Betrothed To The Alpha

CHAPTER 16

ALEX

I stride urgently into the hospital, my heart hammering in my chest as I race towards the emergency room. While at the penthouse, I got a text that she was in the hospital. Approaching a passing nurse, I inquire about Alice's whereabouts, and she directs me to bed five with a quick nod. With a sense of urgency propelling me forward, I hasten to her side.

As I arrive, I see Alice seated on the bed, her expression strained despite the small bandage adorning her pinky. Something doesn't add up; there must be more to her being here.

"Alice," I say softly, stepping closer to the bed, my voice laced with concern. "I'm so sorry. Are you alright?"

Alice's gaze shifts from my brother to me, and tears brim in her eyes at the sight of me.

"Alex," she cries, her voice quivering with emotion as she reaches out her hand. I take it, and she pulls me into a tight embrace, her desperation evident. I stiffen as her scent fills my nostrils. It's the first physical contact we've had since our rejection, and I'm unsure how to respond.

"I was so scared, Alex. I thought I was going to die," Alice sobs, her words choked with fear and relief.

"Everything is fine now," I reassure her, my hand moving soothingly over her hair, trying to offer comfort in the face of her distress.

While I console Alice, I reach out to Lorenzo through our mental link, seeking answers. "What happened?" I ask.

"She had a car accident," Lorenzo replies, his voice carrying a note of concern.

"What?" I exclaim, a surge of alarm coursing through me at the news.

"Don't worry, it's nothing serious. We just came to the hospital to make sure everything was fine," Lorenzo assures me.

"Has the doctor given the go-ahead to take her home?" I inquire.

"Yeah," Lorenzo confirms.

"Okay," I reply.

"Alice," I softly call, gently pulling away from our embrace. She meets my gaze through her wet lashes, and I expect to feel some kind of intense pain staring at her, but all I feel is simple sadness for what happened to her. My heart doesn't ache as I look at her tear-streaked face.

"What is it?" she asks.

"Are you ready? Let me take you home," I offer quietly, feeling it's the least I could do.

"Yeah, I am. Let me just get my bag," she says, her voice trembling with emotion. Just then, my phone pings in the breast pocket of my suit. I retrieve it to find a message from Hannah, asking if I'm not really coming back tonight. As I read, the tension in the room becomes evident, and I can sense Alice's gaze on me, her expression shifting with each word she reads. It's clear that she's seen the message, and the following words that burst out of her mouth can only explain the sudden behavior change.

"Go to her. Just leave me and go to her already," Alice suddenly bursts into tears again, fresh streams flowing down her face.

"Alice," I reach out to her, but she slaps my hand away, her expression filled with anguish.

"What are you even doing here? Who called you here? Please leave," she says, her voice quivering with a mixture of anger and anguish. She turns away from me, her shoulders trembling as silent tears betray her composure.

"Alice, please don't be like this," I implore, attempting to reach for her shoulders, but she whirls around before I can touch her.

"Don't be like what? Hurt that one of my mates gets to marry my sister?" Her words cut through the air like a knife, leaving me speechless and uncertain how to respond.