The Consort

I try not to let my fear show as I watch Heloix, unsure if he is actually able to see me through his hazy, unfocused stare. He doesn't seem to be able to but I continue to be cautious anyways, not wanting to stress out his body even more.

"I'm going to tell Axis what happened." I whisper, looking for any sign that he is comprehending my words.

He offers me nothing, his body remaining still.

John shifts slightly from where he stands by the doorway, his feet scuffing quietly along the floor.

"Do you trust him?" He asks, referring to Axis.

It's a good question, and one I wish I could answer with confidence. I don't really know him very well, and the only interactions I've had with him have been incredibly tense and a bit frightening.

"I don't, but Heloix does."

Sighing, I reach forward and grab Heloix's warm hand, wishing he could communicate with me in some way and tell me what to do. I hadn't anticipated him completing our bond, and I desperately wish to know why he rushed it the way he did.

We were unable to adjust his body after he plopped down on the couch, and for hours he has been smooshed into the cushions, his large body barely able to fit on the small sofa. It looks uncomfortable, and I wish he wasn't so heavy so we could move him to the bed or put him in a better position.

I squeeze his fingers, hoping to feel something in return, but his hand remains limp in mine. My eyes begin to water at the sight of him, and I turn away before the tears can fall. Now is not the time.

"Let's go." I whisper, glancing up at John as I speak.

He looks at us with pity, his shoulders slumped forward as he peers between Heloix and me. It's not exactly a secret that he isn't the biggest fan of Heloix, but has seemed to warm up to him a bit in the past couple of weeks. Especially since realizing that Heloix will pretty much let him do whatever he wants as long as he's keeping me occupied.

John likes to tell me what Heloix is whipped, but I'm not so sure about that. Often it feels like it's the other way around.

I resist the urge to look back as I exit the room, knowing that if I continue to look at Heloix that I won't be able to get anything done. John follows behind me but pauses as we step out into the main hallway.

"Should I stay behind?" He questions, gesturing his head towards the front door.

I shake my head. "No."

In all honesty I don't want to face Heloix's Second by myself. He's a scary man, and I think that having another witness present will be helpful.

John sighs, but doesn't push the issue. I know he isn't a big fan of Axis either, and I appreciate that he isn't making a big fuss about helping me seek him out.

"Do you know where he usually is at this time?" I ask, hoping that John learned his schedule during the brief time that he was cleaning his suite.

John nods, moving to walk ahead of me and lead the way.

"He's almost always in his office."

His pace is fast as he walks down the hallway, and I move in a light jog to keep up.

John pauses as we reach his office door, and I don't hesitate to move past him and bust inside. I'm acutely aware that it's bad manners, but my worry for Heloix has me throwing away care for such formalities away.

Axis is sitting behind his desk in the center of the room and slowly looks up as we enter. His eyes flicker briefly to John, but almost immediately settle back on me. An audible sigh falls from his lips as he looks me over, and he sets down the cup he holds in his hand.

"Close the door behind you." He orders, speaking to John who entered after me.

I hear the door shut seconds later, and Axis slowly stands and walks around to the front of his desk. My body tenses at his actions, but I remain still. He leans back against the wood, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Heloix completed the bond."

I nod.

"What happened?"

"I don't really know." I admit, feeling my cheeks flush beneath his gaze. "I tripped down the stairs, and Heloix freaked out when he saw. Something is wrong with him. We were able to get him to our living room couch, but he isn't responsive."

"You fell down the stairs?" Axis questions.

I nod, a bit baffled that of everything I just said that me falling down the stairs is what he comments on.

"I need to smell you."

I take a step back, bewildered by his request.

"What?"

Axis grimaces, looking incredibly uncomfortable as he reaches up and pinches the bridge of his nose.

"It's complicated, but your scent will tell me a lot about how Heloix is doing."

I'm skeptical about his words but nod my head anyways, reminding myself that this is the man Heloix trusts. Axis uncrosses his arms and steps towards me. He is careful to leave a couple of inches between us, which I appreciate, and leans in.

I turn my head to the side as his face nears mine, and try not to physically recoil as his nose brushes up against the skin of my ear. The room is completely silent, amplifying the sound of Axis taking a deep inhale. It's incredibly uncomfortable to say the least, and I hold my breath as I wait for Axis to finish up.

Locking eyes with John, annoyance flashes through me at the sight of him holding in laughter, his face red and cheeks puffed out. I regret not letting him stay behind as he wanted.

Abruptly, Axis removes himself from my neck and steps back. I look at him for answers, but his face gives away nothing.

"All is well."

"How do you know?" I probe, desperate for the assurance that Heloix is going to be okay.

