Graceful Roseの小説

Chapter FiveMirabel’s POVBy the time I reached my desk, my hands were already trembling, and no amount of controlled breathing could steady them because my body was reacting faster than my mind could keep up with what had just happened in that elevator. Seeing Maxwell Mackenzie again after everything felt unreal, like my memory had stepped out of my head and taken physical form, solid and unavoidable, standing inches away from me with eyes that saw too much.I sat down and forced myself to focus on the screen in front of me, but the words blurred together no matter how hard I tried, my thoughts looping endlessly back to the way he had said my name, not cold, not angry, but deliberate, as if speaking it had weight.We will need to talk.The sentence echoed in my skull like a warning.I tried to remind myself that this was my job, that I was just another human employee buried deep in a department no Alpha ever bothered with, that one mistake during a festival did not suddenly give him

Chapter FourMirabel’s POVBy the time the bus finally screeched to a stop near the outer district, the sky had darkened into a dull bruised purple, the kind that always settled over this part of Moonshade Bay long before night fully arrived. The streetlights flickered on one by one, casting weak yellow pools of light over cracked pavement and weathered storefronts, and I stepped off the bus with my bag clutched tightly against my chest as if it were the only thing anchoring me to the ground.Every part of my body felt heavy, not just with exhaustion but with the weight of everything I was carrying inside me, grief layered over shock, humiliation tangled with fear, and beneath it all a deep aching sense of loss that refused to loosen its grip. I walked the familiar route toward my mother’s apartment, passing neighbors I had known my entire life, keeping my head down so I would not have to answer questions or return sympathetic smiles that would only break what little composure I had l

Chapter 3Mirabel’s POV“Mrs. West…” I began, forcing my voice to sound steady even though everything inside me was falling apart.“Mirabel.” Her voice sliced through the line, sharp and distant.My stomach sank instantly.“James has been chosen by the Turing family,” she said. “Do you know what that means?” She did not wait for my reply. “A werewolf family has agreed to take him under their protection. This is an extraordinary opportunity.”I leaned heavily against the elevator wall as weakness washed over me.“That’s… great for him,” I said, though my chest ached like it was being crushed. “I’m happy for James.”“Are you?” Her tone was edged with judgment. “Because this is what our family has been working toward all along. You surely did not believe someone from the human community, especially from the outer district, would be a suitable match for my son in the long run.”The elevator doors slid open, but my legs refused to move. A couple waiting to get in shot me an annoyed look as

Chapter 2Mirabel’s POVI stayed curled up against the wall, my body tight and shaking as tears kept sliding down my cheeks. The amber eyed stranger, the werewolf as it turned out, had moved across the room and turned his back to me while making a phone call. It felt intentional, like he was granting me a shred of dignity after taking everything else.“Alex, I need you in my suite immediately,” he said, his voice calm but edged with authority. “Bring a blank check from my personal account. And a bottle of whiskey.” He paused briefly. “I do not care what meeting you are in. This takes priority.”He ended the call and turned to face me. His expression was hard to read, but I could feel those sharp amber eyes assessing me. I should have recognized what they meant right away. Anyone sober would have. The signs were obvious now.“Crying will not undo what happened,” he said evenly. “It is already done.”I scrubbed my face with the back of my hand, anger flaring through the humiliation. “Th

Chapter 1Mirabel’s POVI still cannot believe I am actually going to sleep with my boyfriend tonight.The thought kept looping in my head as I staggered into the hotel room, champagne fizzing warmly through my bloodstream. The Moonshade Bay Full Moon Festival was raging downstairs, music and laughter bleeding through the walls, and I had definitely drunk more than I intended. I needed the courage. Tonight was supposed to matter.The hotel was pure madness. Humans and werewolves crowded the halls together, laughing and brushing shoulders during the single night each year when the strict separation rules were lifted and curfews disappeared. I was lucky to get a room at all.“Room 716, human section,” the exhausted receptionist had said while handing me the key card. Her eyes were glassy with stress, clearly overwhelmed by the festival chaos.The moment I stepped inside, a strange scent filled my lungs. It was spicy and heavy, almost dizzying, and it made my head swim even more. The roo