The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 65

Chapter 65

Jason’s POV

I hated seeing the closeness between William and Ava, but I bit back my annoyance, knowing it wasn’t just misguided, it was entirely misplaced. Ava wasn’t my daughter, and Vanessa wasn’t Laila. This meant I had no fight to be upset about William moving in on the pair.

As much affection as I felt for the mother and daughter, they were more or less strangers to me. I wasn’t a father. I wasn’t a mate. I was just a professional work colleague of Vanessa’s, trying to close a deal.

Yet, inside of me, my wolf paced back and forth at an angry pace, pushing at the walls of my mind, asking to be set free.

I still didn’t like William. I hated the thought of him with Vanessa and Ava.

No, I scolded myself. I needed to remember that Vanessa and Laila weren’t the same person. Evert if it was difficult, I had to keep them separate in my mind.

I had been wrong to connect them in the first place. To continue to do so would only lead to even more upset and heartache. I had to differentiate them and keep them separate.

“Jason?” William prompted. I’d taken too long to answer after being unsettled by his presence.

I clutched my hand into a fist. “I’m here to apologize,” I said through gritted teeth. “Where is Vanessa?”

“I’m here,” she said, appearing from

one of the side doors. Perhaps she had been in the bathroom, but she was very much present now, walking closer. She came to stand beside William, behind Ava. They looked like a perfect little family.

White hot jealousy flared inside of me like kerosene had just been spilled over an open flame.

“What is this about, Alpha Jason?” Vanessa formally asked. Looking at her, at the family here, I started to deflate again, feeling defeated. The anger seeped out of me like air from a balloon.

“I’ve been acting like a bully,” I said. “It was not the way an Alpha should act, and it was baseless on top of everything else. I realized that now, after today. I received proof that you have nothing to do with Laila. I’ve had it all wrong, and I didn’t think I could live with myself if I didn’t apologize for the way I have been acting.”

Ava looked up at her mother. Vanessa didn’t look back, keeping her eyes on me. She seemed suspicious, considering me, but I supposed I hadn’t done much to warrant trust in her. In time, she would see that my apology was genuine.

Now that I knew she wasn’t Vanessa, it should have been easier to let her go. The truth in that though, remained to be seen. I had a feeling it would be easier to want to let this go than it would be to actually do so. 2

I knew I had to accept this though, and perhaps William’s presence was the best for that.

“I, uh…” This part was difficult to say. “I wish you and William happiness.”

There wasn’t much more to say after that. We all kind of looked at each other for a long, awkward moment. Then I nodded, and turned away.

There was nothing for me here, so I did the only thing I could do.

I walked away.

Laila’s POV

Something stirred in my chest watching Jason leave the room. I couldn’t explain it, but it felt like a heaviness, weighing me down.

I had no reason to feel this way.

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Jason had said that he had proof I wasn’t connected to Laila, but he hadn’t clarified more than that. I had no idea where he had found such proof, but maybe this meant he’d stop trying to dig into my past. Maybe he was going to finally leave me alone and

let me be me.

These were all good things and should have made me happy. They did. Well, at least, I wanted them to.

But in my heart, I felt a kind of regret watching the downward slant to Jason’s shoulders and seeing the defeat in his eyes.

I had wanted him to back off, but I hadn’t wanted to crush his spirit.

Why did it feel like I had done exactly that?

William and I still had plans for dinner but we decided to wait until after Ava fell asleep, not wanting her to feel left out. When she was out, I went with William to his car and he drove us to the restaurant he had said he made reservations to.

I was surprised when we entered. This was the kind of fancy place where couples usually proposed. The lights were dim, with candles lit on every table. The carpeted floor was red with burgundy tablecloths. The waiters wore smart fitted suits with matching burgundy vests.

When we sat and I looked at the menu, I realized there were no prices listed anywhere.

I had some money, but I wasn’t the kind to flaunt it. Plus, I needed most of it for Ava’s medical bills.

William must have noticed my shift in expression. “I’ve got the bill tonight,” he said. “Order anything you want.”

He was closer than I would have expected him to be, having taken the seat beside me instead of the one across the table. I could have sworn that he even inched his chair closer to me when I hadn’t been looking, but I supposed I couldn’t call that out. After all, what did it matter?

We were pretending to be engaged. It was good for William to fully commit to the act.

Only, was there anyone here we needed to convince? Glancing around, I only saw strangers.

After we ordered, William smiled at me. He said, “Sometimes I like to think about the future.”

He must have been talking about the contract. “I’m sure once we reach an agreement with Jason, the contract will be very

lucrative for all involved.”

William’s smile wavered slightly. “I wasn’t talking about the contract.”

That confused me.

Nearby, a couple opened a bottle of champagne with a loud pop. They must have been celebrating an anniversary.

“What were you talking about then?” I asked, trying to stay focused.

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