His Abandoned Luna, Her Disabled Alpha

CHAPTER 16

The weight on Ivy's shoulder finally eased once she stepped back into her room. She slowly moved towards the mirror, lifting the fabric of her dress to check the damage done along her back.

A dark bruise spread across most of it. Her skin had always bruised easily and the marks tended to linger longer than they should. Although the injuries were not that severe, the discoloration made it look horrifying.

Ivy let out a quiet sigh, lowering her dress before making her way towards her bed. She lay face down on it, her shoulders finally sagging as the tension drained from her body.

Closing her eyes, she let herself slip into a brief, much needed nap.

Ivy never slept deeply. It was more out of habit than choice. Three years of surviving on barely two hours of rest had trained her body to stay alert even in silence of her own presence.

She knew it was something she needed to fix eventually, but for now, it hardly mattered. Others seemed determined to disrupt her peace anyway.

She had barely been lying for fifteen minutes when a knock sounded at her door. Ivy turned her face away and even considered ignoring it, but the person on the other side was persistent.

With a quiet sigh, Ivy pushed herself up, the ache in her body protesting and made her way to the door.

Ivy slowly pulled the door open and was met with the sight of a broad chest clad in a pale blue shirt filling her line of vision.

She didn't need to look up to know it was Jaxon. His scent lingered heavily around him, making his presence unmistakable.

"What can I do for you, Alpha?" Ivy kept her tone respectfully distant and eyes on the floor.

Jaxon's brows creased deeper than they already were, filled with unspoken tension. He had come with a clear purpose; to ask something that had been weighing on him since he arrived at Silver mane pack.

He hesitated for a moment, questioning whether this was the right time. The situation with Emma had already spiraled and Ivy clearly needed rest. But despite that, he found himself standing at her door, unable to walk away without answers.

"I want to ask you something." Jaxon said. "Did you agree to break our engagement willingly?"

Ivy finally looked up at his face, only because the question was so absurd.

"Yes." She answered without hesitation. "I did it willingly."

To her, the engagement had ended three years ago. Not just the engagement, but everything that had once existed between them. Friendship, love... None of it remained.

The answer didn't satisfy him. Jaxon's jaw tightened as he studied her face, as if he could pull the truth straight from her eyes and prove that her words were a lie. But Ivy's gaze remained clear, void of anything he could grasp onto.

Frustration crept into his face. Jaxon pressed, "Did Alpha Victor force you? You can tell me. I'll -"

"I'm sorry to cut you off, Alpha." She interrupted, her voice rising just enough to halt him. "No one forced me. I agreed willingly."

"You are engaged to Emma now." She continued. "It's not appropriate for you to be here like this. If someone sees you, they'll start assuming things. My reputation is already in ruins, please don't make my life harder than it alread is."

Jaxon asked, "How exactly am I making your life harder?"

He didn't like this distance, the way she spoke to him, as if he meant nothing. As if they hadn't grown up together, being each other's closest companion.

"I want to help you." He said, exhaling sharply.

Ivy tilted her head slightly, her brows lifting in quiet challenge. "No offense, Alpha...but who are you to help me?"

"What?"

For a moment, Jaxon's expression went blank.

"To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings, you should stay away from me." She said firmly. "What happens in my life has nothing to do with it."

The line was drawn between them. It was clear and unfortunately. Ivy moved to close the door on him but paused when a familiar voice cut through the moment.

"Jaxon, what are you doing here?"

Luke rounded the corner, irritation evident on his features.

Behind him stood the same doctor who had treated Emma earlier, keeping a respectful distance, his presence almost fading in the shadow of two young Alphas.

"Didn't you say you're going to the restroom? Why are you here?"

Luke phrased it like a question but there was nothing questioning about his tone. It was sharp and accusatory. His blazing gaze flickered between Jaxon and Ivy, pausing briefly on her before snapping back to Jaxon with a hard glare. "Speak."

Jaxon exhaled, exhausted. He rubbed the spot between his eyebrows as a dull ache spread across his forehead.

He didn't have the patience to deal with Luke right now.

Ivy noticed the tension brewing between them and decided not to get caught in it. Holding the door tightly, she cleared her throat. "If that's all, I'll go back and rest."

"Wait." Luke stopped her, gesturing to the doctor behind him. "He is here to check on your injury."

Turning to the doctor, he added, "She has some old injuries too. Take a look at those as well and send me the prescription once you're done."

The doctor nodded, stepping past him and approaching Ivy. She opened the door wider to let him in, then shut it firmly behind him, leaving the two men outside to settle their doubts.

Ivy had no intention of explaining anything on Jaxon's behalf. He could handle that himself.

Once the door closed, Luke folded his arms across his chest, his expression cold. "So.. what's your excuse this time?"

Jaxon frowned. "Do I have to explain everything to you?"

"You do when it involves my sister." Luke shot back. "You know how sensitive Emma is even on a normal day. And I warned you last time to keep your distance from Ivy."

"She was injured." Jaxon replied. "I just wanted to check on her."

The explanation fell flat even to his own years. And the faint trace of longing on his face didn't escape Luke's notice. His fist balled up, itching to land on his face.