Chapter 4 - CONTROL SANCTUARY
The sudden spike in agony erased every word of argument before it could be spoken. Miriam Hale immediately moved into position, her cool, authoritative presence taking complete control of the bedroom.
She looked up at Alexander, her eyes hard as steel. "We don't have time for this right now. If you're going to stay in this room, you make yourself useful. Coat off. Watch off. Sit behind her."
The sharp, command-driven tone snapped Alexander out of his paralysis. He didn't argue. He didn't hesitate.
He tore off his heavy black wool coat, throwing it carelessly onto a nearby armchair. He reached down, unbuckled the expensive luxury watch from his wrist, and let it drop onto the carpet without a second thought. With swift, unpracticed movements, he pulled back his dark dress shirt sleeves, rolling the fabric tightly up to his elbows, revealing the heavy black tattoos spiraling across his muscular forearms.
He kicked off his polished dress shoes and climbed onto the high mattress behind Kate.
The bed was warm, wet, and smelled of lavender oil, sweat, and copper. Alexander positioned his broad frame directly behind her back, extending his long legs along the sides of her hips, creating a solid, human frame for her to lean against.
He wrapped his broad arms around her waist and shoulders, pulling her trembling upper body back against his chest. He could feel the rapid, violent pounding of her heart through the damp cotton of her pink robe, feel the extreme tension locking every muscle in her spine.
"What do I do?" Alexander asked, leaning his head down near her ear, his breath hot against her skin, his voice laced with an anxiety he had never felt in his entire life.
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Miriam picked up a sterile cloth from her medical bag, her eyes locked on the monitoring equipment.
"You hold her," Miriam commanded sharply. "You give her something solid to break against. And above all else, Alexander—you listen to her."
