Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 31

(Audrey’s POV)

“I’m moving in,” Arthur repeated, his voice flat but resolute.

The weight of his words hit me like a punch to the gut. My fingers tightened on the keys in my hand, the edges digging into my palms.

I took a shaky breath, trying-failing-to keep the irritation out of my voice. “Arthur, you can’t just… waltz in here and decide to uproot my life whenever it suits you.”

“I’m not ‘uprooting’ anything,” he replied calmly, though a flicker of annoyance crossed his face. “This is a mutual decision. We’ve both agreed to delay the mate bond severance for Elder William.”

I blinked at him, incredulous. “Delaying the severance doesn’t mean we need to live together, Arthur. There’s such a thing as boundaries.”

“Boundaries?” He tilted his head slightly, as though the concept was foreign to him. “We’re marked mates. Sharing territory is natural-even expected. You can’t act like strangers in your own pack.”

His words dripped with that same calm authority that grated on my nerves. Grace paced restlessly within me, uneasy but equally confused by his persistence. It would’ve been easier to outright deny him if not for the way his presence carried traces of concern he refused to voice.

Still, I folded my arms across my chest, unwilling to concede entirely. “Fine,” I said tersely, stepping aside to let him in. “You can stay… but only in the guest quarters. At the far end of the house.” The words left my mouth sharper than intended.

His eyes narrowed, but he nodded once, stepping over the threshold into what had been my sanctuary. “Suit yourself,” he said, his voice neutral but unyielding.

I watched as he set his travel bag down in the entryway, his movements deliberate and controlled. Every gesture he made felt like he was marking his territory, claiming a space that wasn’t his to claim.

“You can find the guest room yourself,” I muttered, brushing past him toward the sitting area. “It’s as far away as possible. Just… stay out of my way.”

“Audrey-” he started, but I didn’t let him finish.

“Goodnight, Arthur.”

—

Hours later, I found myself in my bedroom, staring numbly at my reflection in the small vanity mirror. My cheek still bore faint traces of the bruise left by Victoria’s earlier attack, the discoloration paling with my healing but stubbornly lingering. It wasn’t just the sting of the slap that lingered-it was Arthur’s blind indignation, his refusal to see how I was suffering under Victoria’s manipulations.

A soft knock at my door startled me from my thoughts. Before I could say anything, the door opened halfway, and Arthur stepped inside, his broad shoulders filling the space.

“What do you want?” I asked sharply, spinning around to face him.

His gaze locked onto my face, his brows furrowing as his eyes fixed on the mark on my cheek. “Your bruise… it hasn’t healed completely,” he said, his voice quieter and less commanding than before.

I shook my head, annoyed. “I can handle it myself.”

He didn’t move. Instead, he took a step closer, his hand outstretched, as if to inspect the injury. “Let me-”

“No.” I jerked back instinctively, a sharp flare of anger rising in my chest. “Don’t touch me.”

His hand froze mid-air, his expression momentarily stricken. “Audrey, I’m just trying to help.”

“Why?” The question shot out before I could stop it. My voice wavered, a mix of defensiveness and bitterness. “Because you’re worried Elder William will see? You think this is about keeping up appearances?”

His jaw tightened. “That’s not what I-”

“Your scent,” I cut him off, glaring at him as my words came tumbling out. “It’s still tainted. I could smell her on you earlier at the police station… Victoria.” I spat her name like poison, unable to contain the resentment simmering just below the surface.

Arthur froze, the defensive tension in his body giving way to something unguarded. For the first time, he looked genuinely unsettled. “I… showered. I changed clothes before I came here.”

The sincerity in his tone caught me off guard, but I wasn’t ready to let my guard down. Instead, I turned away, shaking my head. “It doesn’t matter.”

“I-I don’t understand you,” I said finally, my voice shaky. “You’ve told me time and again that this severance is inevitable. What are you even trying to accomplish?”

Arthur met my eyes, his expression firm. “I never agreed to severing our mate bond.”

The starkness of his statement hit me like a blow to the chest. I opened my mouth to argue but faltered, caught in the sudden intensity of his gaze.

“You don’t see it, do you?” he continued, his tone low but unwavering. “You don’t even realize what you mean to this pack… or to me.”

Emotion clogged my throat, making it impossible to respond. Arthur had always been confusing-an enigma wrapped in contradictions. But tonight, his words cut through me like silver, reopening wounds I thought had begun to heal.

“You abandoned me,” I said quietly, dropping down into the armchair opposite him. My grip tightened around the fabric of my pajama pants. “In every way that mattered, Arthur. You left me to hold this bond alone while you prioritized everyone else… including her.”

Arthur’s expression flickered with something I couldn’t quite read, but he didn’t respond. His silence was deafening.

I swallowed hard, my voice trembling. “Do you have any idea how much pain this mate bond has caused me? Do you?”

He looked genuinely lost for words, the confusion in his dark eyes mirroring my own inner turmoil. And for the first time, I saw the vulnerability he worked so hard to hide.

But it wasn’t enough.

“Goodnight, Arthur,” I said abruptly, standing and retreating toward my room before he could say a word. “Stay out of my way.”

As the door clicked shut behind me, I leaned heavily against it, tears streaming down my face. Grace let out a mournful howl, her emotions mirroring my own.

No matter how much I tried to harden myself, his presence continued to unravel me. And I wasn’t sure how much longer I could endure it.