Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 7

(Audrey’s POV)

“We need to talk about our marking ceremony night.” My voice came out stronger than I expected, even as my heart hammered in my chest.

Arthur’s broad shoulders tensed. He looked up from the stack of papers on his desk, his dark eyes guarded, impenetrable. His silence stung, but I had grown used to that. Cold silence often spoke louder than defensive words.

“What about it?” His tone was low, cautious, like he was stepping over fragile glass. But it lacked the casual warmth he used to have when we spoke, and that absence made my throat tighten.

“Why did you leave me?” My words came slow, deliberate. Each one was a weight hanging between uS.

He leaned back in his chair, dragging a hand through his dark hair. It was a familiar move-one I had seen countless times. His way of gathering his thoughts, of controlling whatever storm brewed behind those intense, calculating eyes.

“Victoria needed me that night,” he said finally. His words were quiet, devoid of apology, like they carried no meaning beyond the statement of fact. “She was attacked by a rogue wolf near the territory border.

Grace growled in the back of my mind, low and menacing. My wolf’s fury burned through my blood, but I stayed calm. Calm was the only thing holding me together now.

“She was attacked by a rogue?” I repeated, my tone cold.

Arthur nodded, but his gaze wavered. “She called me, panicked. I went to help. As Alpha, it was my responsibility.”

“Panic? Funny,” I snapped, dropping all pretense of politeness. “Because I distinctly remember seeing her two days later at the pack gathering. Not a scratch on her. Not a bruise. Not a single sign of the ‘attack’ that apparently required you to leave your mate’s marking night.”

“Audrey-”

“No!” I interrupted, slamming my palms onto his desk.

The sound reverberated in the quiet room like a c***k of thunder. “I’ve given you time, Arthur. I’ve given you my trust. But you keep lying to my face.”

His jaw clenched tightly. For a moment, he looked like he might argue, but then his shoulders sagged under the weight of his silence.

“And if you’re still lying now, if you still have feelings for Victoria-” my voice broke slightly, but I pushed forward,

“then sever the bond. Let me go.”

Arthur’s eyes darkened, his expression flickering between frustration and something far deeper. “I never…” His voice cracked, his words hanging unfinished in the air.

For a fleeting moment, I thought I saw something true in his eyes, a glimpse of regret. My heart squeezed painfully, torn between hope and despair. Maybe he-

Arthur’s phone buzzed on the desk. Harsh. Loud.

Intrusive.

He tore his eyes away from me to glance at the screen. His expression shifted completely, the mask of the Alpha King sliding effortlessly back into place.

Whatever vulnerability I thought I saw was gone in an instant.

“It’s Victoria,” he said shortly, already standing.

“And where does that leave me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, the weight of the question hanging between us.

He didn’t respond, didn’t even look at me as he grabbed his jacket and stepped past me toward the door.

“We’ll talk later,” he said over his shoulder, his tone curt, detached, as if he’d already made his choice.

The soft click of the closing door echoed in my ears.

For a moment, I couldn’t move. I stared at the empty space where he had just been, my chest tightening until it felt hard to draw a breath. Grace whimpered inside me.

I grabbed my coat and walked out of the pack mansion. The cold evening air wrapped around me, but it did nothing to soothe the storm brewing in my chest. My legs moved on autopilot, carrying me away from the mansion and into the silent night.

My phone buzzed in my pocket. It was Sarah.

“Where are you?” Her voice was sharp, worried. I could hear the faint hum of the pack in the background.

“Just walking,” I said quietly, my voice hollow.

“Walking? Alone?” Her voice rose, a mix of concern and anger. “Stay where you are, Audrey. I’m coming to get you.”

“Sarah, I-”

The line went dead. Of course she wouldn’t wait for permission.

I found myself standing at the edge of the forest, staring blankly into the trees. Grace stirred restlessly, her agitation mirroring my own, but neither of us said anything.

Ten minutes later, Sarah’s car skidded to a stop in front of me. The passenger-side window rolled down, and Sarah glared at me from the driver’s seat.

Sarah turned to me, her eyes narrowing. “Why not?

Audrey, are you-?”

I nodded. “Five weeks.”

Her jaw dropped, but she quickly recovered, her face breaking into a wide grin.

“Oh my goddess,” she said, her voice practically vibrating with excitement. “You’re serious? This is-Audrey, this is amazing!”

Her joy was genuine, and for a moment, it warmed the cold knot of sadness in my chest.

Before she could continue, her phone buzzed with an incoming call. She pressed the answer button without hesitation.

“What?” she snapped into the receiver, her tone irritable.

I got out of the car, walking a few steps toward the bar entrance. The cool evening air was calming, a reprieve from the suffocating emotions swirling inside me.

As I turned back, I saw Sarah waving at someone.

Lucas Reed was standing near the entrance, his sharp, boyish grin replaced with a confused frown.

“Audrey?” Lucas’s eyes widened as he recognized me.

“Aren’t you supposed to be at the pack council meeting with Arthur?”

Sarah’s expression darkened instantly. “She’s not going anywhere near that mate-betraying Alpha right now.”

Her voice was sharp enough to cut steel.

Lucas raised one eyebrow, clearly uncertain about how to respond. “What’s going on?”

Sarah, never one to hold back, launched into an angry tirade about Arthur’s continuous failures, peppered with a few choice words about Victoria. Lucas listened silently, his face growing more serious with every word.

“And if you even think about telling Arthur where she is right now,” Sarah finished, jabbing her finger into Lucas’s chest, “I’ll make you regret it.”