The Alpha’s Regret

Chapter Two

My mind raced, piecing together fragments of conversations, half-truths. Scared of what to believe. This wasn’t about strengthening the Pack. This was about getting rid of her.

But why?

Queen Luna had abolished marriage alliances, making them null and void. So unless this was arranged years ago—before the new rule—this wedding shouldn’t even be happening. Which meant there was something more, something deeper at play.

Damien’s POV

How is this happening so fast? I can't believe I have to get married to a random she-wolf just because she is Alpha Thorn’s daughter. Why is Mum letting this happen without an objection?

I could have just easily signed the alliance form with the duty to protect their Pack, without having to marry her. If that were possible.

Marriage alliances had been abolished, it's been outdated since the reign of the new Queen, I still can't fathom why they are so bent on going through with it, we do not have to honor this agreement.

I already have plenty of women at my beck and call, if Mum wants me to have a Luna, I can easily pick one out of my numerous concubines for a wife, that way I'm surely attracted to her instead of some desperate spoilt brat who wants to make sure she marries an Alpha. Too desperate to wait on the moongoodess’s mate approval bond.

There is no way I will treat her as my wife, all she would have is my name to hers. We’d have separate rooms, she better not think herself high and mighty as she would have no say in my Pack. I have met her younger sister, I despise her. She is arrogant, full of herself, and extremely annoying.

I felt like squeezing life out of her at the very first encounter, there’s no saying how worse her elder sister would be. As a first daughter she couldn’t climb off her high horse to come see the man she’d be getting married to the day I visited, everyone was present except my bride. So rude!

*scoffs*

I plan on making her life so miserable, that she’ll wish she was never born, hopefully, that will make her leave willingly. Unfortunately after signing the contract, I realized the clause that stated we had to be married for at least three years. I doubt she’d be able to cope.

“Hey, Damien. Are you looking forward to your big day tomorrow?” my Gamma Enzo teases.

“Shut the f**k up, Enzo. She tricked me.. my mum tricked me into doing this. She will be locked up in a room and left alone. She better not get involved in my business, else…” I snarl.

“Damien, take a chill pill. I’m just messing with you. Well, you never know you might like her. I mean what if she’s f*****g hot? Huh?” He says twitching his eyebrows.

I couldn’t care less. I have no interest in her, I do not want her close to me. I have plenty of hot women. I have no intention of giving her any hope or giving her any ideas about us cause there is no us. I want her out of my life the minute she’s in it.

“I’m sure she’s so excited about it. She wouldn’t be able to have a good sleep, she’ll be over the moon.” He says.

“Damien.” I hear Mum call out to me from the living room.

“Yes, Mum,” I respond walking towards the trail of her voice.

Oh, there you are,” my mother says as I enter the living room. “I have some items arriving for Aurora, so I need you to make space in your room to accommodate them.”

I clench my jaw, barely suppressing my frustration. “I might have agreed to this facade of a wedding, but she will not be staying in my room,” I warn, my voice edged with steel. “Put her in the Luna quarters if you must, but if I find anything of hers in my room, it will be destroyed—along with anything else that dares to intrude.”

My mother snorts, unimpressed. “Don’t be ridiculous. She will be your wife. You should be sharing a room.”

“I mean it, Mum. Don’t push this,” I say, my patience wearing thin. “I don’t want us to fall out over this, but I won’t have some entitled miss encroaching into my life.”

She shakes her head, exasperated. “Goddess, Damien, you haven’t even met the girl yet. She is nothing like her sister. You should give her a chance. If she is even a fraction of her mother, she will be a beautiful, wonderful woman.”

I let out a dry laugh, shaking my head. “What Luna, Selene? You are hilarious,” I mock.

My mother scoffs. “Not that Pookie, don’t be ridiculous. Zayden and Raven’s mother passed away when she was seven. By then, her father had already impregnated that harlotSelene with Aurora.” She waves a dismissive hand as if brushing away an inconvenient memory. “I was good friends with their mother. Raven was an awesome child. When I arranged this union, it was for her hand in marriage, not those brats.”

I let out a bitter chuckle, shaking my head. “A lot has changed in twelve years, Mum. She didn’t even have the decency to face me when I visited the pack. She probably thinks she’s too high and mighty to bother with it,” I sneer, the resentment bubbling beneath my skin.

“Don’t jump to conclusions,” my mother chides. “You have no idea what happens in other packs and how they go about their businesses.”

“Neither do you,” I snap, my patience wearing thin. “I’m done with this conversation. She stays in another room, end of discussion.” I turn on my heel, striding away as her sigh follows me down the corridor.

“You were a bit harsh with Luna,” Enzo remarks, his voice measured yet knowing. “She may have a point.”

“Not you too,” I growl, running a hand through my hair. “I don’t want to talk about it anymore. Starting tomorrow, I’m stuck with her. Can I just have some f*****g peace for the rest of today?”

I don’t wait for a response before storming off, the weight of the inevitable pressing down on me like a noose tightening around my throat.

