Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 100

(Audrey’s POV)

“You’re allowing them here? After everything that’s happened?” I stared at Arthur in disbelief, my wolf bristling beneath my skin at the mere thought of Victoria and Katherine entering the mansion.

Arthur’s jaw tightened, his eyes flashing with unexpected anger. “I didn’t ‘allow’ them anything. They showed up unannounced.”

Daniel shifted uncomfortably beside us, clearly sensing the tension crackling between his Alpha and me.

“Shall I tell them to leave, Alpha?” Daniel asked, his tone carefully neutral.

Before Arthur could respond, I turned away. “I’ll be in my room. I have no desire to see either of them.”

“Audrey-” Arthur began, but I was already walking away, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet of the hallway.

I had barely reached the staircase when Victoria’s voice echoed from above. She was already inside the mansion. Of course she was.

“Oh, Audrey! How nice to see you back where you belong,” Victoria called down, her tone dripping with false sweetness.

I froze, my hand gripping the banister so tightly my knuckles turned white. Victoria descended the stairs with practiced grace, her blonde hair perfectly styled despite the early hour. She wore an expensive-looking dress that hugged her figure, clearly chosen to emphasize her attributes.

“I don’t belong here,” I replied coldly. “I’m leaving as soon as possible.”

Victoria’s smile widened as she reached the bottom of the stairs. “That’s not what Arthur said last night. He told me he’s reconsidering the mate bond severance.”

I sensed Arthur approaching from behind, his Alpha presence filling the entryway. His scent-pine and mountain air-wrapped around me, familiar and unwelcome.

“I said no such thing,” Arthur stated flatly.

Victoria barely acknowledged his denial, her attention fixed on me. “We’ve grown so close while you’ve been away, Audrey. Arthur confides in me now. Things he never told you.”

The implication was clear. She wanted me to believe they were intimately involved. My wolf growled inside me, not from jealousy but from disgust at her transparent manipulation.

I decided to take a calculated risk.

“Speaking of growing close to members of the Moonstone family,” I began casually, “you and Richard seem to have developed quite the… relationship.”

Victoria’s smile faltered, her eyes widening slightly. “What do you mean?”

“Oh, I think you know exactly what I mean,” I continued, deliberately keeping my language ambiguous. “The way you two interact is quite… noticeable. Almost inappropriate for a father and stepdaughter, wouldn’t you say?”

The blood drained from Victoria’s face so quickly I thought she might faint. Her wolf eyes flashed with panic before she regained her composure.

“I don’t know what you’re implying,” she said stiffly. “Richard has been like a father to me since my mother joined the Moonstone Pack.”

I smiled thinly. “Yes, that’s exactly what I meant. Your relationship as step-father and daughter. What else could I possibly be referring to?”

Arthur looked between us, his expression unreadable. “What’s going on here?”

Before either of us could respond, Katherine appeared in the entryway, leaning on a cane that I strongly suspected was purely for show.

“Arthur, darling,” she called, her voice warm with maternal affection that I knew to be entirely fabricated. “How wonderful to see you.”

She embraced him briefly before turning to me, her smile cooling several degrees. “And Audrey. Back in the pack house, I see.”

“Not by choice,” I replied bluntly.

Katherine approached me with measured steps, her cane tapping against the marble floor. For someone who had supposedly just awakened from years in a coma, she moved with remarkable coordination.

“Arthur, you should be careful with this one,” Katherine said, gesturing to me with a delicate wave of her hand. “She’s quite calculating, you know. Always has been.”

“Unlike your daughter,” I retorted, “who is the very picture of innocence and honesty.”

Katherine’s eyes narrowed slightly. “My Victoria has only ever shown loyalty to this pack and to Arthur. Unlike others who abandon their responsibilities at the first sign of trouble.”

I laughed, the sound echoing in the grand entryway. “You’re looking remarkably healthy for someone who just woke from a years-long coma, Katherine. Your muscle tone is excellent. No atrophy at all. Miraculous, really.”

A flicker of something-fear, perhaps-crossed Katherine’s face before she composed herself. “The pack healers are exceptional.”

“They certainly are,” I agreed. “But even they can’t work magic. It’s almost as if you weren’t really in a coma all this time. As if you were just waiting for the right moment to make your grand return.”

Arthur stepped forward, his eyes darting between Katherine and me. “That’s enough, Audrey.”

“Is it?” I challenged. “Because I think we’ve barely scratched the surface here.”

Victoria moved to her mother’s side, placing a supportive hand on her arm. “Mother, don’t let her upset you. Your health is still fragile.”

“You’re enjoying it,” he observed, a hint of satisfaction in his voice.

“I was hungry,” I replied between bites. “That’s all.”

Arthur leaned forward, his arms resting on the table. “I could arrange for meals like this to be delivered to your territory house. If you wanted.”

The offer caught me off guard. I paused, my fork halfway to my mouth. “Why would you do that?”

“Because you need to eat properly,” he stated simply. “Your work at the therapy center often makes you forget meals.”

That he remembered such a detail about me-my tendency to become so absorbed in my research that I skipped eating-sent an unwelcome pang through my chest.

“That won’t be necessary,” I said, setting down my fork. “Besides, next month we’ll be severing our mate bond. You won’t need to concern yourself with my eating habits then.”

A flash of something-pain, perhaps-crossed Arthur’s face before his expression turned impassive again. The moment of vulnerability was so brief I might have imagined it.

“I see,” he replied quietly.

We finished the meal in silence, the initial warmth of the moment completely dissipated. As Mary cleared away the dishes, I steeled myself for whatever accusations Katherine and Victoria had prepared.

“Before we join them,” I said, stopping Arthur as he rose from his seat. “I want to propose a bet.”

His eyebrow arched with interest. “What kind of bet?”

“If Victoria and Katherine are planning what I think they are-some attempt to smear my name with fabricated evidence-then you use your connections to finalize our mate bond severance tomorrow instead of next month.”

Arthur stilled, his wolf eyes searching my face. “You’re that eager to leave me?” he asked, his voice uncharacteristically vulnerable.

I looked at him-truly looked at him. The face I had secretly admired so many times during our Inter-Pack Academy days, the sharp jawline, the intense eyes that could command an entire pack with just a glance. For a moment, I allowed myself to remember how it felt to love him without reservation.

Then I remembered everything else-the betrayals, the coldness, the loss of our pups.

I nodded firmly. “Yes, I am.”