8. An Alpha’s Regret.

Kael’s POV

“You look like shit,” Ethan said as he stepped into my study.

It was late at night, and I still couldn’t get some sleep. I couldn’t keep my mind off Asher and Aurelia. They were right there waiting for me to take them back. Or at least that was what I thought. Aurelia wouldn’t forgive me easily for what I’d done. I didn’t expect her to. It had been a mistake. A mistake that I couldn’t take back.

Throughout dinner, I was lost in my thoughts and even after that as I put Eliana to sleep, she could tell that something was bugging me. I didn’t expect seeing Aurelia once again to hurt this much. But it did.

I sighed as Ethan walked towards my desk. I was seated with a bottle of bourbon before me. Ethan had a smirk on and I couldn’t tell if he was mocking me.

“Why would you call me so late to your study?” He asked, taking a seat before the desk.

I didn’t answer him. Instead, I reached into one of the drawers and pulled out another glass for him. Ethan seemed appreciative as I filled his glass with bourbon. I watched him sip it with a sigh of satisfaction. The liquor didn’t help like it should. It couldn’t put me to sleep. If I didn’t get any, I would be a huge mess tomorrow.

“Okay. Are you now going to tell me what’s bugging you?” Ethan asked.

I clenched my jaws at that. I already knew what he was going to say when I told him about Asher and Aurelia. He’d advised me against letting her go so easily, but I’d been blinded by rage and disappointment that I couldn’t see the path that was laid out for me. It was too late now to get Aurelia back. But maybe there was still a huge chance for Asher. And this time, I wasn’t going to mess it up.

“Earth to Kael,” Ethan said, snapping his fingers which sprang me out of my thoughts.

I rubbed my head and sighed, setting down the glass of liquor.

“What’s going on with you, Kael?” He asked, his tone worrisome. “It looked like you saw a ghost.”

“I saw Aurelia today, Ethan,” I finally said.

His brows furrowed.

“What?”

I nodded.

“And she had a boy with him. He had the same features as me. My son.”

Ethan’s mouth hung open as he heard that. This was the exact expression I’d expected from him. None of us had expected Aurelia to be pregnant when we locked her up. If we had, I would have treated her with much more care. I could remember the hurt in her eyes as I rejected her. Maybe she hadn’t been lying after all.

“She was pregnant?” Ethan asked, setting the glass down.

“It seems so.”

Ethan sighed and silence filled the room a minute later. We didn’t know our next move. We’d thought our plan had flown out the window, but now there was still a chance. And if there was a chance of helping my pack become this powerful, then I wouldn’t give up until it became a reality. It’s what my father would have wanted.

The sound of the crickets became louder and the silver light from the moon washed into the dimly lit room, bathing the shelves with its light.

“Is there anything else?” Ethan finally asked. “I mean, we must retrieve the boy.”

I nodded in concurrence, picking up the glass to take another sip.

“Yes. But it isn’t going to be as easy as it seems,” I said, recalling the silver-haired man and Aurelia’s strange aura. She was the leader of that pack, the Alpha. Who would have thought that she would become the leader of the pack, I saved her many years ago. It was ironic.

“What do you mean?” Ethan asked.

“She’s gotten stronger and somewhat used to her primordial powers,” I replied. “Although it looks like she hasn’t discovered the peak of her powers. All I want is my son.”

Ethan was quiet as he scratched his chin. He was deep in thought.

“What if we get Aurelia as well?” He asked out of curiosity. “She still has the power to sire many more of her kind. It would be helpful and save years of hard work. Just think about the possibilities….”

“No!” I growled, slamming my fist on the table. I was infuriated by his suggestion. Aurelia was gone. I’d rejected her. She wouldn’t come back even though I went back. That door had been closed five years ago, there was no need to go back to it.

“Sorry,” he finally said, apologizing. “I didn’t mean to overstep my boundaries.”

I nodded before taking a sip of my bourbon. The liquor burned at the back of my throat and I sighed in satisfaction, dropping the empty glass.

“We will focus on getting my son,” I said. “The rest will be much easier.”

Ethan nodded and rose from his chair. “I’ll look into it. But first, I need to know where she is now.”

“She went back to her old pack, the Red Moon. It seems she’s the Alpha there now,” I replied.

Ethan nodded, and just then, I heard a sound coming from the hallway. My eyes widened at the possibility of someone eavesdropping on us and I darted to the door in a flash, swinging it open.

“What’s that?” Ethan asked, coming behind me.

I was hoping to catch the spy, but the hallway was dark and soulless—there was nobody there. But I couldn’t deny it. It felt like someone had been watching us.

If someone knew about this, it could jeopardize everything I’d set in stone. And I wasn’t going to let that happen, no matter who it was.