My Alpha's Greatest Regret

First person's POV There are two things every wolf in Crescent Moon Pack knows: The first is that Alpha Damon Blackwood is powerful,and the second is that he doesn't belong to anyone. He does not belong to the beautiful she-wolves who throw themselves at his feet,not to the daughters of neighboring Alphas who dream of becoming his Luna and certainly- Not to me. Yet for as long as I can remember, I have loved him. The feeling settled inside my chest years ago and refused to leave,like a stubborn flame. It laid there quiet,steady and dangerous. I stood on the balcony overlooking the training grounds, my fingers curled around the wooden railing as the afternoon sun beat against my skin. Below, dozens of wolves sparred across the field,but my eyes found only one,just the way they always did. Damon moved through the crowd with the confidence of someone born to lead. So tall,broad-shouldered,strong,every movement of his carried authority. Even from a distance, he commanded attention. The warriors around him looked like boys trying to imitate a king. A punch landed,One of the younger wolves stumbled backwards,Damon said something I couldn't hear,the warrior immediately straightened. He stood embarrassed while the other wolves laughed. I smiled within myself. I mean that was typical of Damon. Alpha Damon was strict,demanding,Impossible to please,and somehow everyone still admired him,Including me. Most especially me. "You are staring again." I nearly jumped. Turning around, I found my best friend Lena leaning against the doorway. Her amused grin already told me exactly what she was thinking. "I wasn't staring." "You were." "I was observing." Lena laughed. "Right. Observing." I rolled my eyes. "Why are you here?" "Because your shift at the infirmary ended an hour ago." I winced. Oops!!. She folded her arms. "You forgot again." "It's not my fault." "It absolutely is." I glanced back toward the training grounds. Damon had removed his shirt. My brain immediately stopped functioning. Lena groaned. "Oh Moon Goddess, you're hopeless." Heat rushed into my cheeks. "Can you blame me?" "Yes." She pointed dramatically towards the field. "That man has ignored you for three years." "Four." Lena stared. "You counted?" I immediately regretted answering,Her expression turned horrified. "You counted." I buried my face in my hands. "Please stop talking." She laughed so hard she nearly doubled over. But unfortunately, she wasn't wrong- It had been four years. Four years since my wolf first recognized Damon,four years since my heart decided it belonged to him. Four years of watching him,helping him,supporting him,loving him without him ever noticing...or maybe he noticed...Maybe he simply didn't care. That possibility hurt more than I liked it so I pushed the thought away. Damon wasn't cruel. Distant? Maybe he was. Arrogant? An attribute he definitely couldn't hide. Frustrating? Every single day. But not cruel,He was not cruel. Well at least, that's what I told myself. "You're doing it again." I blinked. "Doing what?" "Defending him." I frowned. "I'm not." "You always do." Lena's smile softened. "Ava..." The concern in her voice made me uncomfortable,because I knew what was coming next. "You deserve someone who actually sees you." I looked away. The training grounds blurred slightly. Not because of distance,but because I suddenly didn't want to look at them anymore. "Ava." "I'm fine." "You say that every time." "Because I am." Lena didn't look convinced. The truth was, I didn't know if I believed it either. Loving Damon had become such a normal part of my life that I wasn't sure who I would be without it. Maybe I sounded pathetic,but it was true. A loud cheer suddenly erupted from below and both of us looked down. The training session had ended. Several wolves crowded around Damon. They were laughing,talking,trying to get his attention. He accepted it naturally like breathing,like sunlight and like power. Then something unexpected happened: His gaze lifted and for one impossible second, our eyes met. My heart stopped. The entire world seemed to freeze around me,I couldn't breathe,couldn't move,couldn't think. Damon's expression remained unreadable,and then— He nodded just once before turning away. And that was it,as if nothing had happened,as if he hadn't just shattered my ability to function for the rest of the day. Lena stared at me. "Oh no." "What?" "You have that look." "What look?" "The one where a single glance from Damon keeps you alive for another month." I groaned,because unfortunately...She was right. That evening, the pack house buzzed with excitement,warriors moved through the halls carrying supplies,servants rushed between rooms,everyone seemed unusually busy. I caught one of the cooks before she disappeared into the kitchen. "What's happening?" She looked surprised. "You didn't hear?" "Hear what?" "The banquet." My stomach dropped. "The banquet?" She nodded enthusiastically. "Tomorrow night." Then she lowered her voice. "They say Alpha Damon is bringing a special guest." My smile faltered. "A guest?" "That's the rumor." Before I could ask another question, she hurried away,leaving me frozen in the middle of the hallway. A strange feeling settled in my chest. It felt like unease. I felt cold,heavy,I didn't know why. Maybe it was nothing,maybe it was just another rumor,just another meaningless story. But as I stood there beneath the warm glow of the lanterns, my wolf stirred restlessly beneath my skin warning me and for the first time in years... I felt afraid,and I had no idea that by this time tomorrow, everything I believed about Damon Blackwood would begin to fall apart. If there was one thing I had learned recently, it was that I hated banquets. Like I literally hated them. I hated the dresses,the gossip,I hated the forced smiles and most of all... I hated the way every banquet somehow found a new and creative way to ruin my life. Well,unfortunately for me,tonight was no exception. The grand hall of Crescent Moon Pack glittered beneath hundreds of crystal lanterns,music drifted through the air,Servants moved between tables carrying silver trays,Pack leaders from neighboring territories filled the room,Warriors stood along the walls,Alphas and Betas exchanged greetings. Everyone looked important,everyone