Five Alphas Kneel for Me (Isabella) novel Chapter 490

Chapter 490

Menu

“I don’t care about my reputation.” Chloe’s lips were pressed into a tight line, her stubbornness radiating off her like a flare of pheromones. My wolf tilted her head, sensing the raw, reckless defiance in the other she–wolf’s spirit.

I watched Miles’s gaze on her reddened eyes, his own expression tightening, as if something had just gripped his chest–his own inner wolf likely clawing at his restraint.

“I care.”

His voice was low, an Alpha–tinged rumble that was unshakably firm.

It was clear he couldn’t bear for her to suffer even a whisper of pack gossip or hurt because of him.

I leaned back against the cold stone wall, every single word reaching my ears with stark clarity.

So, Jaxon’s comments at dinner hadn’t been baseless after all.

There was definitely more than just a sibling connection between them. It was the scent of a forbidden bond, a pull that defied the pack’s rigid hierarchy.

No wonder I’d never heard a whisper about the eldest daughter of the Riley clan being set up for an arranged Blood Bond.

That was where the problem lay, plain as day.

I let out a soft breath, my wolf settling back into the shadows of my mind, not lingering a second longer. My back to the wall, I turned and headed før the private room.

Jaxon was still sitting alone at the table, sprawled out in that annoyingly casual way of his, his scent of unwashed aggression filling the small space.

I met his gaze, and a faint, almost sarcastic smile touched my lips.

He didn’t stand a chance.

Someone like him would never be good enough for Chloe’s wolf.

Jaxon must have read something on my face, because he clicked his tongue, leaned forward, and his voice dropped, laced with a clear, predatory warning.

“I’m warning you, stay out of it.”

I almost laughed, my own Alpha blood simmering.

“You two won’t work.”

My voice was quiet, but the certainty in my words was absolute.

Jaxon’s face darkened instantly. All the playful amusement vanished from his eyes, replaced by a simmering, provoked fury. His pupils dilated, and for a second, I saw the amber flash of his wolf.

He shot to his feet, lunging across the table, his hand reaching for my wrist with claws beginning to unsheathe.

“You’ve got a death wish!”

But before his hand could even make contact with me-

A hand shot out from beside me, quicker and stronger, seizing his wrist and freezing him in place with the strength of a True Alpha.

“Who gave you the nerve?”

A glacial voice resonated just above his head, vibrating with a power that demanded total submission.

‘How dare you lay your filthy hands on my Isabella.”

Jaxon gasped, his wrist throbbing with searing pain under the Alpha grip, forced to release his hold.

He looked up, meeting a pair of terrifyingly dark eyes.

I hadn’t even realized Grayson had arrived. His tall figure loomed in the doorway, blocking out the light, radiating an almost suffocating intensity that

23:05

74.15

Install

< Chapter 490

made the very air in the room heavy. My wolf let out a satisfied purr at the scent of my mate–cedar, rain, and cold iron.

My gaze softened instantly when I saw him.

“What are you doing here?”

Just happened to be in the area for dinner,”

Grayson’s gaze shifted from Jaxon, and when it landed on me, all the coldness had vanished, replaced by a hear that made my skin tingle

A smile tugged at my lips.

He knew perfectly well I had a meeting with Miles here. His “just happened to be,” was way too deliberate. He was tracking my scent, as he always did.

I didn’t call him out. I just played along with his story.

“So, are you done eating? If not, want to join us?”

Yes, Grayson agreed, a little too quickly.

I didn’t spare another glance at Jaxon, whose face had gone pale as he felt the overwhelming dominance of a superior Alpha, and turned to leave the private room.

I waited in the hallway for a moment. Chloe and Miles appeared from the staircase, one after the other, both looking a little uncomfortable, their pheromones tangled and frantic.

I pretended not to notice anything amiss, offering them a cheerful wave.

“Let’s move to a private room upstairs,” I suggested. “Grayson’s here too. We can all eat together.”

The new room was more spacious, and more importantly, with Jaxon gone, the air felt infinitely lighter.

We all settled in, and the waiter began serving the dishes. The silence in the room was palpable, filled with the unspoken telepathic tension between the four of us.

I decided to try and lighten the mood.

I handed Grayson a cup of hot tea, a smile playing on my lips. “We’re all friends here,” I said. “Make yourselves at home, dig in”

For the rest of the meal, Grayson and I slipped into our own easy interaction, our wolves humming in a synchronized rhythm.

The rotating stone serving table spun around, stopping a plate of steamed grouper right in front of me.

Grayson reached for the serving chopsticks, his movements so natural, almost effortless. My gaze was fixed on him as he carefully selected the most succulent piece of fish belly. With a deliberate, almost tender precision, he then meticulously picked out every single tiny bone–a gesture of care that only a mate would perform. It wasn’t until he was completely satisfied that the morsel was perfect and free of any hazards that he gently placed it onto my plate. A warmth spread through me, soft and unexpected, the kind that made my breath catch.

I was used to his thoughtfulness by now. Still, as I ate, I reached for the soup bowl.

Grayson immediately set his chopsticks down. He took the bowl from my hand and served me a steaming bowl of mushroom soup.

‘Careful,” he murmured. “It’s hot.”

His voice had been low, a rumble in his chest that I felt more than heard, but I knew everyone at the table had sensed the deep Blood Bond between us. There were no sweet nothings whispered between them, no overt displays meant for anyone else, just a silent understanding, a closeness etched into their very bones.

