Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 187

(Audrey’s POV)

I stood frozen in Elder Shadowcrest’s private quarters, my mind racing to keep up with everything happening around me. The tension in the room was palpable as Florian confronted the supposed Serena Shadowcrest.

My knowledge about Serena was limited. I had never met her, only heard stories and seen a few pictures. Yet now, somehow, I was at the center of a bizarre identity crisis.

The young she-wolf claiming to be Serena approached Florian, her movements cautious as she crouched beside him like a frightened rabbit.

“Brother Florian,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Why are you doing this to me?”

Florian’s golden eyes narrowed instantly. “First mistake,” he said, his voice cutting through the room’s tension. “Serena never calls me Brother Florian, or even brother at all. You showed your flaws from our first meeting.”

The realization hit me like a bolt of lightning. This was why Florian had been so certain all along, despite being confused by the bloodline verification results. This detail was too intimate, too personal to be in any official record.

The fake Serena’s face paled. She stumbled over her words, clearly caught off-guard. “I don’t… I mean… how did I use to address you?”

Florian’s lips curved into a predatory smile. “Interesting question. You remember details about our childhood, about the Shadowcrest pack traditions, about Elder Shadowcrest’s favorite tea… yet you’ve forgotten how you addressed me for twenty years?”

My mind flickered with an unexpected thought. If I were Serena-which I wasn’t, I reminded myself firmly-I would address him simply as “Florian,” using his full name without titles or formalities. The certainty of this thought unsettled me.

Mrs. Shadowcrest stepped forward, her face contorted with defensive anger. “This is ridiculous! Why are you fixating on such trivial matters? We’ve worked so hard to find her, and now you’re questioning her identity over how she addresses you?”

“Since she’s so determined to form a mate bond with me,” Florian replied coldly, “I should at least know whether my future mate is real or not.” His eyes never left the trembling she-wolf. “Don’t you agree?”

Elder Shadowcrest’s weathered hands gripped her walking cane tightly. After a moment of tense silence, she nodded. “We should investigate these concerns thoroughly.”

“With your permission,” Florian said, turning to the elderly she-wolf, “I’d like Beta Thornwood to arrange an allergy test for our guest. Let’s determine if her sudden rash is truly from peanut allergies or something taken deliberately to create a convenient cover story.”

Mrs. Shadowcrest’s face flushed with anger. “This is outrageous! My daughter has been through enough trauma!”

“We have another option,” Florian offered with deceptive calmness. “We can simply cancel the intended mate arrangement instead. You have the freedom to recognize your daughter, and I have the freedom not to recognize my intended mate.”

The threat was clear-if they wouldn’t cooperate with testing, he would walk away from the arrangement entirely. The political implications for the Shadowcrest pack would be severe.

Elder Shadowcrest, now visibly suspicious, straightened in her chair. “I want a new bloodline verification ritual. Properly witnessed and conducted.”

The fake Serena’s eyes filled with tears. “Grandmother,” she pleaded, “don’t you recognize me? Are you abandoning me too?”

The elderly she-wolf couldn’t bear to look at her. Her voice wavered slightly as she instructed, “Beta Thornwood, please take a fur sample from her for testing.”

A tall, well-built wolf in formal Stormhowl pack attire stepped forward from behind Florian. His movements were precise and efficient as he produced a small testing kit.

“Multiple witnesses will ensure accuracy this time,” Elder Shadowcrest declared. The room quickly filled with pack Betas from both the Shadowcrest and Stormhowl packs, called in to witness the collection.

Beta Thornwood carefully collected strands of fur from the supposed Serena, placing them in a transparent bag. Elder Shadowcrest directed him to hand the sample to Florian rather than the Shadowcrest pack healers.

“I want this tested independently,” she explained, her voice heavy with unspoken suspicion about her own pack’s involvement.

The young she-wolf suddenly swayed on her feet, her eyes rolling back dramatically before she collapsed to the floor. “Serena!” Mrs. Shadowcrest cried out, rushing to her side.

The medical team quickly attended to her, and within moments she was conscious again, though appearing weak and disoriented.

Florian watched the spectacle with thinly veiled impatience. He tucked the sample securely inside his jacket and turned to Elder Shadowcrest.

“I’ll send you the results as soon as they’re available,” he promised, his voice softening slightly when addressing the elderly she-wolf. “Thank you for your trust.”

With a respectful nod to Elder Shadowcrest, he grabbed me by my collar and practically dragged me from the room. I stumbled after him, too overwhelmed to resist.

“Florian, why did you save me last night?” I asked softly.

Before yesterday, he had believed I might be Serena, but he hadn’t been completely certain. I was the unknown Audrey Winter, while the blood recipient was supposedly Serena Shadowcrest with a confirmed bloodline verification report. I never expected him to choose me over her.

Florian frowned slightly, as if my question confused him. “Did you think I would abandon you to save her?”

My silence was answer enough.

His expression hardened. He suddenly reached out, gripping my face between his hands, forcing me to look directly into his golden eyes.

“I trust my wolf instincts more than a bloodline verification that anyone could tamper with,” he stated firmly. “Besides, both families were finding donors for her, and the blood arrived minutes after you left.”

His honesty touched something deep within me. If he had hesitated even slightly yesterday, I might not have survived the Shadowcrest pack’s determination to use me as a donor.

I looked at him steadily, allowing myself a moment of genuine emotion. “Thank you.”

Florian’s lips curved into a wry smile. “Audrey Winter, you’re not as cute as you were when you were little.”

Before I could process that strange comment, he suddenly reached out and pulled a strand of my hair, quick and efficient.

“Ouch!” I yelped, rubbing my scalp. “What was that for? I thought you trusted your instincts over bloodline tests!”

He tucked the strand of hair carefully into a small container he produced from his pocket.

“The Shadowcrest family needs it,” he explained calmly. “The results should be ready in two days.” His golden eyes locked with mine, intense and certain. “Then, I’ll come pick you up to go home.”