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Chapter Twenty-five
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2024-07-11 15:09:24Related chapters
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Twenty-six
Try as I might to put on a brave face, I cannot fully suppress my fear and apprehension. The prince's words seem mild, and the question wasn't asked in anger, but there has to be a catch, something underneath all his courtly manners, just waiting to attack."Don’t look at me like that," he says, and for the life of me, I swear he sounds…sad. Disappointed. "I brought you home with me because you were hurt. Banished. We both know you would not have survived on your own.""You don't know that," I say, chafing at the insult.He laughs freely, but not meanly. "Aurora, what do you think would have happened to you if I had not arrived at the guard house to take you away?"I have no answer for that because we both know that answer."As I was saying," he goes on good-naturedly. I realize that he's teasing me. It's sweet in an odd sort of way. "I took you home because you needed my aid."His face goes softer – and a little sadder. "And of course, because you're my mate, I want to bond with yo
Last Updated : 2024-07-12Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Twenty-seven
I smile despite myself, pleasantly surprised by his offer to get to know one another better. In my sorrow, my rejection, and my trauma, I may have misjudged the prince. Falsehoods and rumors about the Lycans in general also probably added to my prejudice.Looking into his handsome face across the café table, I'm glad that I now have the opportunity to learn more about this man and his people on my own."I'd love to know more about you, Prince Mykal," I say. "I think sharing some of our personal history is a wonderful idea.""Excellent," he replies. "But before we go any further, let's drop the honorifics. I am just Mykal, and you are just Aurora, and we are simply two people on the verge of forming a friendship." He gives me a cheerful grin. "How does that sound?""If you insist…" I'm not entirely comfortable with his desire to be so intimate. Unfortunately, I have little choice. "I do insist," he says, laying on the charm. "All right," I say, forcing a lighthearted smile onto my f
Last Updated : 2024-07-15Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Twenty-eight
I bring the picture close to my face. The girl within the frame smiles back at me. She has the same hair and eye color as me, but that's where the similarities end. Her clothing is different than anything I can ever recall wearing, her hairstyle much more intricate, and when this photo was taken, she had to be at least twenty or more years younger than I am now."I have no memory of this," I say, my frustration growing. I glare at the image, straining my brain, willing the memory to come back to me."Aurora," Mykal says, and his amused voice shatters the void I'd fallen into. When he sees he has my attention, he smiles wider. "Your eyes are going to drill holes into that photo if you stare at it any harder.""I don't know if this is me," I tell him somewhat desperately. "I have no recollection of ever coming to Lycan territory. For the past twenty-some years, I've thought of myself as a pureblood Werewolf. There was no reason not to.""I know it's you," he says with a confidence bef
Last Updated : 2024-07-16Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Twenty-nine
Evander's POV"Nalani's awake."I look up from the paperwork I've been frowning over for the last half hour. My Beta stands at attention before me, his face, as always, neutral."Meet me outside in five minutes," I command. "We're going to the hospital."Ralfi nods, acknowledging my directive, then exits my home office.I look down at my desk, at the bills of receipt, supply requests, cargo manifests – all the things Aurora used to deal with when she oversaw the border crossing. I'm happy to escape it, and even happier with the thought of passing it to Nalani.She is the Luna now, after all. I'm curious to see how she handles it.The Jeep is waiting for me outside, and Ralfi and I arrive at the hospital a few minutes later. Dr. Oliver meets us in the lobby, then escorts us to Nalani's room.Ralfi takes up his position outside the door, and I enter alone. I have some questions for my former mate."My darling!" Nalani calls out as I close the door behind me. She holds out her arms to me
Last Updated : 2024-07-17Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Thirty
Evander’s POVAlone in my bed, I open my eyes to another day.I listen to the sounds of the house around and below me, the everyday business of life. Once upon a time, I could roll over and find Aurora smiling back at me, her face still flushed from all the times I made her scream and moan and groan my name throughout the night.I sigh. Those days are long gone.I throw back the covers and rise to my feet. I suppose I should get some food. I smile to myself as I head for the door. The new kitchen staff is working out well, but still not as good as what Aurora used to cook for me. But I need to get used to this new reality.I've barely taken a step when there's a knock upon my door – a timid little thing that I barely heard."Enter!" I call. My voice sounds too loud in the empty room, too bold in response to the tentative tap.A maid scurries in, and even though she keeps her head down and refuses to meet my eyes, I recognize her. Sylvie, Aurora’s old maid – and the only member of the
Last Updated : 2024-07-18Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Thirty-one
Evander’s POVMy mother and I finish our breakfast, sharing small talk about current events. I know she's dying to ask me about this new maid, but I'm glad she's smart enough not to. If I wanted to discuss the situation in front of the servants, I would have said more by now."All right, son," my mother says as she rises to her feet. "I have business to attend to elsewhere. Have a good day, Evander.""I'll try," I mutter mostly to myself.The image of that maid, Sylvie, sticks in my mind – her inflamed joints and cracked skin. I don't know why this maid matters. I've never cared about the lives of our servants before. That I even remembered her name was a minor miracle unto itself.But something about her… I don't know, it just chaffed. It felt like an affront.I need to talk to my mate. My Luna.I also don't fully trust her out there at the border. I meant to go with her on this first day of her new duties, but she surprised me by leaving early. At the very least I need to mind link
