Chapter 13—I'M SORRY.

ALEXANDER

How could such a young woman make so much noise and even raise her hand against a man like that? Not just any man, but an Alpha. I could sense his aura the moment I stepped into the corridor, strong enough that there was no mistaking what he was, yet she had still slapped him without hesitation and nearly caused another scene inside my hospital.

I shook my head as I walked back toward my office, unable to understand what I had just witnessed. There was clearly something wrong between the two of them, something deeper than the argument they had allowed everyone around them to hear. The woman had been furious, frightened, and completely consumed by whatever she believed had happened to her son, while the man had looked more exhausted than angry, as though he had spent the last several hours dealing with far more than a difficult wife.

Whatever their personal problems were, they had no business bringing them into the hospital.

I pushed open the door to my office and walked inside, dropping my phone on the desk before taking my seat. For a few moments, I simply stared ahead, replaying the confrontation in my mind.

The fact that the woman had tried to hit me was enough to irritate me, but what bothered me more was the fact that she had been so reckless. Her son was lying in intensive care after undergoing a serious operation, and instead of keeping herself calm for his sake, she had been shouting through the hospital as though she had forgotten where she was.

I leaned back in my chair and rubbed my face.

“Some people simply don't know when to stop,” I muttered.

My wolf stirred.

You are thinking about the wrong woman.

I frowned.

“What do you mean?”

Brea.

That's true.

I looked down at my phone.

She still hadn't replied to any of my messages.

Did my shouting at her really offend her that much, or was it something else?

The thought had been bothering me ever since I realized she had left the hospital without saying a word. I knew I had been too harsh with her. At the time, I had been frustrated and worried, and after seeing her standing there looking completely shattered, I had expected her to at least understand why I was angry.

Instead, she had disappeared.

I opened my email again and stared at the message I had sent her earlier.

Your leave request is hereby declined. I expect you to return to work first thing tomorrow morning.

Reading it now made me grimace.

It sounded unnecessarily cold, even to me.

I had sent another message afterward, explaining that I had not intended to upset her and that my reaction had come from concern. When she still didn't respond, I sent another, asking whether she was all right and whether she needed anything.

Nothing.

Not even an acknowledgement.

You were on your way somewhere, my wolf reminded me.

I paused.

“That is true.”

I had been on my way to find Brea before the confrontation with the noisy woman had distracted me. I had completely forgotten about it afterward.

Then go.

I picked up my phone.

“I need her number first.”

The obvious person came to mind immediately.

Amelia.

I left my office and found her near the nurses' station, going through a patient's file. She looked up when she saw me approaching and immediately closed the folder.

“Amelia, have you heard from Brea since she left the hospital?” I asked. “I have been trying to reach her through email, but she hasn't responded to anything I've sent, and after everything that happened yesterday, I'm beginning to worry that something might be wrong.”

Amelia's expression changed.

“Yes, I contacted her after we came out from the theatre,” she replied. “She told me she was leaving town with Blake because she needed to deal with something personal. I tried asking what had happened, but she didn't want to discuss it. She only told me that she needed some time away and would return when she was ready.”

I frowned.

“She left town?”

“Yes, and I don't think she plans to return immediately,” Amelia said.

I glanced down the corridor.

“Did she tell you where she was going?” I asked. “I am not asking because I want to interfere in her personal affairs. I simply want to know that she and Blake are safe. She walked away from the hospital without saying anything to anyone, and given how distressed she looked, I don't feel comfortable pretending that everything is fine.”

“She didn't tell me where she was going,” Amelia answered. “I think she just needed to get away from everything for a while. You should probably give her that space.”

“I will,” I promised. “But I would still like to speak to her. I realize the email I sent her wasn't exactly the kindest message, and I regret that. I was frustrated when I wrote it, but that doesn't excuse the way I handled things. If she is angry with me, I can accept that. I just need to hear her voice and know she's all right.”