They moved like a fated–mate couple who had been together for ages, yet there was still a tantalizing distance between them, a dynamic that I found incredibly alluring.

Chloe, her teacup poised, kept her eyes on them, and I saw the undeniable envy swirling in her depths. Her wolf whimpered, a soft, lonely sound in the back of her mind.

It was clear she yearned for a love that felt so natural and secure, a bond recognized by the moon.

Miles, sitting right beside me, had caught every single flicker of emotion on my face.

74.1%

< Chapter 490

I noticed his gaze darken, a storm of unreadable emotions seeming to churn beneath the surface.

He let out a quiet, almost imperceptible sigh.

Mimicking Grayson, he reached out with his chopsticks and placed some asparagus–Chloe’s favorite–into her bowl

But that was the extent of it.

Menu

The carefulness in his gesture felt entirely different from Grayson’s effortless ease. It was the movement of a wolf who wasn’t sure if he was allowed to touch.

The dinner, with four wolves and four different sets of thoughts, was finally over.

Grayson and I stood up, ready to leave.

Chloe watched Grayson and me stand together, and I saw a flicker in her eyes, as if she’d finally made up her mind to chase what she wanted.

She looked at Miles directly.

“Miles,” she said. “Will you take me back to the pack lands?”

Her tone was calm, steady, and she didn’t meet his gaze, but her scent was thick with longing.

The refusal I sensed Miles was about to utter seemed to catch in his throat.

He looked at her insistent eyes, and I could tell he couldn’t bring himself to say no to his heart’s desire.

…Alright,” he finally said.

Out in the restaurant parking lot, the night air was cool, the moon hanging high and silver above us.

The dim yellow lights cast long shadows on the pavement.

Grayson opened the transporter door for me, his hand instinctively going up to shield the top of the frame, as if protecting my It was a thoughtful gesture, yet it also carried a hint of protective Alpha distance.

I stood silently watching Miles and Chloe from the steps nearby.

The black transporter drove away, quickly vanishing into the night.

My face, however, chilled, as if a winter wind had swept over it, leaving a layer of ice.

My fists clenched tight at my sides, my knuckles stark white, and my claws pricked my palms.

As I watched Grayson, I couldn’t help but think of my older brother.

My older brother, too, had been lost to us, taken in by others, and I had no idea how his wolf was faring in the world.

A

surge of hatred flared in my chest, a roar of fire that made my wolf pace with murderous intent.

I wished I could go kill Gavin and Susan right there and then for what they did to our bloodline.

head.

Grayson must have sensed the change in my pheromones, his eyes darkening as he reached out and placed a heavy, grounding hand on my shoulder.

1

A moment later, one of his pack enforcers emerged from the restaurant, carrying something, and hurried toward Grayson.

It was a white porcelain teacup, sealed in a sterile bag.

The same one Miles had used.

Grayson’s Beta took it.

Grayson’s gaze landed on my tightly clenched fists. “Send it for the Blood–Lineage Ritual, quickly,” he instructed.

Meanwhile, numerous scent and blood samples were already en route to the ritual center, to be cross–referenced with Sunny’s lineage left at the

healers.

Grayson gripped my hand, his palm warm against mine. “Every wrong done to us this lifetime will be avenged. Every score that needs settling will be settled under the Old Laws, down to the last drop of blood.”

23:05

< Chapter 490

As Grayson’s words sank in, the tightly wound tension in my chest finally began to slowly unravel.

I leaned my head slightly against his shoulder and murmured my assent, breathing in his comforting scent.

Let’s go. Time to head home.”

Grayson took my hand and led me back to our territory.

When the door opened, Carson was already there, pacing the floor.

Carson looked at us, a wide smile spreading across his face as we walked in together.

“How did it go today?”

A smile spread across my face. “It’s done. We have the sample.”

Menu

Carson nodded, his gaze steady. They’d been chasing down leads, he’d told me, meticulously tracking down countless individuals, each time finding a way to secure the lineage samples they needed.

But Miles was different. They’d just… stumbled upon him, a chance encounter, and because of that, they hadn’t dug deep enough into his past, hadn’t looked for the truth of who he really was in the wolf world.

“It was only just now that I found out, he’s the foster wolf of the Riley clan from the Crescent Moon Territory.”

Carson’s eyes sharpened, a flicker of understanding passing through them. “So he’s a stray too,” he murmured, the words heavy with unspoken meaning.

I nodded. It made sense. If he wasn’t an orphan of a broken pack, why would he be living with another clan?

I watched as a thrill sparked in Carson’s eyes, a silent declaration of his newfound conviction. The possibility of Miles being Nick’s pup just skyrocketed, I thought, reading his expression.

No wonder the trail went cold before. The Riley family must have erased his scent from the Howlnet, I realized, the pieces clicking into place.

“He lived with the Riley clan for eight years,” Carson stated, his voice tight. “They’re full of secrets, Uncle. We’re going to need your pack scouts for this.”

Grayson’s Howlnet link buzzed, and he politely excused himself.

He stepped into the next room before answering.

I didn’t hear the specifics of Grayson’s call when he stepped out, but my wolf sensed the sudden spike of ice in his aura. I’d later piece together the terrifying words delivered on the other end: “Alpha, Julia went to the facility and took Susan.”

The news must have hit Grayson hard, his eyes instantly shifting to a predatory gold, turning dangerous and cold.