After One Night with the Alpha Chapter 71

Elle's POV

"Look who's waiting for you," Sophia muttered, nodding toward Marissa. "Want me to get rid of her?"

I shook my head. "No, I can handle this."

Deep down, I was curious—had Brad actually gone to her last night? The thought sent a wave of something painfully close to jealousy through me, though I tried to convince myself it was just principle. If Marissa was here to gloat about spending the night with Brad, I'd have to stomach it. After all, wasn't that what I'd arranged?

As soon as Marissa spotted us approaching, she rushed forward.

"Elle!" she called out, her voice sharp despite her attempt at friendliness. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

I forced a polite smile. "Good morning, Marissa."

She didn't waste time with pleasantries. "You gave me your key card yesterday, but why are you still clinging to Brad? Why wouldn't you let him come back to the room?"

Her accusatory tone caught me off guard. The sheer audacity of this woman! I hadn't even seen Brad since our awkward dinner.

"Excuse me?" I managed, heat rising to my face.

"You heard me," she continued, her voice dripping with entitlement. "You said you understood Brad and I have unfinished business, but then you kept him away all night. What kind of game are you playing?"

A strange relief washed over me. So Brad hadn't returned to our room either. Where the hell had he been? I felt an unexpected weight lift from my chest, which confused me even more.

Before I could respond, Sophia stepped forward, radiating an intimidating energy I'd never felt from her before.

"We spent the entire night together," Sophia stated coldly, her eyes flashing with that eerie golden glow werewolves get when they're angry.

Marissa's perfectly penciled eyebrows shot up, then her eyes narrowed dangerously. "And who exactly are you? What right does a Beta from another pack have to interfere in Moonshade Bay business?"

Sophia's laugh was razor-sharp. "Seems to me you're the outsider here. Challenging an Alpha's mate bond is disrespectful in any pack. Yet here you are, boldly questioning his mate while she's carrying his child."

I watched Marissa's face contort with rage. She wasn't used to being confronted like this—certainly not by me, and apparently not by anyone else either. She'd always counted on my tendency to avoid conflict, to take the path of least resistance.

"You don't understand anything," Marissa hissed, her own eyes flashing gold. "Brad and I have history—"

"History that clearly didn't lead to a mate bond or a child," Sophia cut in mercilessly. "If you're so confident, why not go find Brad right now? Ask him to abandon his mate and unborn heir for you."

Marissa flinched as if physically struck. I could see the blow had landed precisely where Sophia intended. Marissa had probably assumed anyone associated with me would be just as easy to manipulate.

She'd misjudged badly.

"That's enough," I said quietly but firmly. "Sophia, please."

I turned to Marissa, keeping my voice level. "Look, I wasn't with Brad last night. I spent the evening with Sophia in Section Two. Where Brad was, what he did—I have no idea."

I took a deep breath before continuing. "Marissa, I've already done all I can. If Brad still has feelings for you like you claim, then pursue him yourself. I can't help you anymore than I already have."

Without waiting for her response, I gently pulled Sophia away. As we walked toward the main building, Sophia shook her head in disbelief.

"You're too damn nice," she muttered. "Even if she's dying, so what? Does that give her the right to steal someone's partner? The world doesn't work that way, Elle."

I couldn't help but smile at Sophia's protective anger. "Thank you for standing up for me. No one's done that in... well, a really long time."

"Someone had to," she replied, her expression softening. "You know, when I first met you, I thought you were just some naive human who got lucky with an Alpha. But there's something about you, Elle. Being kind for a moment is easy—being kind your whole life is something rare."

Her words warmed something inside me. Was it possible to make real friends in this world? Maybe Sophia was proof that it was.

When we reached the conference room, I plastered on my most cheerful expression, determined not to let anyone see how shaken I still felt.

"Morning!" I greeted Brad and Raymond, who were already reviewing documents.

Brad glanced up, his eyes narrowing slightly when he noticed me looking surprisingly refreshed. I caught a flicker of irritation cross his face, though I wasn't sure if it was directed at me or the slight scent of Sophia that probably clung to my clothes.

Raymond, ever the gentleman, returned my greeting with perfect politeness, though I noticed his eyes lingered on me a second too long. After learning about Dakota last night, his gaze no longer unsettled me as much. Behind his interest was a man who'd lost someone he loved—someone who apparently looked eerily like me.

As I took my seat, I immediately sensed something was off. The atmosphere was cordial but strangely tense, like the calm before a storm. Then I spotted the contract on the table and froze.

This wasn't the same agreement we'd been working on. Not even close.

The cooperation ratio had changed drastically—from the original 60-40 split between Rayne Group and Carter Family to an 80-20 division favoring Rayne. The terms were now much harsher for the Carters, with Rayne Group only providing energy resources while the Carters would handle all domestic affairs and international shipping costs.

I frowned, mentally reviewing the original proposal. Brad himself had suggested the 60-40 split—I remembered because I'd been surprised by his apparent generosity. This new contract was practically predatory by comparison.

I glanced at Brad, wondering if he'd stayed up all night making these changes instead of returning to our room. Had something happened that I wasn't aware of?

What game were they playing now?