Alpha's Regret: My Pregnant Mate

Chapter 6

The forest blurred past me as I ran.

Branches whipped at my face, roots snagged my shoes, but I didn’t slow down. My lungs burned, legs screamed, yet the physical pain was nothing compared to the torment ripping through my chest.

The rejection bond was fully severing now.

Each step away from pack territory felt like pulling stitches from a fresh wound—one by one, slow and excruciating. Tears streamed down my cheeks, mixing with sweat. I tasted blood where I’d bitten my lip to keep from screaming.

Kai’s howl still echoed in my ears, long and broken, chasing me through the trees.

Part of me wanted to turn back. To run to him, beg him to take it back, to accept me and make the pain stop. The mate bond was cruel that way—designed to pull us together no matter what.

But I kept going.

For the tiny life growing inside me.

For the shred of pride I had left.

By the time I reached the old dirt road that marked the edge of human territory, my body was shaking uncontrollably. I collapsed against a tree, sliding down until I sat on the damp earth, arms wrapped around my knees.

The pain peaked then—a white-hot explosion in my chest that stole my breath and blackened the edges of my vision. I curled forward, clutching my stomach, silent sobs wracking me.

It felt like dying.

Maybe part of me was.

The bond that had snapped into place so perfectly last night was gone now. Snapped by words spoken in front of the entire pack. I reached inside myself for that warm golden thread that had connected me to Kai—and found only cold emptiness.

I was truly alone.

Minutes—or hours—passed before the worst of it eased. The sharp agony dulled to a heavy throb, like a heart bruised beyond repair. I could breathe again. Think again.

I forced myself to my feet.

The duffel bag on my shoulder felt heavier than before, but I adjusted it and kept walking. The road stretched ahead, leading toward distant city lights I’d only ever seen from afar during rare pack trips.

By dawn, I reached a small bus station on the outskirts of a human town. I bought a ticket with cash—farthest route I could afford—and boarded without looking back.

The bus smelled of stale coffee and vinyl seats. I took a window spot in the back, hoodie pulled up, and stared as pack lands disappeared behind rolling hills.

No one followed.

No one came after me.

I told myself that was good.

But the hollow ache said otherwise.

Sleep finally claimed me somewhere around midday, exhaustion winning over grief. I dreamed of gray eyes and a deep voice whispering my name in the dark. Woke with fresh tears on my cheeks and Kai’s scent still ghosting my memory.

When I stepped off the bus that evening, I was in a city bigger than anything I’d ever known. Towering buildings, endless traffic, thousands of human scents overwhelming my weaker senses.

No one here knew I was wolfless.

No one cared about mates or alphas or pack politics.

I was just another tired girl with a duffel bag and tear-stained cheeks.

Perfect.

I found a cheap motel near the station—cash only, no questions asked. The room was small and dingy, but it had a bed and a lock on the door. I dropped my bag, kicked off my shoes, and curled up under the thin blanket.

For the first time in twenty-four hours, I let myself think about the baby.

My hand drifted to my stomach again. Still flat, but I swore I could feel something there—a tiny spark of life that was half me, half him.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered into the dark. “I’m sorry you’ll never know your father. But I promise I’ll love you enough for both of us.”

Tears came again, quieter this time.

I cried for the mate I’d lost before I ever truly had him.

For the pack that had never really wanted me.

For the future I’d dreamed of—running under the moon with Kai, building a family, being Luna in every way that mattered—that was shattered beyond repair.

And when there were no tears left, I closed my eyes and made myself a new promise.

I would survive this.

I would raise my child strong and loved.

And I would never, ever let Kai Blackstone break me again.

Even if the empty space where our bond used to be ached every single day for the rest of my life.

Outside, the city hummed on, indifferent.

Inside, a rejected mate mourned what would never be.