Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 156

(Audrey’s POV)

“Nine hundred and ninety-nine baskets?!” Julian Reed’s voice echoed with genuine surprise through my phone.

I frowned, glancing at the sea of elaborate herb arrangements filling our reception area. The baskets were stacked nearly to the ceiling, their rich scents mingling in the air.

“Yes, they’re being delivered right now. Is there some mistake?” I asked, watching as another elevator opened with more baskets. The delivery wolves were sweating from the effort of moving so many large arrangements.

There was a brief pause before Julian cleared his throat. “Ah, I see what happened. My assistant must have misunderstood. I intended to send 99 baskets, not 999.”

His explanation seemed plausible, yet something about his tone didn’t quite ring true. My wolf instincts stirred with suspicion. No Beta at his level would make such a careless error.

“That’s quite a significant error,” I replied carefully. “If you’d like, we can return some of the baskets to reduce your costs-”

“No!” Julian interrupted hastily, his voice sharp. “That won’t be necessary. The Northern Alliance doesn’t need the resources.”

The forcefulness of his response made my wolf ears perk up. He must have realized his slip because he quickly added in a smoother tone, “What I mean is, my pack is quite wealthy. The additional expense won’t be a problem.”

I thanked him and ended the call, my mind racing with questions. Why would he lie about something so obvious?

Sarah approached me, her eyes narrowed with doubt. “So? What did he say?” She was practically bouncing with curiosity.

“He claims his assistant made a mistake with the order,” I explained, shrugging. “Apparently, he meant to send 99 baskets, not 999.”

“And you believe that?” Sarah scoffed, crossing her arms. “What assistant confuses 99 with 999? That’s not a small error.” Her disbelief was written all over her face.

Nathan, who had been quietly observing, nodded in agreement. “It’s an unusual mistake, especially for a Beta representing such a powerful alliance. They’re typically meticulous with details.” His voice held that calm certainty I’d come to rely on.

Despite our doubts, the extravagant gift was undeniably beneficial for our new practice. The herbs alone were worth a small fortune, not to mention the positive message it sent to potential clients about Northern Alliance backing.

“Whatever the reason,” I said, running my fingers over the silky ribbon of the nearest basket, “it’s a good omen for our practice.” The rich scent of rare northern wolfsbane rose from the arrangement, making my wolf purr with appreciation.

Sarah’s face broke into a mischievous grin. “We should take photos for the pack forums. Nothing attracts wolf clients like knowing a healing practice has powerful support.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

She clapped her hands decisively. “And we should celebrate! Let’s have dinner tonight to mark our official opening and welcome our new team members.” The energy radiating from her was contagious.

I glanced at Nathan, who was still examining one of the baskets with curiosity. His profile was sharp against the window light, a reminder of how much he’d grown since our days at Inter-Pack Academy.

“Would you like to join us?” I asked. “You’ve been instrumental in helping me recover my parents’ healing formulations. You should be part of this celebration.” My voice softened with genuine gratitude.

His blue eyes lit up immediately, the amber flecks in them catching the light. “Of course I have time if you’re asking,” he replied, a warm smile spreading across his face. The happiness in his expression made my wolf stir with an unfamiliar warmth.

After he left to attend to some pack business, promising to meet us later, Sarah pounced on me like a predator who’d been patiently waiting for her prey.

“So,” she began, eyebrows raised suggestively, “what’s going on between you two? He practically radiated happiness when you asked him to dinner.” She nudged me playfully with her elbow.

I sighed, settling into one of the reception chairs. “I told you about our agreement. Six months-if I don’t develop feelings for him during that time, he’ll give up his pursuit.” The weight of that promise hung between us.

Sarah twirled a strand of hair around her finger thoughtfully. “And do you think you could? Develop feelings for him, I mean?” Her eyes searched mine with genuine concern.

As I walked down the corridor toward the restrooms, my wolf ears caught snippets of conversation from a partially open door to a private dining room.

“… sending 999 healing herbs baskets! Might as well just send a mate marking proposal directly,” someone was saying, followed by hearty laughter. The voice was male, slightly slurred with wine.

I slowed my pace, my heart suddenly pounding. They were talking about the baskets-MY baskets.

“Some wolves lack the courage to claim responsibility directly,” another voice responded, the tone light and teasing. This voice was also male, but more cultured.

The first voice continued, “If you’re interested, just be honest about your feelings. What’s with all this secrecy and elaborate schemes?” The mockery was obvious even through the door.

“It’s not that simple,” a third voice countered, deeper and more serious than the others. “There are… complications.” Something about this voice nagged at my memory.

“Like what?” the second voice challenged. “Afraid she’ll reject you? Or is it because of your position?” The words were punctuated by the clink of glasses.

“If you’re worried about danger, send her to distant territories,” the first voice suggested casually. “Plenty of places where she’d be safe from pack politics.”

The casual suggestion of sending someone away made my blood run cold. It was too similar to what Arthur had proposed earlier that day. Was this a common solution among Alphas-shipping unwanted she-wolves to distant territories? My wolf bristled with indignation.

I was about to continue walking when a fourth voice cut through the conversation-cold, commanding, and chillingly familiar.

“Shut up.”