Chapter Seven Jalisa
Chapter Seven
Jalisa
Ivan was still unconscious on the dressing room couch. “Is he going to be okay?” I asked. I felt sick to my stomach seeing him unmoving, dripping in sweat, his skin pale. He was barely breathing. I couldn’t have let this time go by only to lose him again.
The older doctor treating him stood up, closing his medicinal bag. “I injected him with a potion that will wake him up soon. We’ll know more then. Those zapping defense wards can do a lot of damage to the brain. However, my overall check didn’t find any damage.”
“Why would someone do that? It wasn’t there when we came in here, so they put it up after we were inside.”
I turned to Aaron, who stood beside me, staring down at his best friend with concern. “Did you notice anyone leave the banquet hall?”
He lifted a shoulder, shaking his head. “I honestly wasn’t paying attention, Jalisa. This is the only event in the building tonight, and the staff stated that the doors to the building are locked. That doesn’t mean that someone couldn’t have let someone in.”
“But it’s most likely that someone from the wedding did this. Or the staff.”
He ran a hand through his hair, his face twisted in frustration. “We did not need this. Maybe it’s another dissenter.”
I crouched down and stroked Ivan’s damp hair. He was burning up, sweat beading on his forehead. This was the last thing I wanted for him. If this was someone from the dissenters group, I would never forgive myself. “But we aren’t a treaty marriage.”
“But we are Nodoorians on Prinath territory. That might be enough. Our guests wouldn’t hurt us if they were dissenters. Either way, we’re going to look into it, and no one’s leaving here until we question everyone.”
Ivan’s father, Theodore, who was sitting in a chair pulled up to the couch, cleared his throat. “It could have been a staff member who didn’t like serving our kind. You can’t trust these people.”
The very Prinathian doctor raised his brows and looked away.
I hated to think it, but Theodore was right.
There were many Prinathians who didn’t like Nodoorians here.
However, I couldn’t rule out that this could have been our families.
But which side? Although this was the dressing room that I used, anyone watching us knew that Ivan came with me.
My family wouldn’t do this to me, but I couldn’t imagine Ivan’s family risking him coming to my room and getting hurt either.
Had we angered our families so much that they would hurt their own children to scare us apart?
I touched my neck again, recalling the attempted claiming years ago.
Maybe it wasn’t so far-fetched for my family.
Maybe it was Jullian. He hated this union.
Maybe this was his way of teaching us a lesson?
For that matter, maybe it was a dissenter, angry with me for backing out of the plan.
If I got hurt, this was punishment. If Ivan was the one hurt, well, they didn’t want me with him anyway.
There were too many unknowns, and it was terrifying.
A groan drew my attention back to Ivan as his eyes fluttered open. “It feels like someone is sitting on my head.”
The doctor nodded. “That’s a side effect of the shock from the ward. It’ll subside soon with the potion I gave you.”
He struggled to sit up, and I helped him adjust on the couch, sitting down next to him. He grabbed the sides of his head, groaning again. “Vertigo. That’s fun. What the hell happened?”
“Someone put a zapping defense ward up while we were in here.”
“Well, that’s rude.”
The doctor crouched down beside me and raised three fingers in front of Ivan. “How many fingers am I holding up?”
Ivan yawned. “Sorry, three.”
“How are you feeling, besides the headache and vertigo?”
“Fine. And it’s getting better. I know how those wards work. I’ve had worse. I’m an alpha.”
The doctor looked unimpressed, which I appreciated. There would be many who thought that because Ivan was an alpha, he was invincible. “That may be, but you should go to the infirmary for overnight observation.”
He scrunched his face. “I’d rather go home.”
The doctor pursed his lips, giving Ivan the once over before turning to me. “You’ll have to watch him overnight then and come straight to the infirmary if anything happens.”
I nodded. “I’ll stay up.”
“You won’t have to do that but just stay by his side.”
Ivan shook his head, squinting his eyes at me. “I’m sorry but who is this beautiful faerie?”
