The Alpha's Unclaimed Mate (Jason and Laila) by Caroline Above Story novel Chapter 88

Laila’s POV

I returned to my office with my things just as Jason was excusing himself. We nearly walked right into each other in the doorway.

“Alpha Jason, I’m sorry. I should have escorted you out before – ”

“It’s fine,” he told me. “I hope you have a good night. I’m very… happy for you.” He couldn’t look me in the eye as he said this, which I thought was strange. Something was clearly bothering him. Could it just be because William was here?

“Are you alright?” I asked.

“I’m fine,” he replied, still not looking at me. “If you will please excuse me. I can see myself out.”

“Yes, right.” I stepped to the side. “I hope we can talk soon. We can reschedule –”

“It’s fine,” he said somewhat gruffly, again cutting me off. “Please don’t let me interfere with your plans.”

With that, he moved past me. Claire cast me a somewhat apologetic look before chasing after him to properly see him from the building. I was glad she was extending this curtesy, as it seemed he truly didn’t want to talk to me. 2

As I walked into my office, William was standing there, smirking smugly like he was quite proud of himself. I still didn’t understand what had just happened. 1

“Did something happen with Jason?” I asked William.

“Claire made a teasing comment that he didn’t like,” he replied.

I had a hard time picturing Claire saying anything offensive, so I asked, “What did she say?”

“She talked about our engagement.”

I glanced back through the door, just in time to see Jason reach the elevators. There was a definitive slump to his shoulders, and his head hung a little. To anyone else, to anyone who didn’t know him, this might have seemed normal. Just a man about his business.

To me, I knew how confidently and proudly Jason carried himself, so I could see that something was wrong. It couldn’t have been because of what William was suggesting. Jason wouldn’t care about my engagement to William so much that it would actually affect him. There had to be something else. But what?

An uncomfortable churning started in the pit of my stomach. I didn’t feel very well with any of this. Even after lason entered the elevator, the thought of his defeated face stayed with me, haunting my thoughts. Whenever I closed my yes, he was there.

“Do you have your coat?” William said, seemingly indifferent to Jason’s unhappiness or my puzzlement over it. Maybe he just didn’t notice. He did seem a bit caught up in his own thoughts, now that I noticed. He was mostly relaxed, but now and then he’d tense up like he was nervous about something. “I don’t want to be late to our reservation.”

“I’m ready,” I told him. “My coat is here.”

I pulled on my coat, and then grabbed my purse from under the desk. With everything locked up and secure, I was ready to leave

the office.

William stayed at my side as we moved toward the elevator.

“Goodnight, Claire,” I said to her as we passed her desk. She was sitting there, logging out of her own computer. She too, didn’t seem as bright and bubbly as usual.

“Goodnight,” she replied.

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