Home / I Gave Up the Fifth Chair, But the Alpha Regretted Everything / Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

All Chapters of I Gave Up the Fifth Chair, But the Alpha Regretted Everything: Chapter 1 - Chapter 9

9 Chapters

Chapter 1

Caleb watched me pack the roasts into containers, one after another. He frowned, and I felt his Alpha authority rise with his irritation and press down on me."Are you done, Aria?" His broad frame filled the kitchen doorway. "We're just letting someone who's having a hard time stay for a bit. Chloe's friend has nowhere to go. We can't leave her out there alone. You should be more gracious."I sealed the last container of venison steak in black pepper sauce without slowing down."Take your food and get out of my apartment."All three of them froze.In 20 years, I had never once thrown them out.Ethan's face darkened. He started to step forward, but Caleb put out an arm and stopped him.Caleb took the bag of food. He swallowed, his expression tight. "Aria, we'll talk when you've calmed down."The three werewolves escorted Chloe out of my apartment, hovering protectively around her.Just before the door closed, Chloe looked back at me with red eyes, as if she were the rogue being driven o

Chapter 2

I hung up, took pictures of everything in the storage room, and listed it on an underground market site.In under half an hour, a bounty hunter had bought the brand-new grill.By the time Liam arrived, the storage room was half empty.He stood in the doorway and stared at me like he couldn't believe it. "You'd rather sell it to hunters than lend it to us?""Yep." I taped up the last shipping box and looked at him. "Hunters pay in gold. All you guys ever do is take."Just then, my phone buzzed.Frank, my landlord, texted, "Your lease is up next month. Still planning to renew for two more years?"The apartment sat right on the line between the human side of town and werewolf territory, close to where Caleb ran pack business.I'd been waiting for him to move in. For three years, I'd spent an hour and a half traveling between the forest and the city every day.I typed back two words, "Not renewing."Then I started sorting through everything in the apartment.Caleb's shirts took up half my

Chapter 3

Before I left, I sorted everything in the apartment into three piles.I packed everything I owned. Caleb's things went into boxes, along with everything the other three had left here over the years. I stacked it all in the hallway outside my door.Ethan's forgotten tactical gloves. Liam's steel dagger. The black shirts and combat boots Caleb had crammed into half my closet.I went through it piece by piece. I didn't miss anything, not even what they'd tossed into drawers.I used to think all this stuff meant we were close.I'd thought that leaving their things at my place meant they trusted me. That they saw it as a second home.I'd even secretly hoped that once Caleb and I were officially bonded, this would become a real home for us.Looking back now, it was laughable.They were just used to me taking care of them. They dropped by whenever they wanted to eat, sleep, or get work done. It had never occurred to them that I might get tired of it.The building manager called to ask whether

Chapter 4

On my way to the station, Chloe called me.I didn't want to answer, but she kept calling. Finally, I picked up."Aria, please don't get the wrong idea about me and Caleb," she said timidly. "Maybe I should move out of the Alpha house tonight? I don't want to get in the way of your marking ceremony. I know you've never liked me staying there, but I really don't have anywhere else to go."I closed my eyes. Here we go again.It was the same routine every time. First she played the victim, then she left the choice to me. If I showed even a little annoyance, I'd look like the one who couldn't stand her.I'd always swallowed my irritation and comforted her for Caleb's sake.But today, I didn't even have the patience to sit through her act."Okay. Move out tonight."The line went dead quiet.I spelled it out, slowly and clearly. "Move out tonight. If the wards on your apartment are broken, stay at a hotel. If you really have nowhere to go, ask your three big brothers to help you."You're a gr

