All Chapters of The Alphas Second Chance Mate : Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

Elaris’s POVThe corridor fills with healers rushing towards Maevra’s chamber, armed with medicine cases, jars, essence stones and bundles of herbs within moments of the healer’s words.Several council escorts follow more slowly, clearly not expecting what they witness as they arrive.I find myself walking towards the doorway.Averic stops me with one hand on my shoulder.‘Stay here.’There is no anger in his tone, but there is no room for argument in his expression either.He steps directly in front of the chamber entrance, blocking the view of Lord Sennik.The councilman arrives with two of his guards.‘I was summoned because the private wing is in disorder.’‘You were summoned because my mother is ill.’‘Then I need to see what happened.’‘You can see the healers.’Sennik looks past him.‘I said I need to see the patient.’Averic remained firm in the doorway.‘She is being treated.’‘And the council has jurisdiction when there is evidence of a deliberate poisoning inside the Alpha’

Elaris’s POVThey escort me back to the Maevra’s chamber with four of the warriors surrounding me.Averic walks to my side, close enough that I can hear his rhythm matching his steps but too far away as to speak, for we do not have the luxury of the privacy one might wish to exchange with the person closest to them.Two council observers trail behind us, their robes brushing along the stone floor as they record every fact they can from our process.The wing is no longer a private realm.Warriors watch every turn, healers passing from side to side with trays of medicine and containers of fluids and the doors had become the outer sanctum rather than the inner domain belonging to one family.One council observer stops Averic and asks if they believe Maevra is stable enough for visitors.The senior healer responds without addressing Averic’s request.“She woke herself up. That is all we know.”I cast a glance at Averic.He watches the chamber ahead.The last time we visited the place, Mae

Elaris's POVThe council observer stays in the room for the duration of the visit.He sits near the writing table, taking notes on the beginning and end of every conversation as if the number of breaths between Averic's sentences could be used against us.Averic stands near the door.He doesn't request permission to sit.He doesn't have to.I understand that this is a council matter more than a personal one."The attendant regained consciousness late this afternoon," Averic says.The words pull me forward."Is she awake now?""Yes.""Can she speak?""Somewhat."Averic hesitates before replying, choosing each word with deliberate care."She is weak. Her memory is inconsistent. The healers are keeping her under observation.""Does she know where she is?""She knows she survived."The answer hits me harder than I expect.I turn to the observer.He is writing."What does she remember?"Averic hesitates."I can't discuss the investigation in detail."Of course.Even now the council finds w

Elaris's POVThe four council guards escorted me on my way back from the meeting, not giving me a second glance.I made sure to keep my mask on.I did not tell them what the night healer had whispered in my ear before they took me.She had said the second mate died first.Her comment followed me through the entire procession.I held no particular belief that the healer meant me.There remained no reason for such a thing.Yet.My body knew something was wrong.I kept my right hand near my stomach while I walked.The child remained.Alive.A quick pulse against the touch of my palm.That was enough reason for me to be careful.When the door to the guest chamber slid open and the lock chimed shut behind me, I did not look back over my shoulder.The order still held.So did the warning.The guest chamber seemed smaller than it had been that morning.It could have been I was seeing it differently.Or that I had simply changed.Before the hearing, being confined here had seemed like an irri

Elaris's POVI reread the underlined sentencethenagain.They said things objectively, but the information had potential to alter the life of the woman whose life it had been about to affect.No secondary bond resonance consistent with Alpha parentage at this stage.I had heard healers use words to describe essence signatures. When a pregnancy had been formed by a woman bonded to an Alpha, the child did not grow within the isolation of the mother's wolf. Part of the Alpha's essence should have manifested inside the womb as the woman's body made adjustments to accommodate the growing life.Not bondnot brandingbut resonancesecondary to the father, child--Her record did not show it.I glanced sidelong at the document."So they expected to find it."Averic nodded."At this stage, yes.""And they didn't.""They didn't find the expected resonance."He paused, there was a nuance to his response.The finding was not proof that Virelle was lyingor proof her child was not Averic's,but it