After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 144

Elle's POV

The Blair family estate was transformed into something magical tonight. I stood at the entrance, wearing the deep sapphire dress Stella had chosen for me, watching as car after car arrived filled with the most influential humans and werewolves in Moon Lake City.

Everyone had come to celebrate my recognition as Stella's goddaughter.

"They didn't invite him," I murmured to myself, watching Martin greet another group of guests with his characteristic warmth.

"Who?" Sophia appeared beside me, elegant in her silver gown.

"Brad." The name felt heavy on my tongue. "Martin made sure to invite every powerful werewolf family except the Raynes."

Sophia's expression grew thoughtful. "Maybe that's for the best, considering what happened yesterday."

I nodded, though my chest tightened.

The evening progressed beautifully. I met influential human families who treated me with genuine respect, not the cautious deference I'd grown used to in werewolf circles.

That's when the atmosphere changed.

A sudden hush fell over the crowd near the main entrance. I felt it before I saw him—that familiar electric tension that always preceded Brad's arrival. My eyes found him immediately across the garden, and my heart clenched.

He stood at the entrance like he owned the place, wearing an impeccably tailored black suit that made his amber eyes seem to glow in the lantern light. Behind him stood Alex and several other werewolves, their presence causing visible unease among the human guests.

"Fuck," I whispered under my breath.

Brad's gaze swept the crowd until it locked onto mine. Even from this distance, I could feel the intensity of his stare, the Alpha dominance that made every instinct in my body respond whether I wanted it to or not.

Martin approached Brad with visible tension in his shoulders, but maintaining his dignity. I watched Alex step forward, holding an ornate box that gleamed with what looked like traditional werewolf craftsmanship.

"Mr. Blair," Alex's voice carried across the suddenly quiet garden, "this is a gift from our Alpha for your family. He asks that you please don't refuse it."

The words were polite, but everyone present understood the undertone. When an Alpha offered a gift, it wasn't really a request.

Martin's jaw tightened. I could see him weighing his options. His hands clenched at his sides as he prepared to speak.

I couldn't let him take that risk.

"This is my business anyway, Martin." I stepped forward, my voice carrying clearly in the hushed garden. "You should go take care of the other guests."

Martin turned to me, his eyes filled with concern and something that looked like pride. "Elle..."

"Let me handle this," I said firmly, though my heart was racing.

Martin squeezed my hand tightly. "I'll protect you, I promise," he said quietly, his voice fierce with paternal love. "No matter what it costs."

"I know you will," I whispered back. "But I need to do this myself."

Martin nodded reluctantly and turned back to their guests, though I could feel his watchful gaze as I made my way toward Brad.

"Can we talk somewhere private?" I asked when I reached him. "The laurel grove behind the house should be quiet enough."

Brad's amber eyes searched my face intently. "Of course."

I led the way through the garden paths I'd come to know so well over the past few days. The laurel grove was one of my favorite spots on the estate—ancient trees that had stood here longer than any of us had been alive, their twisted branches creating a natural cathedral under the night sky.

When Brad reached out to take my hand, I stepped back quickly, the movement instinctive and sharp.

The flash of pain that crossed his features was unmistakable, and I felt an answering ache in my chest that I tried to ignore.

"I thought," I began, my voice steady despite the chaos in my heart, "that after yesterday, you'd already made your choice. I didn't expect you to come here and keep pushing this."

Brad moved closer, his Alpha instincts making him want to corner me against one of the massive laurel trunks. His eyes burned with frustration and something deeper. "You know I had no choice—"

"And if Mira keeps using the same tactics to manipulate you?" I shot back, my voice gaining strength. "Are you going to keep feeling helpless? Are you going to keep hurting your mate just because you can't bring yourself to hurt your old lover?"

The words hung between us like a challenge.

Brad's jaw clenched. "If she threatens to hurt herself again—"

"Then you'll choose her again," I finished quietly. "And again and again, every time she decides she wants your attention. Thank you for showing me exactly where I stand in your priorities."

"Is that really what you think?" His voice was raw with pain.

"Yes," I said simply. "And that's why, after the baby is born, I want you to... reject our mate bond"

The word hit him like a physical blow. I watched this powerful Alpha—this man who commanded respect from every werewolf in the region—actually stagger back a step.

"Reject our mate bond." His voice was barely a whisper, like the words caused him physical pain. "Do you have any idea what you're asking me to do?"

"Elle." His voice cracked. "After everything I've done to change for you—after accepting a human mate, after defending you to my family, after learning to be gentle when every instinct I have wants to claim and possess—you're telling me none of it mattered?"

His words hit harder than I'd expected.

"I know you had your reasons for being soft with Mira," I said, my own voice trembling now. "But I can't trust someone who will always choose someone else when it matters most."

Brad stared at me for a long moment, his amber eyes bright with unshed tears. "Fine," he said finally, his voice hollow. "If that's really what you want, then congratulations, Elle West. You win."

The defeat in his voice was crushing, but I couldn't let myself weaken now.

"I never wanted to win anything," I whispered, my own composure finally cracking. "I wanted to matter to someone. But I guess I was wrong about that too."

Brad turned away, his broad shoulders rigid. "Then I guess we both lost everything."

His footsteps echoed through the grove as he walked away, each one feeling like another piece of my heart breaking off.

I waited until I was sure he was gone before I allowed myself to collapse against the nearest laurel tree, my legs giving out as the sobs I'd been holding back finally escaped. I bit down on my tongue to muffle the sounds, tasting blood as I tried to keep from completely falling apart.

I looked up to see Sophia emerging from deeper in the grove, her silver hair gleaming in the moonlight.

Sophia knelt beside me, her face pale with understanding. "Elle..."