After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 157

Elle's POV

Ivy's parents were suddenly on their knees in front of me, their hands reaching out desperately.

"Please, Miss West! You have to help us!" Ivy's mother sobbed, trying to grab at my dress.

I instinctively stepped back, my heart racing. "Don't—"

This felt wrong. Everything about this felt like they were trying to corner me, force me into a position where I'd look heartless if I refused. Like I was being manipulated into bullying some innocent woman I'd never even met.

Brad's voice was suddenly low in my ear, warm breath against my skin. "Just say the word. Ask me, and I'll handle this."

I shot him an annoyed look. Of course he'd turn this into some kind of negotiation.

"Martin," I said firmly, stepping further back from the desperate parents. "This isn't really my place to get involved, is it? I'm a West, not a Blair. Blair family business is Blair family business. If you need someone transferred to the werewolf medical center, I can arrange that. Anything else? I can't help you."

Martin nodded quickly, relief flickering across his face. "You're absolutely right, Elle. We shouldn't be putting you in this position."

But before anyone could say anything else, Ivy stumbled out, her face pale as paper, one hand pressed against her stomach. She looked like hell – her hair was a mess, her hospital gown wrinkled, and there were dark circles under her eyes.

And then she dropped to her knees right in front of me, joining her parents in their desperate tableau.

"Elle," she gasped, looking up at me with wild eyes. "I know I have no right to ask this of you. I know I've been... difficult. But look at me now. I'm ruined. I can never be the Blair family heir again. I can never compete with you again!"

Her gaze dropped to my stomach, and something vicious flashed in her expression before she quickly masked it with desperation.

"The Blair family is yours now, Elle. All of it. So please – can't you help me just this once? Can't you see it as... as payment for everything you're getting?"

Her voice dropped to a whisper. "I have nothing left. No future, no family inheritance, no children. I have to marry him now. I have to. So please... please help me make that happen."

The desperation in her voice was real, but I could sense the manipulation underneath it. She knew exactly what she was doing.

Brad leaned close to me again, his voice amused. "Now you want my help?"

I wanted to elbow him in the ribs, but his next words made me freeze.

"You know," he murmured, "getting rid of Ivy permanently would make you the undisputed Blair family heir. That might actually make my mother see some value in keeping a human around."

My breath caught. He was right. If Ivy was completely out of the picture...

"And about these past few days," Brad continued, his voice softer, "I've been playing games with Mira because my mother is in her final treatment cycle. I needed her focused on getting better, not worrying about my personal life. But once this is over, I'll give you the explanation you deserve."

His arm slipped around my waist, and despite everything, I felt my resolve wavering. There was something about the way he held me, protective and possessive at the same time.

"Let me handle this," he whispered, "and I'll publicly support the Blair family. Everyone will know that the Rayne family stands behind you."

My heart skipped a beat.

I looked down at Ivy, still kneeling on the ground, and felt something shift inside me.

"Okay," I said quietly, my voice barely audible. "I'm asking you to help."

Brad's satisfaction was immediate. He pressed a quick kiss to my ear that made my cheeks burn, then straightened up, his entire demeanor changing.

The temperature in the room seemed to drop as his Alpha presence filled the space. Everyone – Martin, Stella, Ivy's parents, even the man who'd been cowering by the wall – suddenly looked very small.

"David Stone," Brad said, his voice carrying absolute authority. "You can call your wife now."

David's head snapped up, hope flooding his features.

"Tell her," Brad continued, "that I, Brad Rayne, am offering her a very generous position in our human services department. The rest of this mess? That's between you and her."

He turned to Martin and Stella, his expression warming slightly. "And as Elle's mate, I want the Blair family to know that you have the Rayne family's support. If you need anything – anything at all – you can contact me directly."

The implications hit the room like a bomb. Martin's eyes widened. Stella looked like she might faint. This wasn't just Brad helping with a family problem – this was him offering werewolf protection to an entire human family.

David looked like he might cry with relief. "Thank you! Oh, thank you! I'll call her right now, I'll—"

"Do it," Brad said simply.

But before David could even pull out his phone, a woman's voice cut through the air like a knife.

"David Stone, you fucking bastard!"

A middle-aged woman with disheveled hair came charging through the entrance, her face twisted with rage. She lunged straight for David, who scrambled backward.

"How could you do this to me?" she screamed, trying to claw at his face. "Twenty years of marriage, and this is what I get?"

David dodged her swings, calling out desperately, "Linda, wait! Listen to me! The Alpha offered you a job! A good job with the Rayne Group! If you just agree to the divorce, you'll get the house, the savings, the car – everything!"

Linda stopped mid-swing, staring at him in shock. "Are you... are you seriously trying to buy me off right now? With their money?"

"It's a good deal!" David insisted. "You'd be working for werewolves! Do you know how many humans would kill for that opportunity?"

I felt disgusted watching this whole exchange. David was talking about his wife like she was a business transaction.

What made me feel even sicker was watching Ivy and her parents through all of this.

They looked... calm.