After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 124

Chapter 124

Elle’s POV

I continued eating my breakfast, mechanically bringing the fork to my mouth even though the food had lost all taste.

‘I’m serious, Elle!” Mira leaned forward. ‘I’m so sorry about last night. It’s all my fault that Brad was with me instead of you.”

“Oh, I said simply, returning my attention to my plate.

Mira blinked, clearly expecting more of a reaction. “I mean it, Elle. I was feeling terrible, and Brad… well, he felt obligated to help me.”

“I understand you might be upset with him, but please don’t blame Brad, Mira continued, her voice taking on a pleading quality that

somehow managed to sound condescending.

“Oh.”

Her perfect brow furrowed slightly. “Elle, are you okay? You seem… distant.”

I set down my fork and finally met her gaze directly. “What would you like me to say, Mira?”

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She seemed taken aback by my directness. “I just… I don’t want there to be any misunderstanding between us. Or between you and Brad. What happened last night it won’t happen again. I promise.”

–

I almost laughed at the absurdity of it. Here was a werewolf, apologizing to a human for monopolizing her Alpha’s time, as if I had any right to object. As if my feelings mattered for them.

“I don’t want you to feel threatened by our friendship,” Mira pressed on, her tone becoming more urgent. “Brad and I, we have history, yes, but that’s all it is history. He’s committed to you and the baby now.”

–

“Oh,” I repeated, my voice flat.

Mira’s composure cracked slightly. “Elle, please say something more than ‘oh.’ I’m trying to make things right here.”

I looked at her – really looked at her. Even claiming to have been ill the night before, she was breathtakingly beautiful. Her skin was

flawless, her hair fell in perfect waves.

“What do you want me to say?” I asked quietly. “That I’m not bothered by the fact that my… partner chose to spend the evening with his

ex-girlfriend instead of me?”

Her eyes widened at my bluntness.

Mira leaned back, clearly not expecting this response. “Elle, that’s not what I meant-

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Chapter 124

“Isn’t it?’ I picked up my fork again, focusing on cutting my food with deliberate precision. ‘You’re a werewolf, Mira. I’m human. Brad is

an Alpha. These are facts, not feelings.”

She stared at me for a long moment, and I could see her recalibrating her approach. “Elle, I know this world is new to you, but Brad truly

cares about you. What happened last night was an emergency-*

“I said I understand, I interrupted, my voice sharper than before. “There’s no need to keep explaining.”

But Mira wasn’t finished. She leaned forward again, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “I need you to know that Brad was terrified

something serious was wrong with me. He stayed the entire night, making sure I was stable. He even held my hand when the pain got

bad.”

Each word was like a carefully placed dagger. My grip tightened on my fork until my knuckles turned white, but I kept my expression

neutral.

“He told me he couldn’t bear to see me hurt again, she continued, her eyes watching my face for reactions. “That he’d always feel responsible for protecting me, no matter what.”

“Brad said he’d take care of me for the rest of my life, Mira finished softly.

I closed my eyes briefly, feeling the weight of her words settle over me like a shroud. When I opened them again, I saw the satisfied glint in her gaze – subtle, but unmistakable.

She stood gracefully, her werewolf elegance on full display. “I should let you finish your breakfast. Thank you for being so understanding, Elle. It means a lot to know Brad has such a… mature mate.”

After she left, I sat alone at the table, my hands shaking so badly I couldnt lift my fork. The morning sunlight streaming through the windows felt cold, and the cheerful chatter of other guests seemed to come from a different world entirely.

I stared down at my barely touched breakfast, my appetite completely gone.

Fuck it. I picked up my fork and forced myself to eat every bite.

The Moonlake Cathedral was a magnificent structure that seemed to stretch toward the sky, its gothic spires and stained glass windows catching the afternoon light. Sophia and I arrived with Amy and a small entourage, taking seats toward the back.

“Are you okay?’ Sophia whispered, her silver hair catching the light from the windows.

‘Fine,’ I murmured, though fine was the last thing I felt.

The ceremony began with traditional werewolf rituals that I didn’t understand.

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Chapter 124

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I watched Roy and Yara exchange vows, their connection so palpable it seemed to shimmer in the air between them. Their eyes never each other, and when they spoke their promises, I could feel the magical binding taking place.

This was what a real mate bond looked like. This was what Brad would never have with me.

When the Alphas appeared, I caught sight of Brad among them, magnificent in his formal ettire. His presence commanded attention even from this distance, his Alpha aura evident in every movement. For a moment, our eyes met across the cathedral, and I felt that familiar

tug in my chest.

But then I remembered Mira’s words, her satisfied smile, the way Brad had chosen her over me without hesitation. I looked away deliberately, focusing on the ceremony with detached interest.

After the traditional portions concluded, the reception moved to the church grounds. There was some other acitivities – but I had no interest in participating. The idea of catching flowers and making wishes about my own romantic future felt laughable.

Instead, I wandered away from the crowd, finding a small stone bridge that crossed a gentle stream.

I leaned against the bridge railing, pulling pieces from a small cake and dropping them into the water below. Fish rose to investigate the

crumbs.

“Dakota?”

The voice made me turn. A middle-aged human couple stood at the edge of the bridge, staring at me with expressions of shock and

desperate disbelief.

“Dakota, is that really you?”

I straightened, confused by their intensity. The woman was the one I ran into the other day.

But the man stepped closer, his eyes filling with tears. “Dakota, honey, you came back? But how… we buried you. We buried our baby girl.”

“Sir, I really think there’s been a mistake-

“Two years,” the woman whispered, her voice breaking. “Two years since we lost you, since we said goodbye. How are you here? How are you standing here?”

The man suddenly moved forward, pulling me into a fierce embrace before I could react. I froze, overwhelmed by the desperate love and grief radiating from this stranger.

“My daughter,” he sobbed against my hair. “My girl, you came back to us. I knew you couldn’t really be gone, I knew it.”

I remained still in his arms, oddly comforted.

When he finally pulled back, I spoke gently. “I’m sorry, but I think you’ve mistaken me for someone else.”

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After One Night with the Alpha