All Chapters of Once His Mate, Now His Regret: Chapter 81 - Chapter 90

I didn't sleep well after what happened the night before. My wolf was feeling even more discomfort. Like he wanted to crawl out of me and run to-I woke up to the sound of soft knocking.At first, I thought it was in my dream. A hollow thudding echo that had nothing to do with the waking world. But it didn’t stop. Just three gentle taps—pause. Then three again. Almost cautious.I sat up, rubbing my eyes and trying to blink away the fog of restless sleep. I hadn’t slept well—not with everything running through my mind. Aurielle’s email, Nerissa showing up at that goddamn hotel like some wild card in a game that was no longer hers to play. My mind was a mess, a twisted jungle of emotion and responsibility. Guilt. Confusion. Longing.The knocking came again.I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood, stretching slightly before padding across the room and unlocking the door.It creaked open.Nerissa stood there in one of her silk robes, eyes wide and watery, like she’d been pract

Monday morning came with a heaviness I couldn’t quite name.Maybe it was the knowledge that I’d be wrapping up this whirlwind visit. Maybe it was knowing I’d have to sit across from Matthias one last time. Or maybe it was just the accumulated ache of being near so many ghosts—ghosts of dreams, love, hope. Whatever the cause, I pushed through it. I had a job to finish.I woke early, checked and double-checked my notes, packed my things, and checked out of the hotel. My bags were in the car, ready to be taken back home as soon as I was done. This wasn’t an emotional goodbye. Just a task crossed off the list.By midmorning, I made my final rounds to each foundation—seven in total. One for abandoned or recovering women, one for adolescent girls at risk of exploitation or displacement, and one for struggling single mothers who were still adjusting to pack life and survival. As well as four others that filled out my history in this pack.Each visit was filled with a bittersweet energy. The s

While I waited for Cassiel to arrive, I made the dumbest mistake anyone freshly removed from a toxic environment could make—I opened social media.At first, it was just to pass the time. To see what the world was doing outside my little peaceful bubble. I wasn't searching for them. Truly, I wasn’t. But curiosity is a manipulative little thing. All it took was one trending headline. One stupid hashtag. One perfectly posed image of them—Matthias and Nerissa—standing side by side at a party with camera flashes painting their smiles gold.And then, like a woman walking into a fire, I scrolled.Every photo made my stomach twist tighter.They were everywhere. The pack’s golden couple, soon-to-be wed. Nerissa’s eyes glimmered, her smile all white teeth and polished perfection. She leaned into him with the eagerness of someone who wanted the world to believe she was cherished. These photos looked even more damning than the one I’d seen on the news.But it was Matthias I kept staring at.Becau

I excused myself to get changed.I found one of the upstairs bathrooms and shut the door behind me with a soft click. It wasn’t the first time I’d walked away from a meeting drenched and scratched by the claws of someone’s disappointment—but it was the first time I didn’t care. Not even a little. Not when the person waiting for me downstairs was Aurielle.I towel-dried my shirt as best I could, wringing the excess water into the sink, then used another towel to shake off the shards that clung to my neck and collarbone. A light knock on the door broke through my thoughts.Aurielle.Her voice was soft through the wood. “Hey, I, um… I brought a hoodie and a pair of sweatpants. They’re oversized. The pants stretch.”I smiled. The idea of her rummaging through her closet—picturing which of her clothes might possibly fit a man my size—was enough to bring warmth into my bones.“My pants are mostly dry,” I called back. “But I’ll take the hoodie.”When I opened the door, I found her standing

I stared at my phone long after the call had ended, the glowing screen searing itself into my vision like a curse. The line had gone dead less than two minutes ago, but I hadn’t moved an inch. I couldn’t. My hand was still clenched around the phone. My other hand was balled into a fist against the mahogany desk in my office.I couldn’t look away.I couldn’t stop replaying it—his voice.Cassiel Aldric.The ever-so-noble, polished, untouchable Alpha. So calm. So confident. Speaking to me like I was some misbehaving child tugging at his beta’s shirt.I could still hear the exact words.“Aurielle is not your personal maid.”“Try me, Crowe. Shut down those nonprofits and see how fast I blacklist your pack.”He threatened me. On my own call. Over my ex-wife.And Aurielle had given him the phone. Willingly. Easily.Why the fuck was he even there?It’s past working hours. What business does he have in her home at this hour?I stood abruptly, the chair behind me scraping loudly across the floo