Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left Chapter 160

(Audrey’s POV)

“Florian!” I gasped, taking an instinctive step back from his furious gaze.

His golden eyes locked onto mine, burning with a rage I’d never seen before. The usual lazy playfulness had vanished completely, replaced by something dark and wounded. For a moment, he seemed to struggle with himself, his jaw clenching as he fought to contain his emotions.

“Get out,” he ordered, his voice frighteningly cold.

I stood frozen, watching as he knelt down and began carefully gathering the broken ceramic shards with his bare hands. Some pieces were jagged and sharp, but he didn’t seem to notice or care. His focus was entirely on the scattered remnants of the wolf figurine.

“I’m so sorry,” I stammered, bending down to help. “I didn’t mean to-”

“I told you to leave.” His voice cut through the air like a silver blade. He still wouldn’t look at me, his eyes fixed on the broken pieces and scattered coins. His golden wolf eyes had darkened to an amber hue that seemed to burn from within.

I felt a gentle tug on my arm. Mia had appeared beside me, her expression solemn.

“Come on,” she whispered. “Let’s give him some space.”

She led me out of the study, closing the door softly behind us. Once we were in the hallway, I leaned against the wall, my heart pounding with guilt and confusion.

“What was that?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. “I’ve never seen him like that.”

Mia’s usual cheerful demeanor had faded. “That wolf figurine was his most treasured possession.”

My stomach dropped. “It looked handmade. Was it special to him?”

“It was made by Serena Shadowcrest,” Mia explained quietly. “With the help of a pottery artist Elder Shadowcrest had invited for his moon-turning celebration. Serena made it herself.”

“The missing she-wolf?” I asked, remembering how carefully Florian had locked her quarters in the Shadowcrest territory. “Was it recently made before she disappeared?”

Mia shook her head. “No, she made it when they were still young. She said the wolf represented herself, meant to accompany my brother every day until they could form their mate bond.”

My chest tightened with guilt. “I had no idea it was so significant to him.”

“I wasn’t even born when Serena was around,” Mia continued, her voice soft with sympathy. “But from what I’ve heard, everyone in our family adored her. My brother and Serena would have formed their mate bond if she hadn’t disappeared.”

She hesitated, looking around as if to make sure Florian was still in his study. “Can I tell you something? Something I’ve never told anyone?”

I nodded, curious despite my guilt.

“Once, I caught him with red-rimmed eyes, dropping an old silver coin into the figurine,” she confessed. “He didn’t see me watching. I think… I think he adds a coin whenever he particularly misses her.”

The revelation hit me like a physical blow. The thought of Florian-carefree, sarcastic Florian-secretly mourning for years, dropping coins into a ceramic wolf as a memorial to his lost mate, was almost unbearable.

“How has he endured all these years?” I whispered, more to myself than to Mia.

“Do you have a photo of it?” I asked suddenly. “I want to see what it looked like before I… before I broke it.”

Mia thought for a moment. “I don’t, but he posted it on his pack forum account once. You could check there.”

The door to the study opened, and Florian emerged. His face was composed again, but something vital seemed to have dimmed in his golden eyes. They no longer held their usual mischievous spark.

“I’m truly sorry,” I said again, meeting his gaze directly. “I shouldn’t have touched your things without permission.”

His lips curved into a familiar smirk, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “You actually know how to apologize to me?” His tone attempted his usual sarcasm, but I could hear the effort it cost him.

“I was wrong,” I admitted. “Can you forgive me?”

He shrugged, his hands sliding into his pockets. I noticed tiny cuts on his fingers from the ceramic shards. “Depends on my mood,” he replied, walking past me toward the kitchen.

“I should go,” I said, gathering my coat. “Thank you for dinner.”

He made no move to stop me as I headed for the door.

Stepping into the hallway, I was startled to find Nathan Snowfang standing at my door, his hand raised as if about to knock.

“Nathan?” I blinked in surprise. “What are you doing here?”

His blue eyes took in my location, coming from Florian’s territory den rather than my own. A slight frown creased his forehead.

