Her Alpha’s Greatest Regret

Chapter 3: Silver Threads

I never thought I'd be here. Not in this life. Not in this world.

The Mate Recognition Ceremony is everything I thought it would be—and everything I feared. The room pulses with energy, the air thick with the scent of wolves and excitement. I stand at the edge of the gathering, tucked away like I always am, invisible in the corner, hidden from view. But tonight, it's different.

Tonight, I’m not just cleaning. Tonight, I'm here.

It’s all around me—the laughter, the shuffling of feet, the mingling of packs, their voices rising in a kind of chaotic harmony. The Luna’s traditional scent fills the room—lavender, a hint of vanilla, sharp and soft all at once—floating on the laughter of the she-wolves who stand in their perfect dresses. They twirl in front of full-length mirrors, checking their hair, adjusting their makeup. They look like royalty, each of them shining under the chandeliers, each of them born into this world, this destiny.

I try not to look, but I can't help it. The beauty of it all pulls at me, tugs at that ache in my chest, that longing I try to bury deep beneath layers of steel. That ache that tells me I’m not one of them. I don’t belong here. Not in their world. Not in the world of power and privilege.

But something feels different tonight. Something I can't quite put into words. It’s as though the weight of all my insecurities, my doubts, has slipped away. The ceremony feels distant, removed from me, even though the tension crackles through the air.

I’m standing on the balcony, overlooking the ballroom below, feeling like an outsider—again. I stare down at the swirling masses of bodies, watching the pack’s leaders, their wives, the she-wolves who can have everything they want.

Their beauty, their smiles, their perfect lives. I don’t belong in their world. I know that. But I don’t want to be invisible anymore. I don’t want to feel like a ghost standing among the living.

I cross my arms tighter over my chest and inhale deeply, trying to steady myself, but it’s useless. The air is thick with something other than nerves. Anticipation. There’s a weight here that I can’t place, something heavy pulling at the very center of my soul.

The pack moves in a rhythm I’ve never quite understood, their lives connected by invisible threads that wind through the space between them. I don’t know if I’ll ever understand the pull they have on each other. The bond they share. The mates.

I’ve always told myself I wasn’t interested in finding my own. It’s not possible for someone like me. I was bitten, a mistake in the bloodline. I didn’t have the luxury of being born into this world, so I’ll never have the kind of love they all talk about. That fairy tale bond. That instinctive connection. I’ve learned to live without it. Without him.

Except tonight, something feels different.

I feel his presence before I see him.

I don’t know how to describe it, but the moment I sense it, my pulse quickens, and I turn, my breath catching in my throat. My gaze locks on him.

Kieran.

He’s standing across the room, his dark eyes scanning the crowd, his broad shoulders set in that powerful, immovable way that makes him seem untouchable. He’s not like the others. No, he’s different. He’s everything they say an Alpha should be—commanding, fierce, born to lead. But there’s something more behind those eyes. Something that makes him more than just the Alpha’s son. He’s more than just the pack’s heir.

And as soon as our eyes meet, something shifts in the air. A snap, a crackle of energy that flares between us, unmistakable and undeniable. It’s sudden, shocking even. The world around me stops.

The bond. The mate bond.

The realization slams into me, harder than anything I’ve ever felt before. It’s like my skin is electrified, every inch of me tingling with the recognition of something I’ve never believed in. But it’s there—there in the space between us. A connection I never expected to feel. The mate bond snaps into place, and it feels like the world is tilting beneath me.

I’m staring at him, and I swear for a moment, everything else falls away. The crowd, the ceremony, the world outside—nothing matters. Nothing except this moment.

His gaze locks onto mine, and for the first time in my life, I feel seen. Not the invisible girl. Not the outsider. Not the one who’s always on the sidelines.

But me.

My heart races, the rhythm matching the sudden pounding of my blood. There’s no doubt in my mind. No hesitation. This is it. The bond. The pull. The recognition.

He steps forward, his body slicing through the crowd with that same effortless grace, the same power that he carries in every movement, and every part of me knows—he knows.

There’s no hiding from this. No running from it. The universe is calling to us, pulling us toward each other.

Kieran.

My body reacts before I can even think about it. My feet move on their own, drawn toward him, the air thick with the electric charge of fate.

I take another step. And then another. Each footfall feels like it’s shaking the ground beneath me, but I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop.

He’s getting closer, and my breath comes faster, more shallow. The space between us is closing, and all I can think of is the impossible truth of it. I’m his mate.

He’s my mate.

I reach him. My chest heaves, and I stand there for a moment, unsure of what to say, of how to even breathe, because every thought in my head is spinning around this single truth.

He’s standing there, his eyes unreadable for a second, before something flickers in them—something deeper. And then, he says it.

“You feel it too,” he says, his voice low, like a promise.

I nod, my heart pounding. "Yes."

He smiles, but it’s not a smile of victory. It’s a smile of understanding. Of recognition. His hand reaches for mine, and it’s like the universe itself is exhaling with us as our fingers touch.

It’s warm. It’s steady. It’s real.

For that brief, perfect moment, everything makes sense. There’s no past, no pack politics, no expectations. There’s just us—together.

“I never thought I’d feel this,” he whispers, his voice thick with emotion I never expected from someone like him. “I never thought you would feel it too.”

And in that moment, I believe in fairy tales. I believe in fate, and bonds, and soulmates. Because I feel it in my bones—this is everything.

But as he pulls me closer, as his hand brushes against my cheek, I hear it. A sound so small, so faint, but unmistakable.

A growl.

A warning.

We both turn, and I see the shadow standing at the edge of the room. I don’t need to see the face to know who it is.

My father, Alpha Marcus. His eyes are dark, narrowed, and full of something I can’t quite identify, but it’s not good. Not good at all.

In an instant, the room shifts. The atmosphere changes. The magic of the moment, the perfect spark between Kieran and me, starts to fade. The bond is still there, but something else has just entered the room.

Something dangerous.

Kieran tenses, his grip tightening around my wrist as he pulls me closer, as though to shield me from whatever is about to happen.

“I knew this would happen,” Marcus says, his voice cutting through the air like a blade. “But I didn’t expect this.”

And just like that, the world tilts again.

Because whatever is coming, whatever this is about to become, I know one thing for sure: I’ve just stepped into something far bigger than either of us can control.

And it’s already spiraling out of our hands.