Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 225

Sebastien’s POV

I stared out the window, watching as the afternoon light began to fade, casting long shadows across the sterile hospital room. Our encounter that moment when our fingers had touched, sending that strange current between us. My chest still ached where the silver bullet had torn through flesh and muscle, and a dull throb persisted in my temple where my head had been injured. The bandages around my head had been reduced to a smaller dressing now, but the discomfort remained.

After that brief connection this morning, Iris had withdrawn again, maintaining a careful distance that felt deliberate. Yet she hadn’t left. She’d stayed, moving quietly around the room, checking my monitors, adjusting my pillows when she thought I was dozing. I couldn’t stop watching her–had been unable to look away all day, studying her with an intensity that probably made her uncomfortable.

The soft glow of sunset painted her silhouette in warm gold. She’d been here every day since I took that bullet, watching over me, handling my company’s affairs, stepping in where she had no obligation to stay. And despite our moment of connection before, I still couldn’t decipher what was going on behind those guarded eyes of hers.

Every movement she made–the way she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, how her fingers tapped against the water glass, the slight furrow in her brow when she concentrated–I catalogued it all, storing each detail away like something precious. She’d noticed my constant observation, of course. Each time she caught me watching, her lips would press together in that exasperated way I’d come to recognize, but she never called me out on it. She just continued whatever task she’d set for herself, moving with quiet efficiency around my room.

Iris stepped into the adjoining bathroom. She was leaving. I had to do something, but what? The old ways wouldn’t work with her. For the first time, I was at a loss. I turned to Blake, who sat in the corner chair. Though he appeared to be scrolling through his phone, I noticed how his eyes regularly scanned the room and doorway, one hand resting near his concealed weapon. Since the assassination attempt, the security had been tripled, but Blake still maintained a vigilant watch.

“Blake, come here,” I said, my voice still rougher than usual from disuse.

He looked up, surprise flashing across his face before he pocketed his phone and walked to my bedside. “Alpha Grey, what do you need?” His tone was deferential, the proper response to his future Alpha.

I hesitated, something I rarely did. The question had been circling in my mind all day, growing more persistent with each passing hour. “You think if I asked her out, she’d say yes?”

Blake’s eyebrows shot up, his mouth opening slightly in shock. I immediately regretted the question. An Alpha doesn’t show uncertainty, especially not about something as simple as asking a woman on a date–even if that woman was Iris, who’d never responded to me in any predictable way.

I… well… Blake stammered, clearly trying to formulate a response that wouldn’t offend me. “Maybe something simple? A walk in the forest, perhaps?”

I felt my expression sour. A walk in the forest? Every werewolf loved the forest. There was nothing special or unique about that suggestion–nothing that would show Iris I wanted something different than what we’d had before.

‘Forget it,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. What the hell was I thinking, asking Blake of all people? The man had never maintained a relationship longer than a moon cycle. I turned away, disgusted with myself. “Just go.”

As Blake retreated back, I stared at the ceiling, my thoughts churning. What was wrong with me? I’d never second–guessed myself with women before. But then again, Iris wasn’t like other female wolves. She didn’t care about my Alpha status or the Grey family fortune. She wouldn’t be impressed by displays of strength or wealth like so many others had been.

The door opened, and Iris walked back in, water glass in hand. Her eyes immediately darted between me and Blake, sensing the tension in the air. I realized

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ctri

9:15 amp p●

Chapter 225

I was frowning, my jaw clenched tight enough to make my temples throb.

Iris set het glass down carefully, maintaining distance from my bed. I could see her mentally calculating whether to break the silence or let it stretch. I wanted to say something–anything–but the words stuck in my throat like burrs.

The awkward standoff was mercifully interrupted by a knock at the door. A doctor entered, clipboard in hand, his clinical scent sharp against the background smells of antiseptic and illness.

Alpha Grey,” he said, approaching my bed, ‘how are you feeling today?”

“Fine.” I answered curtly, though the dull ache in my chest and occasional pounding in my head suggested otherwise.

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