I let my hands settle on the backs of his shoulders. He locked up at my touch, no doubt from what happened earlier.
"Shh... it's me, Ax." My hands lifted for only my fingertips to run the length of his broad posterior. He sighed but didn't release all the tension gathered in his straining muscles.
"They attacked me while I was asleep. August wasn't in our room, or he would've helped me. There were six of them that..."
He couldn't even finish. I understood they came in and beat him into the mess I saw.
Circles painted his flesh as I took in the angry swells. They'd be black and blue by tomorrow. My fingers traced over each one on his back before I turned him to face me.
I hated seeing him so broken. Our relationship happened in secret, and we never went public from what people would think of a step being with an adopted from the same family. There was no shared blood between us, but people were ignorant when it came to understanding love was love.
I took in his swollen eye that couldn't open as someone's nails raked across his hard features. His face always looked stern and bored, but I knew he actually felt more than most.
He was the first person my sister hurt when she came back different. I'd be correcting that for him as well.
Using my hands, I cupped his face to take in every mark they left on my lover. I saw every ounce of damage Barcel's ruling did.
"I'm going to kill him. You have my word, Ax." With moisture hidden within my eyes, I knew our closeness would allow him to see how broken his wounds made me.
Kissing his lips, I gently captured the bottom between my teeth. He pulled back, shaking his head in sorrow.
"I can't give you that right now, Caine. I'm too-"
Placing a finger over his lips, I hushed him.
"Ax, just because I'm your Dom, doesn’t mean it only applies in the bedroom. That isn't the definition of a Dom. If a man only uses that role for sexual gratification, he is not a real one."
"What do you mean?" Axel pulled back to look at me.
I had coddled him when we first met, but we had only been friends then. As we grew into men, we hadn't crossed this bridge into our intimate life. Even though we had been sexual partners and business partners for years, we had never crossed into the tender side.
"I am here to make sure every need of yours is taken care of, Ax. A sub must be satisfied in life before giving their full submission. I am the one you should want to lean on when this happens. I feel I have failed you if you think I came in here only to use your body."
"You know you are my person. I just never had something like this happen before. I hate that I feel weak. No, I hate that Barcel stripped me of my inner strength."
"It's only momentarily, Ax. I'll help you feel strong again. Now, tell me what you need."
With a heavy exhale, he rested his face into my chest. "This, Caine. I need this."
In understanding, I positioned us to sit beneath the falling water. Nothing sexual happened between us as I held my partner between my knees.
No one entered the bathroom either. I'm sure the two I scared off put out a warning, so we'd have a while for him to calm down. A while for our bond to reinforce as I used my own strength to hold him together. Axel never let himself be vulnerable, even in his private moments.
Knowing Barcel did this, lit a fire within my soul to seek justice. He'd pay. He'd pay in the price of his blood spilling at my feet.
13
Axel
I didn't care I'd be intruding during her private time. I didn't care that she'd be revealed wholly to me. I caught a full view of her naked body, the soap on her skin falling below the faucet.
My anger reached new heights as I slammed my hands into Lyra's back, forcing her against the wall. She hadn't been expecting me, but when I growled at the side of her head, she knew who had her pinned.
"Axel," she panted as the initial fear ebbed away. I hated that I couldn't keep her in that constant state of terror, but I also knew she was more afraid of Caine than me.
"Why?" I demanded, twisting her wet, long hair between each knuckle,