After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 182

Chapter 182

Elle’s POV

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At Moonshade Bay airport, I stood with my small group of companions, feeling the weight of finality in the air. Harper Blair looked concerned as she checked her watch for the third time.

“Elle, are you sure you don’t want me to come with you” Harper asked, her hand resting gently on my arm.

“I can reschedule the family business meetings.”

I shook my head firmly. “No, Harper. Besides, Sophia and Abigail will be with me.”

Harper’s eyes moved to Sophia Luna, who stood nearby with her usual composed demeanor, and then to Abigail Carter, who was coordinating with two human assistants the Blair family had arranged for our

journey.

“At least take the security detail I arranged,” Harper insisted. “And these assistants know how to handle…

difficult situations.”

I squeezed her hand gratefully. “Thank you. For everything.”

Raymond Carter approached our group, carrying a single travel bag.

“Ladies,” he nodded politely. “My flight to Montreal leaves in an hour, so I should head to my gate.”

“Take care of yourself, Raymond,” I said sincerely.

After Raymond left, Harper pulled me aside one last time. “Elle, remember that you have a family who loves you. The Blairs will always be here for you.”

Her words brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them back. I’d done enough crying.

The three commercial vehicles Harper had arranged were waiting outside the airport. One was filled entirely with clothes and jewelry-gifts from the Blair family that I’d initially protested but Harper had

insisted on.

“Think of it as armor,” she’d said. “Sometimes looking the part gives you the confidence to play it.”

Now, settling into the middle vehicle with Sophia and Abigail, I watched the familiar landscape of

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Chapter 182

Moonshade Bay pass by the windows. Soon, we’d be healing to the community where Susan lived.

“So,” Abigail said, breaking the comfortable silence. “Ell, what made you suddenly want to go back to your adoptive mother’s place?”

I considered her question carefully.

“I’m curious about my background, I guess,” I said finally. “And honestly, I needed to get away from all the Rayne family drama. There’s something about what we discovered in Moonvale Town that’s been bothering

me.”

“Plus,” I added, resting a hand on my still-small belly,” want to travel while I still can. The air away from

the werewolf district tension should be good for me.”

Abigail leaned forward with interest. “I have to admit, I’m more curious about your background now. After

all these years, you’ve never asked about your birth parents?”

My laugh was bitter. “When you’re living on the edge of human society, you don’t have the luxury of asking too many questions. I didn’t want to burden Susan with my curiosity, and honestly, I never had the

resources to investigate.”

Sophia’s expression softened. “That must have been incredibly difficult.”

As our convoy pulled up to Susan’s house, the sound of wailing immediately reached our ears.

“Susan, you heartless woman! This is how you treat your mother-in-law! You’ll be struck by lightning for

this!”

I felt my face burn with embarrassment as I noticed neighbors-both human and werewolf-gathered to watch the spectacle. Grace West sat on the ground in front of Susan’s door, disheveled and dramatic.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered, stepping out of the car

Grace looked up as I approached, and her expression shitted from theatrical grief to calculating anger when she noticed Brad wasn’t with me.

“What are you doing at Susan’s house, Grace?” I asked coldly. She and Dad are divorced now.”

Grace’s eyes narrowed. “It’s because of your mother, that shameless bitch, that we have you, you little bitch!

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Chapter 182

Your mother was disgusting! Absolutely shameless!”

I felt my temper rising, but before I could respond, Grace had grabbed her walking stick and swung it

toward me.

My two human assistants moved with impressive speed, blocking her path.

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“Ma’am,” one of them said firmly, “you might want to think carefully about that. You’re not just threatening the Luna of the Rayne Group-you’re threatening an heir of the Blair family.”

The effect was immediate. The gathered neighbors-especially the werewolves-stepped back with expressions of shock and awe. Murmurs of “Rayne Group” and “Blair family” rippled through the crowd.

Grace’s stick clattered to the ground.

Susan appeared in the doorway, her face pale and drawn. “Elle? What are you doing here?”

My heart ached seeing her distress. I took her hands gently. “I wanted to visit. Maybe we should move somewhere in the werewolf district where you’d be more comfortable.”

Susan shook her head silently, but before we could talk further, Grace had recovered from her shock and

was back to her dramatics.

“What a sin!” she wailed, throwing herself back on the ground. “Ungrateful bitches!”

The neighbors watched with a mixture of disgust and fascination, but no one moved to help Grace. Several werewolf neighbors actually looked contemptuous.

Seeing that her audience wasn’t sympathetic, Grace sat up and began a different tactic-loud, weeping complaints about her hard life.

“What a sin!” she cried, slapping her thighs dramatically. “If I’d known back then, I never should have taken in this burden! I never should have agreed to take her in for that money!”

The words hit me like a physical blow. My eyes fixed on Grace’s face as the implications sank în.

Taken in. For money.

If Grace was paid to take me in, I thought, my hand instinctively moving to my belly, then who was paying?

And why?

The questions multiplied in my mind, but one thing was becoming clear: my journey to uncover the truth

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Chapter 182

was just beginning.

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After One Night with the Alpha