Delay 196_Mated by contract to the alpha

Reba’s POV

 After Dominic left, I decided to spend a few quiet moments in the clinic’s private garden before heading home. The space was designed For patients seeking tranquility–carefully manicuredwns surrounded by lowering shrubs, with a small stone fountain at the center. I found a bench partially shaded by a maple tree and sat down, closing my eyes to focus on the sensations around me.

 My heightened senses had be both a wonder and a challenge. The sound of water trickling in the fountain, birds chirping overhead, the rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze – each sound crisp and distinct. The scents of various flowers mingled with the earthy smell of recent rain, creating a tapestry of fragrance that would have been overwhelming a month ago but now seemed like a natural extension of the world.

 I ced a hand on my stomach, feeling our son shift and stretch. “You’re going to be strong,” I whispered, smiling to myself. “Just like your father.”

 Then I cought it a scent that didn’t belong in this peaceful garden. Expensive perfume with underlying notes of amber and vani, mixed with the distinctive smell of wolf. My entire body tensed instinctively, muscles colling with a readiness that was foreign to my once–human reflexes.

 Olivia Parker appeared around the corner of the hedge, her tinum blonde hair gleaming in the sunlight, wearing a cream–colored designer dress. Her ice–blue eyes widened slightly when she saw me, then narrowed with calcting disdain.

 “How touching,” she said, her voice dripping with condescension. “The pack’s pet human getting special treatment.”

 –

 a protective instinct that made my I remained seated, refusing to show any reaction, though I could feel something stirring inside me heart beat faster and my fingertips tingle. From the corner of my eye, I saw Emily step forward from where she’d been discreetly keeping watch, her posture shifting to alert.

 I raised my hand slightly, signaling her to stay back. “I can handle this,” I said quietly, my voice steadier than I expected.

 Olivia sountered closer, confidence and malice radiating from her. “You ran straight into Dominic’s arms after finding out about William and me. Clever little human, weren’t you? Didn’t waste any time securing a more powerful protector.”

 The usation should have stung, with Dominic.”

 but instead, I felt a strange calm settle over me. “You don’t know anything about me or my rtionship

 “Don’t 17” 

 17” She moved closer, the scent of her perfume growing stronger, almost cloying. “William told me everything about you – how desperately you clung to him, how painfully human your emotions were.” Her lips curved in a cruel smile. “Does Dominic know what he’s really getting? A woman who spent years loving another man?”

 –

 a deep, primal sensation that began in my chest and spread outward. I felt a rumble building in my Something shifted inside me then throat, a sound that wasn’t quite human. When I looked up at Olivia, her expression faltered for the first time, uncertainty flickering across her face.

 “You don’t know who you’re challenging,” I said, my voice lower than normal, resonating with something that felt ancient and powerful.

 Olivia took an involuntary step backward. “This isn’t possible,” she whispered, her eyes widening as she stared at me. “You’re just a human!”

 I stood slowly, feeling a strange energy coursing through my veins. Emilyter told me my eyes had shed gold in that moment, though I wasn’t aware of it then. All I knew was that something within me had awakened – the Luna responding to a threat.

 12:47 Sat, Sep 27 

 “I was human when I chose to forgive you and William,‘ I sald, each word measured and calm despite the power I could feel building inside me. It wasn’t weakness that stayed my hand–It was choice.”

 Olivia’s face drained of color as she backed away further. “What… what have you done to yourself?”

 I took a step toward her, not with aggression but with a quiet confidence that seemed to make the air around us vibrate. “I’ve epted the gift fate gave me. The real question is what you’ve done with yours.” I tilted my head slightly, studying her. “How is your son, James? Does he know his father died thinking of revenge rather than his child’s future?”

 The mention of her son struck home. Olivia’sposure crackedpletely, her eyes filling with a mixture of fear and grief. “You don’t know anything about my son,” she hissed, but the venom in her voice was undercut by the tremor in her hands.

 “I know children deserve better than to be pawns in their parents‘ games,” I said quietly. “Something I hope you’ll remember.”

 She stared at me for a long moment, her chest rising and falling rapidly. Then, without another word, she turned and hurried away, heels clicking frantically against the stone path.

 nce she was

 Once

 gone, the strange energy ebbed away, leaving me shaky and bewildered by what had just happened.

 her 

 In the backseat of the Sterling family car, I stared at my trembling hands, still shocked by the confrontation in the garden. My body felt strange – simultaneously energized and exhausted, as if I’d tapped into something powerful that had then drained away.

 “I almost attacked her,” I whispered, more to myself than to Emily, who sat across from me. “I could feel something… wild inside me. Like a wolf rising to defend its territory.

 Emily’s expression was unusually open, a mixture of surprise and something that looked remarkably like respect. “What you disyed back there was true Luna presence,‘ she said quietly. “Even I feltpelled to submit when your eyes changed. It was… formidable.”

 I looked up sharply. “My eyes changed?”

 She nodded. “They shed gold – just for a moment. The mark of an Alpha female. Or in your case, a Luna.”

 I stared down at my hands again, watching as my fingernails lengthened slightly into points before returning to normal. The transformation was subtle and swift, leaving me wondering if I’d imagined it.

 “I don’t want to hurt anyone,” I

 – there was so much anger there.”

 id, my voice barely audible. “But Olivia seemed.. unstable. The way she spoke about William, about me

 Emily’s posture straightened, her training as a Delta taking over. “I can arrange surveince. If she approaches you again or poses any threat to pack security, we can intervene immediately.”

 a small boy with her ice–blue eyes and William’s The old Reba might have agreed, might have sought protection from someone who had once caused her pain. But as I thought of Olivia’s face when I mentioned her son, I remembered the photograph I’d seen once smile. A child caught in the crossfire of adult conflicts.

 “No,” I said, surprising myself w

 with the firmness in my voice. “Don’t sp

 spy on her. Instead, assign someone to protect her and James,”

 Emily’s eyes widened. “Protect them? After how she betrayed you?”

 ACD

 I touched my stomach, feeling our son move beneath my fingers, “Because 1 understand now that poweres with responsibility. It’s not a weapon for revenge – it’s a tool for protection, even for those who may not deserve it. I met Emily’s gaze steadily. “Besides, a child should never suffer for their parent’s mistakes.”

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 Mated by Contract to the Alpha

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Delay 196