The Cursed Alpha’s Regret

Chapter 5: The Secret Revealed

Ethan refused to leave the valley. He and his warriors set up a temporary camp just outside the boundary lines. He was determined to earn Aria's forgiveness, or at least convince her to save his dying people.

The next morning, the sun was bright. Aria thought it was safe enough to let Leo play in the small backyard garden while she prepared some medicine. Leo was playing with a small wooden wolf toy, making little growling sounds.

"Roar! I am the big alpha wolf!" Leo shouted happily, jumping over a small bush.

Suddenly, a tall figure stepped out from behind the large oak tree near the fence. It was Ethan. He had walked up quietly, hoping to catch another glimpse of Aria. Instead, he found the little boy.

Ethan stopped in his tracks. He stared at the child. The little boy had his exact nose, his black hair, and when the boy looked up, he saw his own piercing golden eyes staring back at him. The biological connection was undeniable. The alpha bond in Ethan's blood roared to life, recognizing the child instantly.

"Who are you?" Leo asked, tilting his head. He wasn't afraid. He felt a strange, warm familiarity radiating from this big stranger.

"I... I am Ethan," Ethan whispered, his voice cracking. He dropped to his knees in the grass, tears welling up in his eyes. "What is your name, little one?"

"My name is Leo!" the boy smiled proudly. "My mommy is the smartest healer in the whole world!"

"Leo..." Ethan breathed the name. He realized the truth instantly. Aria was pregnant when she fell into the river. This was his son. The true heir to the Blood Moon Pack. A child born from the mate bond he had so cruelly rejected.

"Leo! Get away from him right now!"

Aria rushed out of the cottage, her face pale with terror. She grabbed Leo, pulling him behind her back, shielding him from Ethan’s sight. Her emerald eyes flamed with pure rage and fear. "Don't you dare touch him!"

Ethan stood up slowly, his face covered in tears of joy and deep sadness. "He is my son, Aria. He has my eyes. He has my wolf's blood. You had my child, and you hid him from me."

"He is my son!" Aria yelled, her voice shaking with emotion. "You rejected the mother, Ethan! You threw us into the river! You have no right to this child. You are nothing to him. He does not have a father."

"Aria, please," Ethan begged, taking a step closer, his hands raised in surrender. "I know I don't deserve him. I don't deserve you. But let me fix this. Let me be a father to him. Let me protect you both. Come back to the pack with me. I will make you my Luna. I will give you everything."

"I don't want your titles, and I don't want your pack!" Aria shouted. "You only want us now because you see power in my son and because you are dying. Your love is fake, Ethan. Get out of my face!"

She turned and marched back into the cottage, slamming the door tightly behind her. Ethan stood in the garden, his heart breaking into a million pieces. He realized that chasing her back was going to be the hardest battle of his life, but he was determined to spend his last breath trying.