Chapter 24: Chapter 24

Chloe Pov

Axel takes my hand as we leave the apartment. Everything seems so tiny with him worried about his dad. I wonder what he needed to talk to me about when he got to the apartment. Whatever it is, it can wait. Axel and his father are the only concern right now. His family is my concern. I only just met them and feel his pain. This will not be easy for him or his mother.

"Axel, how sick is your father?" I ask. Axel hesitates for a moment.

"He has been sick for a long time, but he has held on hoping I would find my mate before he dies. He knows there is someone to guide me now, and he is ready to leave this earth and move on to the next life," Axel says, exceptionally calm.

"Is that why he wants to see me?" I ask.

Axel takes a deep breath. I see the pain in his face, in his eyes, and his body language says it all. He is hurting. "I am not sure why he wants to see you, Chloe, but he wants to see us together. You are the future of his pack. He is a sick old man, and he deserves whatever he asks for right now," Axel says.

I stop talking. I realize I am being rude and sit back for the rest of the ride and remain quiet. I did not mean to be rude, but I am curious what it is he wants with me.

We pull into the home of the Alpha and Luna. Two wolves rush out to us and open both of our doors. The rush Axel in ahead of me, and Luna comes out to greet me.

"Let us give Axel a moment with his father before you go into see him. He has some things he wants to say to you, but first, I have something I want to say," Luna says to me.

"Of course, I am listening," I say.

Luna guides me over to two chairs on the porch, and we sit down. "You will be Luna soon, and I will be the mother of the Alpha," Luna says, laughing.

"Not too soon; we are not getting married for a few months," I respond.

Luna reaches over and touches me so sweetly. "No child, you will have to marry him now. If you refuse, then Axel will have to find another mate," Luna says.

"You mean like now, like right now," I say, almost scared of the answer.

"No, of course not today. Tomorrow is fine," Luna says.

My jaw drops as the door opens to the house. Axel comes out to join us. "He is ready to see us," Axel says.

Axel takes my hand. "If you are not willing to marry me now, then say so. I have to know before we go into that room with my father," Axel says.

I look at him. I do love him, and I know things will work between us. I do not understand the rush of things. I shake my head. "Okay, I will marry you now," I answer him.

"Good," Axel says. He opens the door to his father's room, and we go inside. The Alpha looks terrible.

"Chloe, it is so good to see you again," Alpha says. I walk over to his bedside ahead of Axel and take his hand.

"It is good to see you, Alpha," I say as I take a seat beside the bed. Axel joins me.

"We have a few things to talk about the three of us," Alpha says.

"Yes, Alpha, I am listening to you," I answer him.

Axel leans over the bed. "We are getting married tomorrow, father," Axel says.

"Good, I am happy to hear it, and you will be moving here tonight or after the wedding?" Alpha asks.

"We can do it tonight," I answer for Axel.

"She is right; we can do it tonight," Axel says.

"And your business?" Alpha asks.

"Chloe can run it for now," Axel answers.

I look at Axel. He wants me to run the Arden Firm. Well, I guess I can handle that for now, but not forever, just until he hires someone to run it for him.

"And your mother, I need to know she is taken care of when I am gone," Alpha says.

"We will both take care of mother. She will always have a home with us or wherever she wants," Axel says.

"Good," Alpha says.

I smile at Alpha, and he smiles back at me. "You are perfect for Axel, Chloe," Alpha says, and then he closes his eyes and is gone.

"Axel," I whisper. He touches his father and leaves the room quickly, leaving me with his father. I sit there stunned for a moment, and then Luna joins me. She takes my hand, and we leave the room as wolf maidens come into the room to prepare the body.

"What are they doing?" I ask.

Luna smiles at me through her tears. "They will prepare him for the afterlife. We will send him off tonight. The entire pack will be there. We can have a funeral and a wedding at the same time," Luna says.

This seems morbid and inappropriate to me, but I am not up to date on wolf customs, so I nod and agree. "If that is what Axel wants, then I will do it," I say.

"Good answer. It is hard to get accustomed to the fact your opinion no longer matters in life or in the pack. Everything about you stops Chloe, and you become the pack," Luna says.

Axel comes up to us and hears part of the conversation. "Mother, that is not true," Axel says.

Luna turns to Axel. "Maybe not for you, but it was for me. When the funeral is over, and you two are married, I am leaving the pack. I am done with this life, and I want out of it," Luna says.

Axel takes his mother's hand. "I was hoping you would stay behind and help Chloe learn the ropes of being Luna," Axel says.

"No, I will not. I hope the two of you are happy, but if you love her and I think you do, then you will not require her to conform. Let her be her and not what everyone wants her to be," Luna says.

Axel hugs his mother. "I am sorry you feel this way," he says. He takes my hand and leads me away from the bitter Luna.