After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 211

Elle's POV

I stared at Brad, my heart already sinking at the serious expression on his face. "Lucas Rayne?" I repeated slowly. "No, I don't really know much about him. Should I?"

Brad was quiet for a moment, his amber eyes studying my face with that intense Alpha focus that always made me feel like he could see straight through to my soul. Then he let out a long breath.

"Lucas is my father's bastard son," he said simply.

The words hit me like a physical blow. "What?"

"My father, Jason, married my mother Victoria Hamilton because it was a strong political alliance between two powerful werewolf families. But he also had an affair with Mary, and she gave birth to Lucas." Brad's jaw tightened slightly. "When the affair was discovered, my grandmother Elizabeth had to make promises to Victoria's family that Mary and Lucas would never enter the Rayne household, never have inheritance rights."

I felt my mouth drop open. "Oh my God, Brad..."

"That's why my position as heir was secured so early," he continued, his voice taking on that distant quality it got when he talked about pack politics. "In werewolf society, bloodline disputes can tear apart entire territories. Elizabeth couldn't afford that kind of instability."

"But you were just a child," I said, feeling a surge of anger on his behalf. "How could they put that pressure on you?"

Brad's smile was bitter. "The first real family explosion happened on my tenth birthday. Father was supposed to attend an important family ceremony with me, but Mary called him away at the last minute."

He stood up abruptly, moving to the window. "Mother was furious. She went to Mary's place, and they got into a fight. When werewolves lose emotional control, Elle, we can... shift. Our wolf traits become more pronounced."

I shivered, remembering the few times I'd seen hints of Brad's wolf nature surface. "What happened?"

"Mother's wolf side took over. She injured Mary badly enough that Mary will never fully recover physically." Brad's voice was completely flat now. "After that, my parents' relationship was finished in everything but name. Father stopped coming home. I was sent to Frostclaw pack to train."

"That's where you met Mira," I said quietly.

"Yes." He turned back to face me. "But the worst incident happened when I was twenty-two. Father decided he wanted to bring Lucas back into the family officially, give him a place in the Rayne legacy."

My blood ran cold. "That would have threatened your inheritance."

"Exactly. When Mother found out, she confronted Mary again at a family gathering. They both lost control of their wolf sides completely." Brad's hands clenched into fists. "I had just returned from Canada and tried to intervene. In the chaos, Mother was badly injured protecting me. That's why she needs the walking aids now."

"Oh Brad..." I reached for his hand. "I'm so sorry."

"I was emotionally compromised at the time," he said, his voice hollow. "Slower to react than I should have been. After Father disappeared that night, after Mother was hospitalized, I had to grow up fast. Grandmother want me to become the kind of Alpha who could handle situations like that."

"That's why you became so... controlled," I said, understanding flooding through me.

"Because I later investigated what really happened," Brad said, his eyes hardening. "Mary deliberately provoked my mother. She used the fact that werewolves can be driven by instinct when we're emotional. She wanted Mother to hurt her."

"What? Why would she do that?"

"She was playing a long game. Wanted to position herself as the victim, make Grandmother feel guilty enough to accept Lucas into the family. It would have given her a path to the position she really wanted - head of the Rayne family."

I felt sick.

"After the incident, Mother struck a deal with Grandmother. She agreed to seek special treatment for her injuries, which bought us six years. During that time, Lucas couldn't enter the Rayne family."

"And what happened during those six years?"

Brad's smile was sharp and cold. "Mother made sure Lucas stayed far away from family traditions, from pack politics and made him become a drug user. She deliberately kept him isolated from anything that would prepare him to challenge my position."

The ruthlessness in his voice made me shiver, but I understood. "She were protecting you."

His eyes softened as they met mine. "That's why I couldn't immediately stand up to Mother when she was giving you trouble, Elle. She sacrificed so much for my position. I couldn't just fight her directly - I had to find another way."

I nodded slowly. "You had to outmaneuver her instead."

"Now that Lucas is coming back, Grandmother will give him some shares, some family resources. As my mate, your attitude will represent my attitude. Your position is... delicate."

The weight of it all pressed down on me. "I don't know what to do. What if I mess this up?"

"You won't let me down," he said firmly, then his expression became more serious. "But Elle, you need to understand - in werewolf society, bloodlines and status matter more than almost anything else. Can you accept that?"

"I understand," I said carefully.

"I need you to promise me something." He moved closer, his Alpha presence more pronounced. "No matter how much you might dislike my mother, never argue with her in front of other werewolves. It affects the entire family's reputation."

I swallowed hard. "I promise."

"When Lucas returns, Mary will probably appear somehow too. Things are going to get very... interesting around here." Brad's eyes fixed on mine intently. "At Lucas's welcome ceremony, no matter what happens, don't act impulsively. And remember -" his voice carried a hint of Alpha command, "trust me. Don't you ever try to push me toward another woman again. Do you understand?"

"I understand," I whispered, feeling the full weight of his authority.

"Good." He pulled me closer. "I know this is overwhelming, but I'm strong enough now to protect you and our child, no matter what Lucas's return brings."

I looked up at him, this man who had orchestrated corporate takeovers and family politics to keep me safe. "What about your father? After all this time, is there really no trace of him?"

Something cold flashed in Brad's amber eyes. "Maybe Moon Goddess doesn't want us to find him."