Alpha Ex, Meet Your Secret Triplets!

Chapter 6

CHAPTER SIX

Leah’s POV

My pulse hammered wildly against my ribs, I froze under Axel’s suffocating gaze. The weight of his eyes cut right through me, making me feel stripped bare, as if the professional title, and six years of hiding meant nothing.

He stared at me, his sharp eyes flicking slowly from my face down to Vincent lying frail and motionless on the hospital bed, and then back up to me standing rigid beside the digital monitors.

"Dr. W," Axel said, his low voice echoing off the glass and walls of the medical bay. "What were you talking to Vincent about?"

I swallowed hard, my throat feeling as dry and cracked as desert sand. Panic clawed at the back of my neck…how much did he hear? Did he hear me say his name? Did he hear me thank him about six years ago?

I opened my mouth, searching desperately through my head for a lie that wouldn't slip up under his scrutiny. But before a single word could force its way past my lips, Axel tilted his head slightly.

"Do you always speak to your patients like that before you begin treatment?" he asked, his voice flat, testing the air between us. "Or is Vincent getting special medical protocol?"

I blinked, the hum of the heart monitor filling the silence as realization washed over me like a wave of cold water.

Good lord!

He hadn't heard a word so I let out a slow, trembling breath, keeping my jaw locked so he wouldn't see the relief flooding through me. I forced my lips to pull up into a smooth, practiced smile, taking a small, deliberate step back from the bed and gesturing loosely toward Vincent's still frame.

"Yes, Alpha," I said, flattening my tone into the calm, detached voice of Dr. W. "It’s a ritual I perform with all my patients. Speaking to them directly helps establish a psychic rapport before I administer intense treatment. In my experience, a patient’s subconscious mind responds remarkably well to auditory reassurance. It yields a much higher success rate."

Axel stared at me for a beat longer, his dark eyes searching my face as if looking for the subtle cracks in my story. Finally, his tense shoulders eased just a fraction, and he gave a nod.

"I see," he murmured softly. He looked down at Vincent, a heavy, desperate shadow crossing his sharp jaw. "Please, Dr. W... save him. He's the only real father figure I have left."

"I will do my utmost best, Alpha Axel," I replied, dipping my head in a crisp, professional bow. "You have my word."

An uncomfortable silence settled over the room. Axel didn't move toward the door, and I remained rooted to the floor beside the medical monitors, my fingers resting lightly against the strap of my bag. The air between us vibrated with an electric tension, raw with things left unsaid and years of buried ghost memories.

Axel shifted his weight, clearing his throat as his eyes locked back onto mine. "Was your... was your journey

smooth?" he asked, his rasp dropping into something almost quiet, almost personal. "The northern highway can be rough this time of year."

Before I could construct a polite reply, the electronic lock on the door chimed loudly.

The door slid open, breaking the spell. The pack's head healer stepped into the room, holding a digital tablet stacked with medical logs. Standing beside him was Devlan—Axel’s Beta and best friend—dressed in the sleek tactical uniform of the pack’s upper security unit. And right behind them was Zara.

I recognized Devlan instantly, though I kept my eyes lowered. He was the one who had cleared my medical transport at the perimeter security checkpoint, his sharp authority keeping the border patrol in line as my tinted car was escorted into the central keep.

I didn't miss the sneer curled across Zara's red lips the moment her eyes landed on me.

Six years later and she still looks at me like I'm scum under her shoe. Keeping my face carefully blank under my hood. Why is she still so bitter? Is it because my silhouette reminds her of the woman she spent years trying to erase from this pack?

"Dr. W," the head healer greeted, giving me a respectful nod as he approached the bedside. "I apologize for the delay. Beta Devlan and I compiled the complete file personally."

"Thank you," I said, stepping forward to accept the tablet from the healer.

"Lord Vincent’s condition has declined rapidly over the last forty-eight hours," the healer explained, his brow furrowed in grim defeat as he pointed to the scrolling vitals. "We've administered high-grade antitoxins, organ-stabilizing serums, and full-spectrum purges. Nothing is holding. His cellular regeneration has completely halted, and his core internal temp is dropping."

I tapped through the digital charts, my eyes scanning the lab values with practiced speed. "I believe I have a solution," I said quietly, setting the tablet onto the stainless steel cart. "The interventions you've used only target standard pack viruses. His symptoms suggest something far more localized."

As I spoke, my eyes flicked up for a split second and caught Zara wrapping her hands tightly around Axel's forearm. She pulled herself flush against his side, practically marking her territory in front of everyone—well, I guess me.

Axel didn't look at her. His body looked visibly rigid at the contact, his jaw clenching tight as if the affection was being forced on him against his will.

A sudden, sharp sting bloomed right behind my sternum. It was the never ending, treacherous ache that threatened to pull me back to the girl who used to dream about standing at his side.

Stop it, I scolded myself harshly, shoving the feeling down into the darkest corner of my mind. Don't you dare make excuses for him. Don't you dare start breeding stupid, hopeless expectations.

I looked away, fixing my gaze firmly on Vincent’s pale face. Axel had made his choice six years ago when he signed my exile and let Zara take my place as future Luna. What he did with her now was none of my business.

I am not Leah here, I reminded myself, my fingers tightening around the metal of my medical kit. I am Dr. W. I am here solely to work, collect my fee, and get back to my children.

I cleared my throat, forcing my gaze away from the sickening display and fixing it squarely on the digital monitor mounted above the bed.

"You and your..." I swallowed hard, the word tasting bitter on my tongue as I fought to keep my voice flat, "...your Luna. The head healer, Beta Devlan, need to excuse me, I need complete quiet to attend to the patient now."

The moment the word Luna left my lips, Axel ripped his arm out of Zara's tight grip with a violent jerk. The movement was so fast and severe it made Zara stagger back a step, her eyes flashing with a brief, furious glare before she smoothed her features into a fake smile.

"Of course, Dr. W," Zara purred, her voice dripping with sugar as she backed toward the doorway, her manicured hand lingering on Axel's coat. "We'll leave you to your work."

Axel didn't say a word, standing there motionless for a beat, his eyes burning into the side of my face with an intense weight that made my skin prickle. Finally, he turned on his heel and followed her out, the electronic suite door sliding shut behind them with a quiet click.

The second the lock engaged, I let out a long exhale, my shoulders slumping under the crushing weight of the room.

Luna. The word echoed in my mind like a cruel joke. She got everything she wanted. My rank, my mate, my entire life.

I pinched the bridge of my nose, shutting my eyes tight to block out the phantom memories trying to claw their way to the surface. I couldn't afford to get distracted by them. I couldn't afford to waste a single second wallowing in six-year-old heartbreak while my children were waiting for me.

Work fast, Leah, I told myself sternly, snapping my medical case open on the stainless steel cart with sharp, precise movements. Stabilize Vincent, hand over the treatment protocol, and get out of this Pack.

Because I sure as hell can't stand to be in the same room as those two for another minute.

I turned to the head healer and Beta Devlan, my expression hardening into stone as I prepped the first syringe. "Let's begin."