t going away, is it? Not unless we can get the Hell Fire MC to call a truce.”

  He sighed heavily. “We take it one step at a time. The first step is to confirm that the thing Tyler stole was in fact his shifter mate who ran off with Tyler of her own free will. Then we find them. Then we make things right.”

  “That sounds like a plan.” She broke away from him and grabbed hold of her luggage. “I’d better get started on repacking.”

  “And your car? Do you want to leave it here or park it elsewhere?” Axel asked.

  “I think I’ll park it out of Cooper’s way. Only because I don’t want it to be a constant reminder of my family.” Her mouth drooped at the corners as she looked up at Axel. “I don’t know what happened between them, but I don’t think it was anything good.” She brushed her hand over her face. “I hate being reminded of what my father was like, so I don’t want to force Cooper to be reminded either.”

  “He’s over it. Last night it was just a shock for him to find out who you were. It’s not going to be the last time we get reminded of the past. This is going to be hard, for both of us.” He wanted to ask her if she was sure she wanted to make this journey with him. But she’d already told him her answer and he doubted she would change her mind now. Jenessa was tougher than he’d given her credit for and her family was important to her. Bringing her brother home or at least making sure he was safe was her priority.

  “I’m ready for whatever comes our way.” She stood up with her backpack in her hand. “How light do we need to travel?”

  He hid a smile. “Come and take a look. Then we can stow the rest of the gear in your car.”

  “And you’re sure we can’t take my car?” she asked hopefully.

  “No offense but where we are going, it’ll act like a neon sign saying look at me!” He pointed at her with both hands.

  “Yeah, I should have bought a sleek black car.” She followed him out of the room.

  “Any car will stand out,” he told her. “Where we’re going, it’s all about two wheels, not four.”

  “Absolutely sure?”

  “Absolutely sure. I’ve even asked Cooper to borrow some leather pants and a leather jacket for you to wear.” He stifled a laugh at the look of horror that spread across her face.

  “Oh, so you think that’s funny?” She put her hands on her hips as she squared up to him.

  “I thought it was very funny.” He grabbed his pack and backed out of the room. “The Hell Fire MC has no idea what is coming their way, do they?”

  “No, they do not.” She tried to sound braver than she was.

  “Okay, there’s coffee in the pot, I’ll meet you downstairs and we can pack the bike and then leave.” His gaze lingered on her for a second or two longer.

  “It will all be okay,” he assured her, and she nodded.

  She doesn’t believe us, his cougar said.

  I know, Axel answered. But he was determined to make it true.

  Chapter Eighteen – Jenessa

  “You’re sure I couldn’t drive my car any closer?” Jenessa got out of the car and looked longingly at the comfortable seats.

  “You’re going to have to get used to riding on the back of the bike.” Axel grinned as his mate rolled her eyes.

  “No, I do not. I could drive my nice warm car to wherever we are going and then just pretend I’ve arrived on that thing.” She pointed at the bike with distaste.

  “Have you ever actually ridden a bike?”

  “Nope, my mom banned them, and I never had the desire to ride one.” She sighed resignedly. “But if you say this is the only way then I’ll have to trust you.”

  “Of course you can trust me. More than that, you are the most important thing in the world, and I want to keep you safe. Not just from other people but from having an accident on this.” He patted the handlebars.

  “My car is much safer. When I bought it, the dealer said it had one of the highest safety...” She approached the bike. “It was worth a try.”

  “You’ll like riding a bike, I promise.” He handed her the spare helmet Cooper had loaned them.

  Jenessa didn’t want to admit it to Axel, but it wasn’t the act of riding the motorcycle that she didn’t like, it was deeper than that. Her dad had promised his wife that he would never ride a bike again. Somehow, Jenessa saw getting on the bike as an act of betrayal toward her mom. After all, look at what had happened to Tyler. If her brother hadn’t ridden a damn motorcycle, they wouldn’t be in this mess.

  And he would not have met his mate.

  It was selfish to blame Tyler for something that was out of his control. From what she knew about shifters and the mating bond, to deny your mate was like denying the sun to rise in the morning. An impossible feat.

  “Okay.” She took the helmet from Axel and slid it over her head. Having something fit so snugly around her skull was confining but it also gave her a sense of safety. If she did fall off at least her head would be protected. Although, she was still worried about the rest of her body.

  He won’t let you fall, she told herself as she slid her leg over the back of the bike and settled down on the padded seat. Wrapping her arms around Axel was the best part of the whole experience and she shuffled forward to press against him as he pulled back the throttle and eased the bike forward slowly.

  “Okay?” he called out and put his thumb up.

  “Okay.” She indicated with a thumbs-up of her own before the bike wobbled and she clung to Axel as if her life depended on it. Which it did.

  Axel drove slowly around the suburban roads, allowing her to get used to the movement of the bike and the way she had to lean with him on the curves in the road. When he was confident they weren’t going to overbalance, he pulled the throttle back a little more and they picked up speed. Her arms tightened around him even more as they raced along the road leading toward the highway. She wasn
’t sure she was ready to go on a busy road, but Axel exuded such confidence and poise that she relaxed a little and tried to enjoy the ride. After all, there must be something to it or else all the males she knew wouldn’t be quite so addicted to motorcycles.

  As they joined the rest of the traffic moving along the highway, the wind whistled past them and a thrill traveled through her body.

  What had started as fear was soon replaced by pure joy. There was a freedom to clinging to the back of the man you loved as he rode a bike down the highway at speed. Nothing was separating them as they moved as one around bends and curves in the road where one wrong move might send them spilling across the asphalt.

  Her heart thundered in her chest and her mind pulled back, her attention switching away from the road ahead and the wind in her face.

  The man she loved?

  The thought had come to her unbidden. It had slipped inside her head and taken root without her even realizing it, but it was a thought she could not deny. She was in love with Axel. Without knowing his full past, with no real idea of the things he had done, she had fallen for him. Completely and utterly. If this went wrong and she lost him, she would lose part of herself.

  The temptation to tap him on the shoulder and tell him to turn the bike around and drive back to her red car and let her take them home, back to Cougar Ridge, was almost too much. Jenessa could live in Cougar Ridge with her dad and avoid the gang who threatened them if they didn’t find Tyler. They could hide away there and have a happy life under the radar of the motorcycle gangs who circled around her and her father like sharks.

  But that was no life. It would also bring threats and danger to Axel’s door. His mom might be in danger and Axel’s unsuspecting friends.

  Hiding was the coward’s choice.

  It was Tyler’s choice.

  Axel swerved through the traffic and headed off the highway. Their point of no return was fast approaching. Meeting Timone was the first step toward finding her brother and it was bound to stir up trouble. People would talk, rumors would spread and Axel and Jenessa wouldn’t be able to simply sneak back to their old lives. A connection would be made between the two of them and a trail back to Axel’s house would be there for anyone to follow.