Irreversible Regret, Alpha: The Luna He Resisted

Chapter 4; Kira’s POV

Rest came poorly to me that night.

My mind kept spiraling, wondering whether he would truly honor his word and arrive at dawn. I dreaded having to witness the crushing disappointment on Nora's face if he failed to appear.

When a sleek black SUV glided to a stop outside our home at seven sharp, a jolt of shock rattled my pulse.

Damon stepped out, impeccably dressed in a fitted dark shirt and tailored trousers. He looked as though he had stepped right off a high-fashion cover—effortlessly striking as always, yet cold and completely detached.

Nora sprinted to the window, letting out a breathless gasp of joy. “Mama! Daddy’s here!”

I offered a weak, tight smile. “Go on, sweetie, collect your school bag.”

Nora dashed around the room gathering her things while I stepped forward to open the door. I said nothing to Damon as I swung it open.

“Ready to go?” he inquired, without even sparing a glance in my direction.

Nora nodded enthusiastically, taking his hand with a radiant smile stretching across her face.

Once they departed, I trailed behind in my own vehicle. Despite him being her father, I couldn't bring myself to fully trust Damon with Nora.

The moment I pulled up to the pack academy, I spotted the two of them immediately.

And I froze on the spot.

Seraphina was already present.

She looked effortlessly glamorous, even at such an early hour. Her icy blue eyes sparkled as Damon drew near. Chloe, her little blonde child, ran straight into Damon’s open arms with a delighted giggle. He caught her with ease, lifting her off her feet and spinning her around, letting out a genuine, hearty laugh I hadn't heard from him in years.

Seraphina joined them a second later, casually sliding her arm through his as though it were the most natural thing in the world.

And Damon didn't pull away.

Nora stood to the side in silence, watching the scene unfold. Her bright smile slowly withered.

I scrambled out of my car and rushed to her side, dropping to a crouch. “Hey sweetie, why don't you head inside and greet your teacher? I think I caught a glimpse of her near the entrance.”

Nora gave a faint nod and ambled toward the schoolyard, her small shoulders slumping noticeably.

I straightened up, my jaw set as I marched straight toward Damon.

“We made a firm arrangement,” I stated in a low, furious whisper, pulling him aside the moment Seraphina and Chloe turned toward the academy entrance.

He raised an eyebrow in condescension. “And I am fulfilling it, am I not? I brought her to school.”

“You blatantly ignored Nora the moment Seraphina and her child appeared. That was explicitly not the deal.”

Damon exhaled sharply, his jaw flexing in annoyance. “So you expect me to completely snub Seraphina when she is clearly going through a difficult time? She is a single mother, Kira. She requires a support system.”

I wanted to scream that I was also raising a child on my own and desperately needed support, but I held my tongue.

“If you expect my signature on those dissolution papers, then yes. I expect you to prioritize Nora over her.”

His dark eyes narrowed with absolute disgust. “You are utterly unprincipled.”

I held my ground, meeting his gaze firmly. “No. I am a mother, and I will do whatever it takes to ensure my daughter comes first.”

Damon set his jaw into a hard line and turned on his heel, storming off without another word.

I stood there trembling, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Yet, over the next several days, an unexpected shift occurred.

Damon began ignoring Seraphina’s reach. Whenever he was spending time with Nora, he left her calls unanswered.

He started arriving at the school gates to pick Nora up himself. He joined her for mid-day lunch breaks, and even sat through her weekend art class.

He wasn't overflowing with warmth like he had displayed with Chloe, but his physical presence was consistent—and Nora was thriving on it.

To me, that was all that mattered.

On one of those afternoons, Damon took Nora to the central park.

The grounds were fairly quiet that Saturday, with only a few parents lounging around as their young pups played. Damon sat stiffly on a wooden bench, arms crossed over his chest, while Nora scampered through the grass, spinning in happy circles with squeals of delight.

I had brought along my sketch pad, but focusing was impossible with Damon seated merely two feet away, silent and unreadable as ever.

Nora scampered over to us, her cheeks flushed a bright pink and her eyes shining. “Let’s all play together! Everyone!”

Damon’s brows knit together. “Play?”

“Yes! Tag! Mama, you have to play too!”

I hesitated, glancing at Damon. “Sweetheart, I’m not sure that’s—”

“Please?” Nora pressed her small palms together in a plea. “Just one round! It’ll be so much fun, I promise!”

Damon opened his mouth to decline, but Nora was already tugging hard on his wrist, then on mine. “Please, please!”

With mutual reluctance, we both stood up stiffly. Before I knew it, genuine laughter was escaping my lips as I pursued my daughter across the open field. Damon joined in reluctantly at first, but Nora’s giggles were contagious, and a rare, subtle smile broke across his face as he tagged her and sprinted away.

For a fleeting, magical moment, it felt as though we were an actual family.

I turned quickly to dodge away, but my shoe caught on an exposed tree root, causing me to stumble forward with a sharp gasp—falling straight into Damon’s chest.

We collided hard, my hands instinctively planting against his broad chest. He caught me by reflex, his arms wrapping firmly around my waist to steady us.

Everything went still.

Our faces were mere inches apart.

His gaze flicked down toward my lips for a fraction of a second, and my heart hammered wildly against my ribs. The air between us grew impossibly dense, and my breath hitched.

Suddenly, Damon’s phone rang out loud, shattering the fragile spell between us.

He jolted back to reality instantly, stepping backward so fast that he released me as if touching me burned his skin. I wobbled, barely catching my balance before tumbling onto the grass.

He didn't even check the caller ID; instead, he glared at me with sharp hostility, as though the entire mishap had been a calculated scheme on my part.

His jaw clamped tight, his eyes turning cold as ice.

“You never miss an opportunity to manipulate a situation, do you?” he muttered under his breath.

My chest constricted painfully. “What—?”

Before I could utter another word, he jammed the phone against his ear and turned away, barking harsh words into the receiver. Without looking back, he strode away in a huff, leaving me standing alone in the middle of the field, completely stunned.

Nora came trotting back a few moments later, looking around in confusion. “Where did Daddy go?”

I forced a gentle smile, dropping to my knees to wipe stray blades of grass from my daughter’s cheek.

“He just… remembered an important errand he had to run. But it’s okay, my love. We had fun, didn’t we?”

Nora nodded slowly, a small smile returning. “Yeah. It almost felt like we were a real, normal family.”

I fought back the tears stinging my eyes at my daughter's innocent words.