บททั้งหมดของ MATED TO MY BESTIE'S ALPHA DADDY: บทที่ 71 - บทที่ 80

The after-party is in full swing.The venue is packed with people—pack members, dignitaries, fashion industry elites—all mingling and laughing and celebrating Ivy's success. The music is loud, a smooth jazz that fills the space without overwhelming conversation. The lights are dimmed to a warm gold, casting everything in a soft glow.I'm standing near the bar, a glass of whiskey in my hand, my eyes scanning the crowd. I should be socializing. I should be making connections, discussing pack business, doing all the things an Alpha is supposed to do at events like this.But I can't focus.My mind is still on the runway, still on Raylynn, still on the way she looked in that emerald dress.Fuck.She was breathtaking. Absolutely breathtaking. The way the fabric clung to her curves, the way the slit revealed her thigh with every step, the way she walked like she owned the room—I've never seen anything more beautiful in my life.And I had to leave.I had to walk out of that show before I did s

The slap echoes through the room.My head snaps to the side, and I feel the burn spreading across my cheek before I even register what happened. The crowd gasps, a collective intake of breath that ripples through the venue like a wave. The music has stopped. The lights are too bright. Everyone is watching.Ivy is standing in front of me, her chest heaving, her hand still raised. Her dark hair is wild around her face, and her eyes—those eyes that have looked at me with love and laughter for years—are filled with nothing but hate."You lying bitch!"She lunges for me again.Zephyr catches her mid-air, his arms wrapping around her waist, pulling her back. She thrashes against him, her fists pounding against his chest, her screams tearing through the silence."Let me go! Let me go! I'm going to kill her!""Ivy—" Zephyr's voice is strained. "Ivy, stop!""You don't get to tell me what to do!" She twists in his arms, trying to break free. "You don't get to say anything! You've been lying to

The flatline is the loudest sound I've ever heard.It cuts through everything—the beeping, the shouting, the pounding of my own heart. It fills the room, fills my head, fills every space where hope used to live. And all I can do is stand there, frozen, watching them work on her."Charging to two hundred.""Clear!"Ivy's body jerks off the bed. Falls back. Nothing."Again. Charging to three hundred.""Clear!"She doesn't move.Zephyr's hand finds mine. Squeezes so hard I feel my bones grind together. Neither of us breathes. Neither of us speaks. We just watch."Come on, Ivy," one of the nurses mutters. "Come on, sweetheart.""Charging to three sixty. Clear!"Her body arches.And then—A beep.A single, beautiful, impossible beep.The monitor flickers. Finds a rhythm. Holds it."She's back," the doctor breathes. "She's back."I collapse.My legs give out and I hit the floor and I'm crying, sobbing, gasping for air. Zephyr is beside me in an instant, his arms around me, pulling me against

I stand in the hallway, my back against the wall, my hand pressed to my mouth.My mother. Attacked. In prison. Asking for me.The words echo in my head, over and over, like a drumbeat I can't escape. I need to go. I need to see her. But my legs won't move. My body won't cooperate.She's asking for her daughter.I think about the last time I saw her. The ring she gave me. The way she looked at me like she was trying to memorize my face. The words she said—there are things you need to know.What if she doesn't get the chance to tell me?What if I lose her before I even know the truth?I push off the wall. I start walking. I don't know where I'm going—I just know I can't stand still."Raylynn?"Zephyr's voice stops me. I turn. He's standing at the end of the hallway, his face lit up with a smile I haven't seen in days. The smile of a father whose daughter just woke up."Ivy's awake," he says, crossing to me. "She's talking. She's asking for water. The doctors say she's going to be okay."

I'm walking away from Ivy's room when I hear Zephyr's footsteps behind me."Raylynn. Raylynn, wait."I don't stop. I can't stop. If I stop, I'll fall apart. If I stop, I'll scream. If I stop, I'll do something I regret."Raylynn, please."His hand catches my arm. I pull away."Don't." My voice is raw. "Don't touch me."He flinches. I've never seen him flinch before. But I don't care. I can't care."I'm sorry," he says. "I'm so sorry.""For what? For bringing me here? For letting her throw that iPad at me? For not defending me?""I did defend you—""After." I turn to face him. "After she called me a slut. After she threw things at me. You defended me after.""I didn't know what to do.""She's your daughter.""I know.""She hates me.""She doesn't—""She does." My voice breaks. "She hates me. And I don't blame her."He reaches for me again. This time, I let him. I let him pull me into his arms. I let him hold me. But I don't feel anything. I'm numb."I love you," he whispers.The words l