looked confident,they all looked like they belonged,Unlike me... "Ava. I glanced up,Lena was adjusting her dress while trying to glare at her own reflection. An impressive talent, honestly. "You look beautiful." She snorted."You need glasses." I laughed,the sound felt strange. It felt lighter than it had in days. "Seriously," Lena continued. "Try enjoying yourself tonight." "I'll try." She narrowed her eyes. "You won't." "Probably not." "At least you're honest." The banquet officially began an hour later,and like every other event in this pack...Everything revolved around Damon Blackwood. I spotted him immediately. Of course I did. My traitorous eyes always found him first. The Alpha stood near the center of the room speaking with visiting leaders. He stood Confident,Powerful,effortlessly commanding attention and beside him stood his favourite mistake-"Selene". She was one of the reasons I hated banquets. The last banquet was when he Introduced her and everyone seemed to know they were the perfect match including myself,because surprisingly even when she left,whenever she came back-He always kept choosing her. At this point, seeing them together felt inevitable like sunrise,like breathing,like disappointment. My chest tightened only slightly,not enough to ruin my evening at least... That's what I told myself. The large entrance doors suddenly opened,the room fell silent. It was a new arrival. Several guests entered,the atmosphere shifted instantly,even Damon looked toward the entrance,curiosity swept through the hall. I followed everyone's gaze and froze. The man entering wasn't someone I recognized. He was tall,broad shoulders,dark clothing,dark hair,a scar traced the edge of his jaw,His silver eyes swept across the room calmly and Confidently,like he feared absolutely nothing. Whispers immediately erupted around the hall. "That's him?" "Shadow Fang's Alpha?" "I heard he defeated three rogue packs last year." "No way." "Look at him." I frowned. Shadow Fang? The name sounded vaguely familiar. Lena leaned closer. "Well." "What?" "He's terrifying." I blinked. "That's your observation?" "He looks like he could kill someone and then ask what's for dinner." I laughed within myself,because she wasn't entirely wrong. The man actually looked dangerous,not cruel,not violent,just...Dangerous. Like someone who noticed everything. The mysterious Alpha exchanged greetings with several leaders,then something strange happened,His eyes moved across the room casually, Slowly until they landed on me and stopped. My smile disappeared and for one strange second... He simply stared. Not rudely,not aggressively, Just intensely-Like he'd suddenly found something unexpected,Something interesting. My stomach tightened. Do I know him? I didn't think so, I'd definitely remember someone like that. Yet the feeling remained Unsettling. The moment passed,the Alpha looked away. The conversation around me resumed,but somehow... The atmosphere felt different now. He had only glanced at me,yet I couldn't shake the feeling that something had changed. Hours later, I was carrying a tray of herbal tea toward one of the side tables when disaster struck again,because apparently that was my special talent. Someone bumped my shoulder,the tray tilted and a silver cup slipped from my fingers. "Moon Goddess—" I reached for it. Too late or so I thought. A hand caught the cup before it hit the floor. The entire hall seemed to disappear,for one brief second, all I saw was the silver cup,the hand holding it and the unfamiliar silver eyes staring back at me. It was the mysterious Alpha,my pulse stumbled,not from attraction,from surprise,because he'd moved impossibly fast. "Careful." His voice was calm,deep,dangerously smooth. Heat rushed into my face. "Thank you." He handed the cup back and the moment our fingers brushed— A strange sensation shot through my body. Warm,Sharp,Powerful,I gasped softly,the Alpha froze,his expression changed instantly and for the first time all evening... He looked shocked. The feeling vanished as quickly as it came,leaving only confusion behind. What was that? The Alpha's silver eyes remained fixed on me studying,calculating,almost searching. The look made me nervous- Very nervous. "You okay?" I blinked. "What?" His gaze didn't waver. "You felt it too." It wasn't a question,my heart skipped. "What exactly did I feel?" For a moment, neither of us spoke,then something unreadable crossed his face...Almost concern,almost disbelief,then it disappeared. Hidden,gone,like it had never been there. "Ava?" I turned,Lena stood nearby watching us,Confused,Suspicious,then the Alpha finally stepped back,His attention remained fixed on me. As though I'd become the most important thing in the room,which made absolutely no sense,because I was nobody...Just a healer,Just Ava...Right? The Alpha looked at me one last time,then quietly asked: "How old are you?" The question caught me completely off guard. "What?" A faint frown appeared on his face,like my answer mattered,like it was important. Then he shook his head,almost to himself. "No." I stared. "No what?" The Alpha's jaw tightened and for the first time all evening, he looked unsettled,but surprisingly not by Damon,not by politics,not by rival Alphas,but... By me and somehow...That was infinitely more frightening. Across the hall, another pair of eyes watched everything- "Damon Blackwood". I noticed him immediately,because of course I did,I always did. The Alpha wasn't speaking anymore,wasn't listening anymore,His attention was fixed entirely on us. ' On me' and on the mysterious stranger standing beside me. Something unreadable flashed across his face,gone too quickly to understand,but it definitely wasn't happiness. The silver-eyed Alpha finally looked away,then spoke softly,So softly only I could hear. "You don't know who you are, do you?" My heart stopped,the room seemed to tilt. "What?" But he was already stepping back,he was already leaving,already disappearing into the crowd,leaving me standing there Confused,Uneasy and suddenly terrified,because for the first time in years...Someone had looked at me as though I was more than a healer,more than the girl who loved Damon Blackwood,more than the woman everyone overlooked and somehow...I had a feeling that meeting him was about to change everything.