Chapter 5

"Where would she go? Her wolf has only ever recognized Caleb as her mate."Liam scoffed, swinging the wine bottle carelessly in his hand."She's probably inside sulking. I bet she's pressed against the door right now, waiting for us to grovel."Caleb's face had gone dark. He didn't say anything.Chloe tugged at Caleb's sleeve, her eyes red. "Caleb... Aria must still blame me. It's all my fault. Maybe I should just go...""It's not your fault." Caleb shook off her hand, irritated. As the pack's Alpha, he was used to being in control. He was even more used to me giving in."Changing the door code? She just wants me to come crawling back and apologize in person."As they lingered outside the locked door, the elevator dinged open.Frank stepped out with the young werewolf couple from that afternoon.Frank stopped short when he saw them blocking the door. "What are you all still doing here? Didn't Ms. Hayes tell you?"Caleb went still, and a wave of his Alpha power rolled off him. "What did

Chapter 6

As soon as I reached the North, I changed my secure communications settings and blocked all Southern frequencies.Things moved fast. I took charge of the Guard's daily operations right away, and my work quickly won over the warriors under me.Magnus was impressed too, and he gave me more authority.I gradually settled into life here.After all the hurt I'd endured in the South and all the times I'd given in, I liked it better here. Here, people noticed my work and respected what I could do.Meanwhile, Caleb's life in the South was falling apart.The next morning, he sat down in his office as usual and opened the first file in a stack of pack paperwork.When he reached a land lease that needed checking, he looked up without thinking. "Aria, get me the old—"He stopped. The only other person in the office was one of his men, who said nothing.The man hesitated, then reminded him quietly, "Alpha, Ms. Hayes already left for the North."Caleb's fingers curled into a fist. After a long momen

Chapter 7

During a brutal fight against a band of rogues, Caleb's sleepless nights and restless wolf finally caught up with him. He lost focus, something he almost never did.A huge wolf seized its chance and lunged. Its claws, coated in deadly pure silver, tore through Caleb's chest.The deep wound in his chest, seared by silver, hadn't even fully scabbed over when Caleb crossed more than 600 miles of wilderness alone to reach the North.The calm, dignified Alpha he used to be was gone.He wore a wrinkled black trench coat. Faint bloodstains showed near the collar, and he smelled of bitter herbs.Dark stubble covered his jaw, and his eyes were sunken and bloodshot. He looked as worn out as a lone wolf driven from his pack.He waited beside a cold marble pillar for three days, refusing to leave.His dull eyes lit up only when I came down the steps in my black commander's armor, surrounded by my warriors."Aria..."His voice was hoarse. He hurried toward me, but the movement pulled at the wound i

Chapter 8

After Caleb left, looking like a shadow of himself, Ethan and Liam quietly arrived in a small town on the edge of the North.They didn't dare go near the heavily guarded fortress. Instead, they sent a token with a local messenger, begging to see me one last time at a tavern outside the walls.I arrived on time but gave them only long enough for one drink.The two warriors who used to be so cocky sat across from me, squirming like kids who'd done something wrong.Ethan pushed a heavy iron box across the table to me.Inside, neatly lined up, were trophies from our younger days: wolf fangs from our first hunt together, charms we'd carved for each other at our coming-of-age ceremony, and medals we'd earned on patrols down South."We were cleaning out the storage room... and we found these."Ethan kept his head down, his voice rough. "Aria, I'm sorry... At every dinner, on every patrol, you took care of us. We got so used to it that we started taking you for granted... When I pulled your ch

Chapter 9

By the next Full Moon Festival, the house the North had built for me was finished.The young Guard warriors kept asking to throw me a housewarming party, so I sent them to the hunting grounds for game.By evening, a huge bonfire was roaring in the courtyard.The young wolves brought out long oak tables. Some dressed the game, some mixed sauces, and others prepared the drinks. Laughter filled the courtyard.A new recruit who'd just passed his trials shyly asked if he could bring his sister from another camp.Then the young warrior waved his hands, flustered. "If there's not enough room, forget it, Commander. I don't want to cause you any trouble."I looked around the big courtyard and smiled. "Of course you can. There are plenty of benches in the storehouse. I'll go grab some."Jace stopped me. "Tonight, you enjoy the party. Leave the heavy lifting to us."Before he'd even finished, a few of the young warriors ran laughing into the storehouse. Together they carried out a wide bench drap

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