The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 55

Chapter 55

Brittany’s POV

Something primal twisted in my chest watching that little girl laugh.

I’d been tracking Ava’s movements for the past hour. The more I observed, the more certain I became. Those eyes weren’t just similar to Jason’s–they were identical. Same shade of green. Same gold flecks that caught the light,

The way she tilted her chin when thinking. How she stood with weight on her right foot. Even her laugh had that same cadence -warm and genuine, bubbling up from somewhere deep inside.

Six years I’d spent positioning myself as Luna–in–waiting. Six years of tolerating Jason’s coldness, his obvious wish that I was someone else.

And now this woman appears with a convenient six–year–old who looks suspiciously like my mate?

If Vanessa really was Laila somehow alive… if that child was Jason’s daughter… everything I’d built would crumble. He’d demand custody. Make her legitimate. Claim her publicly as his heir.

Unless I acted first.

Unless I positioned myself as Ava’s mother figure before Jason figured out the truth. If I could insert myself into that role, my position would be unshakeable. Jason couldn’t reject his child’s caretaker.

But first, I needed proof.

My eyes tracked Ava as she played with the other children. The game broke apart naturally. Ava peeled away from the group, heading toward the quieter hallway that led to the restrooms.

Perfect.

I followed at a careful distance. The hallway stretched before us–empty stone walls punctuated by flickering wall sconces.

“Hello there,” I said, injecting sweetness into my voice.

Ava turned. Her eyes went immediately wary.

“Hi.”

“I love your dress. Those butterflies are gorgeous.” I knelt to her level. “What’s your name again, sweetheart?”

“Ava.”

“That’s a beautiful name. I’m Brittany.” I fumbled with my purse. “Oh no. I think I dropped my hair clip. Would you mind helping me look? These heels are killing me.”

She hesitated, glancing back toward the main hall.

“It’ll only take a second,” I coaxed, “And I’ll give you extra chocolate if you help.”

Children were so predictably easy. A little sweetness, a little bribery.

“Okay,” she agreed.

I led her further down the hallway, then “accidentally” dropped the hair clip near her shoes. “There it is! Could you grab that for me?”

She bent down.

I moved fast.

+25 Bonus

While she was distracted, I plucked several dark strands from her collar where they’d caught on the fabric. My hands trembled as I wrapped the strands in tissue from my purse, then sealed them in a small plastic bag.

Dark hair. Jason’s exact strade.

“Here you go,” Ava said, holding out the clip.

“Thank you so much!” I took it, shoving the bag deeper into my purse. “You’re such a helpful girl. Your mother must be very proud.”

“She is.” That bright, innocent smile.

“Run along now. I’m sure your mother is looking for you.”

She nodded and scurried back toward the noise and light.

I stood alone in the hallway, one hand pressed against my purse where the sample waited like a loaded weapon.

This was it. My insurance policy.

I knew a private lab–the discreet kind that ran paternity tests with no questions asked. Results in forty–eight hours. All I needed was Jason’s DNA sample. A few strands from his bathroom comb. Easy enough to collect without suspicion. 2

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If the test came back positive, I’d have leverage. Real power. I could use it to secure my position or hold it over Vanessa’s head. Make her understand her secrets weren’t as buried as she thought.

And if negative? Then I’d know my paranoia was spiraling. That Vanessa was just another woman who’d caught Jason’s

attention.

Either way, I needed the truth.

I smoothed my dress and headed back toward the main hall, the sample secure and a plan forming in my mind.

Laila’s POV

Something was wrong.

That instinct–the one that had kept me alive for six years–suddenly screamed at full volume.

I’d been making polite conversation with a pack elder when I realized I couldn’t see Ava anymore. My eyes swept the room frantically.