Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 115

(Audrey’s POV)

I drove toward the Moonstone Pack headquarters. I couldn’t help but wonder about this sudden meeting. Arthur was actually suspicious of Katherine now? After all this time defending her and Victoria? But something felt off. This wasn’t how I’d imagined it happening.

I pulled into the underground parking garage of the imposing glass-and-stone building that served as the Moonstone Pack’s business headquarters. The security guard recognized me immediately. “Luna,” he greeted with a respectful nod.

I didn’t correct him. Soon enough, I wouldn’t be Luna anything.

The elevator doors had barely opened on the top floor when Daniel Hayes appeared, his expression more grave than usual.

“Ms. Winter,” he said formally, guiding me down the hallway. “Thank you for coming on such short notice.”

“Is everything alright?” I asked, noting the unusual tension in the air. Even the Beta employees we passed looked stressed, their wolf presences subdued.

Daniel lowered his voice. “The online scandal has hit us hard. Several smaller packs have pulled out of trading agreements, and our stock in rare healing herbs has dropped by nearly forty percent.”

I felt a twinge of guilt, even though I hadn’t been responsible for the leak. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“Arthur hasn’t slept since it happened,” Daniel continued. “He’s been working around the clock to contain the damage.”

Despite everything, I felt a pang of sympathy. Arthur took his responsibilities as Alpha King seriously. The pack had always come first for him.

“I’m just his former pack healer and soon-to-be ex-mate,” I reminded Daniel, keeping my voice neutral. “I’m not sure what help I can offer with pack business matters.”

Daniel gave me a look that suggested he knew more than he was saying. “I think you underestimate your influence, Ms. Winter.”

Before I could respond, we reached Arthur’s office. Daniel knocked twice and opened the door.

Arthur was in the middle of a tense phone call, his broad shoulders hunched slightly as he stood by the floor-to-ceiling windows. The morning light cast harsh shadows across his face, emphasizing the hard lines of his jaw.

“… unacceptable,” he was saying, his voice dangerously quiet. “The Moonstone Pack has fulfilled its end of every agreement for three generations. If the Silver Ridge Pack wants to reconsider our alliance based on tabloid gossip, they’re welcome to try surviving the winter without our protection.”

There was a pause as he listened to the response.

“We’ll speak again when you’ve reconsidered your position,” Arthur concluded, ending the call abruptly.

He turned toward me, his intense gaze softening almost imperceptibly. “Audrey. Thank you for coming.”

Daniel discreetly withdrew, closing the door behind him.

Now alone with Arthur, I noticed details I’d missed at first glance. The redness in his eyes confirmed Daniel’s words about his lack of sleep. His normally impeccable suit was slightly rumpled, as if he’d been wearing it too long.

My eyes caught something else-a silver coin between his fingers, which he was about to press against his inner wrist. The same wrist where I’d seen those strange silver burn marks.

“You shouldn’t do that,” I said before I could stop myself.

Arthur looked down at the coin, then back at me with surprise. “You noticed.” It wasn’t a question.

“The burn marks on your wrist,” I said quietly. “They’re self-inflicted, aren’t they?”

He slipped the coin into his pocket. “A bad habit from my teenage years. It returned recently.”

I recognized the behavior from my training as a pack healer. Some wolves with depression used silver to self-harm, the pain providing temporary relief from emotional turmoil.

“You’re depressed.”

Arthur’s mouth quirked in a humorless smile. “Always the perceptive healer.” He motioned toward the chairs at his desk. “Please, sit.”

I took a seat, watching him carefully as he settled into his chair. For a moment, he seemed to gather his thoughts.

“I dispatched two Beta guards to your aunt’s room at the medical center,” he said, changing the subject. “They’ll remain until she’s discharged.”

“Thank you,” I said sincerely. “I appreciate your quick response to my request.”

“You sound surprised,” he observed. “As if you expected me to refuse.”

I met his gaze directly. “Can you blame me?”

“No,” he admitted, surprising me again. “I suppose I’ve earned your distrust. It’s oddly refreshing to have someone thank me for doing something decent. Makes me feel like a rogue wolf earning his way back into the pack.”

The self-deprecating comment caught me off guard. This wasn’t the arrogant Alpha I was accustomed to.

“You’re not a rogue wolf,” I said softly. “You’ve just been a… challenging mate.”

That was putting it mildly. Between his suspicion of my every move, his defense of Victoria despite her causing my miscarriage, and his refusal to believe me about Elder William’s death, “challenging” barely scratched the surface.

“That’s generous of you,” he said, his tone uncharacteristically subdued.

He leaned forward, his expression becoming more focused. “I asked you here today because I’ve been reconsidering what you told me about Katherine.”

My wolf perked up at this. “You believe me now?”

I watched in fascination as she boldly stated her intentions. No wonder Nathan had warned Arthur about Emma-she wasn’t just pursuing a business alliance, but clearly had her sights set on Arthur himself.

“My father believes, and I agree wholeheartedly, that I would make an excellent mate for you,” she continued, standing straighter. “The Shadowcrest Pack’s wealth combined with the Moonstone Pack’s influence would create an unparalleled partnership.”

Arthur’s expression remained neutral. “Emma, I appreciate your directness, but I’ve made it clear to your father that I’m not interested in forming another mate bond at this time.”

Emma’s confidence didn’t waver. “Because you’re still technically marked to her?” She gestured dismissively toward me. “Father says pack law permits new mate bonds once severance proceedings have begun, especially for an Alpha of your standing.”

“It’s not about pack law,” Arthur said, “And your father should know better than to discuss such matters without proper introduction and protocol. It shows a concerning lack of traditional pack etiquette.”

The reprimand was gentle but unmistakable. I was surprised to see Arthur so firmly rebuff her advances, especially since an alliance with the wealthy Shadowcrest Pack would benefit the Moonstones.

Emma’s smile didn’t falter, though I could sense her wolf bristling beneath her perfectly composed exterior.

“You’ll change your mind,” she declared with absolute certainty. “I recognize you as my mate, Arthur Moonstone, and I’m not giving up.”

She cast one more hostile glance in my direction before turning on her heel and striding out of the office, closing the door with a bit more force than necessary.

I sat there, slightly stunned by her audacity. I’d always been cautious navigating pack politics, careful not to overstep boundaries. Emma Shadowcrest, by contrast, seemed to acknowledge no boundaries at all.

“She’s… persistent,” I noted dryly.

Arthur sighed, rubbing his temples. “The Shadowcrest Pack is new money. Three generations ago, they were minor wolves with a small territory. Now they have wealth but lack the connections of older bloodlines. Emma’s father is desperate to change that.”

He refocused, his eyes regaining their intensity. “But that’s not why you’re here. You were telling me about your conversation with my grandfather at the hospital.”

I nodded, gathering my thoughts again. “Elder William confided in me that he suspected-“

Arthur’s phone rang, interrupting me once more. He glanced at the screen with a frown before answering.

“Yes?”

I watched as his expression hardened, “When?” he demanded. “Who found her? I’ll be right there.”

He ended the call and stood abruptly, his movements tightly controlled in a way that signaled extreme tension.

“Katherine attempted to poison herself with silver,” he said flatly. “They found her unconscious in her private quarters at the pack mansion.”