All Chapters of The Alpha's Regret: His Secret Hybrid Heir: Chapter 1 - Chapter 7

The rain came down in sheets, turning the forest floor into a slick mess of mud and fallen pine needles. Elena's boots slipped as she stumbled forward, her daughter's burning body clutched against her chest.Maya whimpered. The sound cut straight through Elena's heart."I know, baby. I know it hurts." Elena's voice cracked. She pulled the soaked blanket tighter around her daughter's small frame, though it did nothing against the fever tearing through the four-year-old's body. Maya's skin blazed hot enough to burn. Her tiny wolf was fighting something her human body couldn't survive alone.Shifter Fever. The words the rogue healer had whispered still echoed in Elena's mind. She needs Pack healers. Strong ones. Or she has three days at most.Three days.Elena had made her choice in less than three seconds.The Blackwood Pack border loomed ahead, marked by ancient stones half-buried in moss. She could smell it now—that distinct scent of Pack territory, of wolves who belonged to something

The hallway was too hot. Too small. Too full of Xander—his scent, his power, the raw strength rolling off him that made Elena's wolf cry out with need.​She hated it. Hated the way her body betrayed her, leaning toward him despite everything. Hated the way the mate bond wrapped around her ribs like iron bands, squeezing tighter with every breath he took. Hated that a part of her she couldn't control wanted him to close those last few inches and kiss her.​His eyes dropped to her mouth again. His pupils grew wide, swallowing the gold until only thin rings remained.​"Don't," she whispered. A warning. A plea. She wasn't sure which.​"Don't what?" His voice had gone rough, barely human. "Don't stand too close to what's mine?"​"I'm not yours. You made sure of that."​Something flickered across his face—pain, maybe, or regret—but it was gone so fast she might have imagined it. His hand came up, fingers ghosting along her jaw. Not quite touching. The heat of his skin made hers prickle.​"T

The alarm went off at five. Elena was already awake.​She'd been lying in the dark for an hour, listening to Maya breathe. It was soft and healthy. The fever was gone, leaving only a sleeping child who didn't know her mother's heart was breaking. Because in fifteen minutes, Elena would have to leave her.​The nursemaid arrived at five-twenty. She was a kind woman named Rose who smiled gently at Elena's worry.​"She'll be fine, dear. I've raised three pups of my own."​"She doesn't like to be alone when she wakes up," Elena said, her voice tight. "She'll be scared."​"I'll tell her you're working. That you'll be back soon." Rose put a warm hand on Elena's arm. "Go. Mrs. Gable doesn't like it when people are late."​Elena looked back at Maya one more time. Her daughter was curled on her side, dark hair messy on the pillow. I'm doing this for you, Elena thought. All of this is for you.​She closed the door quietly and headed downstairs.​The kitchen was like an oven. Steam hung in the ai

The stone floors of the Pack House were cold, hard, and felt like they went on forever. Elena’s knees throbbed with every scrub. Her back screamed from bending over for hours. The heavy brush in her raw, blistered hands felt like it weighed fifty pounds. She had been at it since early morning—three long hours—moving down the main hallway one slow, painful inch at a time.Warriors walked past her every few minutes. Boots thumped on the stone right next to her bucket. Not one of them looked down. To them, she was invisible. Just another servant on her knees, doing the dirty work nobody else wanted. They stepped over the soapy water without even slowing down, like she wasn’t even there.Five years ago, these same wolves would have bowed when she walked by. They would have called her Luna, smiled at her, asked how she was. They would have treated her with respect. Now? They acted like she was part of the furniture. Worse than that—like dirt on the floor they had to avoid.Elena dipped the