Soon the night before my wedding fell, I did what any sane man would do—I got wasted.

It starts with some routine pack work, nothing out of the ordinary. Then my beta, Orchid, and my brother, Drea, decide we should “celebrate.” I know it’s an excuse to drown me in alcohol, and honestly, I don’t put up a fight. One drink turns into, five into ten, and soon the night becomes a hazy blur of laughter, howling, and the unmistakable burn of wolf-strength liquor.

When morning comes, it arrives like a sledgehammer to my skull.

A loud banging on my door jolts me half-awake. My head throbs, my mouth is dry, and as I pry my eyes open, I register the mess around me. Clothes—scraps of them—are scattered across the floor. A tangle of limbs shifts beside me, and that’s when I realize I’m not alone. Two naked pack females lie tangled in my sheets, their scents heavy in the air, A night I can barely remember all the details but I was sure I had fun.

Shit.

“Get up and get the f**k out,” I growl, rubbing the sleep from my eyes. They scramble, snatching up whatever clothing they can find—if you could even call those rags clothes—and bolt from the room without a word.

Before I can process the disaster that is my life, the door swings open, and in walks Orchid, Drea, and Enzo.

“We’ve been trying to send a mind link to you for ages,” Orchid complains, arms crossed as he scans the wreckage of my night. “You need to shower and get ready. We’re already running late.”

I groan, dragging a hand down my face. MOVE! Drea screams at me “s**t, okay, okay. I’m moving.”

I force myself up, ignoring the way my head protests, and stagger toward the bathroom. The truth is, I couldn’t care less if I was late—or if I didn’t show up at all. If it weren’t for appearances, I’d skip this whole damn wedding.

But duty calls, and for better or worse, today is happening.

Whether I like it or not.

I take the fastest shower of my life, throw on my clothes, and rush out the door with the others. Thankfully, the MoonCrest Pack isn’t far, and we arrive in no time.

The moment we step inside, I’m greeted by my soon-to-be in-laws, all of whom seem genuinely thrilled about the wedding—except for Zayden, whose expression seems to be carved from a stone. Alpha Thorn barely spares me a glance before excusing himself to retrieve the bride.

Well, here goes nothing. I sigh internally, resigned to my fate. I suppose I’d better take my place and get this over with.

I shift my gaze away, uninterested, until something unexpected slams into my senses.

An intoxicating scent, wild, alluring, utterly consuming—fills the air, sending my wolf, Vii, into a frenzy. My body tenses as instinct kicks in, every fiber of my being snapping to attention. I turn sharply, and my breath catches in my throat.

Walking toward me, led by the Alpha, is the most breathtaking woman I have ever seen. She moves gracefully, but there’s a stiffness to her posture, a reluctance in her steps. Her expression is carefully neutral, but I can see it—the unhappiness, the resistance.

And for some reason, it pisses me off.

Before I can even process my irritation, Vii's voice rumbles in my head.

Mate.

The word echoes through me like a death sentence.

No. No, this isn’t happening. This doesn’t change a damn thing. I refuse to acknowledge it, never!

With a force of will, I shut down our connection, blocking Vii out completely before he made me do something reckless.

This marriage was never my choice, and knowing she’s my mate? That only makes it worse.

She reached me, her expression a mirror of exactly how I was feeling. But the way she looks at me like she’s just as displeased as I am, sparks something ugly inside me. How dare she?

Does she have any idea who I am? Who does she think she is, looking at me like I’m the burden in this situation?

Her father takes her delicate hand and places it in mine before leaning in to kiss her cheek. The moment his lips brush her skin, she stiffens and subtly shifts away from him.

Interesting.

She’s clearly not pleased with him. The question is why?

It could be resentment over the wedding, or perhaps their relationship was strained long before this arrangement. Either way, he doesn’t seem too happy with her reaction, his jaw tightening ever so slightly. But instead of making a scene, he brushes it off, choosing to maintain appearances.

The moment our hands touch, a jolt of energy rushes through me, the unmistakable tingling of a mate bond. But something feels off.

I can sense it, she has no wolf. My stomach sinks. Not only am I being forced into this marriage, but my mate… is wolfless. Could this get any worse?

She doesn’t seem to react to the bond the way a wolf should. But I know she can feel it. She has to. And yet, the way she looks at me, cool, unreadable, makes my blood simmer.

Without hesitation, she pulls her hand from mine, as if the mere contact repulses and irritates her. Then, without a single word or glance in my direction, she turns to the council of Pack elders.

Vii stirs inside me, restless, furious. He wants to take control, to claim what’s his. I grind my teeth. Not now. I won’t let him ruin this. Not here.

Calm the f**k down, I warn him, my grip on our connection tightening. If you don’t, I’ll reject her right here and now.

That does the trick. He goes silent, retreating just enough for me to keep control.

Still, one question lingers in my mind, gnawing at me like a disease. What the hell have I gotten myself into?