Chapter 72: Chapter 72

"I-I," she stuttered before she fell unconscious in his arms."

"Mia!" Alex exclaimed, shaking her body to get her to wake up.

The strangled marks on her neck were getting deeper due to the demon's power, and if caution wasn't taken, she could die.

Alex swallowed hard.

"You will be fine, Mia. You will be fine, I will protect you," he said repeatedly, sniffling as tears cascaded down his cheeks, choking his breaths.

He scooped her from the ground and headed straight for his second chambers.

A few minutes of running, he arrived in front of the room and kicked the door open. He willed his legs towards the bed and carefully place Mia on it.

He stretched his hand and gently rubbed her neck. Agitatedly, the scars on her neck were getting fairer, almost blending with her skin. It was clear what he was doing. He was taking back the demon's power he had released into her.

"Mia, you should be awake by now, " he said after the mark on her neck was completely gone. However, it did little or no work when he realised he had almost killed the only woman who loved and took him for who he really was.

His heart twitched painfully, and he rested his head on her neck, which was still warm.

"Come back, please," He muttered, feeling a stubborn lump in his throat. He gulped, hoping to push it down his stomach, but no matter how hard he tried, it refused to vacate his parched walls.

He lifted his head to view her. Her face was still pale, and her peach lips were slightly open. He inched closer to her, briefly kissing her sweet lips.

Her body grew hot under his touch, driving him into a world of worry.

"Wake up," he whispered, brushing her cheek with his thumb before rising to pull the curtains close, leaving only a small streak of light to come in.

"Would Mia run away from me? Would she despise me after what I did to her? Would she keep her distance and not want to come close to me again?" His head was filled with different thoughts about Mia's reaction.

He snapped out of his thoughts, too afraid to think about what Mia would do once she woke up.

He briskly made it to the door and pulled it open, popping his head out. "A maid over here,"  he called out from the room.

"Yes, sire!" The voice of a woman responded to him.

He returned to the bed and sat on it, gripping Mia's hand.

A middle-aged blonde woman walked through the door, which was left ajar.

"How may I serve you, Alpha Alex?" She bowed curtly and raised her head back up.

A shocked look was on her face for a split second. The reaction on Alex's face was one no one had ever seen. He was always wearing a stoic expression that showed no emotions, but today, he was worried and had beads ofsl sweat gathered on his forehead. His eyes held fear in them, and she couldn't miss the panic in his bones.

Her eyes shifted to the Luna on the bed and travelled back to Alex, whose shoulders sagged. She knitted her brows into a frown, squinting at the Luna again.

"Get me a bucket of lukewarm water and a clean towel immediately, " he commanded, jolting her out of the trance she fell in.

"Is there anything  else you want me to do?" She asked again.

"Nothing. Obey my command immediately and stop asking me questions. I have told you what I need, and that should be your priority," he crisped ever so strictly with a blazing gaze directed at her.

The maid ran out of the room and headed to do as instructed.

She came back a few moments later with a bucket of water and the towel as instructed.

"You can leave now." Alex' deep hollow voice resounded in the quiet room.

The maid left, and the room fell into an eerie silence. Only the splatters of water and the towel squeezing by Alex could be heard.

Mia's body temperature that had risen was finally getting back to normal after cleaning her body with water non-stop.

****

After an hour, her eyes fluttered open, and her chest heaved.

It felt like her entire body had been drained off its strength and was too weak to even bat an eyelid.

She surveyed the room in a daze, and slowly, she remembered everything that had happened before she lost consciousness.

"Alex, Alex," she mustered the strength to call out to him.

"Alex," she called again a little louder, feeling her stomach tighten.

The door clicked open, and Alex walked in with a pail of water and a towel hanging down his shoulder.

His heart galloped, and the pail in his hands fell to the floor when he saw Mia awake.

Unsure of what to do, he walked closer to the bed and was taken aback by what Mia did.

She flew into his arms and nimbly laid on his body, showing how weak she was.

"Mia," he said, and his heart stopped for a second as his hands hung behind her.

A stifled cry from Mia filled the room, and she soaked the shirt he was wearing.

"Mia," he called out again, and her grip on him got tighter with more tears gushing out of her eyes.

"I thought I lost you, Alex. I was very scared seeing you in that state, and.. and, you were unlike you, very scary, and the way you looked at me was so-so intimidating," she sobbed in his embrace.

There was a look of bafflement on Alex's face when he heard her voice.

She wasn't afraid to go close to him in the state he was earlier. She only realised that he was in a scary state. She didn't mind his gaze and the fierceness he was emitting.

"You are really fascinating, Mia, I really am unaware of what to do right now. Should I hug you and hold you in my arms for not being afraid, or should I poke your head for being an idiot for seeing danger in front of you and still jumping into it?" Alex questioned softly, gently pulling away from the hug and thumbing her chin, lifting her head to stare into her glossy eyes.

"Alex..." she muttered, and what seemed to be a blush stained her cheeks as she offered him a weak smile with tears streaking down her face.

The sight of her puffy eyes broke his heart. He felt sick in the gut, and his shoulders slacked. He brushed the tears, resting his head on hers.

"Why did you do that, Mia? Why did you come close to me when you knew how dangerous it was? I was a living danger, and you jumped right at me. Why Mia? Am I that important to you?" Alex asked himself as he stared dumbfoundedly at her.

"Alex, how do you feel? Are you okay?" Mia asked, searching his eyes for answers.

She hadn't expected Alex to be calm or even to want her after what had happened.

"I am the one to ask if you are feeling okay, Mia. You almost died because of me. I was killing you, Mia, and you came back into my arms after that. Are you trying to make me go nuts?" He asked , still in surprise.

Mia palmed his face, catching the tear that slid out of his eye.

"It is-it is because I love you, Alex. I knew that was not who you were, and there were small ounces of emotions wavering in your eyes, and see... it worked," Mia said, trying to comfort the man who was blaming himself.