Chapter 65: On the Edge

ALEXANDER

“ALEX!”

The way Maya called his name was enough to make his blood run cold.

A shiver ran down his spine, his body stiffening as his heart seemed to stop for a moment.

He meant to shout for someone to open the door, but his voice failed him.

Instead, he stood up, his footsteps echoing as he walked to the door, his heart pounding painfully against his chest. He knew something was wrong.

A pull in his chest, a tightness in his lungs, a sense of dread causing cold sweat to form on the back of his neck. He had brushed it off, thinking his instincts were just acting up.

He was wrong.

He flung the door open, the force causing the door to slam into the wall. On the other side stood Maya, her eyes wide and her breath coming in short gasps, her hands clutching the wooden doorframe.

“Olivia—she’s ill.”

His heart sank, and he nodded, keeping his expression neutral. His mouth felt dry, and he cursed himself for ignoring his instincts. They had never let him down before.

As he almost tuned out everything around him, he heard the soft sound of footsteps behind him; Maya was following him.

He didn’t see her as a threat, especially since she had come to him for help, so he let her presence wash over him, her scent pushed to the back of his mind.

“We were in the kitchen, eating. She seemed fine at first,” Maya said in a rush, trying to keep up with his long strides.

“Then she started looking pale—said she wasn’t feeling well. I told her to go lie down but... she tried to stand and then…”

“And then what, Maya?” he snapped. He didn’t have time for guessing games.

“She nearly passed out. I got her to your room…”

“Is she conscious?”

“She was drifting in and out. I told her to wait there.” She sighed.

“She was running a fever…”

~God-fucking-damn it~. He quickened his pace, the loud thud of his shoes warning everyone to clear his path. He could smell her as soon as he neared the door.

He opened it, much more gently than when he had opened the door for Maya, and then he slipped in.

She was lying on top of the blankets, her arms spread out.

He rushed to her side, dropping to his knees when he reached the bed.

Alex touched her forehead. Maya hadn’t been exaggerating when she said Olivia was hot. “Hey babe, I’m here.”

He swept the damp, clinging tendrils of hair from her forehead. She made a noise, but didn’t articulate any words. “Maya mentioned you were feeling light-headed.”

He didn’t really anticipate a response, but a part of him wished she would. He hated seeing her in this state. It was one problem after another, with no respite. He felt like a complete fuck-up.

He couldn’t even take care of her properly.

He was her alpha, her partner. He was meant to protect her… He should have realized she wasn’t well. He should have noticed the signs this morning.

He did.

~He did~.

He had asked her.

She had brushed it off and he had accepted it.

~What an idiot~.

“Fetch a washcloth from the bathroom, drench it in cold water,” he instructed Maya, not even turning to look at her.

She didn’t need to be told twice, and he heard her bustling around as he turned his attention back to Olivia. She was hot ~everywhere~.

His hand traced the line of her throat, her collarbone, the swell of her breasts. Her skin was slick with sweat.

Her breathing was rapid, despite her unconscious state—too rapid.

Her chest rose and fell with each breath, a small rasping sound escaping her throat.

A washcloth wouldn’t suffice.

“~Maya~, fill the bathtub.”

He needed to bring her temperature down and ~quickly~.

Alexander cradled her petite frame, nestling her against his chest. She was limp and heavy, her head lolling against his arm as if she had no control over it. ~What the hell~. Could she have done something today?

No. She had said she would spend the morning converting the small office into her own clinic. Nothing too strenuous. Then she had eaten.

Shit. Shit.

He heard the water gushing into the tub as he nudged the door open with his foot.

Maya stepped aside as he bent down to lay Olivia against the bathtub. He stripped off his shirt, discarding it on the floor, and then wriggled out of his pants.

Leaving only his boxers on.

He didn’t want her alone in there, especially in her unconscious state. He knelt down, removing her shirt and jeans. Maya held her steady as he undressed her.

~Thank God Maya was here.~

Once she was down to her underwear, he scooped her up again and stepped into the bath. The cold water made him wince, but he knew she needed it.

As he lowered them both into the water, he felt her struggle in his arms. He tightened his grip, applying more pressure to keep her still. He felt her resist, but after a moment, she relaxed.

He didn’t like this, but he had no choice.

“Will she be okay?”

Alexander looked up to meet Maya’s gaze. “I don’t know.” He despised not having the answers, he hated being in the dark. “Fetch her some water. I’ll make her drink.”

She nodded, but before she could turn to leave, he stopped her. “Maya…” ~Damn~.

“Find out what she did today, what she ate. I need to know everything. If she spoke to anyone, how she seemed. If she was shaking, if she looked pale. ~Everything~.”

“I’m on it.”

Maya cared for Olivia, and not just because she was Alex’s mate or a member of the pack. He knew they were friends and that Olivia confided a lot in Maya.

That was good, he wanted that for her. He wanted her to have her place in the pack, her life, her friends. He knew Maya would do everything she could to help. He couldn’t do it himself, he couldn’t leave her side.

Not when she was like this.

What the hell could be wrong with her?

He knew omegas could run a high temperature during a heat, but this was more than just a fever.

He was surprised she hadn’t started seizing yet, given how high her body temperature was.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head, breathing in her scent.

There was something familiar there, but he couldn’t quite identify it. ~Come on~…

“Livy?”

Only silence.

“I’m here, don’t worry. You’re going to be okay.”

It couldn’t be her body preparing for another heat, no.

It had to stop. Maybe she was ill? It would have been easier to enjoy her multiple heats and not worry about ~what~ was causing them if they hadn’t been so taxing on their bodies—mostly hers.

There was a reason heats were spaced out.

Her body was crying out for rest, for a chance to recuperate. She was draining herself, her energy, her vitality, everything—without a moment to replenish.

If they didn’t find a way to give her some respite, she wouldn’t survive.

Was this the end? Was her body giving up?

“You can’t go,” he murmured into her hair. “You can’t leave me.”

He was determined, no matter what it took, he wouldn’t let her slip away. He’d only just begun to know her, to savor his mate. He wasn’t ready to surrender her, to lose her. Not now, not ever.

His heart throbbed at the thought of a life without her. Despite having spent more time on Earth than they’d spent together, it felt like an eternity.

It felt as though he’d always known her.

Always known the scent of her skin.

Always known the curve of her smile.

Always known her peculiar habit of eating toast from the corner first.

Always known her aversion to peeling oranges.

She’d always been a part of him, in some way.

Her body nestled against his. They fit together as if they were one.

“I’ve got you.”

This time, she shifted slightly, her nose grazing his chest.

The touch sent a shiver down his spine. She was still here. She was still with him.

He’d faced many challenges since becoming the alpha of his pack. He’d been forced to kill, to fight, to endure.

None of it fazed him, it was his duty. He was an alpha; his role was to protect. But with Olivia, the term ~protect~ took on a whole new depth.

Even though he’d always had his pack, something to guard, to battle for…

He’d never known fear before.

He’d never had anything to lose. Until now.