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The joyful gathering of the three alphas was interrupted when word of an ambush was reported.

They had almost reached Winter when a small group came upon them. They were attacked, and one of the nomads was severely injured, but the rest received only minor wounds.

The one who had taken the leadership role, Myka, was injured. He took a deep claw gash to his chest but continued to fight to protect those he came with.

The Frostbite wolves that had been traveling between Winter and their own territory came across the small caravan and joined in the fray, helping to push back the attackers.

Myka insisted on continuing to the northern city when all was said and done. That was where they had intended to go from the start. The Frostbite wolves tried to convince him to stop at one of the southern villages to be seen by a doctor, but he simply smiled and said there were doctors in the north.

“While I can appreciate your eagerness to begin talks. You don’t have to risk your health for it,” Axel said, staring at the tall, thin man before him with the bloodied rags that covered his exposed chest.

“We would have had no issue delaying by a day or two while you were treated in the south,” Caleb added.

“That’s not how we work,” said Myka, tossing his head back gently, sending the deep blue hair away from his eyes.

His thin lips curled into a smirk, and he raised a brow over his narrow eyes.

“Once we have decided on a destination, we don’t stop until we have arrived,” he said. “If we are injured or die along the way, it was a part of our journey.”

“I like this kid,” Jonas said quietly to Caleb.

Caleb rolled his eyes and chuckled.

“Well, you have arrived now, so I hope you will be willing to go–”

Axel’s words were cut off when the office door suddenly opened wide, her scent fell over him first, and he couldn’t prevent a smile from forming on his lips.

Alice stepped inside and looked around. When their eyes met, he felt the warmth in her smile. But it was only a moment. Her attention quickly shifted to the blue-haired man before him.

For his part, that man was grinning ear to ear at the sight of her.

Axel swallowed down the irritation at the sight.

“Myka!” Alice shouted and walked toward him. “Did you seriously refuse to stop and get treated?”

“It is part of my journey,” Myka said softly with a shrug.

“Sure it is….” Alice replied with a playfulness that made Axel uncomfortable.

Alice reached out and pulled at the bandage on his chest, looking at the wound. Axel suppressed a growl.

Caleb and Jonas each looked away, trying their best not to notice Axel’s reactions.

“This looks pretty deep,” she sighed.

“Yes,” Myka replied. “It seems likely it will need to be stitched.”

The smiles that passed between them held a conversation that no one else could hear. One that was eating away at Axel’s tolerance.

“I’ve seen you fight, Myka,” Alice said mischievously. “Are you sure this wasn’t intentional?”

Myka let out a soft chuckle.

“Now, why would I do a thing like that?” he asked, his voice dropping just enough to push Axel to his boiling point.

“Hmm, guess you better make your way to the hospital and see one of our fine Winter doctors about that,” Alice replied, taking a step closer to him.

“That seems like a wonderful idea,” Axel said, stepping beside Alice before Myka could respond. “I’m sure Caleb wouldn’t mind leading you there.”

Caleb cleared his throat.

“Of course,” he replied, moving to stand beside the door.

“I think I might just tag along as well,” Jonas said, quietly moving with Caleb.

Myka lifted his gaze from Alice and looked at Axel. He grinned.

“See you later, Alice,” he said, still looking at Axel. “Let’s catch up while I’m here.”

Axel took a deep breath through his nose.

Myka let out a soft chuckle as he walked past them and out the door, followed immediately by Caleb and Jonas.

Axel lifted Alice in his arms as soon as the door closed and carried her to the couch. She let out a giggle as he held her close.

He sat down with her on his lap, straddling him. Axel pressed his forehead to hers and breathed her in.

“I’ve missed you,” he said softly. His feelings of jealousy had already melted away at her hand’s soft touch, scent, and very being.

“Oh?” she asked, pulling back to look at him. “Is that why you weren’t here to greet me when I arrived?”