Axis shrugs, glancing down at me for a moment before turning back towards his desk.

"I can smell his Beast in you. And certain components of your scent have not changed." He answers, shuffling through some papers on his desk. "If one or both of those things were missing I would be worried."

His explanation doesn't quite make sense, but I don't push him on it. There are bigger issues at hand than Beast scents.

Axis turns back around and holds out a couple pieces of paper towards me. I reach out and grab them, looking over the sheets in confusion. The first sheet is a map of the kingdom, with red circles covering large portions of the land. The following pages seem to be further information on each one of the circles.

"Heloix asked me to put this together for him the other day. These are the factions of the kingdom that are most likely to revolt." He explains. "What is your plan?"

I snap my head up, eyes wide at his question.

Axis sighs, his eyes rolling back slightly. "You're technically our queen now, Adeline. These are your decisions to make."

My blood runs cold at his words, fear gripping my body. I would be foolish to think that I have enough experience and knowledge to make these sorts of decisions. Heloix just started filling me in on what's been going on and what his plans are, but there's still so much that he hasn't told me.

"I would recommend asking me for a status update on the alliances that have already been ironed out." Axis suggests, taking pity on me.

I nod, clenching and unclenching my clammy hands. "Yes, when are they coming?"

"King Richard's men will be here this afternoon. King Stephen's men will be here tomorrow. Heloix was still working on the others."

My lip twitches at the mention of King Stephen, my dislike for him and the way he treats his human mate strong.

Axis reaches forward and grabs the papers from my hand, flipping back to the first page and pointing to the top section.

"We are here."

He drags his hand down to the closest circle.

"This area is small, and the people are weak. Not much of a concern."

He moves to the next cluster of circles.

"These are all commoners that live in the city. Most of them talk of rebellion, but won't really do it."

With a frown, he moves to the farthest circle, tapping his finger against the page.

"This is where most of our concern lies. These Beasts are wealthy and own a lot of humans. At a minimum they will kill their entire staff, but we just need to keep them at bay long enough for Heloix to get his shit together. Otherwise, your kind will probably cease to exist." Axis explains, glancing between John and me.

"What?" John speaks up, taking the question directly out of my mouth.

Axis's attention shifts from the papers to John.

"What are you confused about."

"What do you mean otherwise our kind will cease to exist?" I chime in.

Axis sighs quietly, moving back around his desk and sitting in his chair. He gestures for John and me to sit as well, and we quietly obey.

"Has Heloix told you anything?" He asks, and I shrug.

I thought he did, but now I'm not so sure. He's never mentioned anything about a threat to humankind as a whole, and up until now I've been under the impression that our worry was in regards to the Beasts attacking the castle and overthrowing Heloix.

"Most of what's left of the human population lives in this kingdom, Adeline. Heloix has kept your kind alive because of the free labor, and the people have obeyed because they are fearful of him. Other than wanting to kill Heloix, their only goal is to end the human line." Axis explains.

My blood runs cold, and out of the corner of my eye I spot John tense up, his knuckles white as they grip the armrests of his chair. Heloix did not tell me any of this, and I force myself to rein in my anger at his lack of openness with me.

Axis continues. "Now is the perfect time to accomplish both of these items."

I take in a deep breath, trying and failing to calm my rapidly beating heart.

"If they don't know what Heloix is sick then they won't rebel?" I suggest.

Axis laughs, a loud sound that feels forced. He sucks in some air, lips flattening into a hard line.

"I'm sure that word is already spreading."

I shake my head no. "Nobody was there when it happened and we got Heloix into our wing without any guards seeing."

"Adeline, you smell like his Beast. Any guard within a ten foot radius of you will be able to tell." He explains.

"Then I will stay inside my room."

Axis looks up to the ceiling, his jaw clenching in anger. "Yes, and nobody will wonder why the King and his human mate haven't left their wing for days."

His voice is laced with sarcasm, and I sink down in my seat, embarrassed. I know it's a far-fetched idea, but it's better than nothing.

"King Richard's men will be here this afternoon, and in the meantime we need to come up with a plan." Axis states, sliding the map in front of me and tossing a pencil on top of it. "Stay here. I'll go get some documents from Heloix's office."

He stands from his desk and heads towards the exit, his movements fast and silent. I turn and watch him leave, eyes locking with John's wide ones as the door slams shut behind him.

John and I say nothing, and after a second I turn back around to face the desk, looking at the map Axis placed in front of me.

My fingers shake as I reach out and grab the pencil, my sweaty hands fumbling around with the wooden stick for a moment before bringing it down to the paper.

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