Last Updated : 2024-07-18Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Thirty-two
Evander’s POV"Evander, help me!"Nalani's scream echoes in my mind even though our link was severed.I spring into action, rushing to the garage. I have to get to the border. On my way across the house, I mind link with my Beta."Ralfi! What's going on?""There's some kind of commotion within the crowd trying to cross the border," he replies instantly. "I'm heading over there now. Meet me at the checkpoint."I cut the link as I start the engine of one of the pack's Jeeps. I grit my teeth through the entire journey, wondering and dreading what I might find. Nalani's screams are still in my head, her terror igniting my fight response.I protect what's mine, and that includes everyone in my pack.I slam on the breaks, sudden pain rocking my head back in surprise. I look into the rearview mirror, certain that I've somehow, someway, been punched. My reflection shows me that my face is whole and undamaged, no apparent bruising and not a drop of blood.I shiver from the force of the blow ev
Last Updated : 2024-07-18Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter Thirty-three
"What?" I ask, flabbergasted that she would even invoke Aurora's name. Her nerve almost makes me snarl. I force down the frustration to look at her with clearer eyes. I have no proof, but this feels like a diversion tactic. If we talk about Aurora, then we don't have to talk about why things went wrong…"Aurora has nothing to do with anything that's happening here today." I say as calmly as possible."I try, Evander," Nalani says, a naked appeal on her face. "I'm trying so hard to be the perfect Luna for you." She gasps suddenly, laying a shaking hand over her heart. "When will I be enough for you? I just want us to go back to the way we were.""Nalani, you are fine as you are." I struggle for tranquility. Temperance. There is something going on here. Something I'm missing. If I'm going to figure out what's behind her actions, I can't make her suspicious.And I most definitely can't afford to trigger another cardiac event. "I understand you want to make your own mark,” I say, proud o
Last Updated : 2024-07-19
Latest chapter
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 60: A Daring Rescue
"Evander, what are you doing!?"I can't believe what I'm seeing. Evander's malevolent grin is so far out of character for him, it's hard to believe this is the same man I married.My gaze shifts to my father who is struggling to regain consciousness after Evander knocked him out. My ex could be harsh at times, but I've never before felt such…evil."You're coming with me," my blood-soaked former mate tells me. He crosses the room in two great strides, then takes hold of my arm."We can't go anywhere!" I protest. "You're injured, all that blood, and my dad… What did you do to my father?"My brain is having a hard time keeping up with all that I'm witnessing. None of this makes any sense. Five minutes ago, I believed Evander to be on the brink of death, mortally wounded in an ambush that took him and the pack by surprise.But now, he seems as fit as ever despite all the blood on his tattered clothes.His grip on me tightens painfully. I look into his eyes, but instead of finding the man
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 59: Aurora's POV - A Troubling Encounter
Consciousness comes to me slowly. I drift into awareness from a cozy pink cloud of good dreams.I smile, reveling in the simplicity of my deepest desires. Evander was with me in the dream and he was my husband again. I felt his warmth, his care, and there was no doubt in my mind that as long as he was watching over me all would be well.The best part of the dream was that I felt loved. I have not felt that in quite a while.Stupid, silly, wish fulfillment fantasies of the lovelorn. If I ever write my memoirs, that'll definitely be a chapter in the book.There is a knock on my door and I relinquish the last remnants of my dream with a sigh.Real life always intrudes.There's only one person who would be knocking on my door at this hour of the morning. I call for my father to enter while I'm still rubbing the sleep out of my eyes.He enters my room and I know right away something is wrong."Aurora, we need to go. There are skirmishes happening in the woods all around us. It's not safe f
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 58: An Unexpected Battle
There is a lot on my mind as I walk back to the camp. Aurora, her mother, the price of her gift. Porter's face when he talked about the possibility of losing his little girl to an early grave. The way her skin shone in the moonlight – smooth and silken.I touch a finger to my lips. I can still feel the warmth of her forehead there. My lips burn to taste her kiss again, but first–Something stops me in my tracks, the hair on the nape of my neck rising. I sniff the air, but can't detect anything untoward. But someone or something is closing in.Every instinct I have is screaming for me to fight, to tear the menace to shreds.I move as quickly as I dare through the woods and back to the campsite. I hear the battle before I see it, the snarls and clashes of steel. Gunpowder now reaches my nose along with singed wood and copper blood.Using every bit of stealth I possess, I sneak up on one of the attackers and break his neck from behind. He drops to the ground without a sound.In the moonl
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 57: A Confrontation and a Plea
I follow the scent, so light and refreshing. My heart longs to breathe it in more fully, to bury my face in her hair while I hold her in my arms.Aurora.A quiver goes through me at the thought of seeing her at the end of this trail.I should be tracking the scout, trying to pick up his path, but my feet refuse to heed my brain's command and instead take the route my heart craves most.The scent leads me to a clearing in the woods, then finally a cabin. It's a modest structure, built from logs and slate. It's well below the means I am used to living in, but it appears sturdy.A man exits the cabin and I instinctively draw back behind a tree. By the moonlight I can see he's an older wolf, past his prime, but still strong. His head tilts, and there in the lines of his profile, I see Aurora's features made masculine and bold."I know you're out there," Aurora's father calls. I hear him pump the barrel on a shotgun, then see it when he brings it to his shoulder to take aim into the night.
