Alpha's Regrets: Hidden Lycan Queen

unspoken scars

Malory’s POV:

“Fair enough! It appears I am the sole fool in this corridor,” Caspian chuckled, executing a dramatic, sweeping bow that showed off a row of brilliant white teeth, his silver-gray eyes gleaming with sudden amusement.

For a split second, a strange, unbidden warmth flared across my cheeks, though I quickly dismissed it as a trick of the palace torches.

“Just call me Malory.”

“Very well, Malory. What is the verdict?”

I threw a glance in his direction, lifting my shoulders in a resigned shrug.

“Do I genuinely have a choice in the matter?”

He offered a bright smile, spinning on his heel to lead the way toward the royal garage, and I followed at a deliberate, slow pace, silently praying that the hours would pass at double speed.

There was no denying the man was staggeringly attractive, but his arrogance completely ruined the effect. He carried himself like a textbook charmer, relying on slick words and cheap flattery to win over the young ladies of the court. Had any other alternative been available to me, I wouldn't have dreamt of stepping outside the gates with him.

I simply wanted the night to end.

“Where is your preferred destination?” he asked, sliding smoothly into the driver's seat of a sleek vehicle.

“It doesn't matter. Anywhere is perfectly fine,” I replied, my mind completely drifted elsewhere.

“In that case, shall we take a detour directly to my private quarters?” he suggested, throwing me a wicked, playful wink.

I let out an angry, sharp snort, my brows snapping together. His flippant, suggestive jokes instantly rubbed me the wrong way. Even though logic told me he was merely trying to provoke a reaction, a sudden heat flushed up my neck.

How dare he speak to me with such casual disrespect?

An uncomfortable silence filled the car as I chose to completely ignore him.

Sensing the shift, his smirk finally faltered, and he offered a soft, apologetic look.

“Alright, my apologies. That was uncalled for. Let me show you the beauty of our capital. Please, hop in.”

I leveled a hard, evaluating stare at him.

“Can you swear to me that you will keep your ridiculous nonsense to yourself for the rest of the evening?”

“You have my word,” he promised earnestly.

Only then did I ease myself into the passenger seat of the dark Mercedes. Caspian ignited the engine, guiding the car out into the evening air at a relaxed, steady pace.

I chose not to initiate any conversation, fixing my gaze out the window to watch the city scenery drift past. The royal territory was incredibly vibrant. Lush green canopies and vibrant flower beds bordered the immaculate streets, and the citizens walked alongside the shops with genuine smiles on their faces.

Without warning, a wave of bittersweet nostalgia washed over me, dragging my mind back to the life I had left behind. That past felt a lifetime away now, yet the faces remained vividly etched in my memory—the childhood friends I had run with, the unconditional warmth of Mr. and Mrs. Grenade, my protective brother, Rhy... and Oliver’s ice-cold, vicious rejection.

In a strange way, fleeing that territory had been a mercy. I had escaped the suffocating borders of a pack led by a man who viewed my entire existence with absolute disdain.

I still couldn't comprehend why our world insisted on binding a person's entire destiny to a preordained match from birth. I could understand the practical reality of Oliver's rejection; I even respected a person's right to pursue genuine affection rather than submit to an arranged bond.

But what I would never forgive was the calculated cruelty he used to humiliate me. He had thrown my dignity into the dirt, treating me like a pathetic stray begging at his boots for a shred of sympathy.

I didn't need a mate to validate my worth or secure my happiness. True strength could only be forged from within, and I was going to ascend as Queen Regent, fighting to secure prosperity for both myself and the entire kingdom.

The vehicle steadily slowed, eventually rolling to a stop as we reached our destination.

I had to admit, the location Caspian had selected was breathtaking. Massive, ancient trees swayed like green waves against the twilight sky, the air was crisp and clean, and the area was entirely secluded. A few wild butterflies drifted lazily through a cluster of evening blossoms nearby.

“Are you still furious over my comment back at the palace?” Caspian asked, turning his head to look at me, his voice unusually soft.

It was then I realized that my brooding silence throughout the entire drive had made my companion visibly uneasy. Yet, seeing his genuine concern made me realize he wasn't entirely devoid of a conscience.

I reached up to tuck a stray lock of hair behind my ear, offering a faint, reassuring smile.

“No. I am simply... lost in my own thoughts.”

“Perhaps you require a supportive ear to unburden yourself? I am a fantastic listener,” he offered.

His gaze was steady and intense, but for the very first time, it didn't trigger my defenses. Instead, I felt a strange, quiet pull of encouragement.

Was it possible I could actually share a fragment of my past with him—the lingering nightmares that still held my heart captive?

I wasn't certain. I had to be losing my mind; just an hour ago, I couldn't stand the sight of him, and now I was actively contemplating baring my soul to him.

“It's... nothing of importance. Did we park here because we've officially arrived?” I asked, deliberately shifting the topic with an awkward stiffness.

Anyone with a modicum of social awareness would have recognized that as a clear signal to drop the matter, but Caspian flatly refused to play by those rules.

Instead, his silver-gray eyes clouded with a profound, lingering worry, looking at me as if he genuinely feared I might shatter into pieces right before his eyes.

“Speak to me, Malory. You carry a profound sadness on your shoulders. I give you my sacred word of honor that whatever you confess will remain a secret shared exclusively between the two of us,” he murmured, his gaze holding an unexpected, grounding reliability.

I had spent weeks fighting to suppress the memories of that horrific night—the roaring heat of the pack bonfire, the biting chill of the midnight air—but his words acted like a key, unlocking the floodgates.

Oliver's sneering face, filled with absolute disgust and icy rejection, flashed vividly across my mind. The nightmare was back, reducing me once more to that fragile, useless human girl who was nothing but a burden to those she loved.

“It was, without question, the absolute worst day of my life,” I began, my voice sounding incredibly dry and hollow to my own ears.

I froze, completely lost on how to give the agony structure.

Caspian didn't press; he simply sat in absolute silence, waiting patiently for me to find my footing.

I turned my face away, staring out at the shadowed trees.

“That night... a man whom I trusted implicitly... threw my worth into the dirt. It was the darkest, most suffocating night of my existence.”

The words caught in my throat, the invisible scars aching too fiercely to permit me to drag the details into the light.

Forcing a fragile mask of nonchalance, I leaned back against the leather seat, letting out a breath.

“But what's done is done. There is no utility in dwelling on the ghosts of the past. We must look to the horizon.”

“I am so deeply sorry, Malory. I had no idea you were carrying such a heavy burden,” Caspian whispered.

His silver-gray eyes swam with a profound, raw sorrow that took me entirely by surprise.

Without another word, he reached across the console, wrapping his strong arms around me to pull me into a gentle, fiercely protective embrace.

“You aren't alone anymore. I am right here with you.”

In that quiet, starlit clearing, the annoying general had vanished entirely, leaving behind a sanctuary I hadn't realized I was searching for.