The Alpha's Regret: Rising From The Ash

# Chapter 2: The Secret BeneathThe rain was torrential. It masked the sound of my footsteps as I sprinted into the treeline.Sharp and relentless pain tore through my chest. The severance of a mate bond was not just emotional. It was physical. It felt as if someone had reached inside my ribcage to sever an artery. My body wanted to curl into a ball and keen for the Alpha who had just discarded me.*No,* I commanded myself. I forced my legs to move. *He is not worth the ache. He is not worth the dirt on my shoes.*I did not run blindly. That would be a rookie mistake. I ran with purpose.A waterproof duffel bag lay buried beneath the roots of an ancient oak tree three miles east of the Pack House. I had hidden it two years ago because I always knew this day might come. Being an orphan in a pack that viewed you as a burden meant you always needed an exit strategy.I reached the oak tree. My fingernails dug into the mud until I felt the canvas strap. I yanked the bag free. Inside I foun

# Chapter 4: The Art of WarThe silence in the office was heavy and suffocating. It felt less like a business meeting and more like a courtroom just before the verdict was read.Kael sat across from me. His gray eyes were locked on my face. He was searching for something. He was looking for the scared little girl who used to scrub the pack house floors. He was looking for the weak and wolfless orphan who would flinch if he raised his voice.He would not find her. That girl died in the woods five years ago."A dog," Kael repeated slowly. He did not believe me. His nostrils flared again as he tried to separate the scents in the room. "I have never smelled a canine that smelled like... that.""It is an exotic breed," I lied smoothly. I leaned back in my chair and crossed my legs. "And I did not bring you here to discuss my pets. We are on the clock, Alpha. You have burned two minutes of your time staring at me."Siena scoffed from her seat beside him. She smoothed the skirt of her white

# Chapter 6: Blood and InkThe morning sun filtered through the curtains of the cottage. It painted the wooden floorboards in stripes of gold and dust.I stood in front of the bathroom mirror. I adjusted the collar of my silk blouse. I applied a second coat of mascara to hide the sleepless night I had just endured.Every time I closed my eyes I saw Kael standing on my porch. I felt the heat of his hand on my cheek. I heard the suspicion in his voice.He knew something was wrong. His wolf sensed the truth even if his human mind could not accept it."Mommy! Look at me!"Leo ran into the bathroom. He was a blur of energy and excitement.I looked down and my heart squeezed.He was wearing the uniform for the Moonstone Academy. It was a navy blue blazer with gray trousers and a small red tie. He looked adorable. He looked smart.He also looked exactly like his father.The blazer emphasized the breadth of his shoulders. Even at four years old Leo was broader and stronger than human children

Chapter 8: The Wolf in the RainNight fell over the Blackwood territory like a heavy shroud.The rain had turned from a drizzle into a deluge. It hammered against the slate roof of the cottage. The wind howled through the trees. It sounded like the mourning cry of a thousand lost souls.I sat in the living room. The only light came from the crackling fire in the hearth. I held a glass of red wine in my hand but I had not taken a sip. My stomach was tied in knots that no amount of alcohol could loosen.Leo was asleep upstairs. Dorian was sitting in the armchair opposite me. He was sharpening a silver dagger with a rhythmic scraping sound."He is still out there," Dorian said quietly.I did not have to ask who he meant.I could feel him.It was an itch under my skin. It was a magnetic pull that tugged at my navel. Kael was close."Is he alone?" I asked."Yes," Dorian said. He paused to test the blade against his thumb. "He sent his guards away hours ago. He is sitting in his truck at th

Chapter 10: The Trojan HorseThe cottage smelled of roasted chicken and rosemary.It was a domestic scent. It was the scent of a normal family having a normal dinner on a Tuesday night.But nothing about this night was normal.I stood at the kitchen island. I chopped vegetables with a little too much force. The knife hit the cutting board with a sharp rhythm that matched the anxious beating of my heart.Leo sat at the table behind me. He was coloring in his notebook. He was humming a song he had learned at school today."Mommy," Leo said without looking up. "Is the Alpha coming to eat all the food?"I paused. I wiped my hands on a towel."He is coming to have dinner," I corrected. "And his name is Kael. You can call him Mr. Blackwood if you want to be polite.""He has big teeth," Leo observed. He switched from a blue crayon to a red one. "I saw them when he smiled. They are wolf teeth."My stomach tightened. Leo was too observant for his own good. He noticed things other children miss