After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127

Elle’s POV

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The young woman took a deep breath, as if steeling herself for something unpleasant.

“Hello,’ she said, her voice barely above a whisper. I’m Ivy Blair. I’m… I came to apologize on behalf of the Blair family.”

I studied her more carefully. She was probably around my age, with the kind of neat, conservative appearance. Her clothes were nice.

“You really didn’t need to come all the way here,” I said gently. “I already told everyone that I’m not Dakota. There’s nothing to apologize

for.”

“I know, but…” She hesitated, wringing her hands. “The whole family feels terrible about the confusion. Would you… would you like to

take a walk in the garden? It’s beautiful here.”

I glanced back toward the villa, where the sounds of werewolf celebration were growing louder. The last thing I wanted was to go back

inside and potentially run into Brad and Mira together again.

“Sure,” I said. “That sounds nice.”

Ivy’s relief was palpable as she fell into step beside me, though she kept a respectful distance. As we walked along the manicured garden paths, I could feel her nervous energy. She was clearly working up to something, but whatever it was, she was having trouble finding the

words.

The silence stretched between us as we passed flowering bushes and small fountains. Ivy walked slightly behind me, her footsteps hesitant on the stone pathway. I could practically feel her internal debate – whatever she’d come here to say, she was second-guessing

herself with every step.

Finally, I decided to help her out.

‘You said I reminded you of Dakota,” I said, breaking the quiet. “Do I really look that much like her?”

“Very much,’ Ivy said quickly, seeming grateful for the opening. “But also… not really.”

I raised an eyebrow. “That’s not exactly clear.”

“I mean, the resemblance is incredible the hair, the face shape, even some of your expressions. But Dakota was…” She paused, choosing her words carefully. “Dakota was different.”

“Different how?”

Ivy’s voice grew softer, more reverent. “She was incredibly sick. From the time she was little, she spent more time in the medical facilities

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Chapter 127

than at home. The doctors in the human community said she wouldn’t live past sixteen.’

I felt a pang of sympathy for a girl I’d never met. “But she did?”

“The Blair family has some ancestral medical knowledge,” Ivy explained. They managed to keep her alive until she was twenty-one, but it took everything they had. She was so fragile, so… breakable.”

As Ivy spoke, I found myself putting the pieces together. The Blair family’s desperate reaction to seeing me, their conviction that I was their daughter – it all made more sense now. They’d lost someone they’d fought so hard to save.

“You said you’re Ivy Blair,” I said carefully. “What’s your relationship to Dakota?”

“I was her cousin,’ Ivy said, her voice dropping. “When Dakota passed away, I was… officially named as the Blair family’s heir

Ah. There it was.

I understood now why Ivy had really come. As the Blair family’s current heir, my sudden appearance was a massive threat to her position. With my resemblance to Dakota, I could easily win over Mr. and Mrs. Blair. And as an Alpha werewolf’s mate, carrying what would likely be a werewolf child, I had a kind of status that someone like Ivy could never compete with.

In this werewolf-dominated society, humans who could get close to the werewolf elite were incredibly rare. My connection to Brad automatically elevated me far above any ordinary human family’s adopted heir.

So why was Ivy here, talking to me? What was her angle?

“Tell me more about Dakota,” I said, curious to see where this was heading.

Ivy’s eyes lit up, seemingly pleased by my interest.

*She was brilliant,” Ivy continued, her voice warming with what seemed like genuine affection. “The smartest person in the Blair family, probably the smartest person I’ve ever known. But she was so quiet, so reserved. She spent most of her time reading or painting when she

wasn’t in the medical center.”

‘She couldn’t go out much,” Ivy added. “She was allergic to pollen, and her constitution was so weak that even a small cold could be dangerous. The Blair house doesn’t have any flowers because of her allergies. Everything there is… simple. Functional.”

I found myself genuinely moved by the picture Ivy painted. A brilliant girl, trapped by her own body, living in a sterile environment designed around her limitations. In some ways, Dakota and I weren’t so different both of us had been humans struggling to survive in a world that didn’t make it easy.

.

*The whole family revolved around keeping her alive,” Ivy said quietly. “Every decision, every choice, was about what was best for Dakota’s

health.”

“That must have been hard,’ I said. ‘For everyone.”

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Chapter 127

…

“It was. But we all loved her so much. Ivy’s voice caught slightly. “Losing her was… devastating.”

I believed her. Despite whatever game Ivy was playing, her grief for Dakota seemed genuine.

“So,” I said conversationally, “you came here to invite me to visit the Blair family, didn’t you?’

Ivy’s step faltered. “I… well…”

“It’s okay,” I said. “I appreciate that they want to apologize properly. But honestly, visiting the Blair family isn’t necessary. I understand

the confusion, and there are no hard feelings.”

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“But Elle!” Ivy’s voice became urgent, almost desperate. “You can’t just refuse like that! Do you think I’m not important enough to extend

the invitation?”

Her tone had shifted completely, becoming almost accusatory. She was trying to provoke me, to make me feel like I was being snobbish or

dismissive.

I almost smiled.

She was playing both sides, hoping to trigger either guilt or arrogance. If I felt guilty, I might agree to the visit. If I felt superior, I might refuse in a way that made me look bad, giving her ammunition to turn the Blair family against me.

“Ivy,” a male voice called out before I could respond.

We both turned to see Raymond approaching, his expression serious and slightly annoyed.

‘What are you doing here?” he asked, his tone sharp. “You need to go back home. Now.”

Ivy’s face crumpled into a picture of hurt innocence. “I was just trying to—”

‘I know exactly what you were trying to do,” Raymond cut her off. “And it stops now. Go home, Ivy.”

She looked between Raymond and me, clearly calculating whether to push further. Whatever she saw in Raymond’s expression convinced

her to retreat.

‘I’m sorry, Elle,’ she said, her voice small and wounded. “I didn’t mean to cause any trouble.”

Raymond watched her go, then turned to me with an apologetic expression.

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After One Night with the Alpha