Chapter 3

The moment Alex came into the hospital, he heard "Security to Room 122" over the intercom.

"That's his room," Alex remembered as he ran down the corridor. He was breathing heavily as he rushed to the door. Inside the room, he could hear Ginger's irritated tone.

"I don't want you to be here!" "Go away!" Alex overheard him saying. There was a sound of glass smashing. Alex dashed inside, flinging open the door. What he saw terrified him. Except for a shard in Ginger's hand, shards of broken glass littered the floor. A young man with raven hair stood centimeters away from the bed.

"Thomas, if you take one more step, I'll do it," Ginger threatened as he moved the shard closer to his right wrist.

Alex moved closer, then came to a halt. The room was filled with the aromas of peppermint and the ocean. "If I were you, I'd leave and never return," Alex suggested, slowly releasing his alpha pheromones.

"Why should I?" Thomas had inquired.

"Because you're upsetting him," Alex responded, staring at Ginger. "Didn't his parents tell you to never come back?" Alex enquired.

"And who are you?" Thomas inquired furiously.

"My name is Alex Stephenson," he said as he introduced himself.

"What is the mafia boss's son doing here?" Thomas wondered, his eyes widening in surprise.

"I'm protecting him from you," Alex explained. "Your presence disturbs his emotional state," he explained.

Something drew Alex closer to the bed. He took a whiff and recognized the aroma.

***blood***

There was blood, but where was it coming from? His gray eyes lowered to the thin sheet. The white fabric was strewn with tiny red drips. Alex tracked the source up to Ginger's clenched hand. The sliver of broken glass was still within.

***drip***

On the thin, white sheet, another drop of blood appeared. Alex understood that Ginger's hand was the source of the blood. He reached over, softly releasing his pheromones.

When Alex delicately caressed Ginger's clenched hand, he noticed Thomas take a step forward out of the corner of his eye. "Don't you dare," warned the blonde alpha. Thomas took a deep breath and stepped back. The two young men were attracted by the sound of the door opening. Dr. Lee and two security guards entered the room. Alex turned his head and looked at them. His gray eyes were filled with rage.

"Doctor, please remove his ex-boyfriend," Alex requested. "His being here is causing more harm than good," he explained. The doctor nodded, realizing the delicate situation they were in.

"Please come with us," Dr. Lee said, motioning for Thomas to follow. Thomas glared at Alex as he walked away with the doctor and the guards.

With the intruder gone, Alex refocused his attention on Ginger's closed hand. More red drips had dropped onto the sheet. The redhead's hazel eyes were closed, and his heart rate was quick. Alex stroked Ginger's fingertips until they loosened, taking care not to injure him further. The shard of glass dropped from Ginger's grip and landed on the sheet as his fingers loosened somewhat more. Ginger's palm had a small cut, but it wasn't deep. He took a piece of cloth off his shirt and wrapped it around Ginger's bloodied hand. Alex noticed Ginger's hazel eyes flutter open, look up at him, then close once more. Alex breathed a sigh of relief when Ginger's heart rate normalized. Seconds later, Alex heard soft snores. The hospital room opened, and the doctor returned.

"How is he?" Dr. Lee inquired.

"He's calm for now," Alex remarked. "However, his hand will require attention," he explained.

Alex sat back down and watched as Dr. Lee treated Ginger's wound. An orderly came and cleaned up the mess. "He has a slight fever," stated the doctor after inspecting Ginger. "A nurse will be there shortly to set up a secondary IV drip," he explained.

"What caused the fever?" Alex inquired, apprehensive.

"There could be several reasons," said the doctor. "Let's bring it down, then deal with what comes up next," he said.

"Okay, I'll leave now and let you and your staff do your work," Alex said. On the way home, Alex spotted Thomas walking hand in hand with a tall blonde female down the sidewalk. The woman wore a pink see-through top, a denim mini skirt, and black heels.

"I could strangle him for causing so much trouble for his ex," Alex grumbled.

Instead of going inside, he sat on one of the swings in the backyard when he got home. He was in one of his bad moods and needed to get his thoughts straight. He held onto two chains on each side of him, pushed off with his feet, and slowly swung back and forth. He had been swinging for a few moments when his nephew bounced up to him, smiling cheerfully.

"Hello, little guy," he said, stopping and getting off the swing.

"Hi, Uncle Alex," the youngster said with a big smile plastered on his face. They both hugged, then parted. "Uncle, you seem sad," Teddy said. "Are you hurt?" he asked.

Alex knelt down beside his nephew and shook his head.

"I'm not hurt," he assured them. "But I know someone who is," he explained.

"Is it the person you rescued from the water?" Teddy was curious.

"Yes, it is," Alex said with a nod. "You see, he's in the hospital, and Uncle is concerned," he explained.

"Did he get hurt?" With sad eyes, the child inquired. Alex gave a nod. "How?" he wondered.

"Someone he trusted said something hurtful that broke his heart," Alex added.

Teddy stood up and raised his fists. "Uncle, you should beat up the person for hurting your friend," he said.

"No," Alex said sternly.

"Why?" Teddy asked in confusion.

"Because it's wrong," Alex stated.

But why?" the child asked.

"Sit down," Alex instructed. Teddy sat down on a swing. Alex took a seat on a swing next to him. "Teddy, fighting is wrong," he said. "Even if the other person starts it," he added.

"Why, Uncle Alex?" Teddy inquired.

"Because it makes you as bad as the person who did the bad thing," he said. A single tear ran down the boy's cheek.

"I won't be mean; I promise," Teddy said.

<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>

<quillbot-extension-portal></quillbot-extension-portal>