Alpha's Private Plaything (Elsa and Drake Stone) novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162

“Drake?” Vera’s voice suddenly cut through the tension. She was

standing in the doorway to Sophia’s bedroom, one hand pressed

against her cheek. “My face is burning. I’m feeling dizzy.”

Drake’s attention immediately shifted to her. “We should get you back

to the hospital.”

Vera nodded weakly, leaning into him as he moved to her side. “I

think the medication is wearing off.”

I watched as Drake slipped his arm around her waist, supporting her

with practiced tenderness–a tenderness he’d never shown me after

my losses, after my pain. A bitter laugh escaped me, sharp and brittle

like broken glass.

Drake looked back at me, his eyes cold and unreadable. There was a

flicker of something–perhaps doubt, perhaps anger–before he

turned away. “This isn’t over,” he said, not bothering to specify

whether he believed Allen’s explanation or not.

As they moved toward the door, Drake paused, looking over his

shoulder at me. His eyes flashed gold for a brief moment–a silent

warning, a reminder of his power, his claim.

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“Fuck you,” I mouthed silently at his back, my hand forming a fist at

my side.

Then they were gone, the door closing behind them with a soft click

that felt like the final note of a funeral dirge.

I collapsed onto Sophia’s couch, my legs giving out entirely, my whole

body shaking violently. My palms were bleeding where my nails had

dug into them, small crescents of pain I hadn’t even noticed

inflicting. I stared at the bloody marks, feeling disconnected from my

own body.

“That fucking bastard,” Sophia muttered, disappearing into her

bathroom to retrieve her first aid kit. “Here, let me clean those before

they get infected, damn it.”

But I hardly felt the sting as she dabbed antiseptic on my palms. I was

numb, hollowed out, a shell of a person. My eyes stared unseeing at

the wall, my breathing shallow and mechanical.

“Thank you,” I said to Allen when Sophia went out to buy some

dinner, leaving us alone. My voice sounded strange to my own ears,

flat and distant. “For helping me.”

Allen sat beside me on the couch, keeping a respectful distance. “It

was the least I could do.”

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I almost smiled, my lips twitching with the effort. “That bit about the

white blood cell count? That was good. But you lied. There was no

white blood cell count in that report you were looking at.”

Allen’s lips quirked up slightly. “You caught that, huh? I may have…

embellished certain details. But I believe you about the miscarriages.

That was real, wasn’t it?”

I nodded slowly, my head feeling impossibly heavy. “Yes. And the

doctor did say I might… that I probably won’t be able to…” I couldn’t

finish the sentence, the reality still too painful to voice aloud. My

hand moved unconsciously to my flat stomach, then fell away.

“I’m sorry,” Allen said simply, and I could tell he meant it.

“I need a drink,” I said, standing up on unsteady legs, swaying

slightly. “Something strong enough to make me forget this whole

shitty day.”

Allen gently caught my wrist. “Given your condition, that might not

be the best idea.”

“I don’t care.” My voice was flat, emotionless. “I need something to

numb this before I lose my fucking mind.”

Allen studied me for a moment, then nodded. “Two beers. Maximum.

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I’ll stay with you.‘

“You don’t have to babysit me.” I pulled my wrist free, rubbing it

absently.

“I’m not.” His eyes were kind, lacking the predatory gleam I was used

to seeing in werewolves. “I’m keeping you company. If that’s what you

want.”

I did want it. I didn’t want to be alone, not tonight, with the wreckage

of my life scattered around me like broken glass.

“Okay,” I whispered, sinking down onto the carpeted floor in the corner of Sophia’s living room, my back against the wall, knees pulled

up to my chest like a shield. “Two beers. And company.”

Allen settled beside me, close enough to offer comfort but not so

close as to invade my space. It was a small kindness, but after ten

years of having my boundaries trampled, it felt like salvation.

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