22. Axel

Disoriented and haunted by bloodlust, Axel hears Katya’s voice in his mind and finds his cell door unlocked. Bree admits she freed him, claiming only he can reach “her.” Driven by the pull, Axel leaves the House of Four and heads to the penthouse in the Charter District.

Inside his room, Axel finds Katya awake. Suspicious of her scent after she mentions visiting Shifter leaders in the Leisure District, Axel’s restraint snaps. He seizes Katya and feeds, his shadows shielding him as he drinks too deeply, pushing her toward collapse.

Theon and Tristyn Blackheart intervene. Theon’s darkness and strength tear Axel away; they fight until Theon binds Axel with a magic-dampening band. Tristyn tends to Katya, urging Theon to focus on stabilizing her. Katya weakly reaches Axel mentally and aloud, begging him to stop.

When Katya touches her stomach and silently tells Axel, “me and our babe,” Axel reels. He submits as Theon releases the restraint enough for Axel to offer calming contact. Theon hints at a developing bond between Axel and Katya but withholds details until Axel’s mind clears.

Gia arrives, begins healing, and instructs Axel to speak to Cienna later. As Gia’s magic passes over Katya’s abdomen, Axel realizes the truth: Katya is pregnant with his child, a forbidden Fae–Legacy conception that would mean death if discovered. Theon promises to make things right and to relocate them safely once Gia allows it, while Axel grapples with guilt and the looming danger.