Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 199

(Audrey’s POV)

I sprang to my feet, seeing Florian standing in the doorway. His golden eyes widened slightly as he took in my tear-stained face. Before I could think or plan, my body moved on its own.

I stood on my tiptoes and threw myself into his arms, hugging him tightly around his waist. His scent-forest pine and something uniquely him—wrapped around me like a comforting blanket.

“So enthusiastic?” Florian’s voice held pleased surprise as his hand stroked the back of my head gently. “Have you thought clearly about what I asked you to consider?”

“I have,” I replied softly.

Just then, movement at the door caught my eye. My body went rigid as I spotted Arthur Moonstone standing in the doorframe, his face dark with fury. His usually composed features had twisted into something dangerous and primal.

Before I could speak, Arthur’s slender fingers tapped lightly on the door frame. The sound seemed to echo in the suddenly silent room.

“Luna,” he said coldly, the single word dripping with possessiveness. “It’s time to return to the territory.”

Florian’s arms tightened protectively around me. “I’ll handle this,” he whispered against my hair.

“No.” I pulled away from him, my heart breaking with each inch of distance I put between us. “Don’t.”

I turned to face Florian fully, forcing a casual smile I didn’t feel. “He’s here to pick me up.’

Confusion flashed across Florian’s handsome face. “What do you mean?”

I swallowed hard, knowing what I had to do what would keep him safe, keep his pack position secure. With all my strength, I made my voice light and carefree.

“I’ve had my fun. It’s time to go back to being Luna Moonstone.”

The pain that flashed across Florian’s eyes was almost unbearable. I was doing to him exactly what Arthur had once done to me-abandoning him without explanation.

“Audrey, what-“

“Let’s go,” I said to Arthur, walking toward him without looking back at Florian.

Arthur’s arm snaked around my shoulders possessively as we left. We looked exactly like a devoted mated pair, the picture of Alpha and Luna harmony.

As soon as the elevator doors closed, I wrenched myself away from Arthur’s touch, pressing against the opposite wall. “Let’s be clear,” I said, my voice cold. “This one-moon arrangement doesn’t include sharing a den. We won’t be sleeping together.”

Arthur’s dark eyes narrowed. “You’re still my Luna.”

“In name only,” I countered. “I won’t move back to the Moonstone Pack house. I won’t live with you.”

A mocking smile curved Arthur’s lips. “Then what obligations will you fulfill as Luna Moonstone?”

I met his gaze with equal mockery. “Oh, you know, the important ones-taking care of Victoria during her confinement, perhaps?”

His face darkened instantly at the mention of Victoria. Without warning, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me from the elevator as soon as the doors opened. His grip was just shy of painful as he hustled me toward his waiting car.

“Does being Luna Moonstone mean nothing to you anymore?” he demanded once we were inside, his voice tight with controlled rage.

I looked out the window at the passing territory, feeling hollow inside. “It means something,” I finally admitted.

Arthur’s expression softened slightly.

“It means shackles,” I continued, watching his face harden again. “What was once my dream, the wolf I thought of day and night, the identity I was overjoyed to have… has now become chains. It’s difficult even to breathe when I think of it.”

Arthur looked as though I’d struck him. He sat frozen for a long moment before turning to his driver.

“Take us home,” he ordered.

“Not to the pack house,” I protested immediately.

“To your territory den,” he clarified, his voice clipped.

When I continued to glare at him, he leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper. “Remember, I can still make things very difficult for Florian Stormhowl.”

My blood turned to ice. “You wouldn’t.”

“I can and I will,” he confirmed, his expression ruthless. “The choice is yours.”

I slumped back against the seat. “Fine,” I relented, defeat spreading through me like poison. “I’ll do anything. Just leave Florian alone.”

Arthur’s eyes flashed with something dangerous. “Anything? Including sharing my den?”

I saw my former self reflected in him now-desperate for crumbs of affection from someone who had already moved on emotionally.

“Drink this,” Arthur said, handing me a steaming cup of herb tea. “It will help you sleep.”

I nodded tiredly, accepting the cup. Dark circles had formed under my eyes from nights spent staring at the ceiling, counting down days until my freedom.

As soon as he left, I forced myself to drink the soothing liquid, but my body rejected it. I barely made it to the bathroom before vomiting everything back up.

Back in my room, I marked another day off my pack calendar. Only seven days remained of our one-moon arrangement. Seven days until I could breathe again.

With just two days left, I threw myself into work with renewed vigor. The summer healing formulations were nearly complete, and Sarah Mitchell and I were finalizing the packaging designs.

“This blue will appeal to younger wolves,” Sarah suggested, pointing to a color swatch.

I nodded distractedly. My fingers trembled slightly as I reached for my coffee cup. Unexpectedly, it slipped from my grasp, hot liquid splashing across my foot. I barely registered the pain, distracted by an inexplicable sense of unease that had been growing all morning.

Sarah returned from grabbing towels in the supply closet, but something about her demeanor seemed off. She was fidgeting, her eyes darting nervously around the room.

“Can I borrow your phone?” she asked suddenly. “I want to play that new hunting game.”

I raised an eyebrow at her unusual request but handed over my device. She seemed more interested in keeping it away from me than actually using it.

While I focused on adjusting a formulation label, a commotion erupted in the hallway outside my office. Someone shouted, ” Mia, slow down!”

I jumped to my feet immediately, sending shooting pain through my ankle where I’d sprained it with my sudden movement. I ignored the discomfort and rushed to the door.

“What happened to Mia?” I asked urgently, grabbing the arm of a passing Beta wolf.

“Don’t know, she just said something and ran off,” he replied with a shrug.

Another wolf passing by added, “I think something happened to her brother.”

My heart stopped. Florian. Something had happened to Florian.