After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 138

Elle's POV

My heart was beating so fast I was sure he could hear it. As we stood to leave, weaving through the other couples filing out, I felt something shift between us. The air felt charged, different somehow.

"That was..." I started, but couldn't find the words.

"Good?" Brad asked, his amber eyes searching my face.

"Yeah. Really good."

Outside the theater, the evening air was crisp against my skin. I watched Brad's profile as he scanned the street, probably looking for threats or unwanted attention—typical Alpha behavior. But something about the way he'd been tonight, so genuine and vulnerable, made me want to be brave too.

The movie had gotten to me. Watching that girl choose love over safety, watching her take a leap of faith... maybe it was time I did the same.

Before I could lose my nerve, I slipped my arm through his.

Brad froze mid-step, looking down at where my arm was linked with his like he couldn't quite believe it was real.

"Elle?" His voice was rough, uncertain.

I met his gaze, and for a moment, the busy street around us seemed to fade away. There was something in his eyes I'd never seen before—a kind of peace, like all the tension he usually carried had simply melted away.

"Is this okay?" I asked softly.

His free hand came up to cover mine where it rested on his arm. "More than okay."

We started walking again, and I could feel the change in him. His usual rigid posture had relaxed, and that constant edge of alertness had softened. It was like watching a guard dog finally trust someone enough to let its guard down.

"You seem different," I observed.

Brad was quiet for a moment, considering. "I feel different. Calmer, I guess. Like everything that usually drives me crazy just... stopped."

I understood what he meant. For the first time in weeks, my mind wasn't racing with worry or doubt. Being close to him like this felt right in a way that scared and thrilled me.

"Hungry?" Brad asked as we approached the main shopping district.

My stomach answered for me with a loud growl, making him smile—a real, unguarded smile that transformed his whole face.

"I'll take that as a yes."

We wandered through the area, stopping at different vendors and shops. I found myself drawn to the smaller stalls selling quirky trinkets and handmade items—things that would have been completely out of reach in my old life.

A vendor selling small carved animals caught my eye. "These are adorable," I said, picking up a tiny wooden wolf.

"You want it?" Brad asked immediately.

"I was just looking—"

He was already pulling out his wallet. "Whatever you want, Elle. That's what tonight is about."

By the time we made it back to his car, I had accumulated quite a collection: the wooden wolf, a set of colorful glass beads, a small leather journal, some handmade soaps that smelled like lavender, and a vintage-looking music box that played a soft, haunting melody.

"I might have gone a little overboard," I admitted, looking at the pile of bags in my arms.

Brad's expensive sports car was definitely not designed for shopping trips. The backseat was completely covered with my purchases, bags balanced precariously on the leather seats.

"Sorry about your car," I said, feeling slightly guilty about the mess.

Brad glanced back at the chaos, and I expected him to at least look annoyed. Instead, his expression was almost... satisfied?

"Don't apologize," he said quietly. "I like seeing your things in my space."

Something about the way he said it made my cheeks warm.

---

It was nearly nine when we pulled up to the new villa. The lights were on in the common areas, and I could see a familiar silhouette waiting by the front door.

Mira.

I sighed internally as Brad parked the car. She was standing there like she'd been waiting for hours, dressed in a flowing white sundress that made her look ethereal in the porch light.

"Brad!" she called out as we got out of the car, her voice bright with forced cheer. "I prepared dinner for you. Your favorite—"

"We ate out," Brad cut her off, his tone flat and dismissive.

Mira's smile faltered. "Oh." She looked between us, taking in my relaxed posture and the obvious contentment radiating from Brad. "Well, I made quite a bit. Maybe tomorrow—"

"Mira." Brad's voice carried that Alpha authority that always made my knees weak. "We ate out. We're fine."

The rejection was so clear, so final, that even I winced a little. Mira's face went through several expressions before settling on a carefully neutral smile.

"Of course," she said, but I could hear the hurt underneath. "I should have called first."

Brad was already moving to the trunk, pulling out my shopping bags like the conversation was over. Which, apparently, it was.

"I spent all afternoon cooking," Mira tried again, her voice smaller now. "I made that spiced lamb dish you used to love, with the herbs from my grandmother's recipe—"

"That was before," Brad interrupted, not even looking at her as he handed me several bags. "My tastes have changed. My preferences are different now."

He turned to face her directly, and his next words made my heart skip a beat.

"What I like now, what I want now—that's all based on Elle."

The silence that followed was deafening. Mira stood frozen, her face pale in the artificial light, while I tried to process what Brad had just said.

He'd basically just told his ex that everything he cared about now revolved around me. In front of her. Without hesitation.

I felt a surge of satisfaction so fierce it surprised me. *Finally,* I thought. *Finally, he's making his position clear.*

---

"Well, isn't this cozy?"

Sophia's voice broke the tension as she appeared in the doorway, looking immaculate as always. Her gaze took in the scene—Mira's stricken expression, Brad's protective stance near me, the shopping bags that clearly indicated we'd spent the evening together.

"How was your evening?" she asked us, pointedly ignoring Mira.

"Wonderful," I said, meaning it.

"Good to hear. Oh, and Elle? Raymond stopped by earlier. He left some documents in your room—business things that couldn't wait." She paused, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "I had the locks changed on your bedroom door, by the way. You know, for privacy. Wouldn't want anyone accidentally wandering into the wrong room in the middle of the night."

The comment was clearly directed at Mira, who looked like she wanted to disappear into the ground.

Mira's jaw tightened, but she said nothing. The power dynamics were crystal clear now—she was the outsider here, and everyone knew it.

"Well," Mira said finally, her voice strained. "I should let you all get settled. Good night."

She walked past us into the house, her shoulders rigid with barely contained emotion.

Sophia watched her go with a satisfied expression. "That was long overdue," she murmured.