The Alpha’s Unclaimed Mate Chapter 12
Ava looked up at me. Those green eyes that were exactly like mine. Same shade. Same gold flecks. Same intensity. Then back at Dr. Richards.
“He’s not my daddy,” she said matter-of-factly. But there was something wistful there. Longing. “But I wish he was. He’s much nicer than most grown-ups.”
The innocent comment hit me like a truck.
Dr. Richards made excuses and hurried away.
As I watched Ava play with her reunited stuffed animals, I couldn’t help but wonder…
The way she tilted her head when thinking. Exactly like I did.
The stubborn set of her jaw. The bright curiosity in her eyes. The way she processed information.
Even the way she held her toys. Careful. Protective.
It was all so familiar.
## Laila POV
I stepped out of Ava’s room for one minute. One minute to talk to the nurse about pre-surgery instructions.
Routine stuff. What time to stop giving her water. Which medications to hold. When to expect the surgical team.
Normal. Manageable. Under control.
When I came back, her bed was empty.
Panic hit me like a fist to the chest. Stole my breath. Made my heart race.
“Ava? Ava, where are you?”
My voice cracked. High. Desperate. She was supposed to be resting.
The doctors had been clear. No excitement. No stress. Keep her calm.
“Ava!” I called out. Didn’t care who stared. Didn’t care about making a scene. My daughter was missing.
Hospital staff looked up from their stations. Concerned. Ready to help.
I was about to call security when I saw him. Jason. Walking down the corridor with my daughter in his arms like it was the most natural thing in the world.
Like he belonged there.
Ava was chattering happily. Animated. Completely oblivious to my terror. Her small hands gesturing as she told him some story.
“Mama!” she called out cheerfully when she spotted me. Waving like she was greeting me at the end of a normal day.
Relief flooded through me. So intense it made me dizzy. Left me shaky. Then fury took over. Hot. Overwhelming.
I rushed over and yanked Ava from Jason’s arms. Probably rougher than necessary. But I couldn’t help it.
“What were you thinking?” I snapped. My voice sharper than I meant. Faded with leftover panic. “You can’t just wander off! You’re sick, Ava. You need to rest.”
Ava’s face crumbled. Her bright smile faded into hurt confusion.
I immediately felt guilty. She was six. Just six. But the fear had been too overwhelming.
“I’m sorry, Mama,” she said in a small voice that broke my heart. “My toy was lost. I was with the handsome uncle the whole time.”
“Uncle?” I repeated. Glanced at Jason with suspicion. And something else. Something that made my stomach flutter.
He was watching us. Studying. Those green eyes missing nothing.
“I didn’t mean to cause trouble,” Jason said quietly. That gentle voice I remembered from quiet moments. From when he used to hold me. “She asked for help. I couldn’t ignore her.”
But I was still shaken. Still angry at myself for letting my guard down. For allowing even a moment of inattention when Ava’s health was so precarious.
“She’s my responsibility. Not yours.”
The words came out harsher than I intended. Defensive. Like I was marking territory.
Ava looked between us. Her child’s intuition picking up on the tension. The undercurrents she couldn’t understand but could feel.
“Mama, why are you being mean to Jason? He helped me find Little Bunny.”
She held up both rabbits. Proof of his helpfulness.
“It’s not mean to be cautious around strangers.”
“But he’s nice. He listened to my stories and everything.”
Jason was still studying my face. That intense look. The one he got when he was trying to solve a puzzle.
Then he asked the question I’d been dreading. The one that could destroy everything.
“Where is Ava’s father?”
The words hung in the air between us. Sharp. Dangerous. Like a blade waiting to fall.