After She's Terminal, The Alpha Regrets

“Luna, the test results are in... The treatment failed. You have a terminal illness.”

The bloodstained bandages were removed. These were the first words she heard after her hearing was restored, but Elaine only trembled slightly, not saying a word.

“Your wolf is dying,” The Healer continued heavily. “The betrayal of your mate sent your wolf into a frenzy, causing you to lose your hearing. Now, the damage is worse...”

“And at this rate… you may only have six months left.”

*

On the way home, Elaine sat in the car, her mind constantly replaying the healer's words—

— Six months.

Her short life had only six months left.

The Beta’s mindlink was urgent, almost forced. "Luna, the Summit of Alpha is approaching at the end of the year, and preparations need to begin immediately. We have only 15 minutes to reach the Summit!”

“Alpha said he needs to take care of 'her' today, and he ordered you to replace him at work! Hurry up and get ready!".

Elaine had grown used to this treatment — because she was not loved by the Alpha.

Elaine was the daughter of a Beta, raised in an extremely strict family. From a young age, she was groomed to be Alpha Lucas's future Luna, with almost no freedom. She had lived her entire life for others, never once living for herself.

Elaine had always tried so hard. She too hated being bound by the arranged marriage, but she loved Lucas and was willing to endure it all for him. Though she was respected by the pack members, she was despised by the one person whose love she desperately sought—Lucas.

Lucas hated her. He despised their chosen mate bond, hated that he had to reject his true mate, Ayla, because of Elaine. Though they were married, Lucas despised her to the point where he never touched her.

...But because of this, Elaine's wolf fell into an endless frenzy of howling. She was dying.

["...Your only chance to survive is to have Alpha Lucas mark you, to strengthen the mate bond... If there’s affection between you, it might awaken your wolf and delay the decline." The Healer said to Elaine.]

 Elaine trembled, touching her still-bandaged ear, and clenched her other fist.

"...Luna? Luna?! PLEASE GO TO THE MEETING!"

 Why did her life always have to be lived for others?

 She only had six months left—did she really have to keep serving her husband and his mistress?

The car came to a stop in front of the Alpha’s villa. Elaine's grip tightened, "No. I'm not going to the meeting. I’m already home.”

"— I’m done living for others."

...This woman, who had always been so obedient and dull, was saying what?!

The Beta froze in disbelief. Before he could react, Elaine severed the mindlink. She didn’t owe him one.

When Elaine returned, the Wind Wolf estate was alive with noise. Everyone was in a frenzy, scrambling to care for the feigned illness of Kyla. The once elegant atmosphere of the villa was shattered by the chaos.

The noise was so loud that it made Elaine’s recently healed ear throb with pain. Elaine walked to the door of Alpha Lucas's bedroom, her heart pounding.

The moment she reached the door, one of the servants spotted her and panicked. "L-luna, why are you here?!"

All the servants in the villa respected Elaine, the Luna who had always been devoted and self-sacrificing. Their nervousness only fueled Elaine’s determination.

For the first time, she didn’t hesitate. She pushed Lucas's door open, ignoring their protests.

The scene was not exactly as she had expected.

Lucas was crouched beside the couch, adjusting a blanket over Ayla’s legs. His touch was tender, his expression more caring than Elaine had ever seen.

"Ayla, I have to mark you," Lucas’s voice was softer than anything Elaine had ever heard from him. "It might hurt a little... but please bear with it."

Ayla smiled up at him before catching Elaine’s eye.

Her lips curled into something faintly triumphant.

Ayla's smile turned frail, angelic, playing the victim with practiced sorrow. "Please forgive me, Luna," she whined. "I had no choice... I was sick, and he had to mark me. The mate bond would save me."

Lucas glanced at Elaine. Upon seeing her, his expression quickly turned cold. He didn’t say a word before turning back to Ayla.

He gently brushed aside Ayla’s hair from her neck, his lips pressing against it as he bit down on her nape.

Their figures intertwined, almost with a sacred beauty.

Yes, marking was supposed to be sacred... but it was her husband marking another woman.

Elaine could almost feel the same piercing sensation on the back of her neck. But this was pain. Intense pain shot through the mate bond, making her want to scream.

Betrayal.

Despair.

...Her husband would never be able to mark anyone else. She had lost the last shred of hope.

The room fell silent. The servants, expecting Luna to be furious, watched her closely.

Elaine stood there rigidly, her back straight, her posture elegant, as if no amount of pressure could make her bend.

But the Alpha just marked another woman in front of her! How could anyone be so calm?!

Elaine placed her hand over her heart, feeling the painful tug of the mate bond deep inside her. A sensation that should have broken her, but strangely, she simply smiled.

Watching this scene, she felt an odd sense of relief. Ease. And a strong sense of absurdity. The absurdity twisted her lips into a cold smile.

[...if there's affection between you, it might awaken your wolf and delay the decline...]

The Healer's voice echoed in her ears.

Affection. She wanted to laugh.

Lucas ended the mark. He placed Ayla back on the couch, turned his head, and frowned when he saw Elaine still standing there.

"Why aren’t you leaving for the meeting?" he asked.

Everyone expected Luna to snap.

But Elaine put down her bag and responded sarcastically, “I didn’t feel like going. Why should I work while you and your lover are having fun here?”

Lucas widened his eyes, studying her as though she were speaking in tongues. She had never dared speak to him like this before.

“I’m starting to think I misheard you,” Lucas said, “What you just said.”

“No,” Elaine shot back. “You didn’t. Now, could you two please get off the couch? It's disgusting.”

A cough.

Ayla coughed deliberately, pretending to be weak. She shifted on the couch, drawing their attention. A tremulous sigh escaped her.

“You must be angry with me, aren’t you?” Her voice cracked delicately, like porcelain breaking, enough to draw sympathy.

“I didn’t mean to come between you. My poor health has always been a burden to you. Maybe I’ve stayed here too long... Maybe I should go.”

Then she started coughing violently, the sound so loud it seemed like her lungs might fall out.

Lucas instantly rushed to help her.

While comforting her, he glared at Elaine. "You know she’s in bad health, yet you said that?"

Elaine couldn’t help but smile.

“What about you, Lucas? Have you ever shown me, your wife, any concern?”

A tense silence followed. Lucas’s voice turned cold. “You’re healthy, Elaine. Can’t you show some compassion for someone who isn’t?”

Elaine’s voice was sharp. “Why? She’s not your Luna. I am.”

The words hit harder than Lucas expected.

The mate bond still throbbed painfully in her chest, tightening like a fragile noose. Elaine looked at the man she had once loved most. She lifted her chin and said—

“Stop hurting each other, Lucas. Let’s reject each other.”

“Let’s divorce.”

Lucas froze. "…What?"