Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna Left novel Chapter 41

(Audrey’s POV)

The air in the car was suffocatingly tense. Arthur’s words about wanting children only with me were still ringing in my ears. They didn’t feel like a revelation or a promise – they felt like a cruel joke.

I stared out of the window, trying to keep the tears from falling. The weight of everything between us was bearing down on me. My hands rested over my stomach instinctively – a desperate attempt to comfort myself.

Then his phone rang. The sound cut through the thick silence between us. Before either of us could react, the car’s Bluetooth system connected, and a voice I deeply hated pierced the space.

“Arthur? Where are you?”

It was Victoria. Her whiny voice made my stomach churn with disgust.

Arthur’s jaw tightened immediately. I watched as his grip on the steering wheel grew so tight that his knuckles turned white. He didn’t answer her right away, his eyes focused on the empty road ahead.

“Arthur,” she pouted, her voice dripping with entitlement. “I need something!”

I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. The nausea building up inside me made it feel as if I might throw up at any moment. I kept my gaze on Arthur, waiting to see how he would handle this.

“What is it, Victoria?” His tone was clipped, clearly trying to keep some semblance of control.

“Blueberry cheesecake,” she declared as if it were the most urgent thing in the world. “The baby wants it. And I want you to bring it. And, Arthur, you have to feed it to me yourself.”

I couldn’t stop the bitter laugh that escaped me. Of course, it had something to do with her “pregnancy cravings.”

Arthur’s face darkened, and without a word, he reached for the dashboard. The Bluetooth connection was cut off abruptly, her voice immediately fading. Relief washed over the car, but only for a moment.

And then, Arthur stepped out of the car. He slammed the door behind him harder than necessary, leaving me to stew in my anger.

I sat quietly in the passenger seat, unable to steady my breathing. My body trembled with frustration, and I clenched my hands together so tightly that my nails dug into my palms. Inside me, Grace whimpered, sensing the storm raging within me.

When Arthur returned, his expression was stiff. He looked at me for only a second before lowering his gaze.

“Daniel will drive you home,” he muttered, almost too quietly to hear.

I let out a hollow laugh, one devoid of any humor. “Of course,” I said, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “Victoria needs her cheesecake, after all.”

He flinched at my words but said nothing in return.

My anger boiled over, and I shoved the door open, stepping out into the cool air. “You know what hurts the most, Arthur?” I asked bitterly. “I feel like I’m nothing more than a substitute. Someone you call when your real mate doesn’t need you.”

His head snapped up, his dark eyes narrowing at my words. “Audrey, that’s not-“

“Not true?” I cut him off sharply. “Don’t even bother lying to me. You and I both know where your loyalty lies.”

I took a shaky breath and clenched my fists. “I’ll bring back every single thing you’ve ever given me. Consider it… cleaning house. I don’t need anything from you.”

I turned on my heel, not caring where I was walking, as long as it was away from him.

But Arthur wasn’t done. Before I could step too far, his hand wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back toward him.

“I said I’ll handle Victoria’s situation,” he said firmly, his voice rough and commanding.

“Handle it?” I scoffed. “You’ve been ‘handling it’ for years, Arthur. And every time she threatens to hurt herself, you drop everything for her. You always run back, and you leave the mess behind.”

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall in front of him.

“There’s nothing left in this mate bond for me,” I said, my voice cracking slightly. “I just want to be free.”

Arthur’s entire demeanor shifted. The warmth he usually kept buried beneath his cold exterior vanished entirely. His grip on my wrist tightened slightly, not enough to hurt but enough to make my heart pound.

“Free?” he growled through gritted teeth. His other hand reached up, and before I could react, his fingers gripped my jaw, tilting my face upward to meet his eyes.

“Are you telling me you feel nothing for me? Not one ounce of loyalty or love?” His voice was trembling slightly, though whether it was from anger or something else, I couldn’t tell.

I couldn’t speak. Words stuck in my throat as I felt the weight of his Alpha presence pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.

(Audrey’s POV)

The next morning felt like yet another challenge to survive. As I walked into the Moonstone Therapy Center, I could feel the stares. The whispers. The judgment being passed behind my back.

Every colleague seemed to know about the strained relationship between Arthur and me. The pity-filled glances and hushed conversations only made me feel more exposed.

I tried to focus on my work. Patient files, notes-anything to distract myself from the chaos swirling around me.

But then, as if the universe wanted to push me further, she arrived.

Victoria’s voice carried down the hallway before I saw her. It was loud, cheerful, and filled with the kind of pride that made my skin crawl.

“Oh, Audrey!” she called out as she entered the therapy center, her hand resting dramatically on her stomach.

I clenched my fists, refusing to look up from the papers in front of me.

“Have you heard the wonderful news?” she asked, her tone dripping with fake sweetness.

I didn’t answer. I didn’t need to. Her voice was loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

“Arthur promised to take responsibility for me and my baby,” she announced proudly. “He said he’d never let us face anything alone.”

The pen in my hand snapped, the sharp sound drawing a glance from nearby colleagues. Ink spread across the surface of my papers, but I didn’t care.

Victoria’s smile grew as she basked in the attention. Her hands cradled her stomach, her expression one of exaggerated affection.

“This little one is so lucky to have Arthur,” she said, her voice practically glowing with satisfaction.

Her words were like daggers to my heart, cutting deeper with every syllable. And as her gaze flicked over to me, I realized she knew exactly what she was doing.