All Chapters of Accidental: Alpha's Surrogate Bride: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Ilaria's pov"A misunderstanding?" George laughed, "Is that what we're calling it?"Every head in the room was turned toward me to witness my destruction.I couldn't breathe. My mind had gone completely blank, words failing me when I needed them most. The reporters were shouting questions that blurred into meaningless noise.This was it, the end of everything.Then George raised his hand for silence, his smile widening with triumph. "Margaret, Thomas, let me ask you directly, in front of all these witnesses." He turned to face the terrified couple. "Are you, or are you not, Ilaria's biological parents? And before you answer, remember that perjury is a serious offense in wolf society."The room held its breath.Margaret looked at Thomas and they communicated silently, Margaret straightened her spine and faced the crowd with unexpected dignity."No," she said clearly. "We are not Ilaria's biological parents."Gasps erupted and George's grin stretched wider."We never claimed to be," Mar

Ilaria's povSleep had become a stranger to me.I lay in the darkness of our bedroom, listening to Reed's steady breathing, watching shadows crawl across the ceiling. His arm was draped across my waist. He had no idea that every hour brought me closer to losing him. That a clock I couldn't stop was ticking toward our destruction.My phone glowed softly on the nightstand. A message from an unfamiliar number, but the area code made my heart stutter. My mother's town.Can you talk? It's urgent. Use the secure app.I slipped from beneath Reed's arm, holding my breath until I was certain he hadn't stirred. The bathroom tiles were cold against my bare feet as I settled onto the floor, back pressed against the door.The secure video app connected after several agonizing seconds. Then my mother's face filled the screen,"Ilaria." Her voice broke on my name. "Oh, my sweet girl.""Mom." I kept my voice to a whisper. "How did you know to call now?""I felt it." She pressed a hand to her heart. "

Ilaria's povThe ultrasound image glowed on the screen, our baby, curled like a comma, heart flickering with life."Strong heartbeat," The doctor said, smiling as she moved the wand across my stomach. "Development is right on track. You're doing wonderfully, Luna."I forced myself to smile back, though the word "Luna" felt like sandpaper against my skin. If she knew what I really was, she wouldn't be calling me that. "Any concerns?" she asked, wiping the gel from my belly. "Stress levels? Sleep issues?"I almost laughed. Stress levels. If only she knew."I'm fine," I lied. "Just the usual pregnancy fatigue."She nodded sympathetically and handed me printouts of the ultrasound images. "Take it easy. Rest when you can. That baby needs a calm environment."A calm environment. Another impossibility to add to my growing list.I scheduled my next appointment and made my way through the quiet corridors of the medical facility. Late afternoon light slanted through the windows, casting long s

Reed's povIlaria flinched when her phone buzzed.It was a small flinch, barely noticeable if you weren't watching closely. But I was always watching her, I had been watching her for days now, cataloging every shadow that passed across her face, every lie she told with her tired smile.She glanced at the screen, and her eyes widened a little. "Everything okay?" I asked from across the breakfast table."Fine." She set the phone face-down without answering whoever had messaged her. "Just spam.""I have meetings most of the day," I said. "Elder Morris agreed to a private conversation. If I can bring him to our side before the council vote—""That's good." She said distantly, "I hope it goes well."She stood abruptly, nearly knocking over her water glass. "I need to run some errands. I'll be back this afternoon.""Errands?""Just... things. Personal things." She leaned down and kissed my cheek, "I'll see you later."She was gone before I could respond.I sat alone at the table, staring a

Reed's povDerek was hiding in a rundown motel on the edge of the eastern settlement.My security team had tracked him there within hours of my order, he had been so confident in his leverage over Ilaria that he hadn't bothered to cover his tracks properly."We have the building surrounded," Ronan reported through the comm link as I approached in the lead vehicle. "He's in room twelve on the ground floor.""Any weapons?""Nothing visible. But we should assume he's armed."I stepped out of the car and felt my wolf prowled beneath my skin, eager for confrontation. For weeks, this man had terrorized my mate. "Stay back unless I call for you," I told the team. "I want to handle this personally."Ronan looked like he wanted to argue, but he knew better. Some battles an Alpha had to fight himself.I kicked the motel door down with a kick. Derek scrambled backward from the small table where he'd been eating breakfast, his chair crashing to the floor. His eyes went wide with shock—then narr