After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Elle’s POV

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Sleep on the floor? Hell no!

I marched to the opposite side of the bed and climbed in defiantly. I was pregnant, after all-I absolutely

wasn’t going to inconvenience myself by sleeping on the floor. Besides, it’s not like he could try anything

with me in my condition.

It’s just sharing a bed. We’d done it before, just hours ago.

I pulled the covers over myself, settling in with a huff.

From the corner of my eye, I caught Brad watching me, amusement playing at the corners of his mouth as he reached over to turn off the bedside lamp. The room fell into semi-darkness, moonlight filtering

through the windows casting everything in a silvery glow.

We lay there in silence, and I became acutely aware of his presence. The atmosphere suddenly felt intimate, making me uncomfortable. I turned my back to him, as if not seeing him would somehow make

the situation less awkward.

Brad remained perfectly still, keeping to his side of the bed. His restraint should have been reassuring, but instead, a tiny, traitorous part of me felt… disappointed? Was I really that undesirable that he could lie

next to me without the slightest interest?

I immediately crushed that thought.

What’s wrong with me? I’m pregnant, for God’s sake! And this is Brad-the arrogant Alpha who’d turned my life upside down.

I took a deep breath, trying to clear my mind of his presence. But the harder I tried to ignore him, the more aware I became of every subtle movement, every breath from his side of the bed.

God, this was maddening.

After what felt like hours, I cautiously turned back over only to find Brad lying perfectly still on his back, apparently fast asleep. Well, at least one of us was relaxed.

I closed my eyes, willing sleep to come, and eventually, exhaustion won out over my racing thoughts.

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I didn’t know how long I’d been asleep when awareness slowly returned. I was warm-incredibly warm- and surrounded by a now-familiar scent. My eyes fluttered open to find myself pressed against Brad’s bare chest, his arm wrapped possessively around me.

His chest… his very muscular, very naked chest.

I jerked fully awake, my heart racing.

Oh God…

I carefully looked up to check if Brad was still asleep. Thankfully, his eyes were closed, his breathing deep and even. Moving with painstaking slowness, I inched backward until I was safely back on my side of the

bed. Relief washed over me.

Thank goodness he hadn’t caught me.

Noticing he showed no signs of waking, I carefully slipped out of bed, gathered my clothes, and tiptoed to

the adjoining dressing room.

Once dressed, I heard the shower running in the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Brad emerged from the bathroom, a towel wrapped around his waist as he dried his hair

with another. Droplets of water clung to his shoulders, and I quickly averted my eyes.

I was wondering what he would wear today when he picked the blue shirt I’d picked out for him yesterday

at the Se store.

I stood there awkwardly, unsure what to say or do. The memory of waking up in his arms made it

impossible to meet his eyes.

“You’re meeting Sophia for shopping today, right?” Brad said without looking at me. “I’ll arrange a driver for you. Your usual driver is back in Moonshade Bay, and you’ll need transportation here.”

“Um… okay,” I replied uncertainly.

“Go on then,” he said, adjusting his cuffs.

Brad gave me one last unreadable glance before leaving

I exhaled in relief as he disappeared down the hallway.

After breakfast, I contacted Sophia, who had indeed been waiting for my call. Not wanting to keep her

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waiting, I hurried out with the driver Brad had arranged

Once I met with Sophia, I dismissed the driver. Having someone hovering nearby made me uncomfortable. I could just take a cab back later.

As we walked through a high-end shopping district, I gathered my courage to ask what had been on my mind since yesterday.

“Can I ask you something about Brad and Marissa?” I ventured hesitantly.

Sophia gave me a knowing look. “I was wondering when you’d bring that up.”

“Brad told me his side of the story, but I don’t know what to believe anymore,” I admitted. “He said she

drugged him at a party, and he woke up in her bed…”

“That’s exactly what happened,” Sophia confirmed without hesitation. “Marissa Hopkins has been trying to

claw her way up the social ladder for years. Brad was her golden ticket.”

“So it’s true? About her not being able to have children?

Sophia nodded grimly. “Genetic defect. That makes her desperation to land an Alpha even more obvious. She thought if she could get Brad to claim her as his mate publicly, it wouldn’t matter if she couldn’t give

him heirs.”

“But he didn’t claim her,” I said softly.

“Because she’s not his mate,” Sophia stated firmly. “Brad took responsibility for the situation to protect both their reputations, but he never felt the bond with her.”

I was quiet for a moment, processing this information.

She stopped walking and turned to face me directly. “Look, Brad may be cold and calculating in business, but he doesn’t lie. If he says that’s what happened with Marissa, then that’s what happened. Between you and me? Everyone knows Marissa is a bitch.”

Her frankness surprised me, but it was oddly comforting to have confirmation of Brad’s story from

someone else.

“Let’s go shopping!” I suggested, eager to change the subject. “This is my first time in Silverpeak. I’ll need

your expert guidance.”

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Chapter 46

Sophia grinned, linking her arm with mine. “Now you’re talking. I know all the best places-and don’t worry, I’ll make sure we take plenty of breaks for the little one.”

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We deliberately avoided talking about Brad after that, focusing instead on fashion and current trends. Sophia was clearly in her element, and I found myself mostly listening, unable to contribute much to the

conversation.

True to her word, Sophia was considerate of my condition, suggesting we sit and rest frequently. I appreciated her thoughtfulness, and we quickly developed an easy rapport. In just a couple of hours, we were chatting like old friends.

“Let’s go sit at that café over there,” Sophia suggested, pointing to a casual restaurant across the street.

I was about to agree when something caught my eye. I froze, my heart skipping a beat.

Luna Ada! What was she doing here?

Just then, a car nearby began reversing erratically. Ada was looking down at her phone, completely unaware of the approaching danger.

“Wait here a second!” I thrust my shopping bags into Sophia’s hands and ran toward Ada without thinking.

“Hey, what are you-” Sophia called after me, but I was already rushing toward Luna Ada.

I reached Ada just in time to shove her out of the car’s path, but in doing so, put myself directly in its way. The impact caught me off guard, sending me sprawling to the ground.

A sharp pain shot through my abdomen, and fear gripped me. “Ah!” I cried out, clutching my belly. “The

baby…”

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After One Night with the Alpha