Mated To An Enemy

"I can't believe you're actually leaving," Axel sighed.

He put his arm around Bell's shoulder and hugged her closely. "I'm going to miss you."

Bell smiled and turned to give him a full hug. She had stayed in Winter for more than two months after the end of the war. Initially, she planned to stay only until Axel woke, but then she needed to hand off her patients to other doctors and wrap up her entire life in Winter.

Galen was also busy in Summer, which made it easier for her to put off the move. But after just over two months, it was finally happening. Of course, she would miss her home and family, but she longed to be with him.

"I'm going to miss you too, big brother," she whispered. Then, pulling away, she looked up at him with a genuine and happy smile.

Axel touched her cheek.

"It's good to see you like this," he said. "Happy, hopeful. Not a trace of fear."

"It's nice to feel like this," she said. "I've never in my life felt more sure of anything."

Axel nodded and turned to finish packing the box he had already been working on. He placed the last books inside and then proceeded to tape it shut.

"Galen is a great man," he said. "There's no one else I would trust to take care of you."

"You mean you finally admit he's good enough for me?" Bell asked with a laugh.

"I didn't say that," Axel replied, pointing the tape gun at her. "No one is good enough for you. But he comes close."

"Careful," Alice smiled as she entered the hall carrying a basket of folded laundry. "I might get the wrong idea. After all, so many wolves were rooting for you two to end up together."

"Who told you about that?" Axel asked with an irritated groan.

"Who didn't?" Alice laughed.

"It was talked about a lot," Bell laughed. "Galen was not thrilled about it during his time here either."

"Just to be clear," Axel said, moving to Alice and wrapping his hands at her waist. He pulled her close and rested his forehead against hers. "There is, and only ever was, you."

Alice chuckled and placed a gentle kiss against his lips, whispering. "I know."

"Hello, still in the room…." Bell said loudly. "Maybe let's break it up and focus on the packing? Galen will be here soon, and I want everything ready to just be shoved into the car and go."

"That eager to leave us, huh?" Axel questioned as he pulled away from Alice and returned to his task. "I see how you are."

"Oh please," Bell scoffed. "I have been apart from my husband for months. You two barely spend an hour apart before you start having withdrawals. If anyone should understand my desire to be home with him, it's you."

"She has a valid point," Alice said.

"I do understand," Axel sighed. "Ok, no more messing around. Let's get you packed and ready to go."

"Well, I don't know what you slackers have been doing, but the bedroom is done," Alice commented, adjusting the basket on the stack of packed boxes.

"Seriously?" Bell asked, moving past her to look inside the bedroom.

She saw that the room had been completely stripped down except for the mattress that Bell had decided to leave behind. A stack of boxes stood neatly organized and labeled at the end of the bed.

"Wow…" she said, turning to Alice. "How did you do that so quickly?"

"Force of habit," Alice shrugged. "I always had to make sure I could remove any trace of myself at a moment's notice."

"Shitty habit to have to form, but it has its uses," Bell said with a smile.

Alice grinned.

"I'm very useful."

"True," Bell nodded.

She then took a step closer to Alice. She reached her hand forward, placing her fingers gently at Alice's wrist and feeling her heartbeat. It was slightly elevated.

"You're also pregnant with twins and due in less than two months," Bell continued. "You need to be much more careful than you are used to."

"I know," Alice smiled. "I'm being careful, I promise."

"You better," Bell said with a pointed glare, "I have given strict instructions for all your exam notes and test results to be sent to me. If I see anything I don't like, I will be back here immediately to tie you down if I have to."

"Oh?" Alice said with a playful smile, then turned to Axel. "I thought you said we had to tame ourselves?"

"Ugh…" Bell scoffed, rolling her eyes.

Axel chuckled but said nothing.

"Where is Ashleigh when I need her," Bell sighed. "The two of you even make me blush."

Alice lifted her eyes toward Axel at the mention of his sister. Axel paused and then continued his work as he spoke.

"She has set out for the Moonguard territory," he said.

"What? When?" Bell asked, setting down her packing tape.

"She left this morning," Alice said.

"Why didn't she say anything?" Bell asked aloud. "I told her I was leaving today."

"I think she was trying to avoid an argument," Alice replied.

"Why would I argue? I know she's focused on finding a way to the ley line. Moonguard seems like a good place to start. But she could have told me or at least said goodbye."

Bell crossed her arms over her chest with a sigh.

"She's angry at you, me, and Galen. But she also knows she shouldn't be," Axel said.

"At me?" she asked. "Why? What did I do?"

"You're moving forward," Alice sighed. "You are moving to Summer to be with your family. You are continuing your life after the war. Axel and Galen are making plans to unify the packs, and they aren't waiting to implement the ideas."

Bell took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Ashleigh had been struggling since she woke up. She couldn't accept that Caleb was gone. Her entire focus was on finding a way to bring him back, but no matter how much anyone else wanted to believe, they had no way of helping her.

Bell wanted to let Ashleigh process her grief in her own way, but she was worried about her doing something that might put her in danger.

"I don't think she should be taking any trips alone," she said.

"She's not," Alice replied. "Myka is taking his troop out on their first adventure. They are going to Moonguard together."

Bell sighed.

"She'll be all right," Alice said gently.

"I know," Bell said. "I just wish I knew how to help her."

"We all do," came a voice from the doorway.

Bell turned with a skip of her heart as she saw him highlighted by the sunlight behind him.

"Galen!" she cried, running and jumping into his arms.

He let out a throaty laugh as he caught and kissed her.

"Hello," he whispered against her lips as he pulled away just enough to breathe.

"I missed you," she whispered, pecking his lips again.

"I missed you too," he replied, kissing her again.

Axel cleared his throat, twice.

Bell laughed as she pulled away from Galen, and he let her down. She turned to Axel with a smug grin.

"See, it's annoying, isn't it?" she asked.

"First," Axel began with a look of irritation, "it's not the first time you two have slobbered on each other in front of me. Second, Alice and I just talked. We didn't pounce on each other like you."

"Yea, but it's the way you two say things… it makes me feel all dirty," Bell said with disgust.

Galen laughed and moved to grab a pile of boxes to take to the car as Axel and Bell continued to debate which couple was more inconsiderate to the other. But when Alice picked up a box and started for the door, both Axel and Bell dropped the debate and leaped to stop her.

"Twins, sit!" Bell growled, taking the box from Alice's hands.

"Leave this to us," Axel said sweetly, leading Alice to sit at the dining set that Bell was also leaving behind. "You need to save your energy."

Axel kissed her forehead, and Alice nodded with a knowing smile as he gave her a look that told her he had plans for that saved energy when they returned home.

Bell scoffed and rolled her eyes from the doorway.

"This is what I'm talking about," she said, "the way you talk to each other… creepy."

"Oh right, like the two of you are any better?" Axel said as he picked up a box and headed toward the door.

"Uh, yea, we are," Bell countered. She turned just as Galen returned from the car. "We are far better at keeping our hands and eyes to ourselves in front of others than they are, right?"

"Not even a little bit," Galen replied, kissing her head with a grin as he passed by for another box.