Alpha's Regret After I Died

Liz’s POVEvery bump in the road jolted my bruised body as the van barreled forward through winding backroads. My cheek was pressed against the cold metal floor, and all I could hear was the pounding of my heartbeat in my ears and the muffled growl of the engine.My lungs burned with every breath. Panic clawed at my throat, threatening to choke me. I had no idea where he was taking me, just that I had to get out. I had to survive."Please save me, Lumian," I begged through the bond, my mental voice shaking with fear. My mate, my Alpha. He would come. He had to. I closed my eyes, clinging to the connection, hoping, praying he could feel my fear.The bond flared to life, but instead of the warmth and concern I’d hoped for, a wave of cold irritation flooded back.“Liz, stop acting up. I’ll be home tonight.”My heart dropped. Acting up? I was in a stranger’s van, bleeding and terrified. Why did my mate think I would lie about something like this?My body ached. Every bruise screamed as th

Liz’s POVLumian closed the door with a sigh, muttering a quiet goodbye to Robert before turning back into the house. I followed him, still calling out, still begging him to listen.“Please, Lumian,” I said, though I knew he couldn’t hear me. “He’s lying. Why can’t you see it?”He walked slowly back into the kitchen, running his hands through his hair again before sinking down into a chair. I hovered nearby, watching him, a storm of emotion raging inside me.Why would Robert lie?Why would he pretend he hadn’t seen me yesterday after what he said? The memory rushed back in full force.I had been running around the packhouse all morning, double-checking everything for Lumian’s birthday. I wanted it to be perfect even though he barely noticed me anymore, even though he hadn’t smiled at me in weeks. I still wanted to show him I cared about him.I had just stepped outside to head into town when I saw Robert walking down the path alone. I hesitated. Something about the way he looked at me

Liz’s POV“What happened to me wasn’t Liz’s fault,” Judy said softly, glancing between Lumian and Carlos.My breath hitched.Finally… was she going to tell the truth?I stepped forward instinctively, hope flickering inside my chest like a candle fighting the wind.But Carlos just shook his head with a sigh, his arms folded tight across his chest.“You don’t have to keep covering for her, Judy,” he said. “We all know Liz was jealous. She never wanted you here, and you left because she made you feel unwelcome.”The words hit harder than I expected. Like a slap.“No,” I said, voice trembling even though no one could hear me. “That’s not what happened. I never asked her to leave…”I looked at Judy, pleading silently. But she said nothing more. She let Carlos believe it.“But honestly, I’m just glad you're back. I wish she hadn’t been hurt, but after three years of begging you to come home…” he paused, his voice growing warmer, “I’m happy you finally did.”The world seemed to tilt.I blink

Liz’s POV“There’s something wrong with Liz,” he choked out, his breath ragged. His hand pressed harder against his chest like he was trying to keep something inside from shattering.Carlos frowned. “What do you mean?”I took a step closer, my ghostly form hovering just behind them, but suddenly…Everything felt off.The room blurred. Their voices became distant, muffled—like I was underwater. I tried to focus, to listen, but their words slipped through my grasp, fading into nothingness.Panic tightened in my chest.I couldn’t hear them.I always heard them.Something was wrong.A strange sensation crawled over my skin, like static in the air before a storm. My fingertips tingled, my body growing lighter and unsteady.I looked down.My hands were flickering.No.No, no, no—I tried to move, to speak, to do something, but my body wasn’t obeying me.I was fading.Disappearing.And I had no idea why.My vision darkened at the edges, a crushing weight pressing in on me. It was suffocating

Liz’s POVWe were moving.For the first time since I died, they were moving for me.Carlos drove, his jaw tight, eyes set straight ahead. Lumian sat in the passenger seat, hands clenched in his lap. I could feel his wolf just beneath the surface, restless, pacing, snapping at the confines of his skin.They didn’t speak. There was too much tension. I watched Lumian steal glances out the window, his leg bouncing restlessly as if he expected to see me walking on the side of the road.You’re too late, I wanted to whisper.But still… some broken, desperate part of me hoped he wasn’t.We pulled up outside Diana’s house. My Diana. My best friend. The only person who had ever truly seen me loved me without expectation or condition.She opened the door a few seconds after Carlos knocked. Her brows furrowed when she saw who it was.“Carlos? Lumian?” Her gaze darted between them. “What’s wrong?”Lumian’s voice was hoarse. “Is Liz here?”Diana blinked, clearly startled. “No…” Her face paled. “Wh