Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 165

(Audrey’s POV)

The morning sun filtered through my office window at Winter’s Remedy, but it did little to warm the chill that had settled in my bones since yesterday’s humiliation at the Shadowcrest pack territory. I caught several young Beta wolves stealing glances at me when they thought I wasn’t looking. No doubt they’d seen the rumors circulating on the pack forums.

“More coffee?” Sarah asked, placing a steaming mug on my desk.

Her eyes were rimmed with red, evidence of her distress. Last night, she’d come to my territory house with my belongings from the mate marking ceremony, blaming herself repeatedly for what had happened.

“I should have stayed with you,” she’d said, her voice breaking. “I reported the incident to the Pack Council immediately, but once they heard it involved the Shadowcrest pack, they started making excuses.”

“What did they say?” I’d asked, already knowing the answer.

Sarah’s bitter laugh had confirmed my suspicions. “Without concrete evidence of pack law violations, their hands are tied.” She’d run her fingers through her hair in frustration. “In other words, without pack status, we’re on our own.”

Now, in the light of day, Sarah looked more composed but no less troubled.

“Thank you,” I said, accepting the coffee. “And please stop blaming yourself. There was nothing you could have done.”

Sarah’s eyes darkened. “For the first time, I truly understand the advantages of pack status and the helplessness of lone wolves like us.” She wrapped her arms around herself, as if suddenly cold. “I almost regret breaking ties with Lucas Reed. Even as a secondary mate, at least I wouldn’t have been helpless when you were in trouble.”

I reached across the desk and squeezed her hand. “Don’t say that. You made the right choice for yourself.”

Her smile was weak but genuine. “Either way, we have more pressing matters to discuss.” She pulled out her pack communication device and showed me the screen. “Have you seen this? The Moonstone Pack has lost their western hunting grounds.”

I nearly choked on my coffee. “What? That’s impossible!”

The western hunting grounds were some of the Moonstone Pack’s most valuable territory. Rich in prey and medicinal plants, they represented significant power and resources.

“How could a pack that was forming an alliance with the Shadowcrest pack through a mate marking ceremony yesterday suddenly lose territory?” I wondered aloud, my mind racing. “There should have been warning signs, negotiations…”

Sarah nodded grimly. “Apparently, they had a failed pack medicine project that consumed most of their rare healing herbs. That, combined with recently canceled pack alliances, has created a resource crisis.”

I frowned, my wolf stirring uneasily within me. This didn’t sound like Arthur’s approach to pack management. He was methodical, careful, always with multiple backup plans. A silent territory loss wasn’t his style.

“That’s strange,” I murmured, more to myself than to Sarah.

“Maybe it’s the Moon Goddess punishing him for being such a rogue wolf,” Sarah suggested, a hint of satisfaction in her voice. She scrolled to another news item. “And here’s something else that’s interesting – word is, Arthur might yield territory to the Northern Alliance Pack.”

She showed me information indicating Arthur had been in private talks with Julian Reed recently.

“Your mighty ‘ex-mate’ will end up just like us – struggling to maintain what little he has left,” Sarah remarked sarcastically. “The Northern Alliance is already a growing power in the territories. If they acquire these hunting grounds, they’ll completely replace the Moonstone Pack’s influence.”

After Sarah left my office, I found myself gazing out the window at the towering Moonstone Pack headquarters in the distance. The building had always seemed so permanent, an immovable symbol of power and authority. Was it really possible that it would change ownership?

My phone rang, interrupting my thoughts. Nathan Snowfang’s name flashed on the screen.

“Alpha Snowfang,” I answered with a smile, my wolf perking up at his familiar voice.

“Audrey,” he said softly. “How are you? I’ve been worried since I heard about what happened at the mate marking ceremony.”

There was a slight tremor in his voice that caught my attention immediately.

Her directness shocked me, but I appreciated it over false comfort. “What do you want from me?” I asked, sensing she hadn’t come merely to deliver news.

“Clarity,” she replied smoothly. “Unless you’re willing to be his secret companion who can never be acknowledged publicly, you cannot enter the Snowfang Pack. Our elders will never accept a severed mate as the Alpha female.”

I studied her carefully, suddenly recognizing something familiar in her expression when she spoke of Nathan. “You have feelings for him,” I said, the realization dawning slowly.

To her credit, Lydia didn’t deny it. “Yes,” she admitted, her composure unwavering. “But I’m like you-you can only be his friend, and I can only be his sister.”

Her words carried the weight of resigned certainty. Nathan’s eventual mate marking would be an exchange for pack alliance, not for love. That was the reality of his position as future Alpha.

“I understand,” I said quietly, respecting her honesty. “Thank you for telling me the truth.”

After my shift ended that evening, I offered Mia Silverleaf a ride home. We shared the elevator up to our floor, and she bounced on her toes with characteristic energy.

“Thanks for the ride, Healer Winter! I can’t wait to tell my brother about the new healing formula we started today!”

We parted ways at her door, and I continued down the hallway toward my own territory house. As I approached my door, I spotted a tall, familiar figure standing by my window – someone I hadn’t seen there for quite some time.

He was facing the territory lights outside, a wolfsbane cigar between his fingers, the smoke curling lazily around his silhouette. His posture was relaxed yet alert, as if prepared for confrontation.

Hearing my approach, he turned around, his handsome features showing unusual relaxation mixed with caution. Dark eyes met mine, carrying a complexity of emotions I couldn’t fully decipher.

“You’re back?” Arthur Moonstone asked, his voice carefully neutral.