PREGNANT FOR THE ALPHA I NEVER MET のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 131 - チャプター 140

MILLIE'S POVI'd never been inside the Council chamber before.The building itself was imposing—stone and timber construction that looked ancient, set deep in pack territory where humans rarely ventured. As Braham led me through heavy wooden doors and down a corridor lined with portraits of past Alpha Kings, I felt completely out of my depth."How many people will be there?" I asked quietly."Forty-three Council members. Maybe another fifty or sixty pack representatives in the gallery." He squeezed my hand. "Don't let the numbers intimidate you. Just speak honestly."The chamber was massive—circular, with tiered seating rising up around a central floor. Every seat was filled. Wolves I'd never seen before stared down at me as we entered. Some curious. Some hostile. Some carefully neutral.I was the only human-looking person in the room.Braham guided me to the center of the floor. Two chairs had been placed there, facing the Council. We sat, and I felt every eye boring into me.An old

MILLIE'S POVLeo woke us up at exactly 6:47 AM on February 2nd, his birthday, by jumping on our bed and shouting at the top of his lungs."I'M FOUR! I'M FOUR YEARS OLD TODAY!"I groaned, pulling a pillow over my head. Braham laughed, catching Leo mid-bounce and pulling him into a hug."Happy birthday, buddy.""You promised dragons!" Leo wiggled free, his energy already at maximum despite the early hour. "And a bounce house! And a cake that looks like a dragon! You promised!""We did promise," I said, sitting up and pulling him into my lap. "And we're keeping that promise. Everything you asked for.""And you're married now! You got married like I asked!" He beamed. "This is the best birthday ever and it just started!"Braham and I exchanged glances over his head. We hadn't told him about the pack meeting, about the traditional ceremony we'd need to complete. To Leo, his birthday wish had come true—his parents were married, and that was all that mattered."Come on," I said, tickling him

BRAHAM'S POVWe intentionally chose to ignore the media or whatever anyone had to say about the celebration of our son’s birthday so we didn’t open our laptops or phones to check anything that’d ruin the mood. People’s opinions about us were nothing close to the least of our problems. Millie sat on the edge of our bed, staring at the marriage contract we'd shown the Council. The document that proved her mother had honored pack traditions even while marrying a human. "I've been thinking," she said quietly. "About my mother's family. The Silverpine Ridge pack in Spain."I sat beside her. "What about them?""I need to decide something." She looked at me. "Do I try to find them first? Go to Spain, introduce myself, try to reconnect with the family my mother left behind? Or do we focus on the mating ceremony first, make me officially recognized as your mate, and deal with Spain later?""What do you want to do?""I don't know." She folded the document carefully. "Part of me wants to meet

MILLIE'S POVThe flight landed in Barcelona just after noon, local time. Leo pressed his face against the airplane window, eyes wide."Mama, we're in Spain! This is where I was born!""That's right, mi cariño." I unbuckled him as the plane taxied to the gate. "Do you remember anything about it?"He scrunched up his face, thinking. "I remember... It was sunny. And you were sad a lot. But you sang to me at night."My throat tightened. He'd only been three when we fled back to the States. I didn't think he'd remember anything."Well," Braham said, ruffling Leo's hair, "this time your mama won't be sad. We're all together."We collected our luggage and picked up the rental car—a large SUV to fit all five of us. Braham drove while I navigated, my hands trembling slightly as I recognized landmarks I'd tried to forget."Where are we staying?" Callie asked from the back seat."A hotel near... near where Leo and I used to live." I glanced at Braham. "I thought maybe before we go to the pack to

MILLIE'S POVThe man standing before me had my mother's eyes—the same gray-green that I saw in the mirror every day. For a moment, I thought this was him. My grandfather. The man my mother had loved and left.But then he spoke again, and I realized my mistake."Soy Mateo, Gran Centinela de Silverpine Ridge." (I am Mateo, Grand Sentinel of Silverpine Ridge.) He inclined his head respectfully. "Tienes la cara de tu madre. Te habría reconocido en cualquier lugar." (You have your mother's face. I would have recognized you anywhere.)"¿La conocías?" (You knew her?) My voice came out barely above a whisper."Todo el mundo conocía a Juana Oslo. Ella era la hija del Beta, amada por la manada. Se suponía que se casaría con el hijo del Alfa, pero..." (Everyone knew Juana Oslo. She was the Beta's daughter, beloved by the pack. She was supposed to marry the Alpha's son, but...) His expression softened. "Nos afligió cuando se fue.” (We grieved when she left.)"Juana?" I blinked. "My mother's name