Amelia studied me carefully before sighing.

“I don't understand why you're so worried, sir” she said. “But when you speak to her, I'm sure she'll explain herself. If she feels cornered, she will probably shut down completely.”

“I won't pressure her,” I assured her. “I only want to apologize and make sure she is safe.”

After a brief hesitation, Amelia gave me Brea's number.

I thanked her and saved it immediately.

For several seconds, I stared at the contact on my screen.

This was the first time I had been able to reach Brea outside the hospital, and although I wanted to call her immediately, I hesitated. She had ignored every message I sent. Calling her without warning might only make her feel as though I was refusing to give her the space she needed.

Still, I couldn't simply sit around wondering.

I decided to go home first.

When I arrived, Sophie was sitting in the living room, and the moment she saw me, she jumped to her feet.

“Daddy, why are you home again?” she asked, hurrying toward me. “You look like you're thinking about something serious, and I don't like that face because it usually means something is wrong. Did something happen at the hospital?”

I crouched in front of her.

“I want you to come somewhere with me,” I said. “We're going to visit Doctor Brea. She's planning to leave town with Blake, and I haven't been able to reach her. I thought she might be more willing to see us if you were with me because she knows how much you care about her.”

Sophie immediately smiled.

“Can Blake play with me when we see them?” she asked. “I brought the bracelet I made for him, and I wanted to give it to him yesterday, but everything became strange at the hospital. If Doctor Brea is sad, I can sit with her too. Maybe she will feel better if we talk to her together.”

I smiled faintly.

“Get your shoes. We'll go and see if she's home first.”

When we arrived at Brea's house, however, the driveway was empty.

Her car was nowhere in sight.

I rang the bell and waited before knocking.

“Brea, it's Alexander,” I called through the door. “I came with Sophie because we wanted to check on you. I know you haven't responded to my messages, and I understand that you may need some time alone, but please let us know that you are all right. I don't need you to explain anything to me right now. I only want to know that you and Blake are safe.”

Nothing.

I rang the bell again.

Still nothing.

Sophie looked toward the empty driveway before turning to me.

“Daddy, her car isn't here,” she said. “Maybe she really did leave town with Blake. Do you think she will come back soon? I wanted to see her, and I wanted to give Blake his bracelet.”

I looked at the silent house.

“I don't know when she'll be back, sweetheart, but we'll make sure we speak to her,” I replied. “Let's go home for now. I'll try calling her.”

Once we returned to the car, I stared at the number Amelia had given me.

Then I pressed the call button.

The phone rang several times before someone finally answered.

“Hello?”

The sound of Brea's voice immediately eased some of the tension in my chest.

“Brea, it's Alexander. I know you probably weren't expecting me to call, and I'm sorry if I'm disturbing you. I went to your house with Sophie because we were worried after you left the hospital without saying anything. Amelia told me that you needed some time away, and I understand that, but I wanted to hear your voice for myself and make sure you and Blake are safe.”

There was silence on the other end.

I continued, lowering my voice.

“I also wanted to apologize for the way I spoke to you earlier. I shouldn't have shouted at you when you were clearly dealing with something difficult, and I shouldn't have sent you that cold email afterward. You don't have to come back to work until you're ready, and you don't have to explain anything to me if you aren't comfortable doing so. I only want you to know that I am not angry with you, Brea. I was worried, and I handled that worry badly.”

Another silence followed.

“Brea, are you still there?” I asked. “If you don't want to talk about what happened, I won't force you, but please tell me that you and Blake are okay. I came all this way because I couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong, and now that I've finally heard your voice, I just need to know that you're safe.”

Suddenly, a terrified scream ripped through the phone.

I shot to my feet.

“Brea? What happened? Talk to me. Where are you? What is happening?”

A loud crash exploded through the receiver.

Then there was complete silence.

“Brea!”

Nothing.

I stared at the phone, my heart pounding violently as every instinct inside me came alive.