After She's Terminal The Alpha Regrets (Elaine and Lucas) novel Chapter 9

Chapter 9

+5 BONUS

Chapter 9

Light came through the plate glass in a long pale stripe across the bed.

Elaine opened her eyes once, then again. The clock said ten past nine. She had not slept until nine in five years.

Today, no one needed her. It felt good, like a freedom that was well-earned. To be honest, she had worried she would feel lost without someone to take care of. After all, she had been raised to take care of her family and support her Alpha.

All she felt now, away from the Wind Wolf Pack, was a massive weight off her shoulders. She did not have to worry about anyone else unless she wanted to.

Elaine rose from bed, stretching a little. She slipped into a tailored powder blue dress that hugged her waist, and tied her newly cropped hair into a loose bow with a ribbon. She looked polished but relaxed, feminine but strong. She had dressed exactly how she wanted, exactly how she felt.

The hallway outside was quiet as she made her way to the hotel’s rooftop restaurant, heels clicking softly on the marble. She had slept in, indulged herself, and now it was time to treat herself to a fantastic brunch.

She did not see the man coming around the corner until they bumped gently. Elaine’s face went straight into his broad chest.

“Whoa,” said a low, amused voice. “That’s a dangerous corner.”

Elaine stepped back automatically. “My apologies.”

She turned her eyes toward his face and got a better look at the man she’d run into.

He was tall, broad-shouldered, and effortlessly handsome, with a loosened tie and a blazer slung over one shoulder like he had strolled out of a fashion shoot. The confidence rolling off him marked him as an Alpha immediately, and not a minor one. Probably the head of some powerful pack attending the summit.

With his deep black hair, rich chocolate eyes, and muscular figure, he was the kind of man women probably fawned over without shame. Elaine did not recognize him, and judging by the easy appreciation in his expression, he clearly did not recognize her either.

He gave her a slow, appreciative look. “If I’d known the hotel served coffee and beauty in the morning, I’d have woken up earlier.”

Elaine’s lips quirked. “Then you’ve been missing out.”

The man chuckled, falling into step beside her as they entered the restaurant. “Staying here long?”

“I haven’t decided yet,” she replied, voice calm, unbothered by the public setting or who

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Chapter 9

+5 BONUS

might see her. “Why?”

“I’m making conversation so that hopefully you’ll let me keep doing it,” he said with a wink. ” You look wonderful. New dress?”

“Yes.” She decided it was best to be polite in this situation, but she did not want to leave room for too much additional conversation.

“I must admit, I didn’t expect to run into someone like

“Nor I you.”

you here.”

“Then maybe this is my lucky morning.” His smile turned teasing. “I don’t even know your name yet.”

Elaine raised an eyebrow at him.

Before she could respond, she heard a voice she knew too well, one sharpened with condescension and swagger.