Lahat ng Kabanata ng The Alpha's Greatest Regret: Kabanata 261 - Kabanata 270

ALICE’S POVThe first morning without any guard reporting trouble should have felt normal, but it didn't.I woke up before the sun came up and just lay there listening, waiting for a phone to ring or for boots to run down the hall. The house stayed quiet the whole time. Nobody called Benjamin away, and nobody told us we had to keep Lucian inside.Lucian's bag sat open on the desk chair. He had already packed three shirts, two pairs of socks, his wooden wolf, and so many soccer cards that the zipper almost couldn't close. He kept putting things in and taking them back out again, and he frowned at the pile every few minutes like he was worried he might forget something important.Benjamin leaned against the bedroom door frame. He was already dressed and just watching Lucian.Lucian smiled at him and then got serious. "If I take my stuff to Blue Moon, does that mean I won't live here anymore?"I stopped folding the clothes. Benjamin walked in and sat down on the edge of the bed next to

Benjamin's POVThe footsteps outside my bedroom door were so quiet that I almost thought they were just the house making normal night sounds. But my wolf heard them first. He went completely still, and I felt a low warning in my chest. There was a light step, then a pause, and then another step. Someone was trying very hard not to make noise.I put my phone down and stood up.When I opened the door, Lucian was standing in the hallway. He was barefoot and pale. His pajamas were twisted at the waist, and his hair was sticking up on one side. He was holding his wooden wolf tightly against his chest.He looked at me and then looked down at the floor. "Dad? Are you awake?""Yes," I said. I stepped to the side and held the door open. "Come in, son."He stood there for a second and then walked into the room. A few weeks ago he had asked me if I could teach him how to stop believing he was a mistake. I had told him to come to me whenever that thought came back. I told him he could come to any

ALICE'S POVThe morning after I kissed Benjamin, I woke up still feeling his hands on my waist and his forehead against mine. I smiled at the ceiling for a few seconds and then got out of bed. One kiss had not fixed everything between us, but it made me want to try again.Benjamin was already in the kitchen pouring coffee into two cups. He looked up when I walked in, and his face softened right away."Good morning," he said, and he slid one cup across the counter toward me."Good morning." I took the cup carefully so our fingers would not touch. I did not trust myself yet. "You're up early.""I couldn't sleep."I sat down in a chair and looked at him. "Should I be worried?"He tried not to smile. "That depends. Are you going to question me before breakfast?""Only if you look guilty."He laughed, and the tight feeling in my chest eased a little. We talked about Lucian's plans for the day and the repairs on the eastern wing while we drank our coffee.When I finished my cup, he reached

ALICE'S POVThe last of the guests finally went home. The feast had been loud and warm, and Lucian had reminded everyone about his list of presents at least four times. Now the ceremony grounds were quiet under the moon. Benjamin kept his hand on the small of my back as we walked to the newly mated suite. The elders had prepared it for us in a private wing of the pack house. The silver symbols on the doors glowed softly when we got close.The door closed behind us. My wolf rolled over inside me and started purring at his scent. It was pine and rain and something that was only Benjamin. The suite smelled of fresh cedar. The big bed was already turned down, and the lamps were set low. I was still wearing the ivory gown, and the pearl band felt cool against my forehead.Benjamin turned to face me. He lifted the band out of my hair and set it on the table next to the silver crescent pin he had worn all night. His fingers brushed my temple and stayed there a little longer than they needed

BENJAMIN'S POVI woke up before the sun came up and felt my wolf moving under my skin. Soft light was coming through the curtains, and Alice was still asleep next to me with her hand under her cheek. She was breathing slowly and evenly. I carefully pushed a piece of hair away from her face so I would not wake her up.There was an eastern patrol report waiting on my desk. Callum had left a message about a council meeting, and I had pack business that needed to be done before noon. The old version of me would already have been getting dressed and heading out the door. But this morning I stayed in bed a little longer and just watched my wife sleep. Then I got dressed quietly and went downstairs before anyone else in the house woke up.The moment I opened the front door, I heard a soccer ball hitting the grass.Lucian was outside on the lawn in his pajamas. His hair was sticking up in every direction. He was kicking the ball toward two goals he had made out of flowerpots, and neither of