After One Night with the Alpha (Brad and Elle) novel Chapter 73

Chapter 73

Brad’s POV

59%

“Elle, I…” My voice caught in my throat as I looked into her mismatched eyes. The words I’d been holding

back for weeks were suddenly there, pressing against my chest, demanding to be released.

The voice in my head was practically screaming: Tell he, tell her you like her! The intensity of the feeling

caught me off guard. I, Brad Rayne, had never struggled to speak my mind before. Yet here I was, frozen,

my thumb still gently brushing against her cheek where a tear had fallen moments ago.

Elle stared back at me, confusion and something else-something warm-flickering across her face. “Brad?

What is it?” she asked softly, and the sound of my name on her lips made something in my chest tighten.

I swallowed hard. How could I possibly say this out loud? This went against everything the Rayne family

stood for. A pure-blooded Alpha admitting feelings for a human? It was unheard of. Yet the urge to tell her

was overwhelming, like a physical force pushing the words up my throat.

Her face was imprinted in my mind-those uniquely colored eyes, the small freckle near her temple, the

curve of her lips. I couldn’t look away.

“I like…” I finally started, my voice lower than I intended. My heart hammered against my ribs hard.

A sharp knock on the door cut through the moment like a knife.

I jerked back, reality crashing back into the room.

Fuck. Does it has to be now?

Elle blinked rapidly, as if coming out of a trance herself “Who is it?” she called out, her voice slightly

shaky.

“Brad…” Marissa’s sickeningly sweet voice drifted through the door. “I need to talk to you alone. Please give

me a chance?”

I felt my expression harden instantly. That fucking she wolf.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t stop her,” Sophia’s voice followed immediately, sounding genuinely apologetic.

I moved away from Elle quickly, perhaps too quickly, rolling off the sofa in one fluid motion. The sudden

space between us felt cold and awkward.

r

1/4

11:10 Tue, Dec 30 GDA

Chapter 73

59%

Elle seemed to snap out of whatever spell we’d been under. She sat up straighter, smoothing down her clothes, a faint blush creeping up her neck. The sight of it made me want to close the distance between us

again, but I resisted.

“Come in,” I said coldly, my eyes never leaving Elle’s face.

The door opened, and Marissa walked in first, followed losely by Sophia. Marissa’s eyes immediately darted to the rumpled bed where Elle still sat, and her expression darkened dangerously.

2

She narrowed her eyes at Elle. Her hands balled into fists at her sides, her knuckles turning white from the

pressure.

The threat in her eyes was unmistakable, even if she kept her face composed.

Sophia was watching Marissa with obvious distaste, a small smile playing at her lips. I knew that look- Sophia enjoyed seeing Marissa squirm.

“What do you want?” I asked sharply, not bothering to hide my annoyance. “Who let you in?”

Marissa flinched slightly at my tone but quickly recovered. “Brad, please. I need to speak with you. Alone.”

Elle seemed to sense the tension. She stood up from the bed. “I’ll give you some privacy,” she said quietly.

Part of me wanted to tell her to stay, to finish what I’d started to say before we were interrupted. But our moment was broken, and maybe it was for the best. What had I been thinking?

I remained silent as Elle moved toward the door, gently taking Sophia’s arm. The two of them stepped out, Elle carefully closing the door behind them.

As soon as they were gone, I turned to Marissa, my expression cold. “What the fuck do you want? How dare

you show up here?”

“Brad,” she whispered, taking a step toward me. “I’ve missed you so much. We need to talk about us.”

I laughed, the sound harsh even to my own ears. “There is no ‘us,’ Marissa. What part of that don’t you

understand?”

“How much?” I asked abruptly.

“What?” She looked confused.

“How much money do you want? That’s what you’re after, isn’t it?”

2/4

11:10 Tue, Dec 30 GDR

Chapter 73

59%

Her face crumpled, tears immediately welling in her eyes. It was a performance I’d seen many times before. “How can you say that to me?” she cried, reaching for my arm.

I stepped back quickly, disgusted by the thought of her fouching me. After Elle, any other woman’s touch felt wrong-felt like a violation.

Alex knocked and entered immediately, as if sensing my need.

“You need to leave,” I told Marissa, not bothering to soften my tone.

Instead of complying, she lunged forward, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Please, Brad, just listen to

me! I came with Elle. She told me-”

“Get off me,” I growled, prying her hands away. “You expect me to believe anything you say about Elle?”

“Brad, please!” Tears streamed down her face. “I still love you! We were so good together. Remember how you used to stand up to Elizabeth for me?”

I looked at her with contempt. “We were never ‘good together,’ Marissa. I was blind, and you were

opportunistic.”

“I made mistakes,” she admitted, her voice breaking. “I was stupid and scared. I cared too much about you

“You only care about yourself,” I cut her off coldly. “Don’t insult my intelligence.”

I laughed bitterly. “I actually thought you were special once. Turns out you’re just specially shameless.”

I pulled a chair over and sat down, stretching my legs out in front of me. “You kept saying you had something to tell me. If you’ve got nothing new to say, you can get the fuck out.”

“Brad, you can’t treat me like this!” she cried,

“Your time’s up,” I said, pressing a button on the wall panel. “You had your chance to say something meaningful, and you wasted it.”

Alex knocked and entered immediately, his timing perfect as always.

“Mr. Rayne?” he asked, already moving toward Marissa.

“Ms. Hopkins is leaving,” I said flatly.

3/4

<

11:10 Tue, Dec 30 GDA

Chapter 73

Alex grasped Marissa’s arm firmly, ignoring her protests and tears as he guided her toward the door.

‘Brad, please!” she wailed, struggling against Alex’s grip. “You can’t do this! We belong together!”

I watched impassively as Alex escorted her out, her cries fading down the hallway.

59%

When the door closed, silence filled the room again. I leaned back in my chair, staring at the ceiling. “Uhh,

goddamn it!”

Comments

36

|

Write Comments

< SHARE

4/4

11:10 Tue, Dec 30 G

.

After One Night with the Alpha