CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE
ASTRID’S POV
“So, you are still not going to tell me what it is you and my brother did last night?” Rowan asks out of nowhere. We are in the middle of a training session. He has divided the other girls into pairs to practice a few duel techniques he had been teaching since yesterday and he paired himself with me.
I have been avoiding him ever since we got here because I knew he was going to ask me this question and now this is it.
How do I go about telling him that his brother called me his soup last night?
How do I explain to him how excited I was when his brother held me in his arms like he never wanted to let me go.
I can’t tell him anything.
First, because it’s not my place to tell. Alpha Asher might get mad if I do.
Second, I would die of embarrassment before I finish explaining to him that I was cuddled up in Alpha Asher’s arms all night. I can’t bring myself to tell him what happened.
If he really wants to know, then he should go ask his brother.
“Rowan, if you really want to know, I think you should go ask your brother, he is in the right position to tell you. I’m sorry I can’t”
“Asher would never tell me even if I went on my knees to beg him. Come on, please”
“Nope, I’m not telling you shit. Now, are we going to practice or not?” I ask, keeping a straight face and immediately senses that I’m serious. He lifts both hands in the air as a sign of defeat and backs away. I smile and take an akimbo position.
I really don’t know why he wants to know.
It’s not like it matters, even if Alpha Asher and I cuddled up last night, it doesn’t change the fact that he is going to marry someone else.
It doesn’t change the fact that I mean nothing to him.
Before I can understand what’s going on, I find myself falling on the ground and I do so on my left ankle, causing it to fracture due to the unexpected weight that has been subjected to it. A loud scream escapes my lips as I fall to the ground and hold the fractured ankle. In less than no time, I’m surrounded by multitudes of female soldiers wanting to know what’s going on.
“Astrid, are you alright?” Rowan asks as he stoops down.
“No! I’m not” I cry in pain as I clutch my ankle. “I think I have a fracture”
“Shit! Asher is going to kill me” He scoops me into his arms and heads straight to the pack hospital.
The only thing I do is cry in his arms. The pain coursing through me is unbearable.
If it were a normal sprain, it would have been healed by now, but since it still hurts, that means it’s a serious fracture.
This is not how I wanted my day to go.
Once Rowan arrives at the hospital, a group of nurses rush over with a stretcher and Rowan hastily places me on it.
He doesn’t leave my side as the nurses push me on the stretcher into the hospital.
“Please take good care of her, I will be right back” He says and excuses himself before I can utter another word.
I don’t want him to leave.
ASHER’S POV
I don’t know why, but I suddenly feel uneasy, like something unusual is happening somewhere.
I’m seated in my office and reading through the terms and conditions of a business deal when my office door flies open and Rowan stumbles in, panting like someone who is being chased by a lion.
I instantly drop the piece of paper on the table and walk over to him with my heart hammering hard in my chest.
He has his hands rested on his knees and is panting like he is about to faint.
“What’s going on?” I ask, alarmed as he looks up at me and swallows dryly.
“I… I. .. I didn’t mean to do it. I… thought she was prepared for the attack that’s why I lunged at her. I’m… I’m… sorry, I didn’t mean to hurt her!” He starts confessing and immediately, all my nerves tension in my body as I try to understand what it is he is talking about.
Who the hell did he hurt?
“Rowan, I don’t seem to get you. Cone clear will you? Why are you being sorry? Who did you hurt?” I ask confused and he slowly stands erect and looks me straight in the eye.
There’s a lot of emotions swimming in those brown eyes of his that reflect mine, among which are guilt and sadness. I crease my brows and take a step closer to him.
“Rowan…”
“Astrid… it’s Astrid. I took her off guard and she tripped on her ankle. She has a fracture on her left ankle and has been rushed to the pack hospital” He confesses in fear.
I have never seen this kind of fear in my brother’s eyes before. I know he is this scared because he knows how much I love Astrid, how much I hate anyone who inflicts pain on her.
I grit my teeth in anger and clench my fists by my side as I stare staggers into his face.
He should’ve been more careful!
“I know how much she means to you, I’m sorry for hurting her. It wasn’t intentional!” He apologizes.
Without uttering another word, I swiftly walk past him and make my way out of my office with my fists still balled by my side.
I’ll deal with him later. For now, I need to check on Astrid and see how she’s holding up. Having a fractured ankle is not something to be taken lightly. She is in extreme pain right now.
“Kane!” I call through mindlink as I walk out to the yard where my cars are packed and immediately, Kane shows up, looking ever ready to serve me.
” We are driving to the pack hospital” I say as I walk over to the back seat of the Black Lamborghini that’s parked among the other cars.
The moment Kane joins me, he ignites the car engine and drives out of the castle premises.
“You need to calm down” Kai, my wolf cautions.
He is the only one who can feel the anger that’s burning in my heart right now.
“Kai, you know I can’t. Astrid is badly hurt all because of Rowan.”
“You know Rowan would never hurt Astrid on purpose” he tries to defend.
“I know, but he has to be more careful with her. She is a lady for goodness sake! She is vulnerable!”
“Alpha Asher, is anything the matter?” Kane asks from infront and I let out a heavy sigh I didn’t even know I was holding.
“It’s Astrid”
“Did anything happen to her?”
“She had an accident at the training center. I’m going to check on her”
“Oh… I see” Then he goes silent again.
Kai and I resume our quarrel, but I’m not with him at all. All I want is to see Astrid and make sure she’s alright.
I hope it’s not as bad as I think it is.
“We are here!” Kane announces and immediately, I open the car door and step out of it. The guards at the Pack hospital bow their heads down in respect as I walk past them and Kane follows closely behind me.
As I step into the lobby, everyone stops whatever it is they are doing and bow their heads down as I pass by.
I walk straight to the receptionist who has her head bowed down as well.
“Look at me” I instruct and she does as told. “I’m here for Astrid Tiva Tarli…” Before I can complete the statement, I hear a loud scream coming from a nearby room and I immediately recognize the voice.
I turn on my heels and head straight to the room where I heard the sound come from and when I get there, I almost lose my mind when I see Astrid looking like she’s going to die the next minute.
There’s a bunch of nurses holding her still as the doctor keeps massaging her fractured leg and before I can think, the word fly out.
“Stop!” I roar with my dominant Alpha voice and immediately, everyone stops what they are doing and bow their heads down. The tears streaming down Astrid’s eyes stab my heart like a thousand daggers as I walk over to her.
“Astrid” I call in a husky voice and she looks up at me with her eyes all red and bulging from crying too much.
What have they been doing to her here?
“Alpha” She cries weakly. Without a second thought, I stoop down and scoop her into my arms as carefully as I can so I don’t hurt her leg. My heart melts when she gently rests her head on my chest and snuggles closer to me.
Soft sobs escape her lips and I close my eyes for a brief second, to curb the anger that’s about to explode in me. I wouldn’t want her to see me in my bad mood right now.
“It’s okay baby, I’m here for you. Everything is going to be alright.” I assure her and turn to the doctor who still has his head bowed down.
“You will attend to her at the castle in my chambers. Make sure to come along with everything you need”
“I will do just that, Alpha”
“Good”
“My leg hurts so bad” She cries and I look down at her.
Right now I’m trying so hard to be strong for her, but her tears just keep getting better of me.
“I know, baby and I’m sorry about that. I promise it will be over soon” I assure her and walk out of the ward.
Honestly, this attraction I have towards Astrid is not ordinary. It’s so strong that I cannot control it.
The fact that she’s crying right now is making me have a headache.
After this, Rowan and I are going to have a long talk.