Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 25

(Audrey’s POV)

The drive back after leaving the repair shop should’ve been calm, uneventful even. Instead, everything took a sharp turn within moments. The smooth purr of the car engine was interrupted by a loud honk, and without warning, a black Maybach swerved recklessly into our lane.

The tires screeched. I gasped, jerking against the seatbelt as Nathan gripped the steering wheel with uncanny precision. His wolf crept to the surface, his entire body rigid with the effort to control both the car and himself.

The Maybach sped off, its tail lights vanishing into the shadows of the moonlit road.

“Are you okay?” Nathan’s voice was sharp, commanding, and thick with concern.

I nodded mutely, my breath shallow as I tried to calm my racing heart. “Yes, just… startled.”

His normally calm expression was clouded with anger. His piercing blue eyes glowed faintly, his wolf dangerously close to breaking out.

“They nearly hit you.” His voice was low, tinged with a protective growl.

Nathan pulled the car to the side of the road and parked. He turned to me, his jaw tight as he scanned me for signs of injury. “Your ankle looks swollen. Did you hit it during the stop?”

“Maybe,” I admitted softly. I hadn’t noticed the dull throb in my ankle until he mentioned it.

Before I could protest, he was out of the car, moving with swift efficiency. Opening the passenger side door, he crouched down, examining my ankle with the kind of gentle care that was hard to reconcile with his usual composure.

“You need ice for this,” he muttered. Then, as if it were obvious, he added, “We’re stopping. Food and ice cream-good for shock.”

“Ice cream?” I arched a brow at him, a flicker of amusement cutting through the tension.

“Don’t argue,” he said firmly, his lips quirking into the faintest grin. “Just indulge me this once.”

—

By the time we reached my new house-the one nestled deep in the peaceful edge of Moonstone territory-my ankle was wrapped in a cold pack, and my wolf, Grace, had finally started to calm.

“Don’t forget to keep off it tonight,” Nathan said, his tone stern yet kind.

I gave him a small smile. “Thanks, Nathan.”

He nodded, his eyes holding mine for a moment longer before he got back into his car and drove off.

—

Left alone, the silence of my home enveloped me. The ice pack sat propped against my ankle as I lounged on the small balcony attached to my den. The stars seemed brighter tonight, the soft rustle of wind brushing through the trees offering a sense of stillness I desperately needed.

Grace stirred within me, settling finally after a restless day. For the first time in what felt like forever, I felt… safe.

I don’t remember when I drifted off to sleep.

—

A loud, persistent knock jolted me awake.

My heart raced as I blinked into the dim light around me, the ice pack sliding off my ankle. The knocking continued, insistent and growing louder by the second.

“Audrey!” Arthur’s voice boomed through the night, sharp and commanding.

I groaned softly, my half-asleep mind trying to catch up. Limping slightly, I made my way to the door. Through the peephole, I saw Arthur struggling with the security lock, his movements frustrated and erratic as the keypad let out obnoxious beeps with each failed attempt.

“What are you doing?” I asked as I opened the door, my voice groggy.

Arthur spun toward me, his dark eyes locking onto mine. His gaze flickered with something intense-agitation, maybe desperation.

His scent hit me immediately. Whiskey. Vodka. The unmistakable mix of alcohol lingered heavily on him.

He pushed past the threshold, stepping inside with the authority of someone who hadn’t already been dismissed from my life.

“Nathan was here,” he said, his voice low and accusatory.

I froze, caught off guard by the possessiveness lacing his words. “Excuse me?”

His jaw tightened, his shoulders tense. “I can smell him.”

I narrowed my eyes, folding my arms as I steadied myself against the doorframe. “And? What right do you have to question me about who comes to my home?”

Arthur stepped closer, his eyes burning with something I couldn’t quite identify. “I missed you, little wolf,” he murmured.

The words hit me like a cold wind-unexpected and disarming.

His silence stretched, his lips pressing into a thin line.

I laughed bitterly, though there was no humor in it. “You come here, smelling like her, acting like I should forgive everything, and then accuse me of favoring Nathan?”

He said nothing, his gaze unreadable.

“Did you really miss me?” I asked softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because everything you’ve done… it doesn’t feel like it.”

Again, Arthur was silent. His large form stood rigid, his expression betraying nothing.

The flicker of hope that had sparked when he first walked in shattered completely, reduced to splinters that cut deeper than I thought possible.

Something inside me hardened.

“Sign the papers,” I said firmly, stepping past him to retrieve the dissolution agreement I had prepared weeks ago. I held it out to him.

“End this, Arthur. Let me go.”

He stared at the papers in my hand but didn’t move.

“Arthur,” I repeated, my voice shaking slightly.

When he finally moved, it wasn’t to take the papers.

Instead, his hand slammed against the doorframe, holding it open even as I tried to push him out.

“Arthur, stop-“

He didn’t. His body weight held the door easily against my efforts.

“Not yet.” His voice was low, almost a growl as his eyes glinted with something dangerous, something I couldn’t pinpoint.

The door remained unmoving, his presence overwhelming as I stared at him.