Free Web NovelChapter 149: Chapter 149 Alpha Offers Marriage
Bella’s POV
Their decision hit me like a physical blow, but I refused to crumble. Every fiber of my being rejected what they were proposing.
As the three council members moved toward the elevator, I darted forward and squeezed in beside them before the doors could close.
"This isn’t right," I said, my voice sharper than I intended. "My children know me. They’ve never even met their fathers. You’re talking about traumatizing them."
The trio barely acknowledged my protest. Lady Helena’s expression remained as cold as marble, her aged features set in disapproval.
For someone her age, someone who had surely been a mother herself, her lack of compassion stunned me.
"Perhaps you should have considered the consequences before involving yourself with three alphas," she said with cutting precision. "Running off with heirs to such powerful bloodlines only made things worse. Don’t concern yourself with bonding issues. Alphas have natural instincts for child-rearing. Your children will adjust."
I stared at her, unable to process such callousness.
"Why can’t they stay with me?" The question came out strangled. "Their fathers can visit whenever they want. But I won’t let anyone separate me from my children."
The three exchanged meaningful looks that made my stomach drop.
"You won’t let us?" Lady Helena’s eyebrows arched dangerously. "I’m afraid you lack the authority to make such demands."
The elevator fell silent except for the mechanical hum of gears and cables.
"There’s a contract," I said desperately. "I signed it with you. The terms were clear. My personal life remains mine to control, including decisions about my children."
Lord Morris’s expression flickered with something that might have been uncertainty, perhaps even regret. But the moment passed so quickly I wondered if I’d imagined it.
The elevator chimed as we reached the ground floor. They filed out into the spacious lobby while I trailed behind them like a lost child.
They stopped at an imposing mahogany table. Lord Morris turned to Lord Thomas with practiced efficiency.
"Do you have the contract we executed with the human researcher?" he asked.
The clinical way he referred to me sent ice through my veins. This had been calculated from the beginning. free𝑤ebnovel.com
Lord Thomas rifled through his leather portfolio and extracted several official-looking documents.
"Here," he said, extending them toward Lord Morris. "Please review the relevant sections."
Instead of taking them himself, Lord Morris handed the papers to me. His smile carried an edge that made me wary.
I accepted the contract with trembling fingers and began reading aloud.
"I, human researcher Bella Vance—"
Lord Morris snatched the documents away before I could continue.
"That’s sufficient," he declared smoothly. "You identified yourself as a human researcher, did you not?" He let the question hang in the air before delivering his blow. "This contract was executed with a human. You ceased to be human when you manifested your wolf. The agreement is therefore void. The person named in this document no longer exists."
The blood drained from my face as the implications crashed over me. My knees threatened to buckle, but I forced myself to remain upright.
"Then I’ll fight for custody until my transition is complete," I managed to say.
I looked directly at Lady Helena, hoping that maternal instinct might override bureaucratic coldness.
"We’re not acting out of cruelty," she replied, though her tone suggested otherwise. "We’re protecting those children. What happens if you transition while they’re alone with you?"
Her words echoed the same rhetoric the council had used when they first took my children.
"My husband can help," I said quickly. "He’s wealthy, has security, resources—"
All three of them actually laughed. The sound was harsh and dismissive.
"A human managing the children of powerful alphas?" Lady Helena’s voice dripped with disdain. "He couldn’t control you during a transition, and he’d never risk himself for children that aren’t his."
She spoke as if I were particularly stupid for even suggesting it.
"That’s not true. He would do anything—"
I stopped mid-sentence when I realized they’d already dismissed my words entirely. I needed a different strategy.
"Is there any way for me to keep my children before the transition?" I addressed Lady Helena directly, but she was already gathering her purse and preparing to leave.
My attention shifted to Lord Thomas. He stood tall but slightly stooped, his shoulders carrying what seemed like the weight of many difficult decisions.
"Marriage to one of the alphas would resolve the custody issue," he said quietly. "Alphas command our respect and trust. We believe such a union would provide adequate protection for both you and the children."
His voice held a gentleness that was rare among council members.
"Are you requesting my son’s hand?" Lord Morris interjected, and my jaw clenched so hard it ached.
"But I’m already married," I continued speaking to Lord Thomas, since he was the only one treating me with basic human dignity.
"You would need to marry within our community as well," he explained patiently. "Your human marriage holds no weight here now. Previously, we recognized your union with a Vance because you were human and serving us without compensation. But circumstances have changed." He paused thoughtfully. "You could maintain both marriages simultaneously."
My heart hammered against my ribs as the reality of what he was suggesting sank in.
"Of course, you’d need to convince an alpha to accept you," Lady Helena added with obvious satisfaction at my predicament.
The suggestion was absurd, but I couldn’t reject it outright. They might withdraw even this impossible option.
Before I could formulate a response, a commanding voice rang through the lobby. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
"If those are the terms, then I’ll marry her."
Every head turned toward the alpha who had just arrived and positioned himself beside me.
