Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 144

(Audrey’s POV)

I stood outside the Pack Council Office, watching wolves come and go through the gleaming glass doors. The building itself was imposing-all polished stone and authoritative presence, just like the pack laws it represented. A light snow was still falling, dusting my shoulders as I waited.

Some couples emerged with beaming faces and intertwined fingers, clearly having scheduled their mate marking ceremonies. Others walked out separately, shoulders hunched, eyes downcast, the severance of their mate bonds evident in their careful distance from one another.

I had sent Sarah ahead to our new healing practice office. This was something I needed to face alone. After all, I had started this journey by myself years ago when I first met Arthur Moonstone. It was fitting that I should end it alone too.

A sleek black Maybach pulled up to the curb, immediately drawing attention from passing wolves. Arthur stepped out first, his tall frame impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that emphasized his Alpha status. His cold eyes scanned the area until they found me.

Emma Shadowcrest emerged from the other side, clinging to his arm possessively. Her triumphant smile felt like salt in a wound that shouldn’t hurt anymore.

“Let’s go in,” Arthur said as he approached, his voice casual, as if we were meeting for an everyday hunt rather than severing our mate bond.

I nodded, saying nothing. There was nothing left to say.

As Emma tried to follow us through the doors, Arthur stopped her with a raised hand. His lips curved into that chilling smile I knew so well-the one that never reached his eyes.

“What, afraid I’ll give you a fake severance certificate?” he asked her, his tone mocking.

Emma pouted playfully, batting her eyelashes. “How could you think that of me? Even if you did, it’s only because I’m so eager to form a mate bond with you!”

She retreated to the car with a satisfied smile, confident in her victory. I felt nothing watching their interaction. My heart was remarkably empty.

Inside, the severance process was surprisingly smooth. The pack administrator merely verified our identities, confirmed our mutual consent, and processed the paperwork with clinical efficiency. No questions about why, no attempts to reconcile us. Just bureaucratic precision.

When he handed over the two fresh mate bond severance certificates, I felt a profound sense of liberation wash over me. It was done. Finally done.

I breathed a sigh of relief, extending my hand. “Give me mine,” I said.

Arthur opened one of the envelopes, his thumb brushing over my photo. His wolf eyes searched mine, an uncharacteristic hesitation in his gaze.

“Are you… is everything going well for you?” he asked, his voice softening slightly.

“It is,” I replied, taking the certificate from his hand. “And from now on, it will be even better.”

My words were deliberate-a declaration of independence that felt long overdue.

Arthur’s expression softened unexpectedly. “That’s good. Take care of yourself,” he said, a hint of genuine concern in his voice that caught me off guard.

Unable to contain myself any longer, I stared directly into his dark eyes. “Eight years ago, it wasn’t you who helped me, was it?”

The question had burned inside me since Sarah’s revelation.

“The way you let me believe it was you when I confessed my feelings… why maintain that lie for so long?”

His gaze dropped, an admission in itself.

“Before you confessed your feelings, I thought you loved him,” he admitted, a self-deprecating smile touching his lips. “By the time I found out… if I’d told you the truth then, you would’ve left me even faster.”

“Don’t say things that make you sound so affectionate!” I scoffed, glancing toward the window where the black Maybach waited outside. “I wish you both an early… happy marking day!”

I turned to leave, the certificate clutched tightly in my hand. Freedom was just steps away.

“This is temporary,” Arthur’s voice cut through the air.

His hand gripped my arm suddenly, his wolf presence flaring around us with intensity that made nearby wolves step back.

“I won’t mark her. Believe me.”

I wrenched my arm free, feeling my own wolf stir angrily beneath my skin. “It doesn’t matter!”

At that moment, Emma walked in, clearly impatient from waiting. She hurried to Arthur’s side, immediately wrapping her arm through his.

“Arthur, you don’t actually have feelings for her, do you?” she asked, her voice laced with a calculated insecurity. “You know I can’t accept that…”

Arthur chuckled, his words cutting deep. “For more than three years, I didn’t even let her have pups. Do you think it’s possible?”

The casual cruelty of his statement hit me harder than I expected. After everything-the miscarriage, the loneliness, the years of hoping-to have it dismissed so callously…

“It was a marking gift from my ex-mate,” I admitted, keeping my tone casual. “Keeping it would be pointless. Better to turn it into rare healing herbs.”

The truth was simple: while in love, even a strand of fur from your mate holds significance. After breaking up, even a single hair on the floor is annoying. Especially a whole territory den, reminding me daily of how foolish I had been.

Julian raised an eyebrow. “Your ex-mate? Did he find another she-wolf?”

“More or less,” I answered vaguely.

My relationship with Arthur was much more complicated than a simple case of finding another mate. But Julian was just a business partner. There was no need to delve into personal matters.

He sighed, offering an unsolicited defense. “Perhaps, some things are just… necessary measures taken out of necessity.”

I almost laughed at the generic platitude. “Are you about to tell me he just made a mistake all male wolves make?”

“No, of course not,” Julian backtracked quickly, looking uncomfortable. “Let’s sign the contract!”

The territory agent quickly produced the paperwork, and within minutes, the transaction was complete. I took one last look at the territory den I had poured so much effort into arranging-choosing every piece of furniture, every color, imagining a future that would never come-then walked away.

It was for the best. Arthur, the territory den, all cleanly severed today. From now on, a new life awaited! Little did I know, some wolves didn’t share my sentiment.

When I arrived at our new healing practice office, I had barely settled in when Sarah rushed in from the next room, her eyes wide with excitement.

“Holy moonstone!!” she exclaimed, shoving a tablet in front of my face with such enthusiasm that I had to lean back. “Look! Are we finally getting lucky? We just launched the online healing herbs service, and we already have a huge order!”

I took the tablet, brows furrowing as I examined the details. “A custom healing herbs formula?”

“Yes! She contacted me right after placing the order. Wants a custom healing formula for a marking ceremony,” Sarah explained, practically bouncing with excitement. “And she’s coming in this afternoon for a consultation and assessment.”

Something felt off. Our custom healing formulations weren’t cheap. The online service only listed baseline prices; the final cost would depend on rare ingredients and specific requirements. The total would be considerable.

Who would commission a custom formula from a newly launched, unknown healing practice with no advertising?