Page 58 of Rejected By My Stepbrother Alpha
“No, Ivy. Please…stay.”
A small smile bloomed across her face.
“I'll be right back and…” She paused as if considering something. Her gorgeous eyes warmed when she studied mine, and she let out a deep sigh. “I'll stay for as long as you want me to.”
Intense joy flowed through me, and I slowly let go of her hand.
“Well, in that case, you can go get him,” I said and grinned. Even that small action made my face throb with pain.
I didn't miss the small look of longing on Ivy's face when she pulled her hand out of mine.
“My brakes just failed?” I asked incredulously.
Healer Emery had checked my vitals and said that I would be pretty sore for the next couple of days, but other than that, I seemed perfectly fine. I would have to stay in the hospital for observation until Healer Emery released me, since I'd been unconscious for a little over an hour.
I'd been lucky. My car had smashed into a tree, but on the passenger side instead of the driver’s side. The airbag had deployed and protected me for the most part. I wouldn’t have survived without my accelerated healing abilities. That and my position as Alpha—which heightened my supernatural powers—saved my life.
The impact had caused me to lose consciousness. Fortunately, no one else had been involved in the accident, and I was the only one who had been injured. The car horn I'd heard had probably been someone honking at me because I was going off the road.
Healer Emery consulted his clipboard and nodded. “Yes, the officers on the scene are unsure why your brakes failed. I think that Beta Flynn was the one to collect your car.”
I nodded and made a mental note to call my second-in-command and have him create a team to look into why my brakes had failed. Could it simply be a freak accident? Or had someone purposely cut the brakes? Maybe a business rival or an enemy pack?
Healer Emery peered at my vitals. “I’m happy with how fast you’re healing. Let’s see how you’re feeling after a good night’s sleep, and if your vitals continue to stay the same, I’m pretty sure you’ll be able to go home in the morning.”
In the corner, I heard Ivy give a quiet sigh of relief, and my lips twitched.
Healer Emery turned to Ivy. “You know, Ivinia, our nurses aren’t too happy with you since you snuck past them to break into Asher’s room.”
“Oh, right.” Ivy’s cheeks grew warm, and my stomach swooped at the inviting red color.
It was strange to see the usually composed Ivy flustered. I liked it.
“But as long as Asher wants you here, I don’t mind that you broke a few rules to get in,” Healer Emery said kindly, thenturned back to me. “I’ll be in to check on you soon, but press the call button if you need anything.”
After he left the room, Ivy sat in the blue chair next to my bed.
“You seemed pretty happy that I'll be able to leave by tomorrow morning. I even heard you let out an audible sigh of relief,” I teased, just to watch her blush again. “So, one could summarize that you might care about what happens to me?”
Ivy scoffed, crossed her arms, and looked out the window at the setting sun. But her blush was deepening. I enjoyed teasing her.
“You even rushed to the hospital to see if I was all right.” My voice lowered, and I dropped my playful tone. “It’s okay to admit that you were worried about me, Ivy.” I reached for her hand and grasped it in mine. “If the situation were reversed, nothing would have stopped me from getting to your hospital room. I would have fought through an army of nurses.”
That made a small grin appear on her face.
“The only reason I came here was to make sure that you would still be able to work on the Alpha king project,” she said and lifted her chin. “We have a lot of people relying on us to get that account.”
But I could tell she was worried about me, and it made my heart burst with happiness.
Gently, I tugged on her hand until she looked at me.
“Ivy,” I said, staring deep into her eyes. “It’s all right to admit you care about what happens to me.”
She let out a shaky breath, and I traced my thumb over the back of her soft hand.
With our gazes locked together, desire for her coursed through me. Not just for her body but for her heart. I was pretty sure that I saw the same longing in her eyes.
She looked to the side for a moment but kept her hand in mine. The silence stretched from one moment to the next as Ivy bit her bottom lip. I’d give anything to know what she was thinking. When her eyes slid back to mine, her expression was torn.
