One Night. One Mistake. Ch 14

 

Chapter 14 

Elle’s POV 

The tension between us hung heavy in my small bedroom. Brad’s eyes remained fixed on me, that possessive gleam not fading as he processed 

my words about Jason being important “once.” 

“What do you mean by that?” he finally asked, his deep voice careful and measured. 

I set the graduation photo down, angling it away from him. “1- I don’t know… I think Jason and I are over.” 

“You ‘think’ you’re over?” His eyebrow arched, catching my choice of words with unsettling precision. 

I sighed, sitting on the edge of my bed. “His mother called me after… after that night at the hotel. She told me Jason had been selected by some prominent werewolf family for a special position. Said it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity he couldn’t pass up.” 

Brad’s jaw tightened. “Go on.” 

“She made it very clear that I was no longer in the picture. That I should gracefully step aside because I-* I swallowed hard, the memory still painful, because I couldn’t give him the life he deserved. A human from my community would only hold him back.” 

Brad watched me intently, his amber eyes never leaving my face. “Did Jason himself ever tell you it was over?” 

The question hit me like a punch to the gut. I looked down at my hands. “No,” I admitted quietly. “He sent some texts asking if I was okay, but I never responded. I just… assumed we were done.” 

“So technically, you never officially broke up.” It wasn’t a question but a statement, his tone oddly flat. 

I hadn’t thought about it that way. The realization made my chest tighten. “I guess not.” 

Brad moved closer, forcing me to look up at him. His expression was impossible to read. “Do you still love him?” 

The directness of his question caught me off guard. Did I still love Jason? I searchet my heart, trying to find an honest answer. The memories 

of our two years together flooded back-the laughter, the plans we’d made, the comfort of having someone who knew me. 

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‘I don’t know,” I whispered truthfully. “Maybe. We were together for two years. We had plans. It’s not easy to just… turn those feelings off.” 

Brad’s nostrils flared slightly, and I wondered if he could smell the conflict in me. He turned away, pacing the small confines of my room like a 

caged animal. 

“Tell me about him,” he said suddenly. “This Jason. What does he do?” 

“He works in city administration,” I replied, confused by his interest. In the human resources department of the mixed district council. We met at college. 

Brad nodded slowly. “I wasn’t aware you had a boyfriend when we met. 

The memory of our first encounter hung between us, unspoken but impossible to ignore. 

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1:34 pm P 

Chapter 14. 

Se Lessentially took another man’s woman,’ he continued, tris voice hardening. “Without even knowing it.” 

“It wasn’t like that,” I said quickly, though I wasn’t entirely sure why I was defending him. “I thought Jason was coming to meet me that night. I was… waiting for him. 

Brad’s expression darkened. “That explains why you called me by his name.” 

My cheeks burned with embarrassment. I’d tried so hard to forget that detail. 

“I should apologize,” he said unexpectedly, his voice losing some of its edge. “For that night.” 

I looked up in surprise. This was the last thing I’d expected from the powerful Alpha. 

‘I was tracking a scent, and the hotel had mixed up the room assignments.” He ran a hand through his dark hair, looking almost… 

uncomfortable? “I should have realized immediately that you weren’t… that something wasn’t right.” 

“We were both drunk,” I offered weakly. “And the festival- 

“No matter what,” he interrupted, his eyes locking with mine. “I made a mistake.” 

Oh. The admission hung in the air between us. 

“Why are you telling me this now?” I asked softly. 

“Because this situation is complicated enough without unaddressed guilt. His voice was matter-of-fact. “I’ve taken responsibility for the child, and I’ll honor the mate bond. But what happened that night-I should have had better control.” 

I didn’t know how to respond. Part of me had blamed him entirely for that night, but another part recognized my own role in what happened. I’d left the door unlocked, after all. I’d been waiting, expectant. 

‘Let me know if you change your mind,” he said abruptly. 

“About what?” 

“About all of this.” He gestured vaguely between us. “The arrangement. The mate bond. N your feelings for this Jason are strong enough that 

you want to pursue that instead, tell me now.” 

My heart raced. Was he offering me a way out? After all the talk about mate bonds and family obligations? 

“What about the baby?’ I asked hesitantly. 

“The child is mine,” he said firmly, a hint of a growl in his voice. That’s non-negotiable. But the nature of our relationship… that could be reconsidered if your heart truly lies elsewhere.” 

I stared at him, trying to understand what he was really saying. Was this a test? Or was he genuinely giving me a choice? 

“I need to think,” I finally said, overwhelmed by the implications. 

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1:34 pm P 

Chapter 14 

Bred nodded once, turning toward the door. “Think, then. Bat not for too long. The marking ceremony approaches, and after that, there’s no 

turning back for either of us.” 

As he reached for the doorknob, he paused, his broad shoulders tense. Without looking back at me, he added, “For what it’s worth, I don’t think he deserves your loyalty. A man who lets his mother end his relationship and doesn’t fight for what’s his…” He shook his head slightly. “That’s 

not a man at all.” 

Before I could respond, he was gone, leaving me alone with my thoughts. 

I picked up the graduation photo again, studying Jason’s smiling face. Had I been too hasty in assuming we were over? Should I have fought 

harder for our relationship? 

And what about Brad? The father of my child, my supposed mate, the man who had just offered me a choice I never thought I’d have. 

I placed the photo face-down and lay back on my bed, my hand instinctively moving to my stomach. Whatever I decided, I knew one thing for certain-my choices were no longer just about me. 

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After One Night with the Alpha