The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 46

Chapter 46

Laila’s POV

The morning of the meeting came way too fast.

6 AM found me planted in front of my bathroom mirror. Just staring. Like I could somehow will myself into being someone else -someone braver, maybe. Someone whose hands didn’t shake.

I’d done everything right. Hair styled within an inch of its fe. Makeup that could’ve been featured in a YouTube tutorial. The kind of power suit that made men in boardrooms lean back and actually listen.

Vanessa Harper looked incredible. Confident. Untouchable.

But beneath all that carefully constructed armor? My hands betrayed me as I fumbled with my lipstick.

Claire showed up at the office right on schedule. She’d agreed to play assistant for the day–moral support disguised as professional competency, while I left Jacob behind at the office to catch me up on paperwork.

“You look amazing,” she offered. Her eyes told a different story, though.

“Thanks.” I grabbed my briefcase. “Let’s just… let’s do this.”

Every mile toward Moon Ridge territory stretched out impossibly long. Yet somehow we arrived too soort. Physics didn’t make

sense anymore. Time had become this elastic thing that worked against me.

Then the pack house materialized through the tree line.

God. It looked exactly the same. Still massive. Still imposing. Still capable of stealing the breath right out of my lungs.

“Ms. Harper?” Claire’s hand found my arm. Gentle. Grounding. “We could always bail. Tell them you caught something. Food poisoning, maybe.“.

“No.” I forced myself out of the car before

Vanessa wouldn’t run. Vanessa had never

could reconsider. Spine straight. Chin up. “We’re not backing out now.‘

foot here before. She had absolutely zero reason to be scared.

The main entrance buzzed with morning activity–pack members doing their usual routines. A few shot me curious glances. Most barely registered the stranger in their midst.

Perfect. Exactly what I needed.

Marcus greeted us inside. “Ms. Harper, welcome. Alpha Bradshaw has the confèrence room ready.”

“Appreciate it.”

C

Walking those hallways felt like moving through a recurring nightmare. Same dark wood everywhere. Same photographs decorating every available surface–pack celebrations, formal ceremonies, family groupings spanning decades.

I kept my eyes forward. Refused to scan those old pictures for my own face. That girl didn’t exist anymore.

The conference room held exactly the crowd I’d expected. Pack elders, business associates, testosterone everywhere except for one unfamiliar woman across the table.

Jason rose when I entered.

“Ms. Harper. Thanks for making the trip.”

“Wouldn’t miss it. I’m excited about this partnership.”

Professional. Cool. Absolutely perfect.

Chapte

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