Anna was so stunned by Drax’s beauty that she failed to realize the most important thing.

"Wait!" She exclaimed as he closed the door. "You’re out!"

His eyes cut to her, his slitted pupils narrowing. "I figured it was due time, my chaos. Given our last conversation."

Anna’s cheeks burned red, goosebumps trailed up her spine as she recalled asking him about Orchids heats. Yeah. I absolutely shouldn’t have done that.

He walked over to the bedside, his eyes trained solely on Anna. She didn’t know why, but his gaze made her heart start racing. Not in the excited way, in the nervous way. Her palms became sweaty and she didn’t even know when she got down from the bed and stepped aside.

Drax’s expression was unreadable. The air of coldness around him further intensified the closer he got. His robes whispered against the floors.

Anna stepped back, glancing up at him worriedly. What did I do?!

When Drax tore his eyes away and glanced at Ray, Anna exhaled a breath of relief.

But what happened next was beyond her wildest imaginations.

Drax stood close to Ray, his eyes softening a fraction. Before annna could process anything, Drax leaned down over the bed. Slowly, with the elegance of a dancer, he reached out a long, pale hand. His fingertips lightly brushed again the edge of Ray’s sharp jawline, tracing his skin with an intimate familiarity that made Anna’s cheeks flamed crimson.

"How are you?" Drax murmured, his eyes locked onto Ray’s with an intensity that made Anna forget how to breathe even though he wasn’t looking at her.

Ehhhhhhhhh????

Her jaw dropped. Her brain completely short circuited as she stared at Drax’s hand on Ray’s face, then at Ray, then back at Drax.

At the back of her mind, she knew that Ray and Drax were friends.

But this doesn’t look like just friends?!

Am I intruding?

Or wait, is there nothing like fragile masculinity in this world? No. That can’t be right. Leon exists.

"I’ve had worse," Ray replied. "You finally took your time. I thought you’d—"

"Don’t get used to it,@ Drax cut him off softly, drawing his fingers back and clasping his hands together in the silk of his sleeves. "I was worried when I heard about your injuries. Safe to say I was worried for nothing."

"You’re here for him?" Anna asked, not knowing when the words slipped out of her lips. She didn’t feel threatened or anything, rather intrigued. "I didn’t know you two were this close."

Drax turned to her, tilting his head, his long black hair shifting lazily over his shoulders. "My chaos," he said, making his way over to her and pulling her into his arms. "You brought him back to life didn’t you?"

Anna shrugged, not knowing what to make of the sudden proximity. His body was cold, and he smelled amazing. She also wanted to run her fingers through his hair, feel how smooth they’d slide through her fingers. Maybe braid them. If he’d let her.

"Ahhh yeah!" She stuttered, recalling that he’d asked a question. "Well that was actually the doctors and for me? Well I just did what I do best! Spores!" She let out a nervous laugh that made him narrow his eyes. "How...how did you get out?"

"Do you want me to go back? Say the word, my chaos."

Anna glanced at Ray, who was watching them with an amused smile. Not a hint of jealousy in his eyes.

What the hell is his relationship with Drax?!

"Well, it’s wonderful that you’re here with us. I’ll have the servants prepare a wing for you. Welcome back, Drax."

He stared at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. Anna had the feeling that she was being judged.

Terribly and totally judged.

Then, Drax smiled and took a step back. "Of course." He said.

Anna looked at Ray. He wasn’t smiling anymore.

****

Later that day, normalcy returned to Anna’s life.

The doctor checked up on Ray and cleared him, but said Ray still had to take things easy and heal his wound properly. When Anna asked to see the scar, Ray got so shy and flustered that he almost flew away. So she decided to device a better means to get a look at it.

After reconvening with Azul, changing unit a simple tunic and pants, and inspecting Drax’s new chambers, she decided to make her way to her lab.

The events of the past few days had wrecked havoc on her, she’s almost forgotten that she had a very important batch of suppressants to start making.

"Your highness!" Anna turned to see Bella running up to her, holding what looked like a very dead potted plant. Bella’s eyes were frantic as she wiped sweat off her brow. "It’s dead! I checked on it this morning and it was like this!" She said, showing Anna the withered plant which Anna recognized as the strawberries.

