Darkfall planned to scout out Smithers’ home to figure out his habits before paying him a visit to discuss his transgressions against Alpha-Prime. His surveillance wasinterrupted before it could begin when he’d heard on the police scanners that Luca—rather, Jake—had been abducted.
It had been the shock of his life to see Ivy when he went to the hospital to see how Jake was doing.
When she had sucked in a sharp breath of surprise and he saw her, he should have kept moving. He should not have stopped for a chat.
He was a fool.
Even knowing it was not a good idea, that it violated every rule and regulation he was supposed to follow, he had to speak to her.
“I’m surprised to see you here,” Ivy said, her voice trembling.
“I have to tell you I am equally surprised to see you here. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. I’m here with a friend. Her boyfriend was kidnapped. Luckily, they found him and it sounds like he’s going to be okay.”
“Good.” Darkfall was nodding his head as if what she said was the best news ever. Her story was the very opposite of good. Too many people knew about Luca being here. That wasnotgood.
“Honestly, I never expected to see you ever again,” Ivy said, her voice soft. “I’m very glad you’re here.”
Darkfall felt a sad smile shape his lips. “But I’m not here. You know that, right?”
Ivy nodded and tried to smile back. He couldn’t help but notice the tears glistening on her lashes that said while she understood his constraints, she didn’t care for them. Just like he abhorred them. He took her hand, tucking her fingers gently into his palm.
“I know,” she said. A tear escaped down one silky, beautiful cheek.
“I wish things could be different. I wish Iwashere to see you. I wish a lot of things that unfortunately are not going to come true, but you should know my feelings for you have not changed. I’m just sorry I can’t act on them.”
“I know,” she repeated as another tear slipped free.
Darkfall desperately wanted to take Ivy in his arms, to kiss her passionately and tell her all the things he knew she wanted to hear. All the things he meant from the bottom of his soul that he wanted to tell her.
Instead, he mentally shook himself. He pressed his lips together to quell the urge to plant a soft kiss on her mouth and squeezed her fingers once, trying to convey his feelings in one simple gesture.
It was foolish, he knew. He had forbidden feelings for Ivy. Feelings he could not act on. He shouldn’t even be speaking to her. He was a fool.
He turned and walked away, forcing himself not to look back. If he did, he knew he would race across the room, grab her up into his arms and never let her go.
As he forced himself to return to his motel room, he thought about all that he had learned today.
The fact that Ivy was involved with Luca, or rather Jake Jones, and his girlfriend—a woman that Ironveil absolutely shouldnothave in his life—made the situation even more problematic. It was becoming vastly more complicated.
The chain of command was not going to be happy. And the Alphas who lived on Earth were going to be very unhappy to find out an operation was going on beneath their noses in Alienn, Arkansas.
Darkfall feared things might be spiraling out of his control—even though he wasn’t completely sure what all the “things” in this mission were.
He’d have to send an emergency message to Goddard, who would ultimately pass it along to The Calderian, about what he’d learned about the situation here on Earth, which was chaotic at best.
Today, no one was going to be happy. Least of all him.
Chapter Twenty-Three
Beryl drove Jake home from the hospital, both because she didn’t want to let him out of her sight and because he’d left his truck behind his shop. She didn’t mind giving him a ride to work in the morning.
“If I end up at Alienn General Hospital again, I’m pretty sure they will start keeping my regular room available,” Jake said.
“You were in the same hospital room, both times?”
“Yep. I think they should name it after me: The Jake Jones Recovery From Capture Or Lost Memories Room.”
