After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 151

Chapter 151

Elle’s POV

I held the silk pajamas in my hands, feeling the impossibly soft fabric between my fingers. The cream color was perfect, and the cut was clearly designed with pregnancy in mind modest but still beautiful.

My face burned with embarrassment as I realized what Brad was asking.

When I looked up at him, still standing there in his bathrobe with damp hair falling across his forehead, I couldn’t find the words to refuse. My ears felt hot, and knew they must be turning red. The silence stretched between us, heavy with unspoken things.

Brad took my silence as agreement. “Come on,” he said softly, his voice gentler than I’d ever heard it.

I still didn’t speak couldn’t speak – but when he reached for my hand, I didn’t pull away. He led me toward the master bathroom, and I followed like I was in a dream.

The bathroom was massive, all marble and gold fixtures but what caught my attention was how thoughtfully everything had been prepared. The bathtub was already filled with warm water, steam rising gently from the surface. Bath salts had been added the expensive kind that made the water shimmer

slightly. Fresh towels were laid out, fluffy and pristine white.

And there, on the marble counter, was a toothbrush with toothpaste already squeezed onto it in a perfect.

spiral.

That small detail broke something inside me. My eyes filled with tears before I could stop them.

Brad had thought of everything. He’d planned this, anticipated what I might need.

But as I stood there, overwhelmed, reality crashed over me like a cold wave. This couldn’t last. No matter

how sweet this moment was, no matter how much Brad seemed to care, the obstacles between us were

insurmountable.

I thought about Victoria Rayne, Brad’s formidable grandmother who controlled so much of the Rayne family decisions. @

She would never accept a human as her son’s mate, especially not permanently. Because I was human.

And Brad himself he wasn’t just any werewolf. He was the Alpha heir, carrying responsibilities I could barely begin to understand. Everything he did reflected on the pack, on his family’s reputation. How could

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Chapter 151

someone like me, a human from the edges of society, ever fit into that world?

I knew that the moment the family elders decided to intervene, this would all be over. They’d find a way to

separate us, to convince Brad that his duty to the pack was more important than whatever feelings he had

for me. And maybe they’d be right.

I’d thought about leaving before. More than once, I’d considered just disappearing, going somewhere far

away where Brad wouldn’t have to choose between his responsibilities and… whatever this was between us.

It would be easier for him if I just vanished. He could go back to his proper werewolf life, find a suitable

mate from his own world.

But standing here, seeing how much effort he’d put into making me comfortable, I couldn’t say those

words. I couldn’t tell him I wanted to leave.

“The water’s getting cold,” Brad said quietly from behind me.

I nodded and whispered, “Thank you, before slipping into the bathroom and closing the door.

The bath was perfect not too hot, not too cool. The water smelled faintly of lavender, and I found myself actually relaxing for the first time in days. When I finally emerged, feeling clean and refreshed in the silk

pajamas that fit perfectly, I found Brad waiting in the bedroom.

The bed had been turned down, the pillows fluffed, everything ready for sleep. But Brad stood beside it looking uncertain, almost… vulnerable. His amber eyes met mine, and I saw something there that made my

heart clench.

“I promise I won’t do anything,” he said, and his voice cracked slightly. “I just want… I just want to hold

you while you sleep. Please.”

He looked like a lost boy asking for comfort, not the powerful Alpha everyone feared and respected. There was something almost desperate in his expression, like he was afraid I’d refuse and disappear again.

God, what had I done to deserve this? It felt like some cosmic joke – like I owed him something from a past life and couldn’t escape the debt. How was I supposed to say no to that face?

I couldn’t. I just couldn’t.

Without a word, I walked to the bed and slipped under the covers. The sheets were impossibly soft, probably worth more than I used to make in a month. Brad followed, settling carefully beside me like he

was afraid any sudden movement might scare me away.

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Chapter 151

True to his word, he didn’t try anything. He just wrapped his arms around me, pulling me gently against

his chest. Then he buried his face in my hair and took a deep breath.

“This is the smell, he murmured, his voice muffled against my hair. “I missed it so much.”

The tears started again, hot and unwelcome. I tried to blink them back, but my voice still came out thick

when I answered, “Mmm. Sleep now.”

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But then I noticed how tense he still felt, how his breathing wasn’t quite settled. “Have you been sleeping

at all these past few days?”

I felt him shake his head slightly. “Not really.”

My heart clenched. God, I was such a fool. Seeing him torture himself like this hurt me more than anything he could have done to me directly. Why did I care so much? Why did his pain affect me like this?

Before I could stop myself, I shifted and put my arms around him, feeling the solid muscle of his back through his shirt. He went very still for a moment, like he couldn’t believe I was voluntarily touching him.

I breathed in deeply, the way he had with my hair. His scent filled my lungs – something woodsy and warm

and uniquely him.

Even if someone else used the same body wash, I thought, it still wouldn’t smell like Brad. What we want, what we’re really drawn to… it’s just you. Just your scent, your warmth, your presence.

But I kept that thought to myself, holding it close like a secret. Instead, I just held him tighter and whispered again, “Sleep now.”

This time, I felt his breathing finally begin to even out.

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18:52 Wed, Dec 31 DW

After One Night with the Alpha