After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 134

Brad's POV

I studied my oldest friend's face in the dim glow of the streetlight, noting the tension in his jaw, the way his fingers gripped his cigarette. This wasn't casual conversation—this was an interrogation.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked, genuinely confused by his intensity. "Of course I'm serious."

"That's not what I'm asking," Lester said, dropping his cigarette and crushing it under his heel. "I'm asking if you're serious about *her*—about Elle as a person. Because if you are..." He paused, his eyes meeting mine directly. "Then what the hell does Mira mean to you? She's a werewolf, Brad. She's been with you for years. And now you're ready to throw all that away for some human girl you've known for two months?"

The accusation in his voice made my wolf bristle, but I forced myself to stay calm. "Mira and I ended a long time ago—"

"Did you?" Lester interrupted sharply. "Because from where I'm standing, it looks like you never got over her. And neither did she."

I opened my mouth to argue, but Lester held up a hand.

"Let me tell you something you don't know," he said, his voice dropping to a more serious tone. "Mira didn't just disappear six years ago for no reason. She left because she was hurt—badly hurt."

My entire body went still. "What are you talking about?"

"There was a pack conflict up north while you were back here handling family business," Lester explained, his expression grave. "Mira got caught in the crossfire. Silver weapons, Brad. Her wolf form was damaged. She was terrified that she'd never be the same, that she wouldn't be perfect enough for you anymore."

The words hit me like a physical blow. "She was... she was hurt? How badly?"

"Badly enough that she spent two years in recovery. She watched you from a distance, saw you searching for her. She saw what it was doing to you—how you barely slept, how your wolf was going crazy. But she was convinced that if you saw her damaged, you'd reject her."

I stared at him, my mind reeling. All those months I'd spent searching, going half-mad with worry and anger, and she'd been watching? She'd been hurt and alone, and she'd chosen to suffer in silence rather than trust me to care for her?

"She only came back to Moonshade Bay because she finally healed," Lester continued. "She wanted to surprise you, to show you she was whole again. Instead, she found out you'd moved on. That you had a human mate who was pregnant with your child."

The pain in his voice was unmistakable, and I realized this wasn't just about pack politics. "You care about her," I said quietly. "You care about Mira."

Lester's jaw tightened. "She's been in love with you since we were kids, Brad. All of us knew it. Even when I... even when I had feelings for her, I stepped aside because I knew she only had eyes for you. And now you're telling me that two months with a human girl has made you forget everything you and Mira had?"

His words struck deep, awakening memories I'd tried to bury. Mira at eighteen, laughing as she chased me through the Canadian forests. The way she'd looked at me like I was her entire world. The plans we'd made, the future we'd dreamed of...

"Brad," Lester said more gently, "I'm asking you to look at your heart. Really look. Are you sure what you feel for Elle isn't just the mate bond talking? Just Alpha instinct to protect what's yours?"

That question hit me harder than all the rest, because it was the one I'd been avoiding. How much of what I felt for Elle was real emotion, and how much was biological programming?

"She doesn't even understand what you are," Lester pressed on. "She can't feel the mate bond. She doesn't know what it means to be connected to an Alpha. Do you really think she accepts you for who you are, or is she just going along with this because she's pregnant and doesn't have a choice?"

I thought about Elle's reactions, her careful distance, the way she sometimes looked at me like she was trying to solve a puzzle. She'd never told me she loved me. She'd never even acted like she wanted to be with me beyond our contractual arrangement.

Meanwhile, Mira had loved me completely, unconditionally, with the understanding that only another werewolf could have.

"I know this is hard," Lester said, his voice carrying the weight of our long friendship. "But Mira is still here. She still loves you."

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of his words. "What exactly are you asking me to do, Lester?"

"I'm asking you to be fair to her. To give her a chance to prove herself. Let her work with you—as a special advisor or something. She's brilliant with pack politics, and with me going back to Frostclaw territory, I'd feel better knowing she was here to help solidify your Alpha position."

The request was reasonable on the surface, but I could see the deeper strategy. Having Mira close would inevitably create friction with Elle. It would force comparisons, force me to choose.

"And if Elle has a problem with that?" I asked.

Lester's smile was sharp. "Then you'll know where her priorities really lie, won't you? If she truly cares about you and your position as Alpha, she'll support what's best for the pack. If she's just here for the security and status..."

He didn't need to finish the sentence.

The worst part was, his logic was sound. Elle had never expressed deep feelings for me. She'd never fought for our relationship or shown jealousy over Mira. Maybe she really didn't care about me beyond what I could provide for her and our child.

"Just think about it," Lester said. "You've known Mira your whole life. You know what she's capable of, how much she loves you. Don't throw that away for someone who might not even want to stay once the child is born."

The thought of Elle leaving after the birth hit me like ice in my veins. Maybe she was just counting down the days until she could escape back to her human life?

"Fine," I heard myself saying. "I'll... I'll consider having Mira work as an advisor. But that's all, Lester. Whatever happened between us before, Elle is my mate now."

Relief flooded Lester's features. "That's all I'm asking. Just don't shut Mira out completely. She's a good werewolf, Brad. She deserves better than being treated like a stranger."

As we walked back toward the house, Lester's phone buzzed. He glanced at it and grimaced. "I need to head back to Frostclaw. But Sophia will stay a few more days—she's worried about how Elle is adapting to werewolf society."

"And you?" I asked. "Are you ever going to tell Sophia how you feel about her?"

Lester's smile was rueful. "When the time is right."