My heart stopped. No. I refused to believe that he got amnesia from that shock. It wasn’t out of the realm of possibility though, which almost threw me into a panic. I could already feel his father burning with anger a few feet away from me.
“Oh dear,” the doctor began. “I think going to the infirmary now might be best. Do you not know that this is your wife?”
Ivan blinked his eyes several times and then gave a slow grin. “Lucky me. What’s your name, love?”
I almost missed it, but I knew him too well. I looked at him with a straight face. And he looked at me with seemingly innocent eyes. I twisted my lips and looked back at him. Then his smile grew as he returned my stare. I tilted my head, continuing the stare off.
He then laughed before giving me a playful poke. “I was joking.”
I huffed. “You aren’t funny.”
Theodore slapped him on the thigh. “This is no laughing matter, son.”
Aaron shook his head, giving Ivan a disapproving look. “You’re awful.”
Ivan raised his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry. How’d you know I was lying?”
I rolled my eyes. “Because you have a tell.”
“What is it?”
He had a playful glint in his eyes he could never hide from me.
However, I wasn’t going to tell him how I knew.
I'd save that in my back pocket. I shrugged. “I’m not saying. Anyway,” I stood up.
“Maybe we should call it a night. I think you need to get your rest. You may tell unfunny jokes, but I’m still worried about you. ”
The doctor nodded. “I agree with her. You need your rest. Sorry to cut your party short. And I’m serious about you being monitored, Ivan. No strenuous activity of any kind tonight. Sorry, newlyweds.”
Ivan grumbled, and I sighed. “Understood, doctor.”
Theodore stood up. “Well, let’s go, son. We’re staying at an inn not too far from here. I can watch you there.”
I couldn’t fathom how Ivan’s father thought that he was in the best position to take care of Ivan. I could remotely understand him wanting to stay with us but to pull him away from my place, which was where Ivan and I agreed to take up residency together for the time being, seemed vindictive.
I raised a brow and opened my mouth to protest; however, Ivan raised a hand. “I’m going with my wife, Father. She’s more than capable of watching over me. Aren’t you, love?”
He blinked at me with his familiar, cocky grin. As if I would say no. “Of course, dear husband.” I glanced over to Theodore, who stared at us with a scowl. He really didn’t like me with his son. “You’re more than welcome to stay with us tonight.”
He silently considered us for a moment, then looked to the doctor and Aaron, who returned his stares with uncomfortable looks. It was safe to say that others were seeing that there was no love lost between us.
Theodore huffed, looking away from everyone in defeat.
“Fine.” He pointed at me. “Take good care of my son. I’ll be by tomorrow morning.
” He leaned down and kissed Ivan on the top of his head, patted Aaron on the shoulder, shook the doctor’s hand, and gave me a curt nod before leaving. I was really feeling the love.
Ivan got to his feet and waved us off when we tried to help him.
“I’m going to rest, but then we’re going to find out what asshole did this.
” He looked to me, his emerald eyes growing dark, no longer in their dragon form.
“You could have walked through that door before me. You almost did. I don’t know what I would have done if you got hurt. ”
My heart felt as if it did a little squeeze at his concern, and I fought to ignore it.
I could care about him, but I couldn’t fall for him again.
There was still too much against us. Especially with this attack.
I needed to focus on getting through this deal and keeping him safe.
I cleared my throat. “Well, I’m fine, so you don’t have to worry about that.
And I’m going to take good care of you.”
It was the least I could do. But I didn’t like that way-too-happy look on his face. I already knew he was going to make the whole not falling back in love thing difficult for me.
***
Ivan actually was tired because he went right to sleep when we got to my place.
I had originally agreed to give him my room, and I would stay in my spare nesting room.
However, I was anxious about his injury, and we stayed in the same bed that night on opposite sides.
Although, in the middle of the night, he had scooted closer and thrown an arm over my waist. I didn’t mind, although I wanted to be bothered.
It would be easier for me not to feel so good in his arms. Instead, I found myself nestling in the heat of his body and the crispness of his scent.
How do you not fall in love with someone you actually adore?