Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 48

(Audrey’s POV)

Victoria’s eyes glinted with something sinister as her gaze pinned me in place. It wasn’t just the satisfaction of spotting me here. No, it was the clear calculation, the spinning of webs that she had mastered all too well. The buzzing background noise of the medical center faded as she leaned closer to the gathered pack members, her voice sharp yet falsely sweet.

“Well, would you look at that,” she began, loud enough for several heads to turn. “Audrey Winter, sneaking around the maternity wards. What’s the matter, Audrey? Finally decided to check if you’ve caught something-some disease from being so… loose with other wolves?”

Her voice oozed venom beneath a mask of innocent curiosity, but her intention was as clear as a strike to the throat. She wanted every wolf within earshot to question my presence, to paint me as something less than deserving of my place here.

My blood boiled, but years of navigating this pack’s politics stiffened my spine. I wouldn’t let her shake me. My voice, sharp and unyielding, cut through her insinuation. “Oh, I’m sure you’re projecting, Victoria. If there’s concern about health, it ought to be for a wolf who’s spent so much time bouncing between beds. Who knows how many partners you’ve had?”

A gasp rippled through the wolves nearby. A flicker of shock crossed Victoria’s face, quickly replaced by manufactured outrage. Before she could craft her comeback, I continued, my tone deliberately even, though every breath burned with frustration.

“Or…” I added, the corner of my mouth curling into a mocking smirk. “Perhaps you and Arthur already share a pup. It would explain your obsession with always playing the victim.”

Victoria bristled at my words, fury flashing in her eyes. “I grew up with Arthur!” she exclaimed, voice high-pitched, her words quick like daggers trying to wound. “We were childhood friends! You-an outsider-destroyed that bond when you stole him! He was mine first!”

A wave of whispers swept through the gathered wolves. Faces turned toward her, some with curiosity, others with doubt. Clearly, she wasn’t winning the sympathies she had planned.

Arthur’s deep voice cut through the tension like a blade. “Victoria, enough.” His tone was sharp, layered with simmering irritation. He stepped forward, towering over her, his presence commanding the uneasy crowd’s attention. “Let’s go. I’ll take you home.”

She turned to him, her expression pleading, though her eyes glistened with unshed tears she knew how to manipulate. “Arthur, you can’t let her talk to me like that. You know what she’s putting us through!”

“I said, enough,” he repeated, firmer this time. His gaze shifted to me briefly, something unreadable flickering through his dark eyes. “Audrey, I’ll contact you later. We’ll… settle this.”

I felt every bit of restraint hold me back from rolling my eyes or laughing in disbelief. Settling it? That’s what he called this endless dance of betrayal and misplaced loyalty? Yet I nodded curtly, not wanting to drag this spectacle out anymore. “Fine. Please do it sooner rather than later.”

I turned on my heel and moved to leave, the weight of the gazes following me pressing down as if flares singed the back of my neck. But before I could escape the suffocating atmosphere, a familiar deep voice interjected.

“Now isn’t this quite the scene.”

I froze. Richard Moonstone.

—

Richard’s presence tilted the already tense energy to something infinitely heavier, like a storm cloud had settled over us. His silver hair gleamed under the fluorescent lights as his sharp features turned towards his son. He appeared calm, but his voice carried the unmistakable edge of disapproval.

“Arthur,” he began slowly, deliberately. “Tell me, what is the meaning of this disgraceful public squabble? Your duty as Alpha demands better. Especially toward Victoria.”

Arthur’s jaw tightened. “I was just handling it.”

“From the looks of it, your handling leaves much to be desired,” Richard countered, his eyes narrowing. He turned toward Victoria, the corners of his mouth twitching into something almost fatherly. “Victoria, my dear, are you all right?”

She played her part perfectly, biting her lower lip and looking down. “I… I’m fine. It’s just-Audrey has been so-“

“Enough,” I interrupted, my voice steady but forceful. I refused to be pulled into yet another of her fabricated stories, not in front of Richard Moonstone, of all wolves. Turning slightly toward him, I mustered all the politeness I could manage. “Richard. This situation is as exhausting for me as it is for you, I’m sure. If you’ll excuse me, I’d like to leave now.”

I almost laughed. Almost.

“How convenient of you to use my health as an excuse,” I said, my voice laced with more bitterness than I wanted to admit. “This isn’t about health, Arthur. This is about ending a bond that has brought nothing but heartache. I’m tired of all this… this mess. You need to focus on whoever you truly prioritize. I’ll focus on myself.”

My heart felt like it might shatter as I said those words, but the relief of voicing them outweighed the pain.

Suddenly, footsteps approached us from down the hallway. Dr. Juliette Thompson, the healer who had performed my earlier ultrasound, smiled warmly as she reached us. “Arthur,” she began brightly. “Audrey. I was just coming to congratulate you.”

I stiffened. Congratulate?

“To congratulate me on what, exactly?” Arthur asked, his confusion clear.

“Oh, she hasn’t told you?” Dr. Thompson looked surprised, then apologetic. She focused her gaze on me. “You didn’t mention it yet? Well, congratulations on sharing the news.”

The blood drained from my face. Every inch of my body froze as Arthur turned to me, a cascade of emotions flickering across his face-confusion, suspicion, realization.

I swallowed hard, gripping the strap of my purse so tightly I thought the seams might burst.

Arthur’s dark, piercing gaze locked onto mine, his voice low but sharp as he asked, “Audrey, what news? What are you hiding from me?”