Axel grinned, knowing she wasn’t truly upset.

He rested his hands on her hips.

“I had to talk with some of the Frostbite wolves about the potential for using a portion of the lands we have given them access to. To house more refugees and allies.”

“How’d they take it?” she asked.

“Better than I expected,” he replied. “They have always come off as being unreasonable, practically feral. But as I have worked with them over the past few months, I find them quite reasonable. Considerate even.”

“Well, Frostbite sees Winter as a big brother they have always wanted to impress,” she said, bringing her hands to either side of his face. “And you gave them the opportunity to do so.”

Axel smiled and hugged her close.

“That is the second compliment I have received today about my abilities as Alpha,” he said. “I worried for so long about whether or not I would ever be able to handle this responsibility. And strangely, it is the things that felt natural that I have been complimented on the most.”

Alice placed a gentle kiss on his throat.

“Because you were born for this,” she whispered.

Between her unshakable faith in him, her hot breath, and just having been without her for four days, Axel found himself gently squeezing her hips and moving his own toward her.

Alice let out a soft giggle.

“Whoa, tiger,” she whispered. Feeling her own longing for him making itself known.

“Are you alright?” he asked with concern.

Alice sat up straight and smiled at him.

“I’m good,” she said. “But there’s something I want to do, something I want to show you.”

“What is it?” he asked, looking up at her.

Alice unzipped her jacket, pulling it off and revealing the tank top she wore below it.

“So far, I like it,” he smiled.

Alice chuckled and then pulled at the strap of her tank top and her bra just enough to give him a preview of what he craved beneath.

“I really like it,” he growled.

“Settle down,” Alice laughed.

She slipped her finger into her bra and pulled something out. Now Axel gave her a quizzical look.

Alice held the item in her hand, not letting him see it.

She swallowed and then looked into his eyes.

“The night that… I left Autumn,” she paused, licking her lips.

Axel glanced away, knowing she phrased it to avoid mentioning his father’s death. But there was no avoiding it in his mind.

“I told you that Tomas helped me escape my room, that at the time, I didn’t really know anything. About myself, him, or anyone else.”

Axel nodded.

“But before I left the room, there was something I needed, something that, even without understanding why, I wasn’t willing to leave behind.”

Alice opened her hand, and a small black velvet bag sat on her palm.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Even after I got my memories mostly back, the one associated with this didn’t surface… I still held to it; I took it everywhere without knowing why. I have also never opened it in that time,” she laughed.

Axel smiled.

“But I finally remembered,” she said. “When Ashleigh and Caleb went to check on you and the convoy, I finally saw that memory.”

Alice opened the bag and pulled out the lock of Axel’s hair that he had given. Axel let out a soft chuckle as he felt a swelling in his heart.

“I remembered something else too,” she said, reaching her hand to the back of his neck and running her finger over the small patch of missing hair where his braid had been.

Axel looked away.

“Someone… took it,” he said quietly.

“I know,” she whispered. “He showed it to me.”

Axel closed his eyes, clenching his jaw. He hated to think of her in pain, but that would be the only reason Roman would have shown her to cause her pain.

Alice reached back and pulled a small knife from her back pocket. She flipped it open and brought it to her hair, cutting off a curl without a word.

“We should always be together,” she whispered, putting the knife away.

Alice slipped her fingers into his hair, grabbing a few strands at the base of his head. She worked her curl into a tight braid.

Axel watched her face, the focused look in her eyes as she gave him back a piece of her. She smiled when she finished.

“There,” she said. “Fixed.”

“Not quite,” he whispered.

She tilted her head in confusion. Axel picked up the lock of his hair, reached up, and found a long curl at the base of her head.

“It’s long enough now,” he smiled.

He stretched the curl and then folded his hair with hers into a matching braid.

Axel smiled and looked up at her with affection. He moved his hand further into her hair and pulled her down to him. Kissing her, holding her, and swearing to never let her go.