Sold to Bastard Alpha after My Divorce! novel Chapter 145

Chapter 145: Chapter 145

Kael’s POV

The night air was cold against my skin.

I didn’t feel it.

All I felt was her.

Aria lay in my arms like she belonged there. Her head tucked against my shoulder. Her breath warm and slow against my neck. Her body completely relaxed for the first time since I’d found her again.

Because she was unconscious.

I walked toward my car. The crowd parted around us. Whispers followed like shadows.

Let them talk.

Let them wonder.

Let them spread rumors about the Alpha carrying his assistant out of the mating ceremony like she was the only woman who mattered.

Because she was.

My driver was already waiting. Door open. Engine running. Ready to go the moment I appeared.

I slid into the backseat. Careful not to jostle her. Careful not to wake her.

The door closed behind us. The world went quiet.

Just me and her.

Alone.

I looked down at her face.

God.

She was beautiful.

Even like this. Drunk and disheveled. Mascara slightly smudged. Hair falling out of its careful updo.

She was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.

I studied her features. Memorized them all over again.

The curve of her cheekbones. The sweep of her lashes. The soft pink of her lips.

Three years.

Three years I’d been without this face. Without these features. Without her.

And now she was here. Right here. In my arms.

She’d changed.

I could see it now. In the small lines around her eyes that hadn’t been there before. In the slight sharpness of her jaw. In the way she carried herself.

She’d grown up.

Matured.

Become even more stunning than the girl I remembered.

The girl I remembered had been beautiful. Sweet. Soft around the edges.

This woman was different.

This woman had been through something. Had survived something. Had come out the other side stronger.

Harder.

More guarded.

But still beautiful.

Always beautiful.

The car started moving. Smooth and silent through the night streets.

I didn’t tell the driver where to go.

I should have.

Should have given him an address. Should have told him to take her home. Should have done the responsible thing.

Instead, I just sat there.

Holding her.

Watching her sleep.

Her breathing was steady. Deep. The kind of sleep that came from absolute exhaustion. Or absolute intoxication.

Probably both.

I leaned closer. Inhaled.

The alcohol hit me immediately.

Strong. Sharp. Overwhelming.

How much had she drunk?

How had she managed to stay conscious for as long as she did?

Without her wolf to process it...

I shook my head.

This stubborn, reckless, infuriating woman.

She could have seriously hurt herself. Could have collapsed somewhere no one would find her. Could have been taken advantage of by any number of wolves.

The thought made my blood boil.

A strand of hair had fallen across her face.

I reached out. Brushed it aside.

My fingers lingered against her cheek. Warm. Soft.

So soft.

She made a sound. A tiny murmur. Shifted slightly in my arms.

I froze.

But she didn’t wake.

Just settled deeper into my chest. Her hand curling against my shirt. Her face turning toward me like she was seeking warmth.

Something cracked in my chest.

*Mark her.*

Fenrir’s voice cut through my thoughts.

I stiffened.

*Do it now,* he urged. *While she’s unconscious. While she can’t fight. One bite. That’s all it takes. She’ll be ours forever.*

The temptation hit me like a wave.

He wasn’t wrong.

One bite. That’s all it would take.

I opened the door. Stepped out. Pulled Aria into my arms.

She was still unconscious. Still limp. Still breathing that steady, alcohol-heavy breath.

I carried her toward the building.

The front door was unlocked. Of course it was. The security in this place was terrible.

I made a mental note to fix that.

I shifted her weight. Freed one hand.

Her purse was hanging from her shoulder. I found the zipper. Opened it.

Keys.

I pulled them out.

The lock was cheap. Easy. One twist and the door swung open.

The apartment was dark. Quiet.

I stepped inside.

And immediately heard it.

Small feet. Running.

A voice. High and sweet.

"Mommy? Mommy, you’re home!"

I froze.

Light flooded the hallway.

And there she was.

A little girl.

Standing at the end of the corridor.

Dark hair. Big eyes. Tiny frame in a unicorn pajama set.

She was rubbing her eyes. Still half-asleep. A smile already forming on her face.

"Mommy, I missed you so much! "

She stopped.

Her eyes focused.

Before I could speak—before I could think—before I could do ANYTHING—

The little girl moved.

She grabbed something from the table beside her. A toy hammer. Plastic. Probably couldn’t hurt a fly.

But she held it like a weapon.

Her tiny hands were shaking.

Her chin was trembling.

But she planted her feet. Raised that ridiculous little hammer. And pointed it directly at my chest.

"It’s YOU!"

Her voice cracked. High and fierce and absolutely terrified.

"You’re the bad person who hit Uncle Cassius! What did you do to my mommy!?"