Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
DYLAN\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter\u2019s deep baritone voice dragged me up from the dark, heavy fog clinging to my mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been more than a day, and she still hasn\u2019t woken up,\u201d he snarled, \u201cYou can\u2019t tell me she\u2019s fine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyelids fluttered, but my body felt like lead\u2013heavy, boneless, and completely spent. Every muscle ached with a dull, lingering fatigue, as if I\u2019d run for miles without rest.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMr. Hale, I already explained-\u201d the doctor tried to interject.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t care what you explained,\u201d Hunter shot back, his voice sharp enough to cut. \u201cI\u2019m not paying you to stand there and shrug. Do something before I blow your head off.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a pause. I could almost picture the doctor tightening his jaw, forcing himself to stay calm in the face of Hunter\u2019s fury.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe lost consciousness due to extreme exhaustion,\u201d the doctor said firmly. \u201cPhysical strain, lack of proper rest. Her body simply shut down to recover. There are no signs of internal injury, no neurological damage. Her vitals are stable.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I didn\u2019t make myself clear,\u201d he said as I heard a gun clicking.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cB\u2013Boss-\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI will repeat myself for one last time. Do something to get her better, or your brain will be a good floor polisher,\u201d Hunter- threatens.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A sharp sound cut through the tension.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re fucking noisy.\u201d My voice came out hoarse, dry, and threaded with irritation I didn\u2019t bother hiding.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The room froze.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My lashes lifted slowly, the ceiling swimming into focus before I turned my head just enough to see him standing there- gun still in hand, fury written all over his face like the world had personally wronged him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPut. That. Down,\u201d I rasped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The doctor sucked in a quiet breath. Someone behind him muttered, \u201cShe\u2019s awake.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter was at my side in an instant. \u201cDylan-\u201d His voice was suddenly soft and gentle, far from the ruthless man pointing a gun at the doctor.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you really this noisy early in the morning?\u201d I snapped. I swallowed, my throat burning.\u00a0<\/p>\n
His jaw clenched. \u201cHe wasn\u2019t doing his job.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I let out a weak, humorless laugh. \u201cOh, please. You\u2019re really going to blame him for this?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My head throbbed as I turned toward him, light stabbing behind my eyes. I hated how weak I felt, how my limbs barely listened when I tried to move. Even breathing felt like work.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look at me like that,\u201d I added, irritation simmering beneath the fog in my mind. \u201cAnd don\u2019t act like this is his fault.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
9:08 pm ppp#\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 77\u00a0<\/p>\n
It had frure mustar, will hovering near my shoulder, like he wasn\u2019t sure if he\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI thank you\u201d His jaw lightened. \u201cYou\u2019ve been out for days, 1-\u00a0<\/p>\n
allons in touch\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou panicked,\u201d I said flatly. \u201cCongratulations. But threatening the doctor won\u2019t magically fix me\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 glanced past him, catching the doctor\u2019s uneasy expression. The poor man looked like he\u2019d ayed ten years in the last\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m exhausted, I went on, my voice quieter now, edged with something, raw and aching, \u201cNot dying just fired. My body needed to shut everything off\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter exhaled slowly, like he\u2019d been holding his breath since the moment I collapsed. The gun finally lowered, his fingers loosening around it as if the weight of it had just occurred to him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou wouldn\u2019t wake up, he said, almost to himself,\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNewsflash, that\u2019s usually how sleep works,\u201d I muttered sarcastically,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite myself, my eyes burned\u2013not from tears, but from the strain of staying conscious. I hated that a part of me softened when I saw the fear he was trying so hard to hide. Hated it, because it made everything more complicated\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can go,\u201d I said to the doctor, flicking my gaze in his direction. \u201cBefore he scares you into early retirement.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The doctor didn\u2019t need to be told twice. He nodded, murmured something polite, and practically fled the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence settled in after that, thick and heavy,\u00a0<\/p>\n
Hunter stayed standing, towering beside the bed like he was afraid that if he sat down, I\u2019d disappear again.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019re not really that popular around here, are you?\u201d I continued.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cYou scared me\u201d he started. \u201cI thought I\u2019d lost you again, he added, disregarding my last comment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The irritation I\u2019d been clinging to cracked, slipping into something heavier. I turned my head slowly, studying him. He wasn\u2019t looking at me the way he usually did\u2013sharp, calculating, and in control. His shoulders were tense, his jaw tight, as if he were holding himself together by sheer force of will. Guilt settled in my chest when I really looked at him. There was something raw in his eyes, something undone. For the first time since I met him, I saw past the ruthless mask. Past the guns and threats and control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And what I saw scared me more than his anger ever did. I blew a loud sigh. I swallowed, my throat tight. \u201cYou can\u2019t terrorize the whole world every time you\u2019re afraid, Hunter.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He let out a shaky breath, then laughed once, low and bitter. \u201cThat\u2019s the only way I know how to keep what\u2019s mine.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1 frowned, \u201cI\u2019m not something you own.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His gaze snapped to mine, sharp again\u2013but there was no anger in it. Just conflict. Just fear dressed up as control.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI know,\u201d he said after a beat. \u201cThat\u2019s what scares me.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Silence stretched between us, fragile and aching. I shifted, wincing as my body protested the movement, and he was instantly at my side, hands hovering like he didn\u2019t trust himself to touch me without breaking something.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSit down, I muttered. \u201cYou\u2019re making me nervous.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
2\/5\u00a0<\/p>\n
9:03 pm P P P\u043c\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
