Filed To Story: Destined Bond with My Forbidden Alpha Novel (Alpha Alexander & Selene)
When Selene requested Axel’s approval for the outing to Moonguard, Alice spoke against it. She had even told Myka that she thought it was not a good idea. Regardless of the safety of Moonguard itself, her concern was whether or not Selene was in a state of mind to go on the trip.
Axel was confident in his decision, and Alice let it go. When Myka told her that the children would join them, she felt uneasy, but again, she let it go. She trusted them and their judgment.
But on the day that she walked into Axel’s office to find his desk flipped, his papers scattered, and a pale and worried look on his face, for the first time, Alice did not feel comforted or reassured by his words or his arms around her.
He told her what Selene had done. But he was sure she had done it, believing she could keep them all safe. That she hadn’t intentionally put Myka and the children at risk.
When word came that Stefan, Myka, and Sadie were injured alongside Selene, Axel was devastated.
Alice had held him in her arms as he cried, and though she wanted to comfort him, to ease his pain. She also clenched her jaw tight and felt the deep welling of anger in her belly.
After he delivered the news to Peter, she saw the bruise on his jaw. But she didn’t feel angry or worried for him. In fact, she walked out of the room without a word, even as he called after her.
She went straight to Peter. He looked at her, his eyes red with worry, anger, and fear. They said nothing, but Alice walked right up to him and hugged him tight until he hugged her back, and they both cried.
They didn’t talk much, only a few words. But Alice stayed nearby as Peter prepared the treatment room. They had dinner together the night before Myka and the children returned to Winter.
Axel had tried to speak with her, but Alice didn’t have the energy to argue with him or explain why she couldn’t talk yet. She told him she needed a little time to herself, and that was all that was said. She stayed in Peter’s old house while Axel returned to their home.
When the four uninjured children arrived ahead of Myka, Sadie, and Stefan, Alice took it upon herself to care for them. She brought them to her house, fed them, and talked with them. They were shaken up but generally unharmed.
While they had no way of knowing that Selene had changed the danger report, they still emphasized that she had protected them and that before they were attacked, they had been preparing to return to Winter ahead of schedule.
Alice escorted the children home, and then she went to the hospital.
She found Sadie and Myka asleep. Both having been treated for their wounds, Alice discovered the sight of their bandages stirred that angry feeling in her belly.
But it was looking at Stefan that really affected her. The bandages covered most of his body, and multiple bags hung from his IV stand. She had heard one of the nurses talking about needing to keep him on a steady stream of sedatives to prevent him from waking from his pain.
She turned to walk away when the growing anger in her belly threatened to boil over, and she found herself staring into the storm clouds that had become her refuge.
“Alice…” Axel whispered. “Can we talk?”
Alice took a deep breath and looked away from Axel’s pained gaze.
“I can’t right now,” Alice said.
She tried to move past him, but he put a gentle arm out to stop her.
“Please,” he whispered. “Just for a minute.”
Alice could have pulled away, she could have refused, and he would have stepped aside to keep from pushing her too hard. But instead, she sighed and nodded before following him to one of the small waiting rooms.
After closing the door behind him, Axel turned and looked her in the eye. He gave her a soft smile, and Alice felt a painful twinge in her heart.
“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. “Have you been eating? Doing the stretches that the doctor recommended?”
Alice nodded.
“I have been quite obedient,” she said. “I am good at following instructions.”
Axel let out a mournful sigh and took a step closer to her.
“I miss you,” he whispered.
Alice looked up at him.
“I miss you too,” she said.
He took another step and reached his hands out to touch her shoulders.
“Come home,” he said, gently squeezing her shoulders. “I know you’re angry at me, and I understand. But we can work through it together. I will sleep on the couch or on the floor. I just… I want you to come home.”
Alice took a breath.
“I can’t,” she said. “Not yet. Not until I clear my head a little more.”
“Why?” he asked softly, pulling his hands away from her. “Why can’t we work through this together?”
“Because I don’t want to hurt you,” she said.
Axel furrowed his brows. He clenched his jaw and looked away with teary eyes.
“Being apart hurts a lot more than anything you could say,” he said. “But I know I let you down. I know you’re angry at me, and I understand.”
“I’m not angry at you, Axel,” Alice said, tilting her head to look at him. “I know you aren’t to blame for what happened.”
Axel swallowed and turned slowly to look back at her.
“You’re not?”
Alice shook her head.
Axel’s face crumpled, and he took in a shaky breath. He turned suddenly and pulled Alice into his arms. He held her close as the tears fell from his eyes, and gentle sobs escaped his lips.
Alice took a deep breath and returned his hug. She closed her eyes and let his scent fall over her. He was the man she loved. The father of her children. And it felt good to be in his arms and to hold him again.
She wasn’t angry with him, but there was another feeling that she couldn’t shake. Something that confused and bothered her more than anything.
“Axel?” she whispered.
“Yes?” he said, still holding her close.
“Will Selene return to Winter when her treatment is done?” she asked.
“I’m not sure,” he replied. “Bell told me this afternoon that she expected the treatment would probably take at least a month, possibly two. So she won’t be able to leave Summer before then.”
“But when the treatment is over, when she is cleared medically from Summer,” Alice said, “will she be returning to Winter?”
Axel pulled back away from her just enough to look into her eyes while keeping his hands on her waist.
“I… don’t know,” he said. “That depends on Selene.”
Alice looked away from him.
“What if…” she began. “What if I asked that she not return?”
Alice turned back and looked up into his eyes, seeing them widen at her words.
“What would you say if I asked for that?”
Axel swallowed. He furrowed his brows and looked away.
“Alice…” he whispered.
She took a slow breath through her nose and took two steps away from him, far enough that his hands fell from her waist.
“It’s all right,” she smiled. “I know the answer.”
“Alice…” he said again.
“You were shocked,” Alice began, “when you learned that she had changed the report to get your approval for her mission. But I wasn’t.”
Alice smiled a gentle, sad smile.
“While you slept in that hospital bed, Selene never visited,” she continued. “She came one time, and it was not for you.”
Axel furrowed his brow; this was the first time he had heard of this.
“What do you mean?” he asked.
Alice licked her lips and cleared her throat.
“She came to convince me to lead her into and through Spring. To take her to the mound.”
Axel’s eyes widened.
“That’s insane!” he shouted. “That place is far too dangerous! It’s got the highest concentration of fae than any other territory!”
Alice nodded.
“Selene was aware of that and of the fact that I was pregnant and you were in a coma,” she said. “But still, she insisted.”
Axel clenched his jaw and looked away. He knew that she was desperate, but he didn’t realize how long it had been that way. He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling very tired. He looked up at Alice.
“I’m sorry,” he sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “She never should have asked that of you.”
“Why are you apologizing?” she asked.
Axel looked at her with a confused expression, and Alice smiled. But this smile made his heart ache.
“You are not responsible for her actions or choices,” Alice said. “But, if you continue to try and take responsibility for them or make excuses for her… I might start to blame you.”
Axel felt his heart drop into his stomach.
“I know that Selene is desperate and in pain,” she continued. “I know you want to save your sister from her heartache.”
Alice took another breath.
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?