“I was coming to see you,” he explained, lowering his hand. “But it looks like you have company.”

“I was just leaving Florian’s,” I clarified quickly. “I was having dinner with him and his sister. Mia helped me handle a situation with Emma Shadowcrest at Winter’s Remedy today.”

“His sister?” Nathan seemed unfamiliar with the name. “I didn’t realize Alpha Stormhowl had a sister.”

“It’s a recent discovery for me too,” I admitted with a small smile. “What brings you here so late?”

His expression shifted to something more serious. “I have information about what we discussed. About your parentage.”

My heart skipped a beat. “Let’s go inside.”

Once in my territory house, Nathan handed me a manila folder. I opened it with trembling fingers, my wolf suddenly alert beneath my skin.

“Howard was lying,” Nathan said as I scanned the documents. “I had my pack contacts check records in three different territories. You are definitely your parents’ biological child.”

The file contained my birth certificate, medical records, blood type, and birth date. Everything matched perfectly with the Winter bloodline records.

“Are you sure?” I asked, hardly daring to hope.

Nathan nodded, his blue eyes gentle. “I even had our pack healer analyze your scent markers against the recorded Winter bloodline patterns. It’s a perfect match, Audrey. You are undoubtedly a Winter.”

With each verification, my heart grew lighter. My wolf settled comfortably within me, as if a weight had been lifted from both of us.

“Thank you,” I said, the words feeling inadequate for the relief he’d brought me. “You have no idea what this means to me.”

“I think I do,” he said softly.

“Let me cook you some venison,” I offered, already heading toward the kitchen. “It’s the least I can do to thank you.”

Nathan caught my hand, stopping me. “Don’t be so formal with me,” he reminded me with a gentle smile. “And it’s late. I should head back to the Snowfang territory.”

At the door, he paused, a curious expression on his face. “May I ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“What’s your relationship with Florian Stormhowl?” His tone was casual, but I sensed genuine curiosity behind the question. “You seem different around him.”

“Different?” I echoed, surprised by the observation. “We’re just… pack acquaintances. That’s all.”

He studied me for a moment longer. “If you say so,” he finally replied, though he didn’t sound entirely convinced. “Good night, Audrey.”

After Nathan left, I returned to my laptop and searched through Florian’s pack forum account. I found the photo of the wolf figurine easily-it had been posted three years ago without any caption.

The image showed a brown, somewhat crudely shaped wolf container sitting beside his pillow. Bathed in moonlight, it radiated a peaceful atmosphere despite its rough craftsmanship. Even from just the photo, I could sense how precious it was to him, deepening my guilt about breaking it.

The next morning, I messaged Florian to apologize again, but received no response. I took the pack transport service to work, trying not to dwell on the incident.

Life suddenly became unexpectedly peaceful. I focused on designing new healing herb formulations for Elder Stormhowl and Elder Shadowcrest, tailoring elements to their wolf health needs and preferences. My days fell into a productive rhythm, and even the thought of Arthur and Emma’s approaching mate marking ceremony began to feel distant, like something happening to someone else.

The night before the ceremony, I slept surprisingly well. In the morning, I dressed casually in a cream-colored sweater, light blue jeans, and comfortable boots. I was attending as a healing specialist, not as a guest, and my appearance reflected that professional detachment.

Reality only hit me when Sarah’s car stopped at the Moonstone Pack territory entrance. I was attending my former mate’s marking ceremony. The thought felt surreal, almost absurd.

“Arthur Moonstone & Emma Shadowcrest,” announced elegant gold lettering at the entrance to the elaborately decorated pack grounds.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. This was just business. I was here to ensure the proper application of my healing formula, nothing more.

Sarah glanced around at the lavish decorations inside the ceremonial hall-crystal wolf statues, golden moonlight flowers, and rare healing herbs arranged in elaborate displays. The space had been transformed into a silver and gold winter wonderland, far more extravagant than anything I’d ever seen in the Moonstone territory.

“Pack resources make everything better,” she remarked sarcastically, keeping her voice low. “His second mate marking is even grander than the first.”