The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 21

Laila's POV

"Which pack did you belong to before, Vanessa?"

The words hit like a freight train. My lungs forgot how to work. Jason's eyes—sharp, green, unrelenting—locked on me like he was hunting prey that had nowhere left to run.

My mouth went dry. Every answer felt like walking into quicksand with weights tied to my ankles.

"I don't have anything to say about that," I managed, steady voice wrapped around shaky bones.

His brows lifted, just a fraction. In this world, dodging wasn't neutral—it meant you were either hiding something ugly or guarding something explosive. Either way, not good.

"Interesting response," he murmured, tilting his head. "Most people are proud of their pack heritage."

Think, Laila. Think.

"Most people aren't neutral liaisons," I shot back. "Pack ties make business messy."

It was clean. Logical. Believable enough. But I could see it—the way he tucked that piece away, adding it to whatever puzzle he'd been building out of me.

Before he could push further, the door opened.

Marcus stepped inside, his usually calm expression tight with urgency. His voice was low, controlled, but I caught the strain in it. "Alpha. We need to go. Your father's taken a bad turn."

Jason was on his feet instantly. The deal, the questions, me—they all vanished under the weight of something rawer. Fear. Love.

"How bad?"

"Bad enough the doctors moved the surgery up to tomorrow morning."

Jason's face went pale. Despite everything between us—the lies, the distance, the years—I felt the familiar tug in my chest. Old loyalty. Old love. Old grief.

Jason's parents had once been my family too. They'd given me a home when they didn't have to. The idea of his father on an operating table, fighting for his life, made my chest ache.

"Is it his heart?" The question slipped out before I could stop it. "What kind of procedure are they planning?"

And then he was gone, swept out of the room with Marcus at his side, Brittany tailing behind them.

I gathered my papers with hands that wouldn't quite stop trembling. Ava. I needed to get back to Ava. Her presence, her fragile heartbeat, was the anchor that kept me steady when the past tried to drag me under.

I'd just stepped out of my office when I ran into none other than Brittany waiting for me.

***

Brittany's POV

Finally, now was my chance to confront the woman who'd been occupying far too much of my fiancé's attention lately.

For six years, I'd been patient. Ever since Laila vanished, Jason had been different. Distant. Cold.

He refused to set a wedding date, refused to complete our bond, refused to give me the Luna position that was mine by right. Last year, he'd even suggested that I should reject him if I was unhappy. As if he wanted an out.