His Regret: The Alpha Wants Me Back

“Luna?” The omega says, meeting me in the hallway, “Alpha Alec demanded you bring soup to the party hall right now.” There's not a single please, an order. I have been married to my husband, the Alpha of Blackwood pack, Alec Murphy for three years now and not once has he ever looked at me with affection. Everyone in the pack-house knew I wasn’t meant to be the Luna. I was an orphan, my initial plan was working in the pack-house as a caretaker in the pups section right after I finished the academy. But the day I turned eighteen, I discovered that Alpha Alec was my mate. Everything changed after I was forced to take the Luna title. The first night we spent together, he claimed that he wanted nothing to do with me even though we were supposed to be the closest in the whole world. I was just a tool to keep the peace of our pack. I was clear that I shouldn’t be dreaming of his love, ever. But the bond just kept me yearning for his attention and intimacy. He never cared, even when I lay in his bed naked, he treated me like I was nothing. He didn’t even tell me about the party, but I found out in the normal way I always find out about the pack's affairs, by overhearing it from the Omegas. Alpha Alec’s first love and former girlfriend is back in the pack. And Alex was throwing a party for her. I stood there for a while, pain and jealousy panging in my heart. I never knew it would hurt this much even after much reassurance to myself earlier. I felt like an invisible person claiming Luna's position. Tears almost gathered in my eyelids but I stopped them from falling since the Omega’s eyes were piercing mine, trying to catch my expression. “Alright, thank you.” My bottom lips quiver to force a fake smile and she nods, eyeing me with equal part pity and equal part disdain. I inhale sharply and start walking towards the kitchen. As I pass by, I can feel eyes on me, words like ‘pathetic’, ‘weak’ and ‘she’s only an orphan’ are being thrown around. It’s been three years and I still endure all of it no matter how hurtful it is, then I hide under my blanket and cry my eyes out. When I reach the kitchen, the available Omegas make space for me. I tie my hair back, carefully pouring the steaming broth into a ceramic bowl, placing it on a tray and carrying it out of the door like a servant because that's what they're expecting me to be. The party is being held in celebration of her return. His first love, the only woman he smiles at, worships, and shows love to is back, and of course, he’s going to throw a party for her. Why wouldn’t he? Did I even expect him to throw a party for a lowly person like me? Besides, he doesn't even love me. He even invited half of the pack, including her friends, the same friends that bullied me in the past just to make my life a living hell back in school. The friends who always spend their time reminding me that I am nothing but a substitute. Honestly, I just want to retire to my room and cry, but I have to serve soup like a servant to my husband and his first love. I breathed in deeply, trying to erase the thoughts flushing my mind and focused on the broth. I push the door to the hall open and warm lights spill into my eyes. People I don’t recognize are walking around, dressed in gowns and suits, dancing, huddled together with flutes of champagne. I feel out of place in my oversized sunflower floral dress in which its hems hovered over the tiled floor. Eyes are on me as I try to spot my husband, I can’t seem to find him in the throng of people. As my eyes skims through everybody expectantly, my heart skips wildly, I try to maintain composure, I can't let them see how I feel or they'll mock me. The room was glowing with different lights, laughter and chattering filled the room, gentle music played in the background and I could smell the expensive champagne that wafted in my nose. My eyes moved around the room hurriedly until I stopped on them. Alec and Scarlet. His hands were wrapped around her waist in affection as they danced gently to the rhythm of the music. He had this kind of gentle smile on his lips that I have never seen before, so gentle and mild that I would never have guessed this was the same man that I married. I stared at them for quite some time, wishing inside me that I was the one he was dancing with, his hands should be wrapped around my waist. My eyes flickered in pain, the broth still streaming on the tray. My heart tightened and a tear dropped, I wiped it off immediately before anyone else could notice. “Even if he doesn't love me, isn't putting his hands around another woman's waist considered cheating?” I murmured to myself coldly and my lips turned to a frown. My eyes followed their bodies as it moved easily to the music while brushing each other’s lips with that smile still on his face. His eyes lit up, as if she was his entire world. I couldn’t help but stare and keep on wishing that was me until our eyes met. I waved at him but a frown settled on his face immediately, his looks were evident that he was displeased. My heart skipped a beat when I noticed his expression, I still had a foolish smile on my lips hoping he'd wave or smile back but he did none. From afar, his eyes brushed over my body uncomfortably and at that instant, I knew I wasn't wanted here so I needed to deliver the soup and leave immediately. But it was already too late, she saw me too. An immediate smile curved her lips and my stomach went cold. I never expected Scarlet would see me. I just wanted to deliver this soup quietly and leave, but now, she’s walking towards me with that fake smile still plastered on her face, making me feel uneasy and sick to my stomach. Scarlet was still the same; smug smirk, mocking expression, glossy lips, face full of make up and eyes full of pure hatred for me but most of all, fake. “Wow, you actually came. When Alec told me you were bringing the soup, I didn't really believe you’d do that, but here you are.” The voice I hadn't heard in years was full of life but sounded more like a mockery. My stomach churned, she didn't deserve the plate of soup especially after everything I went through to get it boiled and seasoned perfectly to her taste. I forced a smile on my lips, “Welcome back, Scarlet.” was the only thing I could utter. “Thank you for taking care of Alec all this time for me while I was gone, Lena, I’m really grateful. Now that I’m back, you should do yourself a favor and leave for your own life, shouldn’t you?” Her tone was the same like back in high school; commanding and pompous. I breathed gently, I wasn't going to get walked over again like in high school, “I’m the Luna now,” I said, calm but clear and trying to state a fact, “You have to watch your tone.” Just as if in cue, her friends walked towards her with irritation on their face. The same way they had it on when they wanted to bully me back in the academy. The moment they were close enough to me, one of my past tormentors scoffed, “Why don’t you just admit that you’re nothing but a homewrecker. Now that Scarlet’s back, you should obviously know your place and disappear, Lena.” “And you think I’d just disappear quietly after standing by his side for three years? That’s a wish that would never come true, girls.” I said with a quick, deep frown settling in my lips. Enraged, one of them raised her hand, ready to hit me any moment from now, but Scarlet quickly intervened and pulled a sweet fake smile on her face, “I apologize on their behalf,” then she stared at the girls briefly, “They just saw the chemistry between me and Alec. I mean, isn’t it really amazing to know we still feel for each other after three years?" What the heck? They still felt for each other, so I’m the villain who destroyed their relationship? My grip on the tray tightened as I clenched my jaw, then someone bumped into me from behind and the soup flew. Hot broth splashed across Scarlet’s legs and dress. She gasped in shock while staggering backwards. Before my brain could process everything that just happened a few seconds ago, someone shoved me aside hard and I stumbled. My foot slipped on the tiled floor and in the next second, cold water covered me whole. The water hit me hard. The pool closed in over my head, panic surged within me. I tried breathing and swimming but I failed woefully at both. My lungs were burning and my vision was slowly becoming blurry, I tried screaming for help but I just couldn’t. As my vision blurred, I saw Alec. He ran straight towards Scarlet, scooped her up like a long lost princess that had just been found while shouting and ordering. Concern and desperation written all over his face. I tried muttering his name while fighting for life but the only thing that came out of my mouth were bubbles. I stared at him while waiting for my last breath, tears after tears rolling down my cheeks. Deep down, I wished he would at least look my way and give me that same worrying look he was giving her right now since I needed him too. He didn’t even take a quick glance at the pool, not even once until darkness was slowly closing around me.