Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 131

(Audrey’s POV)

Mrs. Shadowcrest reached into her designer handbag with manicured fingers, her wolf eyes gleaming with calculation. She pulled out a checkbook bound in expensive leather, the Shadowcrest Pack emblem embossed in gold on its cover.

“Perhaps I’m not being clear enough about the benefits of accepting my offer,” she said smoothly.

She uncapped an elegant fountain pen and placed a blank check on the table between us, sliding it toward me with one perfectly manicured finger.

“Fill in whatever amount you desire,” she said, her voice dripping with false generosity. “Consider it… compensation for your cooperation.”

I stared at the check, not bothering to hide my disgust. “A blank check? Really?”

Mrs. Shadowcrest smiled thinly. “Money is just the beginning.”

She snapped her fingers, and a Beta assistant I hadn’t noticed standing in the corner stepped forward with a sleek tablet. She tapped the screen a few times before turning it to face me.

On display was an impressive catalog of rare healing herbs-northern wolfsbane, silver sage, moon fern-ingredients so rare that most pack healers went their entire lives without seeing them.

“The Shadowcrest Pack has extensive connections with northern territories,” she explained. “Access to healing herbs most wolves can only dream of. All this could be at your disposal.”

I couldn’t help but laugh, the sound sharp and bitter in the tense conference room.

“Is something amusing?” Mrs. Shadowcrest asked, her smile faltering slightly.

“This is just so…” I waved a hand at the check, the tablet, her perfectly composed expression. “Cliché. Like something out of a bad human novel. The wealthy antagonist tries to bribe the poor protagonist to stay away from their territory?”

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. “You find our resources amusing?”

“I find your approach amusing,” I corrected, picking up the blank check. “And insulting.”

With deliberate slowness, I tore the check in half, then quarters, then eighths, letting the pieces flutter onto the polished conference table like snow.

Mrs. Shadowcrest’s face hardened. “You’re making a grave mistake. The Shadowcrest Pack isn’t just wealthy-we’re an ancient bloodline with connections throughout all wolf territories.”

“Threats now? After the bribe didn’t work?” I shook my head. “How predictable.”

“You insolent little-” She caught herself, taking a deep breath to regain her composure. “You clearly don’t understand the influence we wield. One word from us, and you’ll never establish a healing practice anywhere in the northern territories.”

I felt my wolf surging beneath my skin, angry at the threat but also strangely liberated. What did I have to lose? I was already a lone wolf with no pack protection.

“You know what’s truly sad?” I said, rising from my chair to face her directly. “You think everyone can be bought or intimidated. But I’ve already lost everything that matters-my pups, my place in the pack. There’s nothing left for you to take from me.”

I pulled out a blank sheet of paper from my purse and placed it in front of her with exaggerated politeness.

“Consider this my thanks for your visit,” I said with mock sweetness. “Feel free to write anything you like-perhaps a list of all the pack laws your daughter has broken in pursuing my mate? Or maybe just a reminder to teach Emma basic wolf etiquette?”

My wolf, Cora, growled inside my head, bristling at the she-wolf’s blatant disrespect. For once, I didn’t try to suppress her anger.

Mrs. Shadowcrest’s face contorted with rage. “You’ll regret this insolence.”

“Probably,” I agreed with a shrug. “But at least I’ll regret it with my dignity intact.”

Without waiting for her response, I turned my back on her-a deliberate insult between wolves-and walked out of the conference room, my heart hammering but my steps steady.

In the hallway, I nearly collided with Sarah, who was just getting off the elevator.

“There you are!” she exclaimed. “I had to park six blocks away. This place is-” She stopped, noticing my expression. “What happened?”

I quickly filled her in on Mrs. Shadowcrest’s thinly veiled threats and attempted bribery.

Sarah’s face flushed with anger as I spoke, her wolf eyes flashing dangerously. “That pompous, self-important-“

The conference room door opened behind us, and Mrs. Shadowcrest emerged, her composure once again perfectly in place.

“Is this your little friend?” she asked dismissively, looking Sarah up and down with evident disdain. “How charming.”

Sarah stepped forward, her chin raised defiantly. “And you must be the she-wolf who raised her daughter to chase after marked mates. Stellar parenting.”

Mrs. Shadowcrest’s carefully crafted mask slipped, revealing the fury beneath. “How dare you speak to me that way, you packless runt!”

“Packless by choice,” Sarah corrected, her voice rising. “Unlike your daughter, who needs her mommy’s influence to attract any wolf’s attention.”

The elegant she-wolf moved with surprising speed, her hand swinging toward Sarah’s face, wolf claws partially extending. I caught her wrist mid-air, my own wolf strength surging to match hers.

“Don’t,” I warned quietly, my fingers tightening around her wrist.

“I think after dealing with that she-wolf, we deserve some good news,” she whispered back. “Let’s do it.”

I uncovered the phone. “We’ll take it, Jasper. Send over the paperwork, and we’ll sign today.”

After ending the call, Sarah let out a whoop of excitement. “Do you think this is a sign?” she asked, her eyes brightening. “Maybe after dealing with that she-wolf, the Moon Goddess is sending us some good luck.”

I smiled cautiously, my wolf still wary of sudden fortune after years of disappointment. “Maybe. Or maybe just a coincidence.”

“Either way, we have an office!” Sarah grinned, squeezing my hand. “Winter’s Grace Healing is officially happening!”

The next few days passed in a whirlwind of preparations. We signed the lease, ordered basic supplies, and began the process of transferring my healing herbs collection to our new space. For the first time in months, I felt genuinely optimistic about my future.

Then, on the fourth morning, my phone rang before dawn. Daniel Hayes’s name flashed on the screen.

“Daniel?” I answered groggily. “What’s wrong?”

“Audrey,” his normally composed voice was tight with tension. “It’s Arthur. There’s been an… incident.”

I sat up immediately, fully awake. “What kind of incident?”

Daniel hesitated. “He was attacked yesterday. A premeditated ambush by a hostile wolf pack from the eastern territories.”

My heart stuttered in my chest. “How bad is it?”

“Bad,” Daniel admitted. “He’s stable now, but… he’s been unconscious since the attack. His Alpha healing abilities are greatly diminished due to the silver poisoning from a few weeks ago. The wounds are healing very slowly.”

I swung my legs over the side of the bed, already reaching for clothes. “Why are you just telling me this now? If it happened yesterday-“

“He gave specific instructions not to inform you,” Daniel interrupted. “He didn’t want to disrupt your… separation process.”

A lump formed in my throat. Even now, Arthur was trying to maintain the distance I’d requested.

“Then why call me at all?” I asked quietly.

Daniel’s voice dropped lower. “Because after passing out, he kept clinging to that wolf-fur pendant you made for him years ago. Wouldn’t let anyone take it from his hand, even while unconscious. I thought… I thought you should know.”