All Chapters of Alpha's Regret: Return of the Rejected Mate: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Penelope’s POVI looked around the room, scanning for any sign of Dominic. The hallway behind Edward remained empty. My gaze returned to Edward, a hint of urgency creeping into my voice.“Didn’t Dominic come back with you?”Edward’s face fell, his expression shifting to one of dejection. He lowered his head, unable to meet my eyes for several long seconds. When he finally looked up, his amber eyes showed what appeared to be genuine sorrow.“There was an accident,” he said softly. “We were both trying to reach the wolf vine. It was growing on the cliff face, difficult to access.” He paused, swallowing hard. “We accidentally fell off the cliff while fighting for the wolf vine.”My breath caught in my throat.“I managed to grab onto a ledge,” Edward continued. “But Dominic…” He shook his head slowly. “Competition is competition, but I never thought it would turn out like this.”His words crashed in my mind, echoing painfully inside my skull. My heart ached as if physically torn in two. A

Penelope’s POV“Her condition has stabilized,” the healer told me, glancing at the monitors surrounding Debbie’s small bed. “The wolf vine extract neutralized most of the silver toxin. Your blood transfusion did the rest.”I nodded automatically, barely processing his words. My body felt hollow, like someone had scooped out my insides and left nothing but an empty shell.“She needs rest now,” he continued. “The IV will keep her hydrated. With luck, she’ll wake by morning.”“Thank you,” I mumbled.The healer patted my shoulder awkwardly before leaving the room. The door clicked shut behind him. Silence settled over us.I stared at my daughter’s face. Her color had improved. Her breathing came easier now. The immediate danger had passed. I should have felt relieved, but the weight on my chest only grew heavier.Dominic. Gone.My phone rang. Ryan’s name flashed on the screen. I grabbed it, heart leaping into my throat.“Did you find him?” I demanded.“We’ve searched the area below the cli

Dominic’s POVI sat on the hard bench outside the hospital room, as far away from Edward as possible. The long corridor was quiet except for the beeping of machines. Nurses walked by, giving us curious looks. The bench felt cold through my pants. My back hurt, but I didn’t move. I had to stay close to protect Penelope and Debbie.Edward sat at the other end of the bench, looking too calm. Penelope told us to stay quiet, so a tense silence remained between us. I glared at him hard, trying to figure out what was wrong with him. Something about Edward didn’t add up. The way he moved, the way he talked—it all seemed fake somehow.“You’re good at acting,” I said, breaking the silence. “You’ve got Penelope fooled with this nice guy act.”Edward didn’t get mad. He just looked at me with that smug smile that made me want to punch him. He adjusted the sleeve of his expensive shirt like my words meant nothing.“I must say, I’m impressed,” he said, his voice cool and dismissive. “You’re hard to k

Penelope’s POVI woke up with a start, my neck stiff from sleeping in the hospital chair. My mouth tasted stale and my eyes felt gritty. I’d been next to Debbie’s bed all night, only dozing off when exhaustion finally won.I lay with my head on the mattress, my body slumped forward from the chair. My back ached from the awkward position. The shrill and once annoying bleep of the heart monitor had become a constant background noise that I hardly noticed anymore.Stretching my sore muscles, I looked through the glass door of the hospital room. Dominic was slumped on the bench outside, his head slightly lowered like he was asleep. His clothes were wrinkled and dirty, and dark stubble covered his jaw. He looked like he hadn’t left that spot all night.In his hand, he clutched a new toy package, the plastic wrapper crinkling slightly as his fingers twitched in sleep. He’d bought it for Debbie. The sight made something twist in my chest.I stood up quietly, trying not to wake Debbie. My legs

Dominic’s POVI stood before my parents in the grand hall of our pack house, my head lowered. The huge stone fireplace roared behind them, making them look orange in its light. Old weapons and family crests hung on the walls.My father sat in his large chair, looking at me with open disappointment. His fingers drummed on the armrest. I knew this was a sign of his irritation. My mother stood beside him, and her face was utterly blank. It gave nothing away.“Didn’t you say before that you didn’t like Kelsey?” My father’s question hit like a slap. “How did you end up sleeping with her? Now she’s even pregnant with your child.”I had no good answer. The truth was, I couldn’t remember that night at all. My mind was completely blank when I tried to recall it.“I don’t know what happened,” I admitted, studying the pattern in the wooden floor. “My mind is blank. I remember drinking with her, but nothing after that.”It was strange. I usually held my liquor well. Even on my worst nights, I neve