The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 167

Laila’s POV

Jason appeared like he had come walking right out of my thoughts. Or like the healer had summoned him simply by asking about him.

“I’m ready to donate now,” Jason said, “And I will continue my donations for as long as Ava needs them.”

The healer nodded critically. “Your assistance has been essential in her recovery. In time, after the surgery, if successful, she should be able to sustain her own wolf. But in the interim, your continued donations are appreciated.”

“Yes,” I said. “Thank you.”

Jason looked from the healer to me. When our eyes met, I felt sparks ignite between us, but I tried to ignore them.

“I’d do anything to save… a child,” Jason said, with a slight hesitation before ‘a like he was going to say something else.

“If you’ll excuse me,” the healer said, and stepped away.

I started to reach my hand out, hoping to stop him, for no other reason than I didn’t want to be alone with Jason right now.

There was too much going on here now. My feelings for Jason were too confusing, and this early hour made wading through it all far too difficult.

I sipped at my coffee.

with I still hadn’t fully processed that Jason had said ‘Vanessa,‘ when he was supposed to be marrying Brittany. But now, Brittany pregnant, all of the feelings that I held, which had been burning inside of me for him almost against my will, all now came coupled with the weight of guilt.

He was going to have a baby with another woman. He should be there with her, not here with me. He needed to help Ava, and we had to work together. But other than that, we shouldn’t even talk to each other. It wasn’t fair to Brittany or her child.

“I suppose congratulations are in order,” I said, trying to take the high road.

At once, his face hardened. I hadn’t realized he had been looking at me so softly before, until it changed.

“Vanessa, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“I really don’t want to hear it.”

“I think you will want to know.”

I turned from him. “I said, I don’t want to,” I snapped.

He was a playboy. He didn’t deserve my affection or my attention. So why did denying him both hurt so much?

Jason’s POV

I didn’t know if Vanessa had heard the false leak that Brittany was pregnant. She could have, from how upset she seemed with me. But this could have also been leftover annoyance from how I said her name instead of Brittany’s at the mating ceremony.

I studied her closely, and not just in an attempt to learn why she was angry with me. She had a lot of reasons. Instead, I was trying to determine, once again, if she could be Laila.

This was a road I had already traveled down. Many similarities of the past that I had witnessed, I had brushed away as coincidences, particularly after receiving that DNA test result from Brittany. But I knew better now than to trust anything Brittany had a hand in.

I’d handle my own research now and draw my own conclusions without anyone else’s interference. At least, without Brittany’s interference. I still believed she was likely the one who had drugged my coffee, even if I couldn’t prove it.

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She couldn’t be trusted.

“Vanessa,” I said, keeping suy voice calm, trying to smooth over any hurt feelings. “I’m sorry that I

“I think it’s best for right now if we just don’t talk to each other,” she said, still not looking at me. “I appreciate what you are doing for Ava, but everything stops there, Come and donate, but don’t talk to me. That would be best for all of us.”

I wanted to argue, but how could I? I had handled everything about this all wrong until this point. She probably didn’t trust me to do any better in the future.

Gods, she was beautiful. Even when she was annoyed with me, her features were soft but her eyes sharp. Her hair curled around her face, framing it perfectly.

I forced myself to look away, knowing she wouldn’t like my staring.

“Can you do that?” she asked, her voice smaller than it had been before.

“Yes,” I replied, slowly realizing that there wasn’t a lot I wouldn’t do for her.

Without another word to me, she turned toward Ava’s door, opened it, and went inside. She left the door open for me to follow through, so I did.

“The healer came and I had to wake up,” Ava said to her mother.

“I’m sorry I wasn’t here,” Vanessa said.

“It’s okay,” Ava said with a small shrug. “I’m used to it.”

Vanessa winced like she had taken a physical blow. Ava didn’t notice, looking at me now. Her eyes went wide and bright. “Alpha Jason! You are here!”

“I am,” I said, approaching. “It’s good to see you, Ava.”

She smiled wide, all teeth. “I like it when you come to see me. Are you going to heal my wolf again?”

“I’m going to try,” I said. My heart ached, and my wolf preened, pleased that she was so happy to see us. Did she look forward to our visits?

I searched her face, trying to see myself in her features. There were similarities: eyes, hair, the shape of her nose. They could have been coincidences, but… Gods, I wanted to believe.

Ava was such a good kid. I would give anything for her to actually be my daughter. And if Vanessa…

I glanced over at her, but she immediately looked away. With a soft blush on her cheeks though, it had been clear that she had been watching us. Watching me.

She did look like Laila in many ways, but not all. Even if Ava was my daughter, that didn’t mean that Vanessa was Laila. She could have adopted her once Laila passed away…

A pain shot through my heart at the thought. Even after all this time, it was still difficult for me to accept that Laila was dead.

“Maybe we should just get started,” I said.

“Okay!” Ava said and positioned herself back against the pillows. She closed her eyes.

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