Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
He stared through the small glass panel of the door.
She was surrounded by monitors, tubes, and wiring. Heart rate, blood pressure, IV fluids, and blood.
Axel felt a painful grip on his heart.
He wanted to run to her side, but he found himself frozen. His hand gripped the door handle as he looked in on her.
The doctor had told him that she had lost a lot of blood, a dangerous amount. Placing the armor on her had likely saved her life, but her natural healing was not working as it should. He theorized that she was too close to death and her body needed a boost to begin the natural process.
But if he was wrong, if her healing didn’t start soon, there was still a chance she would not wake up again.
“That one, Stefan,” Alexander whispered, “he has been particularly concerned about her.”
Axel followed Alexander’s gaze.
A small boy, only about eight years old, was beside her bed. He held her hand and lay his head beside her. His eyes were closed, but Axel was sure that the boy would sit up immediately if he opened the door.
On the floor not far from the bed were four sleeping children huddled together in a pile.
“She saved them all,” Alexander said.
Axel closed his eyes. Seeing her smile in his mind. That mischievous grin, the warmth of her gold speckled brown eyes.
“He was the first,” Alexander continued. “She found him and his sister. But, apparently, the sister was already gone. He didn’t explain any further. He just said that Alice appeared before him. She avenged his sister and then promised to get him out of Autumn.
“He told her about the others, and she asked him to take her to them. That was also where she found Wyatt.”
Axel opened his eyes, feeling a sudden rush of anger through his body.
“In Autumn…” he whispered.
Roman’s fiery eyes, his wicked grin. The image was burned into his mind. He let out a soft growl.
“I’m not sure what Tomas was thinking….” Alexander sighed.
“It wasn’t Tomas,” Axel said.
Alexander looked at him.
“It was Roman.”
“How can you be sure?” Alexander asked.
“I just am,” Axel sighed.
He turned back to look at the woman he loved. Injured, on the brink of death.
She was finally within walking distance; he could see her. All he had to do was open the door and step inside.
“How’s Selene?” Axel asked.
“Still sleeping,” Alexander replied.
Axel nodded, never moving his eyes away from Alice.
“I don’t know how she will react to this,” Axel whispered.
“I don’t either,” Alexander replied.
Inside the room, Alice let out a soft cry.
It was a nightmare. He remembered the way she would cry out in her sleep.
Axel closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, pushing back against the threat of an emotional flood.
“However she feels, you must help her to hold it back.”
“I’m not sure I can make that promise,” Alexander said.
“You must,” Axel growled, looking at Alexander with a slight glow. “We all must.”
Alexander stiffened.
“Until my father’s feast has been given… there must be peace,” Axel said through gritted teeth.
Alexander swallowed and gathered his nerve.
“Do you plan to avoid her until after the feast?” Alexander asked.
“I have no reason to avoid my sister.”
“I meant Alice,” Alexander said. “Can’t help but notice you seem to be having difficulty opening that door.”
Axel sighed.
“It’s not that simple.”
“What’s the problem? She’s your mate, right?” Alexander asked. “If it was Selene, I wouldn’t be able to stop myself from running through that door to make sure she was all right.”
“If it was Selene, you would know who it was you would encounter on the other side of that door.”
Alexander furrowed his brows. He looked at the pained look on Axel’s face, and then he remembered what Sofia had told him. About the doll. He sighed.
“But you’ve seen it before,” he said.
Axel scoffed gently.
“Does that make it easier?” he asked.
Alexander turned away; he had no way of knowing what Axel was going through.
“I have met four different versions of her,” Axel continued. “The innocent child that felt the same pull to me as I did her, that laughed and smiled. The flirtatious spy that I was warned to stay away from, who knew the things I liked and used them to get my attention.”
Axel paused, pulling his hand away from the door turning away. He closed his eyes and let out a breath.
“The broken doll, her thoughts scattered over years of confused memories. Fragmented stories of bloody kitchens and monsters.”
Alexander looked back through the glass window. Alice stirred. The look on her face was distressed and then calm again. He wondered if the dreams were like the ramblings that Axel described.
“Finally, I met Alice,” Axel sighed with a smile. “The real, true Alice. My mate, the woman I love.”
“It could be her,” Alexander whispered. “She could be the one on the other side of this door.”
“Or it could be someone else entirely,” Axel replied sadly.
Alexander sighed and looked back at Axel.
“I don’t understand,” he said. “Before, you sounded so confident in your relationship with her. If you are afraid she will be another person, why did you argue so hard against Selene?”
“You don’t understand,” Axel sighed.
“Make me understand,” Alexander said.
Axel looked back, and Alexander could see the tears gathering in his eyes.
“Any other time, any other day,” Axel whispered. “It wouldn’t matter who the voice in that room is. Because I know that inside is my Alice.”
Axel sniffled, and the tears streamed from his eyes.
“But today… after my father….”
Axel paused. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a shaky breath.
“If I go in there and she doesn’t know me anymore, if she’s….” Axel released a soft sob and licked his lips, “gone.”
He took a deep breath.
“I can’t take that loss today.”
Axel turned away.
Alexander looked back into the room at Alice’s brief but pained expression in her sleep.
“And if she’s still there?” he asked. “If it’s her in that room… and she gets worse while you’re out here.”
Axel looked back over his shoulder.
Alexander turned around.
“Could you bear that loss?”
Axel clenched his jaw. But before he had a chance to consider Alexander’s words, a small voice cried out that sent his heart into a frenzy.
“Help!” Stefan shouted. “Help! She’s dying!”
Axel and Alexander rushed into the room. The children that had been sleeping were awake and huddled together in the corner, crying as they watched Alice’s body shaking on the bed. Stefan stood over her, calling her name and telling her to wake up, still shouting for help.
Alexander ran to the wall and hit the emergency call button. Axel rushed to her side and held her shoulders down.
“Alice!” he called to her, “Alice, please wake up!”
“I think it’s a seizure!” Alexander shouted, pulling Stefan back gently and taking his place on Alice’s other side. “You have to let her go! You’ll cause more harm than good by holding her down.”
Axel hesitated but removed his hands from her shoulders. Her body continued to stutter and spasm.
“You’re ok, Alice,” Axel whispered. “You’re going to be fine.”
The medical team rushed into the room and quickly moved into action. The two men and the children were removed from the room, and the door was shut.
Axel felt his heart pounding wildly as she wished he could still see her, speak to her.
He already regretted his hesitation.
Alexander returned to Selene while Axel and the children sat on the hallway floor, waiting to hear about Alice.
Stefan sat down beside Axel.
“Do you know Alice?” he asked.
Axel turned to look at the boy.
His hands were dark. At first glance, he thought it was dirt. But then he realized it was dried blood. He couldn’t help but wonder which of the two people he loved it belonged to.
“Come with me,” Axel said, standing from his spot on the floor.
Stefan looked back at Alice’s door.
“It will take them some time to get her stable and decide their next course of action,” Axel said. “We will be back in time to hear the results.”
Stefan hesitated but nodded, and he stood up and told the others he would return shortly before turning to follow Axel.
New Book: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel
Dayson was the alpha of the largest pack in North America. Powerful figures from other packs sought to offer gorgeous girls as potential mates for Dayson. He steadfastly rejected these advances, he was not a pawn to be manipulated. But eventually there came a mysterious girl he could hardly say No. Who was she?