Chapter203 Protect with my life

Chapter203 Protect with my life
Patrick POV

I never expected the Alpha King Nikolai to be this cunning, to pull off something like this. The guy was slicker than I'd given him credit for.

Nikolai looked at me and said, "All of this was for my luna."

I shook my head slowly."You know what, Nikolai? I owe you an apology. All those things I said to you before, all those harsh words, I take them back." I paused, meeting his gaze directly. "As a mate, you're pretty damn reliable."

Nikolai gave me a brief nod.

That's when I felt it. The familiar weakness creeping up my spine, the way my vision started to blur around the edges. My face must have gone pale because I heard Aliya's voice cut through the fog.

"Patrick? What's wrong?" Her voice was sharp with concern, and I could hear her moving toward me.

I tried to answer, tried to tell her I was fine, but the words wouldn't come. My knees buckled, and the world tilted sideways. The last thing I remembered was the sound of Aliya calling my name before everything went black.

"Patrick? Are you okay?"

"Thank God, you’re finally awake."

When I opened my eyes again, I was staring up at a sterile white ceiling. Hospital. Again. The antiseptic smell filled my nostrils, and I could hear the steady beeping of machines nearby. This was becoming way too familiar.

I turned my head and saw Aliya sitting in the chair beside my bed, her hand wrapped around mine. She looked worried, tired, like she'd been there for hours.

Across the room, Nikolai stood leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest. Even from here, I could see the jealousy in his eyes as he watched Aliya holding my hand.

"Hey," I said weakly, my voice coming out rougher than I expected. "Did I pass out again? This is getting more frequent, isn't it?"

Aliya's grip on my hand tightened. "Patrick, you scared me."

The doctor appeared at the foot of my bed, his expression serious. "Mr. Dalton, I'm going to be direct with you. You're dying. You need to stop torturing yourself like this."

I let out a dry laugh. "Doc, we're all going to die. Some of us just have a deadline, that's all."

"You need to be hospitalized immediately," the doctor said firmly.

"If I’m going to die soon anyway, why would I waste my last moments in a hospital?"

The doctor shook his head helplessly.

"Patrick," Aliya's voice was soft but firm. "Please don't torture yourself like this anymore."

"I want you to live well."

I looked at her for a long moment, then shifted my gaze to Nikolai. "Hey, can you step out? I need to talk to Aliya alone."

Nikolai's jaw tightened, but he nodded curtly and walked out without a word.

Once we were alone, I studied Aliya's face. She was beautiful.

I'd loved this woman for longer than I cared to admit, and now time was running out.

"Aliya," I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "I need you to know something. I love you. I've loved you for a long time, and I hate myself for not having more time to protect you."

"Don't say that," she protested, but I continued.

"Listen to me. I grew up in the slums, you know that? From the time I was little, I was nothing but trash to everyone around me. They beat me, they despised me, they treated me like I was worthless."

I paused, feeling the familiar ache of those memories. "I had to fight my way out with my fists, had to prove I was strong enough to matter. But even after I clawed my way up, even after I made something of myself, my life was still dark."

Aliya's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"Then you came looking for me," I continued, my voice growing stronger with emotion. "You brought light into my life, Aliya. Real light. For the first time, I felt like I could be a legitimate Alpha, not just some street fighter who'd bullied his way to the top. You made me believe I was worth something."

"Patrick, please don't talk like this," she whispered.

"Can I have a hug?" I asked quietly. "Just one hug?"

Without hesitation, Aliya leaned forward and wrapped her arms around me. I held her close, breathing in her scent, memorizing the feeling of her warmth against me. This might be the last time I ever got to hold her like this.

"Listen to me carefully," I murmured into her hair. "I promise you, even if it costs me my life, I will never let you go to prison. I will never let your reputation be damaged, not even a little bit. You have my word on that."