I slide off Alex and settle beside him, his arm wrapping around me as his fingers trace gentle circles on my belly. We sit in silence, neither of us uttering a word, just catching our breaths until Alex finally speaks.
"Was what I witnessed today a usual occurrence?" he inquires, his voice tinged with confusion. I toy with his fingers, tracing patterns on my belly. At that moment, I realized he must have wanted to talk about it earlier but was unable to due to the ceremony and our subsequent need to mate.
"But I don't understand. According to Alice, you were always the one who was pampered by your parents and harsh on her sister," Alex says, confusion evident in his voice.
"Can we not talk about it?" I interject, turning to face him. I don't want to discuss my parents or my difficult relationship with my sister. I didn't want to ruin the moment. He gazes at me for a moment before finally nodding, pulling me closer, and kissing me. The kiss begins slow and innocent, but as Alex' hands roam my body, it ignites a fiery passion in me, leaving me craving more - yearning for his searing mouth all over my skin.
He pulls away from my lips to trail kisses along my neck and sniffs on his mark. I expect him to continue down my body, but he stops, pulling his gaze to meet mine.
"Why can't I ever smell your scent?" he asks, his confusion evident. My brows furrow.
"You can't smell my scent?" I repeat his question slowly, genuinely bewildered. The idea that someone couldn't smell my scent was completely new to me.
"Yeah, I can't," he confirms.
"I don't know why. I didn't even know it couldn't be smelt," I reply honestly, as bewildered by this discovery as he is.
"That's fine," Alex murmurs huskily, his eyes drifting back down to my chest. My breasts grow taut under his molten gaze, nipples pebbling with pure want. "Now, where was I?" he smirks wolfishly, eyes locked on my peaked buds. Just as he leans in to capture one in that wicked mouth, his phone suddenly begins to ring, shattering the thick tension. He ignores the shrill sound, but it still manages to disrupt the heated moment, now the only noise pervading the otherwise silent room.
"I'll be back," he says, withdrawing from my body and moving to retrieve his clothes scattered on the floor. He pulls out his phone from his pants pocket and answers, not uttering a word as he listens intently to the caller. A minute later, he hangs up abruptly and starts dressing hurriedly.
"Is everything alright?" I ask, confusion knitting my brows as I watch him hastily clothe himself.
"Yeah, I just have some urgent business to deal with," he replies curtly, tugging his shirt over his head.
"Can I know what it's about?" I inquire, my curiosity piqued.
"No," he responds tersely.
"Hmm... Does it have anything to do with Alice?" The question escapes my lips before I can stop it, surprising us both. But can you blame me? He offers only a vague explanation for his sudden departure, leaving me to speculate. Jealousy rears its ugly head with my emotions in turmoil from our recent marking.
Alex pauses mid-motion as he laces his shoes but continues dressing without acknowledging my query. "What's that supposed to mean?" he bites out instead, deflecting.
White-hot anger flares in my chest. "You're going to meet her on our fucking engagement ceremony night!" I burst out, unable to contain the accusation any longer. How could I have been so naive? Seeing him defend me against Alice, promising to protect me - I actually thought I could trust him. Fool that I am.
"Why the fuck would you assume that? I said I have urgent fucking matters to deal with!" Alex roars back, his own rage evident.
"I don't even care anymore. You can leave to go to hell for all I care. It's not like you love me or something. You only even agreed to be with me for the alliance between our packs. Goodbye." I shout the scathing words, turning away from him as fat tears burn my eyes. I viciously blink them back, pulling the covers over my head to shut out his betrayal.
"Hannah..." Alex begins, but his phone rings again, cutting him off abruptly. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can, and we can talk then." He presses a gentle kiss to my forehead through the covers before departing.
As the door clicks shut behind him, the dam bursts. Hot tears stream down my face in racking waves as I cry my heart out - my stupid, easily forgiving heart. I curse myself for this entire situation, for being so foolishly vulnerable.
ALEX
My hands grip the steering wheel with a vice-like grip, my knuckles pale against the dark leather. The city streets blur past me in a whirlwind as I navigate through the chaotic traffic, the piercing sound of my horn cutting through the din. My heart pounds in my chest, fear and adrenaline coursing through my veins.
