The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 152

Chapter 152

“And Mommy?”

+25 Bonus

“She’s my friend too.”

“Then you’ll have us,” Ava said, “So you won’t be lonely. As friends.”

Now I was the one getting choked up, my emotion rising in my throat, blocking the words.

Before I could find the way to speak again, the door to Ava’s room opened, and Vanessa was there.

She looked at me, and then to her daughter – finally awake, but crying.

“Ava?”

“Hi, Mom…” Ava sniffed.

“Why are you crying?” Before Ava could answer, Vanessa turned to glare at me. “What did you say to her?”

“I didn’t say anything,” I said, holding my hands up.

“Whatever you said, you made her sad.”

“It’s okay, Mommy…”

“It isn’t,” Vanessa said. “You… you were sleeping all this time. I’m sorry, Ava. I should have been here. I should have been the one to greet you when you woke up, not – him.”

She spat the word out like I was some great villain. I supposed that I must have looked that way to Vanessa, who had only just arrived.

“I just… Ava was asking me about the mating ceremony.”

Ext

“I don’t understand why he has to marry that woman!” Ava said quickly. “He doesn’t love her!”

Vanessa’s demeanor shifted somewhat, deflating a little. Her outrage vanished as understanding took its place.

“Oh,” Vanessa said.

“Yeah,” I replied.

“Will you get a healer to check her?” Vanessa asked. “I will try to speak to her.”

I nodded, and walked out of the room, relieved to have a moment to catch my breath. I went in search of a healer, and after finding him, directed him back to Ava’s room.

I moved behind the healer, walking in right behind him as he entered Ava’s room.

“You should have asked me, not him,” Vanessa was telling Ava. “I want you to be able to come to me with this.”

“But he’s the one who’s leaving us,” Ava replied.

“He’s not leaving what he was never a part of,” Vanessa replied.

The healer cleared his throat, and Vanessa froze. After a brief moment, she composed herself, and then came around to face us.

“Ava’s awake,” she said.

The healer moved forward as if we hadn’t eavesdropped on anything. “Welcome back, Ava. Let’s check you over now, how about that??”

“Okay,” Ava said.

1/2

Chople se

+25 Bonus

As her exam began, Vanessa stepped back to give them room. She came to stand beside me near the door.

“I’m sorry,” she said briefly … assumed you had made her cry.”

“It’s fine,” I said. In a way, I had

“I suppose she was just surprised that you pushed the ceremony up so far,” Vanessa said. “We were all a little surprised by that.” “There’s been some pressures,” I said, “I need a true Luna and an heir as soon as possible. For the good of the pack.”

Vanessa worried her bottom lip with her teeth as she turned to look at me. “Jason…”

In this moment, I wanted for all the world to reach out and press my thumb to her lip, to pull it away from those troublesome teeth. After, I wouldn’t mind kissing her.

But that was a terrible thing to want, wasn’t it? I was a man with a fiancé and a date to be mated.

Whatever I was feeling for Vanessa, I needed to put out of my mind.

Clearing my throat, I looked away from the walking temptation in front of me.

For Brittany’s sake, and to try to convince myself of it, I said, “Besides, who could be better for me than Brittany? Some say she is my perfect match.”

Vanessa went quiet.

A sense of awkwardness fell over us. Even though we were standing side by side, I felt a distance erupt between us.

I couldn’t help feeling like I’d lost something. But I didn’t even know what it was.

5

Before I knew it, and far too soon, the day of the mating ceremony had arrived.

+25 Bonus

Chap