He hesitated, then finally sat on the edge of the bed, close but careful.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t mean to snap at you,\u201d I admitted, staring at the sheets. \u201cI just woke up to you threatening to murder someone.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A faint huff escaped him. Not quite a laugh. \u201cFair.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I glanced at him then, meeting his eyes. \u201cBut I think you really should start thinking twice before pointing a gun at everyone whenever things don\u2019t go your way.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His expression softened, something raw and unguarded flickering across his face. \u201cWhen it comes to you,\u201d he said quietly, \u201cthat I can\u2019t promise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I exhaled slowly, the tension slipping out with my breath. \u201cYou\u2019re hopeless.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A faint smile tugged at his lips\u2013small, tired, but real. He reached out at last, his fingers wrapping around mine with surprising gentleness, like he was afraid I might disappear if he held on too tight.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt happened once,\u201d he admitted. \u201cAnd I don\u2019t think I will ever let it happen again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I swallowed. My throat felt tight, my chest heavier than it should\u2019ve been. \u201cI didn\u2019t pass out because I was dying. I was exhausted.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His grip tightened just a little. \u201cWe don\u2019t know that. And I\u2019m not willing to take the risk.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I raised an eyebrow weakly. \u201cAre you planning on locking me in a room and forcing me to sleep?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIf I have to,\u201d he said, dead serious.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I huffed a quiet laugh, then winced when it pulled at my sore body. \u201cYou\u2019re insane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you,\u201d he countered softly, \u201care stubborn.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cPot, meet kettle.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He leaned closer, eyes never leaving mine. Up close, I could see the shadows under his eyes, the strain he tried so hard to hide. He looked just as worn down as I felt. He slowly climbed on the bed, lying down beside me. He gently lifted my head and let it rest underneath his arm.\u00a0<\/p>\n
We fell in silence. Enjoying the quiet moment we shared together as he wrapped his arms around me, his warmth seeping through every nerve in my body.\u00a0<\/p>\n
He was gently stroking my hair when he finally broke the silence. \u201cWe should work on your stamina.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It took me a while before I realized what he meant by that.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cReally? That\u2019s what you\u2019re thinking right now?\u201d I asked, rolling my eyes at him while shaking my head.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI can\u2019t have you passing out every night, bunny. I should probably get an expert to help you with that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
You\u2019re joking, right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He responded with a straight face. \u201cI\u2019m dead serious.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stared at him for a beat, then let out a quiet scoff. \u201cUnbelievable,\u201d I muttered, shifting slightly in his arms. \u201cI collapse from exhaustion, and that\u2019s your medical conclusion?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
0:03 pm ppp\u043c\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapier 72\u00a0<\/p>\n
PM\u00a0<\/p>\n
His chest rumbled with a low chuckle, the sound vibrating against my cheek. \u201cYou didn\u2019t just collapse,\u201d he said cdmly \u201cYour body unrendered Big difference. That\u2019s why we need to strengthen your stamina.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I slammed his chest so hard, but he didn\u2019t even flinch. \u201cYou know, most people would apologize. Or, I don\u2019t know, show\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI did,\u201d he said. \u201cI threatened a doctor.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s not a concern. That\u2019s a felony,\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Another quiet laugh. His fingers resumed their slow path through my hair, gentler now, almost thoughtful. \u201cI don\u2019t joke about losing you,\u201d he added, his tone shifting. Less teasing. More truth. \u201cSo yes, I\u2019m serious. If your body can\u2019t keep up, then we fix that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I turned my head to look at him. \u201cFix it how, exactly?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His eyes met mine, dark and steady. \u201cRest,\u201d he said first. \u201cFood. Time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHow about you go easy on me, huh?\u201d I suggested.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t think that\u2019s an option,\u201d he replied.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My eyes widened as I lifted my chin to look at him, checking if he was serious. And why am I not surprised to see that he really meant it?\u00a0<\/p>\n
That look\u2013steady, unapologetic\u2013made something warm and reckless curl in my chest. I huffed a breath that was half laugh, half surrender. \u201cYou won\u2019t back down, will you?\u201d I muttered, but I didn\u2019t pull away. Didn\u2019t really want to.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you think?\u201d he asked, thumb brushing along my jaw, a quiet claim without pressure. His forehead touched mine, the world narrowing to the space between our breaths. \u201cEasy doesn\u2019t mean distant. It means I make sure you\u2019re still standing when I\u2019m done.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
My pulse skipped at that, traitorous and loud. I swallowed. \u201cThat\u2019s not exactly reassuring.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A corner of his mouth tipped up. \u201cIt\u2019s honest.\u201d His hand slid from my hair to my shoulder, grounding and deliberate. \u201cI\u2019ll slow down when you need it. I just won\u2019t pretend I don\u2019t want you.\u201d He paused, eyes searching mine. \u201cDeal?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I hesitated only a second before nodding, the answer settling into my bones like a promise I wasn\u2019t sure I should trust\u2013and absolutely knew I would.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut for now,\u201d he added, almost reluctantly, \u201cyou\u2019re not allowed to move. Doctor\u2019s orders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I arched a brow. \u201cSince when do you listen to doctors?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He smirked. \u201cSince one of them told me you\u00a0<\/p>\n
need sleep.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite myself, I felt a small smile tug at my lips. I settled deeper against him, my body finally relaxing.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFine,\u201d I murmured. \u201cBut if you bring up stamina again, I will pass out\u2013just to spite you.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His arm tightened, protective and warm. \u201cI\u2019ll take my chances.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
And for the first time since waking up, I did exactly what he asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I rested.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
The Alchemist of Broken Dreams by Sienna Rose Blackwell 72 Chapter 72\u00a0 DYLAN\u00a0 Hunter\u2019s deep baritone voice dragged me up […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[69],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-24423","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-alphas-golden-cage-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24423","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24423"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24423\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24423"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24423"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24423"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}