The Breaking Point of Mate: Giving Up on My Alpha novel Chapter 31

Third Person’s POV

Melanie went upstairs, and a soft sound came from the bedroom.

The little wolf pup was awake.

Trista still looked a little subdued. She shuffled to the door and poked her head out. “Mommy, I’m hungry.”

She turned to the omega maid, Shannon. “Is she still running a fever?”

Shannon leaned in, checking her scent temperature. She smiled gently. “It broke. Her gland temperature is stable, too.”

Melanie finally relaxed and turned toward the kitchen.

The water boiled, the oats went into the pot, and the spoon scraped against the sides of the pan–the soft, repetitive sound seemed to calm the anxiety in her heart.

She added a pinch of healing herbs to cover the bitter taste that comes after sickness.

Five minutes later, she poked her head out. “Trista, the oatmeal’s ready.”

She carried out the first bowl and looked up, seeing another figure by the doorway–Archer.

He kept his scent tightly controlled. His Alpha pheromones were just a faint layer of clean pine and metal.

“Mommy, why is there only one bowl? Daddy is eating too,” Trista said, looking up.

Melanie paused. Before she could speak, Shannon was already smiling and getting another bowl.

Melanie wasn’t planning on eating.

After moving back to the States, her wolf was still adjusting its rhythm, so she ate little at night. 1

But she habitually made a generous amount–Trista didn’t eat much, and a few spoonfuls each for her and Archer would be just

right.

The bowls were set on the table one by one. She sat down, looking down, and quietly pushed the spoon along the edge of the bowl.

Archer took off his wrist watch. His long fingers elegantly stirred the bowl with the spoon, his mannerisms calm as always, like a sword sheathed–reserved, not showy.

Trista took a bite and closed her eyes in satisfaction. “It’s been so long since I had this. It smells great.”

Shannon said, “Now that you’re back in the States, you can have it whenever you want.”

Melanie’s wrist stopped moving. She didn’t respond.

Archer sat across from her, also silent. The only things in the air were the milky sweetness, the faint scent of lavender laundry detergent, and his very subtle pine scent.

“Mommy, can you sleep with me tonight?” Trista suddenly remembered something and clung to het softly.

She wanted to refuse–her scent gland was still recovering, and the child’s body heat could easily trigger a protective aura during the night.

But Trista’s face was still pale, so she changed her mind. “Okay”

Trista only ate a small bowl, and Archer didn’t eat much either.

Chapter 31

+30 Bonus

When they left the dining area, the pot still held half the oatmeal, slowly steaming under the light.

Trista is very particular about cleanliness and insisted on showering even while sick. Melanie was worried she’d catch a chill, so she just watched from the bathroom doorway.

Steam rose, and Trista’s scent was slightly sweet–the faint sugar smell that follows a broken fever.

She draped the towel nearby, reminding Trista not to touch the gland on the side of her neck.

When Trista was done, Melanie hesitated for two seconds, then went to the master bedroom.

Archer wasn’t there. She assumed he had already ordered her things to be removed.

But when she walked in, almost nothing had changed–her slippers were still on the edge of the second rug by the bed, and her hand cream, face cream, and water cup were all arranged as they used to be, as if she had never left.

She walked into the closet and slid the door open. None of her clothes were missing; even the most tightly folded gray lounge shirt was still pressed at the bottom of the third drawer.

Perhaps, because the mating bond severance had not been formally submitted to the Elders Council, he hadn’t moved her things for fear of upsetting Moira.

She brushed the thought away like dust, grabbed her pajamas and a towel, and went to Trista’s room.

Trista was sitting cross–legged on the bed with her tablet. Seeing the clothes in her hands, she blinked and asked, “Mommy, are you showering in my room?”

“Mhm,” she nodded.

The sound of running water was like gentle rain.

Not long after, Archer walked into Trista’s room.

He glanced toward the bathroom, and Trista spoke first. “Mommy’s in there showering.”

“Oh,” his voice was flat, like a blade still in its sheath.

He then asked, “Did you ask Mommy to shower in here?”

“No, Mommy just brought her clothes over herself.”

He didn’t ask again. He chatted with Trista for a moment, told her to rest early, and then turned and left.

The medicine worked quickly, and sleepiness soon set in. Melanie finished showering and lay down on the bed next to Trista.

Trista snuggled into her arms, burying her small face into her shoulder. “Mommy, you smell so good.”

She heard the unspoken comparison but pretended not to.

Trista fell asleep fast, and she was tired too. Soon, only their even breathing filled the room.

She woke up several times that night. Each time, she tucked the covers back around Trista, made sure she wasn’t cold, and then let her heart rest again.

The sky was just starting to lighten.

She got up, pulled the curtain open just a crack, and saw Archer jogging downstairs.

Alphas typically use an hour to set their bodies‘ rhythm: long, steady breaths and a stable pace.

His scent was rising faintly with the moisture from the lawnI.

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Chapter 31

+30 Bonus

She washed up, changed clothes, and went downstairs to the kitchen. The heat, the oil temperature, the ratio of oats to nuts for breakfast were the order she could fully control.

Soon after she left, Trista woke up.

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