Chapter 42 042
Alexander's POV
"He regained consciousness, Alpha." The words rang in my ears repeatedly, and a bitter scoff escaped me. Low, and totally angry.
"He's conscious, you say? The sole reason why Danica's like that... As still as a statue is right there breathing conveniently?" I asked and Blake nodded once.
"How convenient!" I added viciously, my claws digging into my palm so deeply that it began to bleed furiously but I didn't even feel it. Nothing more can overshadow the pain of seeing one's mate suffer alone while you get to do nothing to relieve even a tiny bit of that pain.
"Alpha..."
"You have no idea how bitter I feel right now, Blake. You have no idea how many ideas of how much I want to barg into that clinic and slit his throat so she didn't go through all that for nothing. She... She got her hand injured, Blake. It would kill her to know she won't be able to work with those hands anymore!" My tone went lower, fury and concern making it heavier than usual.
"Hey, there's still hope, okay? The old man hasn't even said anything yet!" Blake tried to convince me? Soothe me? Whatever it was. But it did nothing to give me the assurance I needed that she would be okay.
Just then, the old man turned around, facing Blake and me before nodding slowly.
"She would be fine, Alpha. It would take longer to heal, because she has no wolf but she's strong. She wouldn't heal less than a human." He explained and the irritation that spread through my chest grew worse.
What the hell was wrong with the man?
"A human speed healing? You think I called you here for that? She is a fucking doctor! She would never be fine with sitting around for what? Weeks? Months?" I yelled before I could stop myself.
He flinched, holding his breath.
Good.
"There's a faster way to have her wounds healed... I'd have to go herb-hunting for the right ingredients for her tonic," he explained, and I shook my head, frustration getting the best of me.
"Do whatever you have to do, old man. Just make sure she heals and in a less painful way!" I pointed, stepping around him to check on her.
She was right here, lying limply on my bed, skin ghostly pale, lips tightly shut, and her eyelids dark and swollen. She was so close yet so fucking far.
And I would make everyone who did this to her pay dearly.
"Blake? Get Renee into the hall right now!" I muttered sternly, and he walked out immediately, leaving me to Danica, whom I spared two more glances before stalking away too.
"Now, let's get right to it, Ivan. For I have a hell lot of scores to settle. And I assume, you didn't forget my warnings the last time I visited the clinic" I said slowly, voice as calm as the heavenly father's himself.
She tensed.
I could feel it from where I sat even before I saw the tightness of her shoulders.
"Surely, you're just going to be here to answer a few questions and leave unscathed... right?" I asked again, voice predatorily mocking.
She nodded. Infuriating me all the more.
She must think I'm a clueless fool.
"I heard Danica's last trial was confirmed successfully."
"Was it?" I asked and she responded with a slight bow of her head. I felt my fingers twitch.
"And I heard some rumors about a guardian threatening to go after the doctor in charge of her mate's surgery" I continued, each sentence intended as a question yet certain enough to let her know that I wasn't just speaking without confirmation.
"Yes, Alpha." She muttered with fake composure even as the scent of her fear filled the air, making my wolf purr in delight and irritation at the same time.
She wouldn't make things fun if she were this scared when all I'm asking are simple questions.
"I also figured you did nothing to clear the air about the doctor in charge, even while the threats were directed to the wrong one," I continued, and that was when she finally looked up to the huge, majestic throne where I sat.
"I mean, you definitely didn't put a candidate on trial in charge of a patient who had no surgery consent form, right?" I asked and she bowed again, lying directly to my face with just two words.
"No, Alpha!"
"Ivan, you do know I'm only asking you these for keepsake to see if I can still trust you like I did in the past, right? And that it wouldn't take me half an hour to find out what really happened... Right?" I asked again, my knuckles growing pale from how hard I was gripping the arms of my chair for control.
"Yes, Alpha. That Omega..."
"DANICA, damn it!!!!" I yelled angrily, the sight of her lying helplessly in that cold forest resurfacing more than the number of times the nervous Renee blinked in one minute.
"That girl... Danica... She performed the surgery on her own free will, even when she knew very well that there was no consent from the patient's guardian," Renee explained, and it took only one nod of my head to have another witness walk into the hall.
"Alpha, Vera Niman greets you." The second witness, a resident, greeted me and I watched Renee's steadfast composure with unmasked amusement.
I had no idea where she got that boldness and assurance to lie to me... Like she was so sure no one would spill her lies. And seriously? I was disappointed that she was still that dense and clueless about the wrath of the same Alpha she'd served for over four decades.
"Vera... Would you mind telling me if the trial candidate, Danica, performed a surgery without the orders of her supervisor?" I asked and she hesitated, slightly straining to look at Ivan without making it look like she disrespected the Alpha who asked her a question.
When she turned to me fully again, the determination that flashed through her eyes made mine twitch.
"No, Alpha. Doctor Dan did no such thing." She responded, her eyes and lips set in a hard line.
"How can you be so sure? It's not like you followed her around like a hawk" I asked deliberately, showing Renee that whatever she held against anyone to make them keep her secrets was useless when an Alpha's fury is involved.
And she'd long awakened mine.
"I was there when Doctor Dan got the first patient's file for advance preparation two days ago. She was supposed to work on a patient with an internal bleeding problem but then she got another file from Doctor Renee a few hours before the surgery came up. I can confidently say that Doctor Dan simply acted on her supervisor's orders, Alpha," she explained, and I was right in front of Renee within a blink, my hand curling around her throat tightly, cutting off her airway at once.
"Ivan... What gut and authority do you have to change the surgery she was meant to work on? Without my permission?" I asked, taking one step forward at a time while pushing her backwards with each step I took.
"What audacity do you have to make you think you could do that... Let her get hurt by some stupid bitch and then get away with it?"
"I keep wondering what gave you the boldness to think you can lie to me when you know more than anyone how much I hate lies, Ivan. I am genuinely curious but it'll be so much fun seeing life slip out of you so very slowly… like this, until you take your last breath" I continued, lifting her from the ground slowly, my grip impossibly tight around her throat and I delighted watching her face change colors from normal bright golden to red and then a faint purple.
I had no idea my claws had elongated until Blake's voice cut through my deadly anger.
"That's enough, Alexander! You don't want to kill her just yet, trust me"
He was right. Killing her like this, right here would only mean letting her go scot free.
I didn't want that.
So I released my grip, leaving her to fall semi-lifeless to the ground with a painful thud.
"Have her locked up in the dungeons with no single drop of water or food until I say otherwise!"
"I'm... I'm sorry, Alpha... Please forgive me!" She choked out, coughing painfully after each word and I scoffed.
"You don't sound sorry, Ivan. Try harder..." I trailed off in a bored tone as I wiped my hands with a towel the Vera girl handed to me. Then, I walked out of the hall, going for the real bitch responsible for all that mess on my mate's skin.
And talking of mates… I was damn sure that Bianca mentioned the word ‘mate’ when she was referring to Danica.