Paul recovered from the initial shock of seeing Ivan standing there and quickly turned to Axel, his voice rising with urgency. "Axel! You stopped taking your scent suppressants, didn't you?!"
Before Axel could answer, another voice cut in from behind Ivan, heavy with disbelief. "You're still letting him take those things?!"
"Dallas…?" Axel breathed, the name barely leaving his lips.
The air rushed out of him as reality settled in- they were both here. Not imagined, not wished for. Real. He blinked rapidly, a tear slipping down his cheek before he could stop it.
Axel's mother stood up abruptly, as she moved toward the door. "His doctor said it wouldn't harm him, so we let him continue. It was the only way to keep him away from you, to keep him from being found." Her eyes hardened as she looked at Ivan. "And you shouldn't even be here. This isn't the time we agreed on. This is risky. Ivan, you have no idea about the warning your father gave us. You..."
