After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Elle’s POV

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I sighed, feeling the stares of everyone in the dining area. The sudden silence was deafening-every clink of silverware had stopped, every conversation halted. Dozens of eyes bored into my back. My palms began

to sweat.

“I don’t owe you any explanation, Ms. Stone,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady despite the growing knot in my stomach. The last thing I needed was to throw up again in front of an audience.

“You absolutely do!” she hissed, leaning closer.

“It’s no concern of yours,” I said, trying to end this confrontation before it escalated further. My heart was pounding uncomfortably fast, and I placed a protective hand over my stomach. “Now if you’ll excuse me.”

I tried to step around her again, but Kayla shifted, blocking my path with her body. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her lips pressed into a thin, hostile line.

“Not until you tell me exactly how a nobody from the back office suddenly gets access to the executive level,” Kayla demanded, stepping closer until I could feel her breath on my face. “Everyone knows you’re just some human charity case from the edge district. Did you blackmail someone? Or is the rumor true that you’re sleeping your way up?”

The accusation stung more than I wanted to admit. The whispers had followed me since my sudden promotion, but hearing it stated so boldly, so publicly, made my cheeks burn with humiliation. A small group of human employees had gathered nearby, watching the confrontation with undisguised interest, some even smirking.

How could I possibly explain this situation? What was supposed to say? Sorry, the Alpha walked into the wrong hotel room, slept with the wrong woman, and now m pregnant with his child so we’re stuck together? The absurdity of my circumstances wasn’t something I could-or should-broadcast to the entire company. The truth sounded more far-fetched than any rumor they could concoct.

I attempted to step around her again. My pregnancy homones were making it difficult to maintain my composure. Part of me wanted to burst into tears, while another part wanted to scream in her face.

This time, Kayla completely lost her composure. Her face contorted with rage, red blotches appearing on her neck and cheeks. Before I could react, she raised her hand, palm open, and swung it toward my face.

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Chapter 21

“You little bitch!” she spat.

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Time seemed to slow down. I saw her hand coming toward me, saw the hatred in her eyes. I flinched, squeezing my eyes shut and bracing for the impact. My arms wrapped protectively around my midsection instead of defending my face. There was nothing I could do-any sudden movement might hurt the baby. I

just had to take it.

But the slap never came.

After a few seconds of tense anticipation, I cautiously opened my eyes. Brad stood beside me, his large hand clamped around Kayla’s wrist in mid-air. I hadn’t even heard him approach-he’d moved with the preternatural speed of an Alpha werewolf. His amber eyes blazed with a murderous intensity I’d never seen before, his lips pulled back slightly to reveal the edges of his teeth, not quite fangs but definitely no longer

fully human.

The air around us seemed to crackle with tension. The temperature in the room felt like it had dropped ten

degrees.

“Alpha Rayne!” Kayla gasped, her face draining of all color so quickly I thought she might faint. Her arm trembled in his grip, not from trying to pull away, but from sheer terror.

Brad’s voice was deadly quiet, which somehow made it more frightening than if he’d shouted. “You dare

raise your hand to my mate?”

The entire dining area fell silent. I could feel dozens of eyes on us, the tension so thick it was suffocating. The people in the room had gone completely still, some with heads slightly bowed in instinctive

submission to an Alpha’s rage.

Then Brad turned his furious gaze on me. The full force of those amber eyes made me want to shrink back. “And you. You were just going to stand there and let her hit you? Who does she think she is?”

I opened my mouth, but no words came out. His intensity left me speechless. There was something primal and dangerous radiating from him that made my heart ace-not entirely from fear. No one had ever defended me like this before. My entire life, I’d been the one to duck my head, to avoid conflict, to take

whatever came my way.

In one fluid motion, Brad released Kayla’s wrist with enough force to make her stumble backward. She caught herself against a nearby table, knocking over water glasses that shattered on the floor. No one

moved to help her or clean up the mess.

“You’re fired,” he stated coldly. “Clear out your desk by the end of the day.”

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Chapter 21

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Kayla collapsed to her knees, her eyes wide with horror The puddle from the spilled water soaked into her expensive skirt, but she didn’t seem to notice. “Alpha Rayne, please, I didn’t know-I didn’t understand-J

would never have-”

“That’s precisely the problem,” Brad cut her off, his voice like ice. “Your ignorance doesn’t excuse your actions. You’ve worked for Rayne Group for five years. You should know better than to challenge someone

under Alpha protection.”

He surveyed the silent onlookers, his expression darkening further. The humans simply looked terrified.

With deliberate movements, Brad reached toward me. I flinched slightly, still on edge from the confrontation, but his touch was surprisingly gentle as he pulled aside the collar of my blouse, exposing the healing mark on my neck-the unmistakable sign of an Alpha’s claim. The bite mark was still vivid against my pale skin, the punctures from his canines clearly visible.

“For any human employees who weren’t aware,” he announced, his voice carrying effortlessly across the

room,

“Elle West is my mate and carries my heir. She bears my mark.” His fingers traced the edge of the bite mark, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine. “Anyone who fails to show her proper respect

answers directly to me!”

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10:45 Tue, Dec 30 DAD.

After One Night with the Alpha