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 56: Evander's POV - The Battle and a Familiar Place
The battle rages all around me. I can taste my own sweat. Blood is on the wind."Evander! This is the spot we scouted earlier." One of my lieutenants points to a clearing on the top of a rise. "We need to set up our operation before we lose the moonlight."I give him a nod, granting him leave to begin preparations. He doesn't make it ten feet before we hear a yelp from below. Someone got caught in a trap.I hope it was one of the Moonvalley pack.I breathe in the night, taking the measure of the woods. The forest is dark, but not entirely unfamiliar to me. The Amber Sky pack – Aurora's familial pack – has territory not many miles from where I'm standing.I can only hope that scant distance is enough to keep her safe.My warriors are ready to fine tune our plan of attack when I enter the clearing. I look at each of their faces before I speak, happy to find resolution in every single one."You know the plan," I tell them brusquely. "In the hour before dawn, we bypass the forest and atta
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 55: An Unexpected Visit
I pull open the cabin's front door and find Prince Mykal standing there."Hello, Aurora," he says, smiling so brightly his beauty is nearly blinding."I've only been gone three days!" I blurt out, too surprised to see him to self-edit. "Did you miss me that much?""I did," he replies charmingly.I'm not sure if he's joking or not."Who's there?" my father calls out from behind me, and I realize I've kept the prince standing outside this whole time."Come, in, Mykal," I say, stepping aside to allow him to enter.My father gabs at the royal Lycan now standing in his living room."Dad, I'd like you to meet Prince Mykal Boreal."My dad's jaw drops open and he fumbles to make some sort of bow. "Hello, um, Your Highness?""Please, sir," Mykal says affably. "There's no need for formalities. Call me Mykal.""What brings you here, Mykal?" I jump in, saving my father from his own awkwardness. "You've come a long way to see us.""I'll confess," the prince says, reaching out to take my hand. "I w
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 54: The Burden of Knowledge
"What are you saying?!" I am beyond shocked. I'm so appalled, I'm sick to my stomach. "How could you even suggest such a thing?""I don't do it lightly," my father replies wearily. "But giving up that child might be the best thing for you.""No." I can't believe that. I won't."This child is everything to me. I will never abandon my baby.""Even though its father left you? Even knowing it will carry Lycan in its veins and never truly be accepted among Werewolf kind?""Even so." I will not argue about this with him. "I'm not going to change my mind.""Your mother was headstrong too," he says. He looks like he has the weight of the world on his shoulders."What are you not telling me, Dad?" I'm too tired to beg, too worn down from this life. "The time for secrets is over.""You have grown, Aurora," my father says. "I'm proud of you."I flush under his praise even though I don't want to. I feel like a little girl again.It's not a bad feeling at all."While your mother and I were on the
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 53: Aurora’s Return
It took longer than I would have liked, but eventually, I set out for Werewolf lands, and my father's cabin beyond. The journey was long, but mostly boring, thank the gods. There were no problems at the border crossings.I stand now on the crest opposite the property, gazing upon the house from the outside. It's been years since I've been back. I approach the house cautiously, the memories flooding back with every step I take. The back porch where we all used to sit and watch the sunset. The giant boulder on the north side of the property – I used to climb to the top and pretend I was a princess trapped in a tower, waiting for my hero to come.As I walk around to the front door, I spot a familiar figure walking up the path.He stops in tracks when he sees me, both of us stuck dumb by the sight of the other.I always thought of my father as a mountain of man, and he is robust and powerful, but I see gray at his temples that was not here before, wrinkles at the corners of his eyes.My
Alpha's Regret: Reclaiming His Gifted Luna Chapter 52: The Devil's Bargain
Two guards haul me to my feet, my clothes in tatters, my back a bloody mess. My whole body wants to sway, then topple over, maybe even curl up in a ball on the ground.But just like I wouldn't give the King of Kings the satisfaction of my screams, I refuse to fall down now."You're so funny, Evander," King Tozen says, looking me over. "Anything for your cause, huh? I won't deny that you've impressed me. For that alone, I'm willing to entertain your plea."There was no 'plea.' I didn't beg him. But I'm in no position to argue the point right now. He can use whatever words he wants as long as he gives me what I need."Return to the throne room in an hour's time," the king commands. "Clean yourself up. You're in no state to present yourself to royalty."And who's fault is that? I wonder, even as I keep my mouth firmly shut.Having said all that he intended to say to me at the moment, King Tozen glides out the room, the train of his royal cloak once again following along behind him."Come
