Chapter 87
Chapter 87
FAYE
I blinked against the brightness, my lashes fluttering as the ceiling above me slowly came into focus. For a moment, my mind was blank–no memory of where I was or how I had gotten here.
And then I saw him.
Alexander. Sitting right beside me, his body leaned slightly forward, his elbows resting on his knees, and his eyes fixed on me as though I might vanish if he looked away. His face was serious, blank, but there was something about the tight set of his jaw, the way his hand twitched slightly on his knee, that made my chest tighten.
I frowned, confused. “Alexander?” My voice came out soft.
“You’re awake.” His tone was low.
I shifted slightly, trying to take in my surroundings. This wasn’t my room. The sterile white walls, the faint smell of medicine, the sight of medical equipment at the corner… it only took me a second to realize I was in the clinic. My confusion deepened. “What am I doing here?” I
asked.
His eyes stayed on mine, searching, like he was trying to read the thoughts tumbling in my head. “How are you feeling?”
I opened my mouth to say I was fine, because that was my instinct, but then the memory slammed into me. The fire in my body, the pounding headache, the way the room had spun while Cole was talking to me about something–I couldn’t even remember what. Then… nothing. Just darkness.
I swallowed hard. “I–I think I’m fine.” The words sounded strange even to me. “But… what happened? I don’t remember much after…” I trailed off, suddenly feeling vulnerable under his gaze. “Why am I here?”
“You passed out, ” Alexander said simply. His tone was calm, but I caught the tightness in it.” Cole brought you to the clinic.”
I blinked at him. Passed out….just like that? I hadn’t fainted since I was a child. I couldn’t reconcile the thought. The idea that I’d collapsed, unconscious, and had to be carried here…it unsettled me deeply.
I suddenly became aware of how intensely he was watching me, his eyes searching for
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something in mine, as though he expected me to reveal a hidden truth with a glance. My pulse jumped under that scrutiny. I looked away quickly. “I’m fine,” I said again, even though he hadn’t asked a second time. Maybe I was trying to convince myself as much as him.
“What did the doctor say was wrong with me?”
For the first time since I opened my eyes, he looked uncertain. His mouth pressed into a line before he answered. “She said it was… nothing. All she did was give you something to control the fever.”
“Nothing?” My brows furrowed. That didn’t make sense.
His silence spoke volumes, and it unsettled me further. But after a moment, I let out a small breath and leaned back. Maybe it was stress. Maybe it was exhaustion catching up with me. It had been a heavy week. Whatever it was, I felt better now. That was what mattered.
“How did you feel this morning?” Alexander asked, as if he was trying to figure out something deeper.
“Strange. I felt like there was fire burning inside of me… And my head was aching like hell. It’s hard to explain,” I said.
The door creaked open, and Cole stepped in. His eyes immediately darted to me, and when he saw me sitting up, his whole body seemed to relax. “You’re awake,” he breathed out, almost like he’d been holding it in the entire time. “How are you feeling?”
“Fine,” I repeated for what felt like the tenth time. “Really, I’m okay now.”
Cole’s eyes softened with relief, but before he could speak further, Alexander stood. His presence loomed for a moment, then he looked at Cole. “Stay with her while I speak to the
doctor.”
Cole nodded, and just like that, Alexander was gone.
Cole walked over and took the seat Alexander had just vacated, his eyes studying me carefully. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes playfully. “Don’t you start too. I just had a little fever symptom, and now both of you are staring at me like I’m some ticking bomb about to explode any moment.”
He chuckled, though the sound carried a nervous edge. “Can you blame us? You scared everyone.”
I raised a brow at him, smirking faintly. “By everyone, you mean yourself, right? Because I’m fairly certain no one around here actually gives a damn whether I’m breathing or not.”
His gaze softened, and the playfulness drained from his tone. “I wasn’t just talking about
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myself, Faye. Maybe not everyone cares, but there are people who do.” He leaned back, his eyes thoughtful. “Alexander was in the middle of a meeting when I texted him. The second he saw my message, he adjourned everything and rushed back here. Then, against the doctor’s orders, he stormed into your room like a madman. I’ve never seen him like that.”
I blinked at him, surprised. “He did all that?”
“Yes,” Cole said simply.
I couldn’t help the small laugh that escaped me, shaking my head. The image of Alexander…stoic, controlled Alexander…storming in against the rules almost made me laugh harder. Almost. Deep down, though, something shifted quietly inside me. A part of me was startled, maybe even touched, by how much he seemed to care.
“Irene is coming back home to the pack house too,” Cole added.
“What? Are you serious?” How many people did he call exactly?
Before I could dwell on it, the door opened again. Alexander walked back in, Mrs. Adams following close behind. She approached me, her face calm but her eyes curious. “How are you feeling now?” she asked, already reaching to check my temperature.
“Fine,” I answered for what felt like the hundredth time today. If anyone asked again, I’d just
nod.
She examined me quickly, her brows lifting. “The fever has disappeared completely. Everything is back to normal.” She shook her head, muttering half to herself. “Do you feel dizzy?”
“No,” I said.
“How about headache? Or any weird feeling at all?”
I shook my head. “Nothing. It’s all gone.”
She raised an eyebrow. “Hmm! The medication should have helped, yes, but it shouldn’t have cleared everything so abruptly. Not without a trace.” She moved back a little. “I’ll check on you later in the night, to make sure we’re not missing anything.”
Her words sent a ripple of unease through me. Even she seemed unsettled by the sudden disappearance of my symptoms. But in the end, she smiled reassuringly. “You’re discharged. You can go back to your quarters, but please, take it easy. Rest.”
Alexander immediately stepped forward, slipping a hand beneath my arm as though to help me rise. “Can you walk?” he asked, his voice softer than usual, careful.
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I looked at him, then at his hand, then back at him. “Yes, I can walk.”
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The truth was, I felt perfectly fine. Not just fine–strong. Stronger than I had any right to feel after collapsing hours ago. It was almost unnerving, but I wasn’t about to admit that out loud.
“Of course, I’ll walk,” I said, standing on my own two feet. Not to prove a point, not to make a statement…but because I genuinely could.
Cole and Mrs. Adams both watched, expectant, like I might crumble at any second. Alexander’s hand hovered close, ready to catch me. But I didn’t stumble. My steps were steady.
“I told you,” I said lightly, offering a small smile. “I’m alright”
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