"It’s fine," Anna said with a smile, taking the pot out of Bella’s hands. "I’ll plant another one."

Bella grinned, her cheeks ruddy. "You look happier, your highness."

Anna laughed to herself. "Ray is getting better, so yes. I’m happier now," and also Leon is conveniently missing, Anna didn’t say that part out loud.

"Is there anything I can help you with?" Bella asked.

"Actually, yes. I’ll need five more of these pots. Fill them with soil from the garden and bring it to my lab."

Bella nodded enthusiastically and hurried off.

Anna returned to her lab.

A couple of minutes later, she heard someone behind her.

"So fast already? Did you—" she started to say but froze.

Behind her wasn’t Bella. Instead a breathtaking beastman in white silk.

Drax moved with the speed of a snake underwater, cornering Anna before she could even blink.

In a single, fluid motion, his large, pale hands clamped tightly onto her waist, lifting her effortlessly and slamming her thighs against the edge of the heavy wooden table. He caged her in, his slender frame pressing so close against hers that she could feel the hard line of his chest and the dangerous coldness that rolled from his body.

Anna gasped, her mouth opening to ask a question, to scream, to do something, anything at all. but the next thing she felt was a brutal, crushing weight of soft lips against hers.

Her brain completely flatlined.

The kiss was unlike anything she’d ever felt before. No amount of inherited memories could have prepared her for the real and very terrifying intensity of Drax in real life. She knew he was a tornado with Princess Orchid. But this?

He kissed her like he wanted to dominate her. Which quite frankly she would have let him do if her brain wasn’t so scrambled from the suddenness of his kiss.

His long tongue prodded into her mouth, tasting her, tangling with hers and swallowing the frantic, breathless moans they gathered on her tongue.

A wild lick of heat flared in Anna’s lower stomach. Her body reacted, before her mind could even catch up.

Hunger.

That was all she felt.

Her hands flew to, her fingers clawing desperately through his hair. She moaned at the feel of his hair, somewhere at the back of her logical mind satisfied that it was as soft and silky as it looked. She pulled him close, yet pushed him away at the same time.

Her back arched off the table, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she kissed him back with rivaling intensity. Her head spun, and the heat grew tendrils, spearing all over her body.

Drax let out a low, guttural growl against her lips. A sound that didn’t match his blinding beauty. One that was raw beast, and madness. His grip on her waist tightened till it was sure to leave deep bruises. Then his hands slid down. Long, slender fingers tracing down the curve of her hip before slipping up her tunic.

Anna’s head spun and her legs trembled the moment his cool palm cupped the soft flesh of her ribcage. His thumb stroked upwards until he brushed the underside of her breast.

Fuck! Fuck! What’s happening?!

His touch was electric. Like actual current thrumming thin ouch her veins. A loud gasp broke out of her lips and she tried to press her thighs together, horrified and aroused at the ache growing between her legs.

Drax’s lips moved, kissing her jaw, her cheek, and down the column of her neck.

"Ah!" Anna gasped, feeling his teeth sink down into her soft skin.

My head...my head is spinning. Why do I feel this way? What’s he doing to me?

Everything was too fast. Too terrifying, like a wildfire in summer. Her fingers tightened in his silk sleeves, yet she couldn’t push him away.

Drax’s touch moved, his fingers ghosting over her stiff nipple.

Then he pulled back.

Anna collapsed back against the table, her arms trembling as she propped herself up. Her chest heaved, her lips swollen and tingling, and her face was burning a furious shade of red. Like a furnace. Her lower body was still humming with desperate pleasure that made her want to crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment.

Drax stood a step away, his white robes slightly disheveled. He stared at her, his pupils blown wide as he stared down at her panting form.

"You’re scared," he said, his voice dropping into an accusatory, razor-sharp whisper. "You taste of fear, my chaos. Your body remembers me... but your mind is terrified."

"That’s because you—" Anna choked out, her voice trembling as she tried to pull her tunic down, her heart hammering like a trapped elephant against her ribs.

"And you sound different," he cut her off, his eyes narrowing, filled with suspicion.

Anna swallowed hard. She knew he wasn’t lying. She was scared. And hot. And scared again.

Drax shook his head slowly, then vanished leaving her standing alone, leaned up against the table for support.

What have I gotten myself into?