Bound by Contract to the Alpha Chapter 82

Rebecca's POV

The steady beeping of the heart monitor was the only sound in my hospital room. The private suite was tastefully decorated, with warm-toned walls and furniture. I could see a sliver of night sky through the partially drawn curtains, the distant city lights twinkling like artificial stars against the darkness—a teasing glimpse of the world continuing without me.

My head throbbed with a dull, persistent ache. The doctor had explained something about a mild concussion and contusions, but the medical terminology had blurred together in my foggy brain. All I knew was that Elizabeth had attacked me, and then... darkness.

I shifted slightly, wincing at the pain that shot through my ribs. The nurse had mentioned bruising there too, from my fall down the stairs. The memory came in fragments – Elizabeth's face contorted with rage, her eyes glowing that unnatural amber, the sensation of falling backward.

A soft knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. A nurse poked her head in.

"Ms. Brown, you have a visitor. Mr. Sterling is here."

My heart monitor betrayed me, the beeping increasing noticeably. Heat rushed to my cheeks as I tried to smooth my tangled hair with trembling fingers. The nurse smiled knowingly before stepping aside.

Dominic appeared in the doorway, his tall frame filling the space. He looked exhausted, the shadows under his eyes pronounced against his pale skin. In his hands was a bouquet of white lilies, their fragrance reaching me even across the room. But what struck me most was his expression – the hardness in his eyes softened as they found mine, his typically controlled features relaxing with unmistakable relief.

"Sir, Dr. Winters is still completing her assessment. Perhaps you could wait–" A man in scrubs tried to intervene.

Dominic's eyes never left mine as he responded, his voice low and dangerous. "Are you suggesting Sterling Group doesn't care about the health and safety of its employees?" The words were measured, but the underlying current of authority made the air in the room feel suddenly heavy.

The hospital staff exchanged glances, clearly intimidated. A woman in a white coat – Dr. Winters, I assumed – stepped forward.

"It's alright. Mr. Sterling can come in, but please keep the visit brief. Ms. Brown needs rest."

Dominic's phone vibrated in his pocket. He glanced at it briefly – I caught the word "Mother" on the screen – before silencing it and pushing past the staff to enter my room.

The door closed behind him, and we were alone. The steady sound of his footsteps approached my bed, and then his warm hand enveloped mine. His fingers were slightly rough against my skin, strong yet incredibly gentle as they wrapped around my smaller hand. To my surprise, he lifted it to his lips, pressing a tender kiss against my knuckles, his eyes closing briefly as if savoring the contact.

"You scared me, little doe," he murmured, his voice rougher than usual, emotion making it deeper. "Please don't do that again."

I tried to smile, ignoring the twinge of pain it caused. "Dominic, why do you look so worried? It takes more than a fall down some stairs to get rid of me." The attempted lightness in my tone couldn't mask how touched I was by his concern.

His eyes were bloodshot, I noticed now. The realization that he'd likely spent the night awake, worried about me, made my chest tighten with a warmth I couldn't quite name.

"Elizabeth," I said suddenly, fear spiking through me. "What if she comes back? What if—"

"She won't," Dominic interrupted, his thumb tracing soothing circles on the back of my hand. A rare smile of satisfaction crossed his face, transforming his tired features. "She's received her punishment."

"Punishment?"

He sat carefully on the edge of my bed, the mattress dipping slightly under his weight. He continued holding my hand, his fingers occasionally tightening as if reassuring himself I was really there.

"I played the security footage of her attacking you at the charity gala. In front of everyone." His voice held quiet triumph, his blue eyes gleaming with vindication.

My eyes widened. "You didn't."

"I did." His smile grew sharper, his satisfaction palpable in the air between us. "The entire Silver Moon Shadow pack watched as Elizabeth Collins, with her claws extended and eyes glowing, attacked an unarmed human woman."

I shouldn't have felt pleased. It was petty and vindictive and probably not how mature adults handled conflict. But the knowledge that he had publicly defended me, had made Elizabeth face consequences for her actions, filled me with a warm glow of security.

"Tell me everything," I whispered, leaning forward despite the pain in my ribs, drawn to the intensity in his expression.

Dominic described the scene in vivid detail – Elizabeth's horror as she realized what was happening, her father's futile attempts to stop the footage, the pack's reaction to seeing a Delta attack a defenseless human. As he spoke, his hand remained firmly wrapped around mine, his thumb occasionally brushing my wrist where my pulse beat rapidly.

"Her social standing is destroyed," he concluded, satisfaction evident in the slight upturn of his lips. "No respectable pack family will associate with her now. The Collins' business connections are already suffering."

"Good," I said, surprising myself with the vehemence in my voice. "She deserved it."

---

Our eyes met, and something passed between us – a shared moment of vindication, of justice served. His phone vibrated again. Dominic glanced at it with obvious irritation before pressing the decline button. Almost immediately, it started vibrating once more.

"Is everything okay?" I asked, noticing the tension that suddenly lined his jaw, the slight narrowing of his eyes.

"It's fine," he said dismissively, but I could see the strain around his mouth, the way his shoulders tensed beneath his perfectly tailored suit.

"Is it because of what you did to Elizabeth? Are you in trouble because of me?" The thought made my stomach clench with guilt and fear.

Dominic squeezed my hand reassuringly, leaning closer until I could feel the warmth radiating from him. "Don't worry about these things," he said softly, his breath warm against my cheek. "Your only job right now is to rest and recover."

He pulled out his phone and dialed a number. "Marcus," he said briskly, "dispatch Beta Johnson and Beta Rivera to Rebecca's hospital room immediately. I want 24-hour guard rotation." A brief pause. "Also, contact Sophia. Tell her about Rebecca's condition – she'll want to visit."

After ending the call, he turned back to me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear with surprising tenderness. "I've stationed two Betas outside your door. Sophia will be here soon."

"Thank you," I said softly, touched by his thoroughness, by the care evident in every decision he made regarding my safety.

His phone vibrated again, and this time, Dominic's expression hardened, a muscle twitching in his jaw. He looked at me with obvious reluctance, his fingers tightening around mine.

"I need to handle something," he said, standing slowly, as if it required physical effort to pull away from me. "I'll be back as soon as I can."

Panic fluttered in my chest, surprising me with its intensity. I reached out, grabbing his wrist before he could move away, feeling the strong pulse beneath my fingers.

"I'm scared," I admitted, hating the vulnerability in my voice, the way it wavered with emotion. "When you leave, I'll be alone, and—"

Dominic leaned down, gathering me carefully into his arms. I could feel his heart beating steadily against my cheek, solid and reassuring. His lips brushed my ear as he whispered, "No one will hurt you again. I promise."

He pulled back slightly, his thumb gently wiping away a tear I hadn't realized had fallen. His blue eyes searched mine, intense and filled with emotions I couldn't fully decipher – protectiveness, anger, and something deeper that made my breath catch.

With obvious reluctance, he gently disentangled my fingers from his wrist, his touch lingering. "I'll be back soon," he promised, his expression grave.

I watched him walk away, his shoulders rigid with tension. The door closed behind him, but I could still hear his voice giving final instructions to the guards outside.

"No one enters without my approval. No one."

Alone again, I felt tears sliding silently down my cheeks. I stared out the window at the distant city lights, suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of isolation that went beyond physical solitude.

Even if Elizabeth was dealt with, there would always be another Elizabeth. Another obstacle. Another reminder that I didn't belong in Dominic's world. The gap between us seemed unbridgeable in that moment – not just our different species, but the entire social structure that defined his existence.

"The difference between us isn't just one Elizabeth," I whispered to the empty room, my voice small and lost. "It's an entire world..."