All Chapters of Accidental: Alpha's Surrogate Bride: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

Reed's povThe pain was eating through my shoulder as the silver poisoned my blood, it made it nearly impossible for a wolf to heal properly. Every heartbeat sent fresh agony through my chest, and I could feel my strength draining away with the blood soaking into the marble floor.But none of that mattered because I was watching something impossible happen.Ilaria's eyes had turned completely gold. Her hands, which were pressed against my wound, had sprouted claws and the sound coming from her throat was a deep growl.She was protecting me."Luna," the pack physician breathed somewhere nearby. "Your eyes..."But Ilaria didn't seem to hear. She was staring down at me, and I could see the struggle on her faceHer wolf had finally woken up after years of silence.The sight filled me with joy, despite the pain. "Ilaria," I managed to whisper. My voice sounded weak even to my own ears. "Your wolf... she's beautiful."Her golden eyes found mine and it sparkled."I'm proud of you," I said,

Illaria’s povThe first thing I noticed was the smell. It pierced through the fog in my head, dragging me toward consciousness even though part of me wanted to stay under.My eyes cracked open and I sighed when I realized I was in the hospital. The memory slammed into me and I sat up too fast. My hands gripped the thin hospital blanket as I searched inside myself for that presence, that fierce awakening that had roared to life when I saw Reed fall.She'd been there. For the first time in my life, my wolf had truly surfaced, had made herself known in a way that couldn't be denied or dismissed.But now?Nothing.I closed my eyes, reaching deeper to search for any sign of her. There was something, a faint echo, a whisper of what I'd felt last night. But it was distant, muted, like trying to hear someone calling from the other side of a locked door."No," I whispered, panic rising in my chest. "No, please. You were there. You were real."The door opened, and I jumped, my heart hammering

Reed’s povThe term, “the calm before the storm,” was coined specially for this moment. I stared down at the plain Manila envelope. It had no return address but it was delivered directly to my office at the pack house. It’s been three days since I was hospitalized and this is the first threat I have gotten.Alpha Reed, your choice of mate endangers everything you've built. Remove her, or we will remove you both.I crumpled it in my fist, my wolf snarling out his frustrations. Anonymous cowards trying to dictate who I could have in my life. I tossed it in the trash and didn't mention it to anyone.The second arrived the next morning. Same format but a different message.The pack deserves a true Luna. Your Omega will destroy you.My hand froze halfway to the trash. Omega. They'd called her an Omega.I thought about the banquet, everything had gone according to plan except for me being shot. Did it not work?The third threat arrived that afternoon, and this one was different. It inclu

Reed’s povIlaria's been gone for fourteen hours, and every minute that passes tightened the knot in my chest."Still nothing from the bus station," a guard reported, ending another call. "The train station's a dead end too. No one matching her description bought a ticket.""She has to be somewhere." I stared at the map, at the circles we've drawn marking possible routes, possible destinations. "She's pregnant and on foot. She can't have gotten far.""Unless someone picked her up," Ronan says from his position by the window. He's been quiet for the last hour, "Reed, I need you to look at this."I crossed the room. Ronan turns his laptop so we can see the screen, there were bank records, and transaction logs."I've been following the money trail from Derek's offshore account," Ronan explains, scrolling through the documents. "Tracing back every connection and I found something."He pulls up a specific transaction, highlighted in yellow. "This payment was made three days ago. Fifty tho

Ilaria’s povI stood outside the small cabin for a long moment before knocking, my hand hovering over the wooden door. I had gone through twenty hours of travel, hitching a ride from a trucker, a bus that stopped at every tiny town along the way, and a final walk down a gravel road that seemed to go on forever. Every step taking me farther from Reed, farther from the life I'd almost believed I could have.The door opened before I could knock.My mother stood and her eyes widened with shock. It starts welling up with tears,"Ilaria."The sound of her voice broke something in me. I've been holding myself together through sheer force of will, telling myself I made the right choice, that leaving was necessary. But seeing her undid me completely."Mom." The word came out broken.She pulls me inside, arms wrapping around me as I finally, finally let myself fall apart.I cried in a way I haven't since I was a child. Deep, shaking sobs that tore through my chest and left me gasping for air.