After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 13

**The Billionaire Who Claimed My Heart and Who Broke Fate for Me**

**Chapter 13**

**Elle’s POV**

I sat there, my stomach twisting in knots, as Grace and Elizabeth wrapped up their conversation about my future like it was some trivial business deal. The air in the living room felt thick, almost stifling, as if the very walls were closing in on me. Werewolf staff members milled about, their cases of cash sprawled open, reflecting their wealth and power. Grace, with her usual flair for dramatics, nodded vigorously at every word Elizabeth uttered, her enthusiasm unsettling.

Then, Brad’s low chuckle cut through the tension like a knife. “Interesting,” he remarked, his voice deceptively casual yet laced with an undercurrent of steel. “You thought I was a liar when we spoke on the phone.”

A wave of color drained from Grace’s face, leaving her looking ghostly pale as every eye in the room turned to her. The werewolf staff exchanged glances, some barely managing to suppress their amusement. I could almost hear their thoughts: how delightful it was to see the human matriarch squirm.

“I-I was just concerned for Elle’s wellbeing,” Grace stammered, her previously confident demeanor crumbling like a house of cards. “A natural reaction from a protective grandmother.”

“Of course,” Brad replied, his tone dripping with skepticism. It was clear he didn’t buy her story for a second. “Your concern is so touching it brought you from insults to servility in less than an hour.”

Elizabeth, ever the cool-headed one, interjected smoothly, “Well, I believe we’ve covered the essentials.” Her gaze shifted to my mother. “Susan, do you have any thoughts to add? You are Elle’s mother, after all.”

Before Mom could even open her mouth, Grace cut her off with a sharpness that made me flinch. “She doesn’t have any thoughts on the matter! In the human community, I make the decisions! Besides, marrying into a werewolf family? She should be thanking us on her knees!”

My heart sank as I glanced at Mom, who stood in the corner, her silence heavy with unspoken words. Tears glimmered in her eyes, and the faint bruise on her cheek was a painful reminder of the turmoil we were trapped in. No power, no voice—just the suffocating weight of the werewolves’ dominance pressing down on us.

In that moment, I caught Brad’s gaze, his amber eyes narrowing slightly as they met mine.

“Um,” I began, my throat dry and desperate to escape the tension in the room. “Mr. Rayne, this is your first time in the human community, right? Would you like me to show you around a bit?”

A hint of curiosity flickered in Brad’s expression, but before he could respond, Elizabeth nodded approvingly.

“Brad, accompany Elle,” she commanded, her tone leaving no room for disagreement. “Don’t worry about the details here; I’ll handle everything.”

Brad’s jaw tightened for a brief moment, clearly unaccustomed to being ordered around, even by his own grandmother. Yet, he offered a curt nod, the kind that indicated both compliance and irritation.

As we stepped out of the apartment, I noticed several staff members and a Beta werewolf guard falling into step behind us. The hallway suddenly felt claustrophobic, their presence looming over me like a dark cloud.

Once we reached the outside of our building, I hesitated, the guard’s presence making my skin crawl. I could feel the curious eyes of neighbors peeking through their windows, whispering behind closed doors.

“… there’s something I’d like to discuss with you,” I said quietly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Would you mind coming up to my room? It’s more private there.”

Brad frowned, his posture stiffening like a soldier on alert. “Whatever you have to say, you can say it here.”

I glanced pointedly at the staff and the prying eyes of our neighbors. “There are some things I’d prefer to discuss alone. Without an audience.”

He paused, his amber eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that made my heart race. “Not even I have the right to dictate how you use that money.”

A wave of relief washed over me, filling the empty spaces in my heart. This was my chance—my opportunity to help Mom break free from Grace’s suffocating control.

As I processed this information, Brad’s attention drifted to another photo on my shelf—my college graduation picture. In it, Jason had his arm around my shoulders, both of us beaming in our caps and gowns, filled with dreams and aspirations.

Brad reached for it, but I lunged forward instinctively, clutching the frame to my chest. “Please don’t touch that!”

His eyes narrowed, focusing on how protectively I held the photo as if it were a fragile treasure.

“The person in that photo,” he said slowly, his voice suddenly colder, “they’re important to you?”

I thought about Jason—how he had promised to love me forever. The familiar ache of betrayal resurfaced, a wound that had never truly healed.

“They were,” I admitted quietly, meeting his gaze with a mix of defiance and vulnerability. “Once.”

Something flickered in Brad’s eyes—a possessive glimmer that sent a shiver down my spine. He stepped closer, and for a fleeting moment, I thought he might reach for the photo again. Instead, he simply stood there, the air thick with unspoken tension.

The way he looked at me—possessive, intense—made it painfully clear that his mate should not be pining over another man.