Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 54

(Audrey’s POV)

The silence in Elder William’s study was suffocating, wrapping around me like a heavy shroud. The only sound was the soft rustle of parchment as George Thompson handed me a file. My fingers trembled as I took it.

“What’s this?” I whispered, unsure if I truly wanted to know.

George’s expression was somber, his gray eyes filled with an emotion I couldn’t quite place-sympathy, perhaps? “It’s Arthur’s therapy records,” he said, his voice low and careful, like he was treading on thin ice. “From when he was a boy.”

My heart clenched. Therapy records? My hands tightened their grip on the folder, and I tried to ignore the unease bubbling in my chest. “Arthur was in therapy?”

George nodded. “After his mother, Evelyn, passed… it affected him deeply. Elder William believed it was the only way to help.”

I hesitated before opening the file. The thought of going through something so personal felt intrusive, even wrong. But George was watching me expectantly, his silent approval almost a push. Carefully, I flipped the cover open.

The first page was dated just weeks after Evelyn’s death. The records detailed a small boy struggling with overwhelming grief, isolation, and confusion. One session noted his reluctance to speak, his silence lasting hours as he withdrew further into himself.

My chest felt heavy as I read on. Each entry painted a clearer picture of a boy haunted by loss, yet burdened by the expectations of his lineage. Words like “severe attachment issues” and “emotional suppression” were scribbled in the therapist’s notes.

“It was worse than he ever let on,” George said softly, breaking me from my reading. “Arthur was… a child robbed of comfort. Richard’s preference for Katherine and Victoria only deepened his wounds.”

I swallowed hard and turned the page. A particular note caught my attention: Attempts to bond with stepmother Katherine proved fruitless. Subject expresses fear of rejection from mother figures. Avoidance tied to traumatic loss.

My vision blurred as guilt clawed at me. I’d accused Arthur of coldness, of indifference, but these pages revealed a boy who had learned to survive by locking his heart away.

“How long was he in therapy?” I managed to ask.

“Until he was sixteen,” George replied. “Elder William tried his best, but Arthur grew defiant. He believed he needed to be strong on his own… that counseling was a weakness.”

I stared at the records for another moment before closing the folder. “Why didn’t Elder William ever tell him about Katherine?” I asked, echoing the question I had asked earlier.

George sighed, a hand running through his gray hair. “Because he feared Arthur couldn’t bear the truth. But secrets in a wolf pack-they don’t stay hidden forever.”

The gravity of his words settled heavily over me. I felt like I was standing in the middle of a labyrinth, each revelation pulling me deeper into Arthur’s world, a place I’d thought I knew.

—

The drive back to my territory house should have been quiet, but the memories stirred by those therapy records screamed in my mind. Arthur’s struggles, his pain… It all painted a more intricate portrait of the man who had become my mate, albeit unwillingly.

But it didn’t erase the choices he had made. Choices that had led to the fractures between us. Choices that had hurt me, time and time again.

I barely stepped inside when my phone buzzed. The sound jolted me, pulling me back to reality. I fumbled to retrieve it, noticing Arthur’s name on the screen. My throat tightened. Hesitating briefly, I finally answered.

“Audrey,” came Arthur’s familiar deep voice, but there was a rare urgency to it. “Something’s happened. Elder William… he collapsed. They’re taking him to the Pack Medical Center.”

“What?” I gasped, my heart sinking instantly. “He was fine earlier! He-“

“I know,” Arthur cut me off, his tone clipped. “Maybe it’s his heart. I don’t know yet. Just come.”

The call ended abruptly, leaving me reeling. My hands shook as I dialed Sarah. The moment she picked up, her voice casual, I interrupted her, my words tumbling out in a flurry.

—

Sarah didn’t hesitate to rush over when I mentioned Elder William. By the time we arrived at the Pack Medical Center, the scene was chaotic. The pack emergency response team were wheeling Elder William on a stretcher, their movements efficient but tense.

Arthur stood nearby, barking orders, his Alpha authority commanding obedience even amidst the panic. But behind the façade of control, I could see the concern in his eyes, the muscle jumping in his jaw.

Arthur’s reaction was immediate. Without hesitation, he stepped forward, gently lifting Victoria into his arms. “We need a healer now,” he barked to the nearest nurse.

I watched numbly as he carried her into another room, my heart sinking further.

“She’s manipulating him,” Sarah muttered beside me, her voice a low growl. “And him? He’s so blind, it’s pathetic.”

I didn’t respond. My wolf howled within me, furious at Arthur’s predictable actions but helpless to change anything.

George offered a consoling hand on my shoulder. “Elder William wouldn’t want pack unity to crumble,” he said quietly.

I glanced at him, his words barely registering as I stared at the doors leading to the intensive care unit. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.

—

Hours passed like an eternity. Finally, the pack healer, Dr. Marcus Thompson, emerged, his expression grave. Arthur reached me just as my legs weakened, his steady presence the only thing keeping me from collapsing.

“The Elder survived,” the healer said, his tone heavy with warning. “But his condition is critical. He’ll remain in intensive care, but… you need to prepare for the worst.”

I covered my mouth, a silent cry escaping as Arthur gripped my arm tightly.

The healer continued, a sharp edge entering his voice. “Why was there a delay in calling for emergency care? The Elder’s condition was far more severe upon arrival than it should have been.”

George immediately stepped forward, his tone defensive. “That’s not true. I called the moment I found him.”