Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 99

(Audrey’s POV)

The car pulls up to the front door of Pack House, Arthur’s words filled with menace and possession still echoing in my head. I sat in the car, motionless.

“Get out,” Arthur commanded, his voice lacking the warmth it once held when we first became mates.

I turned to face him, finding his expression cold and unyielding. “You can’t keep me here against my will.”

“Can’t I?” His eyebrow arched slightly, a gesture I’d once found endearing but now found infuriating. “You seem to forget who I am, Audrey.”

“The Alpha King who’s about to lose his mate,” I replied coldly.

He laughed, the sound hollow and bitter. “We’ll see about that.”

I knew when to pick my battles. Fighting him now, alone in the darkness, would only make things worse. With as much dignity as I could muster, I stepped out of the car and walked toward the mansion’s imposing entrance. The grand structure loomed before me, once my home, now my prison.

Two Beta guards opened the doors for us, their expressions carefully neutral. They’d obviously been instructed to expect me.

“Welcome back, Luna,” one murmured with a slight bow.

I didn’t respond. I wasn’t their Luna anymore, not in my heart.

Arthur’s footsteps echoed behind me as I climbed the sweeping staircase toward my old room.

When I reached my door, I turned to face him. “Are you satisfied now? You’ve brought me here against my will. What else do you want from me?”

His eyes glittered in the dim hallway light. “Get some rest. We’ll talk in the morning.”

Without another word, I entered my old room and firmly locked the door behind me. I knew the lock wouldn’t stop him if he truly wanted to enter-he was the Alpha, after all-but the symbolic gesture gave me some small satisfaction.

I leaned against the door, taking in the room I hadn’t seen in months. Everything remained exactly as I had left it-my books neatly arranged on the shelves, my favorite blanket folded at the foot of the bed, my hairbrush on the vanity. It was as though time had stopped when I walked out.

But then I noticed something that made Grace stir uneasily within me. My bed wasn’t precisely as I’d left it. The pillows were arranged differently, and when I approached, I caught Arthur’s scent lingering on the sheets. He’d been sleeping here, in my absence, surrounding himself with my things.

The realization made my heart twist in a way I didn’t want to examine too closely.

I grabbed my old robe from the bathroom door and headed for the shower, hoping the hot water might wash away some of the tension that had settled between my shoulder blades. Under the steaming spray, I tried to make sense of Arthur’s behavior. His possessiveness wasn’t new, but this forceful detention felt different, more desperate somehow.

Fresh from the shower, hair still damp, I had just pulled on an old nightgown when a soft knock interrupted my thoughts.

“Who is it?” I called, not moving from my seat on the edge of the bed.

“George Thompson, Luna,” came the familiar voice of Elder William’s most trusted advisor. “May I speak with you?”

I hesitated, then crossed to unlock the door. George stood in the hallway, his usually composed demeanor betraying concern. Deep lines creased his forehead, and he wrung his hands nervously.

“What’s wrong?” I asked, immediately alert.

“It’s the Alpha,” George said, his voice low. “His silver wound from protecting you during the kidnapping-it’s bleeding again, and he refuses to allow the pack healers to tend to it.”

I crossed my arms. “And this concerns me how, exactly?”

George’s expression turned pleading. “He won’t let anyone near it, but the silver poisoning is spreading. You know how dangerous untreated silver wounds can be, even for an Alpha.”

I laughed bitterly. “Shouldn’t Victoria be the one at his bedside? She seems to be his preferred companion these days.”

“Luna, please,” George’s voice dropped even lower. “I wouldn’t ask if it weren’t serious. Silver poisoning isn’t something to take lightly.”

I sighed, hating that Grace was already whimpering with concern at the thought of Arthur in pain. “Fine. Where is he?”

“In the Alpha’s study,” George replied, relief evident in his voice. “Thank you, Luna.”

I followed him down the hallway, my bare feet silent on the plush carpet. The mansion was quiet at this hour, most of the pack members either asleep or out on night patrol.

George left me at the study door with a grateful nod. I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and knocked once before entering.

Arthur sat at his desk, his back to me. Papers were spread before him, but his posture was unnaturally stiff. I could see a dark stain spreading across the back of his white shirt, exactly where the silver dagger had struck him.

“Does it matter to you?” he countered, finally turning to face me.

“No,” I answered too quickly, avoiding his gaze.

“You’re lying,” he said softly. “You always avoid eye contact with your mate when you lie. I noticed that about you in our three years together.”

I flushed, annoyed at being so easily read. “I’m not lying. And I’m not your mate, not for much longer.”

Without waiting for his response, I gathered the used supplies and dropped them in the waste bin. I needed to escape his presence, his scent, the confusing mix of resentment and concern that swirled within me.

“Thank you,” Arthur called as I reached the door, but I didn’t acknowledge him as I left.

I barely slept that night, my mind racing with conflicting thoughts. By morning, I’d decided to avoid Arthur completely. I stayed in bed late, hoping he would be busy with Alpha duties elsewhere in the territory.

Around noon, my hunger finally drove me from the safety of my room. I crept through the hallways, listening carefully for any sign of Arthur’s presence. The mansion seemed mercifully quiet as I made my way toward the kitchen.

I had just rounded the corner when I collided with a solid chest. Strong hands steadied me before I could stumble, and I looked up into Arthur’s watchful gaze.

“Your wolf fears me now?” he asked, tilting his head with genuine curiosity.

I pulled away from his touch, straightening my shoulders. “It’s not fear, Arthur. It’s distaste. There’s a difference.”

Before he could respond, footsteps approached rapidly from the main entrance. Daniel Hayes, Arthur’s personal Beta, appeared with a formal bow.

“Alpha, Luna,” he acknowledged us both, despite my impending loss of that title. “Katherine and Victoria Moonstone have arrived at the mansion gates. They’re requesting entry.”

My eyes widened in disbelief, Grace instantly bristling at the news. “You’re allowing them here? After everything that’s happened?”

I stared at Arthur, incredulous. How could he welcome them after Victoria’s role in Elder William’s death, after the loss of our pups, after the scene at the medical center?