Chapter 66: Feverish

OLIVIA

~Oh, dear Lord.~

Did anyone catch the number of the truck that just flattened her? She felt like a puddle of jelly, and the thought of moving any part of her body was unthinkable.

She managed to pry her eyes open, the light brutally attacking her sensitive eyes. The white ceiling came into focus, and she turned her head to the left to get a better sense of where she was.

~Hold on~.

This was Alex’s room—their room.

She ran her hand over the silky sheets beneath her, her fingers wandering until they brushed against soft hair. Alex. He was sleeping, his arms tucked under his head, his chin angled towards her.

He didn’t seem to be on a chair or anything; was he sleeping on his knees? She attempted to lift her body from the mattress but couldn’t. Her body felt so heavy and…sticky?

Yes. Her skin was sticky.

“A-Alex,” she managed to whisper, her voice raspy.

Her voice didn’t seem to rouse him from his slumber as he didn’t even twitch or stir. He must be exhausted. How long had he been there?

How long had she been asleep? She had a faint memory of being with Maya and then nothing. A huge blank until now. Did she fall? Did she hit her head?

Her head was throbbing, but she wasn’t sure if it was from a blow or something else.

Also, she was so damn thirsty. Her mouth felt like cotton.

Swallowing her saliva—which was scarce—was a challenge in itself. Olivia needed water. She extended her arm a bit more, her fingers brushing Alex’s forehead.

This time, the touch was enough to wake him.

His eyes flew open as his body tensed and before she knew it, he was halfway on the bed.

He placed his forearm on her forehead, checking her temperature with a serious expression.

“A-Alex…”

“Hold on,” he responded, his voice a bit dry.

He waited. She waited. And then finally he removed his arm from her.

“Your fever seems to have broken.”

“My fever?”

But he didn’t answer her question. Instead, he cupped her face and pressed his lips to hers. It wasn’t a passionate, lingering kiss, more of a quick peck, but it took her by surprise nonetheless.

His nose nudged against hers, his forehead resting on hers, and he took a deep breath. “You scared me, sweetheart.”

The new pet name made her cheeks flush.

“How are you feeling?”

“Sticky.”

He laughed, the sound vibrating through her chest due to their closeness. “Yeah, I tried to cool you down with a bath, but you kept heating up anyway.”

“What happened?”

She wanted to sit up, to get more comfortable, but she couldn’t. Her muscles were sore. “I don’t remember anything.”

Alexander pulled away from her and lay down next to her on the bed. “We’re not sure. Maya came to get me, you’d already passed out. She said you two were having lunch. Does that sound familiar?”

“I remember Maya,” she replied before biting her lower lip. So she hadn’t missed much.

That meant…whatever caused this had nothing to do with something she might have overlooked. Then what the hell?

“Did you do anything unusual? Did you get hurt?”

She shook her head. “How long was I out?”

“A day and a half.”

That explained the dark circles under his eyes and the creases in his shirt. Had he stayed there the whole time? “Are you okay?”

“This isn’t about me, it’s about you,” he said sternly.

“I know…but… I don’t remember anything strange.” She felt so damn gross. It was like she was weighed down by a ton of sweat.

She looked down at her body, noticing she was wearing a yellow T-shirt that wasn’t hers—Alex’s—and nothing else. Not even underwear.

Then again, she guessed he didn’t bother dressing her too much after the bath.

A fever. Sweat. Unconscious…

“A-Alex?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you think…was I in heat?”

Alexander turned to his side, propping his head up with his hand. “I considered it. Maybe. Maya was eating with you and she’s fine. Your body is exhausted, Livy. Too exhausted. You need to eat, you need to sleep.”

“I understand.”

She was aware of it. She’d attempted to keep it to herself, but that hadn’t been very effective. Could it have been just her heat? Perhaps her body had exhausted itself during the last one and couldn’t bear it any longer.

The idea of her body shutting down as a defense mechanism was concerning. It was a sign of self-preservation, indicating she was in a bad state.

“And do you comprehend what this implies?”

She responded with a shake of her head.

He gently tapped her nose with his forefinger. “It implies you’re going to be a good girl, heed my advice, and allow me to look after you.”

She couldn’t possibly allow him to do that.

Alex wouldn’t leave her alone, and he had other obligations. She couldn’t let him focus all his attention on her. “No, Alex. I’ll rest, but you don’t need to stay.”

She observed as his forehead creased, his frown deepening. She expected him to reprimand her, but instead, he leaned in, nestling his face in the crook of her neck.

His nose grazed the mark he’d left, the one that would never disappear, sending shivers down to her toes.

It felt as if someone had draped a warm blanket over her, enveloping her in it, making her feel secure.

~He knew exactly what he was doing~.

“Livy, you don’t seem to be behaving like a good girl right now.”

His words were like warm breaths against her skin. His voice was filled with warmth, sending shivers down her spine. She shouldn’t be trembling with anticipation.

She wasn’t in a state to handle this right now, but a few words from him were enough to ignite a spark within her. How could she desire him and rest simultaneously? It was driving her mad.

“You’re fortunate,” he continued, his voice dropping to a whisper. “If I wasn’t so concerned about you, I’d show you what happens when you’re not being a good girl.”

He had demonstrated that to her multiple times, and her body hadn’t forgotten. The memory of his hands on her, caressing her skin, tasting her, warm hands exploring every inch of her…how could she forget?

They had been slaves to their instincts for a long time now. She had surrendered herself to him on numerous occasions.

His lips touched her neck, and she found her body melting into his.

It was more than the warmth pooling in her stomach, the anticipation causing her skin to tingle. There was a sense of security that came with their closeness. One she needed more of—much more.

Her mind was still foggy from her long sleep, but she knew, despite everything, she would be safe in his arms.

Olivia had spent a significant amount of time living in fear, anger, and resentment. Letting go of that felt like…lifting a burden. The only downside was that a part of her was waiting for everything to crumble.

As things often did. Like now, with her heats, her fatigue, fainting… Joyful memories were often overshadowed by darkness. A dark cloud followed her every move, every day of her life.

“Let’s go,” he suggested, planting one last kiss on her neck. “We’ll clean you up, and then, you’ll get some more sleep.” His tone didn’t leave room for argument, but still…

“Al—”

“No arguments.”

And he didn’t give her a chance to do so.

He lifted her from the bed, his arms wrapping around her, his chest acting as a barrier to keep her enclosed, and he carried them both to the bathroom.

She considered protesting but chose to rest her head against his chest instead. She ~was~ still tired, and he was warm and…he smelled nice. There was that ache in her chest, the one drawing her to him.

It was always there, binding them together like a rope that kept them connected.

Perhaps, for now, she could suppress the dread, push away the negativity swirling inside her—the voice telling her she could lose everything again. She didn’t want to think about that, not now.

For the moment, she’d pretend that nothing could go wrong.

For once, she wanted to be happy.

Just ~once~.