Page 148 of Alpha-Ex Wedding Ruse
“Is he—” My voice cracked, barely a whisper. “Is he awake?”
The doctor nodded with a small smile. “He’s asking for someone named Leila.”
“That’s me,” I said without hesitation.
“We’re transferring him to a private room now. Once he’s settled, you can see him.”
Ten minutes felt like ten years, but finally the doctor returned, telling me Luca was ready for visitors. I didn’t wait for the elevator. I took the stairs two at a time, my heart hammering against my ribs. Down the corridor, through the door, and into the sharp antiseptic air of his room.
Luca turned toward the sound of my entrance, and his face broke into the faintest smile.
I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think past the overwhelming flood of relief and terror and love that crashed over me all at once. Those eyes—God, those eyes that had stared up at me so lifeless, so empty as his blood soaked through my fingers a few hours ago—they were warm again. Focused on me. Alive.
“Tell me that’s not my blood all over your shirt.”
I looked down at my stained clothes, having completely forgotten about them. I just stood there, staring at him like he was a vision that might disappear if I looked away.
“Come here, Leila,” he said softly, and I flew to his bedside, throwing my arms around him as carefully as I could while sobbing against his shoulder.
“I thought I was going to lose you,” I cried as his fingers weakly stroked my hair. “I was so scared, Luca. So terrified.” The words tumbled out in broken gasps.
His arms tightened around me with what little strength he had. “I’m not that easy to kill, sweetheart,” he murmured, and I pulled back to look at his beloved face.
His lips curved in the ghost of his usual cocky smile, though I could see how much the blood loss had taken from him.
“Where’s Ollie?” he asked, concern flickering in his tired eyes.
“I sent him home with Valerie.”
Alarm flashed across his features, and I quickly added, “Charles went with them.”
He relaxed back into the pillows, relief visible in every line of his body. “Good. That’s good. And Victor?” he asked, his gaze darkening with anger. No, rage.
“The authorities took him away,” I answered. “He’s been locked up.”
The dissatisfaction on Luca’s face was evident. He wanted more. He wanted Victor to feel all the pain he’d caused him, me, and Ollie. And I had a feeling he’d be paying him a visit to do exactly that once he’s been discharged from the hospital. But for now, he said nothing. He just focused on this moment between us.
I couldn’t stop the tears from spilling from my eyes. It was as though they had a mind of their own. The emotions I was feeling threatened to overwhelm me, but in a good way.
“Hey, hey,” Luca gently tilted my face up to look at him. He used his thumb to wipe tears from my cheek. “It’s okay, Leila. I’m fine. I’m here now.”
“You don’t understand, Luca.” I shook my head, my voice breaking. “I was terrified. But it wasn’t just about losing you. I was terrified that I didn’t say the things I wanted to say to you, that I may never have the chance. I was terrified that I wouldn’t ever get to tell you that Ilove you, that I never stopped loving you, that you make me so happy even if I don’t show it.”
I dabbed at the tears on my face, sniffing, though it did nothing to stop the storm.
Luca’s smile transformed his entire face, as though someone had just told him the world was his. “I thought I might die without getting to hear that again.”
I swatted his arm, glaring at him. “Don’t joke about that!”
“Right, right, I’m sorry,” he chuckled softly, pulling me closer against his chest. His voice grew serious. “What I’m trying to say is that when I felt myself slipping away, when I thought I might lose everything, I realized what truly mattered. Just two days ago, I was ready to walk away from my responsibilities as Alpha because I was sick of what my father had turned this pack into.”
He paused, his hand stroking my hair. “But lying there, all I could think about was you. About us. About how this pack deserves better than my father’s twisted idea of legacy and strength.” His eyes met mine, intense and unwavering. “I want to change things, Leila. I want to be the leader they deserve. And I want to do it with you by my side.”
“Luca…” I whispered.
“I love you,” he said simply, the words carrying the weight of everything we’d been through. “I’ve always loved you. Even when I tried to convince myself otherwise.”
Another tear slipped down my cheek, but this time it wasn’t born from fear. It was something deeper, something that felt like coming home. Like finding the missing piece of myself I’d been searching for all along. My wolf stirred triumphantly inside of me. I’d finally admitted the words she wanted me to say, even from the very moment we saw him again.
