Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 69

(Audrey’s POV)

Arthur’s hard gaze locked onto mine, his jaw tight and his body radiating tension. His grip on my wrist wasn’t painful exactly, but it sent a clear message: I wasn’t going anywhere until he was done.

I looked down at his shaking hand before meeting his eyes again. “Arthur,” I began, my voice steady despite the rapid beat of my heart. “I need one final favor.”

His brows furrowed, confusion flashing across his face. “A favor?” he echoed, as if the idea had thrown him off. “You think I haven’t already given you enough?”

I resisted the urge to scoff. “Not much of what you’ve ‘given’ me is what I wanted.”

His grip tightened ever so slightly, his fingers trembling against my skin. “Then what? What is it that you think you need from me now?”

I looked away briefly, steadying the whirlwind of emotions threatening to rise. “All I want…” I paused, letting the weight of my words hang in the air. “… is for you to follow through with the mate bond severance next month. No delays. No excuses.”

His eyes narrowed, his frustration evident in how his jaw clenched. “You’re still set on that?” His voice dropped to a low growl. “After everything we’ve been through?”

“‘Everything we’ve been through’ is exactly why I’m set on it,” I shot back, my tone unwavering. “This bond-it’s broken, Arthur. It’s destroying us both.”

Arthur’s silence stretched ominously, his chest rising and falling heavily as he struggled with himself. Then his voice slid into something quieter, something laced with vulnerability. “You think severing it is going to fix anything?”

Before I could respond, the elevator doors Dinged and swung open. A pack couple stepped out, their faces a mix of surprise and unease as they glanced at Arthur’s death grip on my wrist. The break in his focus allowed me to slip my hand free, and without hesitation, I stepped into the elevator.

“I’ll see you at the council office,” I said as the doors began to close, cutting off his response.

Relief settled over me as the elevator descended. Severing the mate bond wasn’t just a choice. It was necessary-for both of us.

—

That night, I fell into an uncharacteristically deep sleep. My body, still reeling from the stress of recent days, hardly stirred until late the next morning.

When I woke, sunlight streamed through the curtains, creating soft patterns on the floor. It was already 9:00 a. m., and the house was completely silent. I saw Sarah had left a note near the kitchen counter. “Went to the Therapy Center early. Eat the porridge I made!” Typical Sarah.

For once, my appetite was voracious. I devoured two bowls of the herbal porridge she’d left, relishing its comforting warmth. As I scraped the wooden spoon against the bottom of the bowl, a thought struck me. My increased hunger-was this a consequence of the miscarriage?

The memories of that night remained fragmented, like pieces of a broken mirror. I hadn’t thought much about the loss, but now, with each bite of warm porridge, I couldn’t avoid the jagged truth. It wasn’t just blood I’d lost-it was a part of me.

After cleaning up, I focused on my healing research submissions, pouring my energy into finishing them. Hours passed as I reviewed each section meticulously before finally emailing the full proposal to the North American Alliance of Werewolf Therapists.

Leaning back in my chair, I stretched, the tension in my shoulders easing momentarily. Almost instinctively, I reached for my phone as it began to buzz, Arthur’s name flashing across the screen.

Why was he calling now? With hesitation, I answered.

“What is it, Arthur?” My tone was clipped.

On the other end, his voice was a mixture of confidence and something faintly resembling triumph. “I know everything, Audrey.”

My stomach dropped. “What are you talking about?”

“Howard came to see me,” he revealed, and I could hear the satisfaction in his tone. “He said he found you crying. Told me everything about how you’re not as fine as you claim to be.”

Anger flared to life. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I hissed. “Howard had no right-“

“Howard was concerned for you,” Arthur interrupted, his tone sharp. “More concerned than you’ve let me be recently.”

I pressed my fingers to my temple, forcing calm into my voice. “Arthur, my uncle’s ‘concern’ has nothing to do with me. He only cares about how my severance from you affects him.”

“Has it reached that point for us, Audrey?” His tone softened, a rare sincerity leaking through. “So bad that this is really how you want to end things? By running away?”

“We took you in, Audrey!” he barked. “Or have you forgotten that?”

“You mean the years you worked me to the bone as unpaid labor while stealing from me?” I countered, my voice icy. “Let’s not rewrite history here, Howard.”

Timothy stirred from his spot by the window, finally stepping into the fray. “Can’t we just come to a compromise?”

I turned my glare onto him. “What kind of compromise?”

Timothy stepped closer, his expression smug. “High-ranking position at Moonstone Therapy Center. Special access to their rare healing herbs.”

My jaw dropped, disbelief washing over me. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Think about it,” Howard chimed in. “Arthur still has feelings for you, doesn’t he? Talk to him-use whatever influence you have left.”

Fury roared through me. “This conversation is over.” My voice trembled with rage.

Before Howard could push further, an icy presence filled the room.

Arthur stood in the doorway, his cold gaze sweeping the room. His voice was deadly calm. “Howard. Just how much influence do you think you have over my pack?”

Every word carried the weight of an Alpha King.

And for once, Howard’s smugness faltered as he stared back at Arthur, realizing too late just how far out of his depth he was.