I couldn't bring myself to confess to Hannah the real reason I was racing to the hospital—Alice's sudden admission. Things were finally looking up for us, and I didn't want to ruin it. My feelings for Alice had faded, but my concern for her well-being remained. However, Hannah might not see it that way. She could interpret my concern for Alice as lingering feelings, which isn't the case. I simply can't stand by and do nothing when my friend is in a near-death situation.
I'm not even sure if I can still call Alice my friend after what I witnessed today. The confrontation between Haisely, their mom, and Alice doesn't align with the stories Alice had told me about her home life. Hannah was the victim, not Alice, and the realization leaves me reeling, questioning everything I thought I knew about the woman I once loved.
But for now, I'll push these unsettling thoughts aside until Alice is fine. When the time is right, I'll confront her about what I witnessed.
Arriving at the hospital, I make my way to the room number my brother had provided earlier on the phone. As I approach, I see Lorenzo standing at the door. Without warning, he strides up to me and delivers a powerful punch to my face.
"What the fuck was that for?" I exclaim, wincing and clutching my throbbing jaw, utterly bewildered by his sudden aggression.
"That's for driving my damn mate to suicide," he spits out, his eyes blazing with anger as he glares at me. A furrow forms between my brows as I try to make sense of his accusation.
"She attempted suicide?" I gasp, shocked. Cameron had only mentioned that she was fighting for her life in the hospital; he hadn't said anything about suicide.
"Yes, because of you!" Lorenzo explodes, jabbing a finger accusatorily at my chest.
"Lorenzo, please, calm down. There must be some misunderstanding," I say, attempting to diffuse the tension.
"What misunderstanding? She wants you, and you won't have her, so she decides life isn't worth living without you," he seethes, his voice laced with venom.
I fall silent, unable to offer a rebuttal. Running my hand through my hair, I feel the weight of the situation bearing down on my shoulders. This revelation is almost too much to comprehend. Why would she try to take her own life? Did she truly love me that intensely? And if so, was it genuine affection or something far more troubling, like obsession?
"She wants to see you," someone interrupts, pulling me out of my thoughts. I blink, realizing it's Cameron.
I start to decline, not feeling ready to face her after what I've just learned, but one look from my brothers changes my mind.
"It's the least you could do after what happened," Lorenzo asserts, leaving no room for argument.
I sigh deeply and reluctantly move toward the door. Maybe I can talk to her and make her understand that this isn't love but obsession, and she needs to let go before it consumes her.
Entering the room, I see Alice with her back to me, gazing out the window. I approach the bed, standing at the foot of it before calling her name.
"Alex," she turns, her eyes brightening at the sight of me. My chest tightens uncomfortably at her expression.
"How are you feeling?" I ask, trying to keep my tone neutral.
"Better now that you're here," she replies, smiling, and that uncomfortable feeling intensifies. She needs to let go of this obsession.
"That's good to hear," I say, wetting my lips before continuing. "They told me what you did, Alice..." I start, but she cuts me off.
"Take me back, Alex, please," Alice suddenly begs, her eyes pleading.
I close my eyes, rubbing my temples as frustration mounts. Not this again!
"Alice," I say, opening my eyes and locking them with hers. "I'm not fucking leaving Hannah, and that's it."
Tears fill Alice's eyes, sadness washing over her features. "You're truly going to stay with her even after what happened."
"Yes, I will," I reply, my voice hardening. I may sound heartless, but it's better than deceiving her into thinking there's a chance.
"Okay," she sniffles. "No problem, I understand."
"You do?" I ask, narrowing my eyes, shocked by her sudden acceptance but also relieved she's finally coming to terms with it.
"Yes, I understand, but I have one request," she says softly.
"Go ahead," I say, bracing myself for what she might ask.
"Can we go on a three-day date like we used to before? I just want to have one last date with you before I truly let you go."
I exhale deeply, considering her words carefully. "If I agree to this, will you stop asking me to leave Hannah?"
"Yes, I promise," she replies earnestly.
"Alright, then I agree," I concede, hoping this will bring closure to her and allow us all to move forward.