Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 81

(Audrey’s POV)

The velvet bag felt heavier than it should have as I reluctantly took it from Arthur’s outstretched hand. Our fingers brushed momentarily, and I quickly pulled back, trying to ignore the familiar electricity that still sparked between us.

“What is it?” I asked again, my voice softer than I intended.

Arthur’s jaw tightened, his dark eyes watching me intently. “Open it.”

I hesitated, glancing at Nathan who stood silently by the door. His presence was reassuring, but this moment felt strangely private.

With careful fingers, I loosened the drawstring and tipped the contents into my palm. Two exquisite velvet boxes tumbled out, each small enough to fit in the center of my hand. The Moonstone Pack emblem was embossed in silver on their surfaces.

“Arthur…” I began, uncertain.

“Just open them,” he said, his voice strained.

I flipped open the first box, and my breath caught in my throat. Inside lay a delicate gold pendant with a moonstone inlay, carved into the shape of a wolf cub. The second box revealed an identical piece, though the moonstone seemed to catch the light differently, showing hints of blue rather than green.

The realization hit me like a physical blow. These were meant for our unborn pups.

The pain sliced through me, fresh and raw. My fingers trembled as I closed the boxes with a decisive snap.

“Take them back,” I said, my voice cold and detached to mask the ache blooming in my chest.

Arthur stared at me, his expression hardening. “They were my grandfather’s gift to you.”

“To me and the pups,” I corrected sharply. “The pups that no longer exist.”

His face flinched as if I’d struck him. Good. Let him feel some fraction of what I felt.

“If you don’t want them, return them to my grandfather,” he said dismissively.

I let out a bitter laugh. “Your grandfather is dead, Arthur. Or have you forgotten that too?”

The cruel words hung between us, and for a moment, genuine hurt flashed across his features. I immediately regretted my harshness, but pride kept me from apologizing.

“These are too valuable,” I insisted, holding the boxes out to him. “I can’t keep them.”

“They weren’t meant for a stranger,” he retorted, refusing to take them back.

“That’s exactly what we are now, Arthur,” I sighed, suddenly exhausted. “Or at least what we’ll be after next month. Strangers with memories. We need to maintain boundaries.”

His lips curled into a humorless smile. “Boundaries?” he repeated, the word dripping with sarcasm. “That’s rich coming from you.”

I frowned, confused by the sudden shift in his tone. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Arthur stepped closer, his presence overwhelming the small space between us. “Three years as my marked mate, Audrey. Three years of taking advantage of me.”

My jaw dropped at the absurdity of his accusation. “Taking advantage? How exactly did I take advantage of you?”

A dangerous glint appeared in his eyes, and suddenly, his demeanor changed to something playful, almost predatory. “You looked at me too many times.”

“I… what?” I sputtered, caught off guard by this ridiculous claim. “That’s not even-how would you prove that?”

His lips curved into a smirk, and he leaned closer. “Would you like to look again?”

Before I could respond, his fingers moved to the top button of his shirt. Slowly, deliberately, he began to unbutton it, revealing the tanned skin beneath. One button, then another, and another.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, feeling heat rise to my cheeks.

He didn’t stop, continuing until his shirt hung open, exposing his chiseled chest and the mate mark that still resided there. The mark that matched my own. My eyes betrayed me, drawn to the evidence of our connection.

“See something you like?” he murmured, his voice dropping to a husky timbre that sent an unwanted shiver down my spine.

I snapped my gaze back to his face, embarrassment quickly turning to irritation as I realized his game. He was trying to unsettle me, to prove some ridiculous point about my supposed “advantage.”

Two could play that game.

“If you’re going to put on a show, Arthur, do it properly,” I challenged, striding over to the window and yanking the curtains wide open. “Go ahead. Let’s see if you’re brave enough to give the neighboring pack members a view.”

I expected him to back down, to button up his shirt and retreat with some excuse about propriety. But Arthur Moonstone had never been predictable.

To my absolute horror, he simply shrugged and continued unbuttoning his cuffs.

“If that’s what you want,” he said casually, slipping the shirt off his shoulders completely.

“If I said yes, would you reconsider severing our mate bond?”

The question hit me like a physical blow. I stared at him, trying to process what he was asking. After everything-after Victoria, after the betrayals, after losing our pups-could I really go back?

Slowly, reluctantly, I shook my head.

“Then what’s the point of answering?” he asked, his voice carrying an edge of bitterness.

“Because I’ve loved you for eight years,” I said quietly. The confession hung in the air between us. “Since our days at the Inter-Pack Academy. And I need to say it aloud before I move on.”

Arthur’s expression shifted to one of genuine surprise. “Eight years? But there was a rumor you liked some wolf from the Eastern territories.”

I let out a humorless laugh. “That was just a misunderstanding. Nathan helped me with a project once, and people assumed…”

He frowned, seemingly trying to piece together a puzzle. “So all this time…?”

“Do you remember your message to me? ‘Happy eighth moon-turning?'” I asked softly.

His brow furrowed as he struggled to recall. “Vaguely. It was a long time ago.”

“It was the day after I got injured during combat training,” I explained, the memory vivid despite the years. “You took me to the Wolf Medical Center. You didn’t have to-we barely knew each other. But you did.”

Arthur remained silent, his expression unreadable.

“A small act of kindness,” I continued, my voice barely above a whisper. “That’s all it took. You were the first person who showed me genuine kindness without expecting anything in return. And for a girl who grew up with nothing… that meant everything.”

I could see something shift in his eyes, a flicker of emotion I couldn’t quite name.

“I never told you because it didn’t matter. You never saw me that way. But I wanted you to know before we go our separate ways. Thank you for that day, Arthur. It changed me.”

Arthur stood motionless, his wolf visibly stirring beneath his skin. After a long moment, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette, lighting it with practiced ease. The smoke curled lazily in the air between us.

He took a deep drag, his expression still unreadable. When he spoke, his voice was raspy, tinged with an emotion I couldn’t identify.

“What if it hadn’t been me? What if someone else had taken you to the medical center that day?” His eyes locked with mine, searching. “Would you have fallen in love with them instead?”