Her Alpha’s Greatest Regret

Chapter 4: The Perfect Choice

I’m still reeling from the moment I felt the mate bond snap into place, the weight of it sinking into my chest like a brick, a pressure that won’t let go. Kieran’s hand is warm in mine, steadying me, but my heart is a wild mess of confusion, excitement, and dread. The room feels smaller now, the air thick with a thousand unspoken words, every second feeling like it’s about to burst. But before I can make sense of anything—before I can process the whirlwind of emotions rushing through me—I feel it. Her presence.

Victoria.

I don’t have to turn around to know she’s there. I feel the eyes on me, cold and calculating. I feel the disapproval, the disdain simmering beneath the polished exterior of the Alpha’s perfect daughter. She’s everything my father wants. Everything he’s always wanted for me.

Powerful. Beautiful. Connected.

The moment I step into the space she’s carved out for herself, I can feel her sharp gaze piercing through the back of my skull. I don’t need to look at her to know she’s here to make her move. She always does.

“Kieran,” her voice rings out, smooth and measured. It’s like honey, but there’s a hard edge beneath it. “I was hoping we could have a word.”

I can feel Kieran stiffen beside me, his fingers tightening around my hand for a moment, but he doesn’t speak. He doesn’t look at me. I know he’s trying to decide whether to leave it alone, to ignore her. But there’s no such thing as ignoring Victoria.

I finally force myself to look at her.

She stands a few feet away, her body perfectly poised, her flawless features framed by soft waves of auburn hair. She’s dressed in a dress that clings to every curve, the color a deep red that matches the fire in her eyes. Her smile is tight, almost predatory, like she knows she has me exactly where she wants me.

And she does.

Kieran steps forward, his hand slipping from mine, and I immediately feel the loss. But I hold it together. I have to. I can’t let her see how much this affects me. I can’t let her see that her presence is making my stomach churn with doubt.

“Victoria,” Kieran says, his voice clipped. “What do you want?”

“I just wanted to talk,” she says, gliding toward him like she’s walking on air, the air shifting with each step she takes. “About the future. About us.” Her eyes flick to me, then back to Kieran, the briefest of smirks playing at the corners of her lips. “I know how important tonight is, and I just wanted to remind you of what’s at stake.”

The words hit me like a slap, and I feel my jaw tighten. At stake? The way she says it, like I’m some kind of bargaining chip, makes my blood boil.

I force myself to stay calm, to hold my ground, but it’s hard. So damn hard when every word she says drips with something I can’t quite name.

“What are you talking about?” Kieran asks, his voice growing colder, the tension in his posture sharp as a blade.

Victoria steps closer, her heels clicking on the polished floor, each step deliberate, each movement calculated. She stops just short of touching him, her eyes never leaving his. “You know exactly what I mean, Kieran. You and I—our families have been planning this for years. Our bloodlines. Our alliance. We’ve already discussed this. Your father has made it clear.” She gives a soft laugh, as if what she’s saying is obvious, as if it’s a foregone conclusion. “This isn’t about feelings. It’s about power. Stability. The future of the pack. The future of the entire region.”

I don’t know what she’s playing at, but I know what she’s doing. She’s planting seeds. Planting doubts. And it’s working. It has to be.

I step forward, my voice shaking but steady enough. “I’m not a business deal, Victoria,” I say, trying to keep the edge out of my voice. “This is about more than what my father wants.”

“Oh, sweet girl,” she says, her tone dripping with condescension. “You don’t get it, do you? This is about the future of the pack, and it’s about making the right choices. It’s about doing what’s necessary to keep everything in place. To protect what’s already been built.”

I hate the way she says “sweet girl.” It makes my skin crawl.

I force myself to look at Kieran, to gauge his reaction, but it’s hard. His face is unreadable, the lines of his jaw tight, his gaze fixed on Victoria. I can see the shift in his expression, the subtle flicker of doubt I’m sure only I can see.

Victoria knows how to play this game. She knows how to get to him.

“You’re not hearing me, Kieran,” she says softly, her voice sweet and poisonous. “I’m everything your father wants. Everything he’s been working for. And you know it. The pack needs someone who understands how to lead, how to make decisions for the good of everyone, not just feelings. I’m ready to step into that role. I’ve been prepared for this my entire life.”

Her eyes flick to me again, and I feel her gaze sharpen, her lips curving into a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes.

“And then there’s her,” she adds, her tone dripping with disdain, but she says it as though she’s being kind, as though she’s offering a suggestion. “A nobody. A girl who doesn’t even belong here. Who doesn’t have the bloodlines. The experience. She can’t help you, Kieran. She won’t make you stronger. She won’t make this pack stronger. She’s not what you need. She’s not the right choice.”

Her words hit me like a physical blow, but I refuse to flinch. I can’t show her how much they hurt. I won’t give her that satisfaction. But it’s hard. It’s so damn hard, because everything she says feels true. The doubt, the insecurity, the belief that maybe I’m not good enough, maybe I don’t belong here, it starts to creep into my chest.

But Kieran doesn’t move. He doesn’t react. His eyes, hard as steel, finally flick to me. And for a moment, it’s like I’m the only one in the room.

For a moment, there’s no Victoria. No power. No bloodlines. Just us.

“I made my choice,” Kieran says, his voice low, and for the first time, I hear something in it—something I haven’t heard before.

Victoria’s expression falters, just for a moment, before she recovers, her smile returning with a razor-sharp edge.

“I understand,” she says, her voice smooth again, almost pitying. “But we both know what’s at stake. You can’t let her blind you to that.”

She steps away, her heels clicking on the floor as she turns and walks away, her eyes briefly meeting mine. There’s something cold there, something that promises this isn’t over, that I haven’t won.

I feel Kieran’s hand at my back, warm and solid, but it doesn’t feel the same anymore. Not after what she’s said.

His eyes are on me, but there’s a hesitation there, a flicker of uncertainty I haven’t seen before.

“I don’t know what to do,” Kieran says, his voice barely above a whisper.

I don’t know how to answer him. I don’t know what to say. I want to tell him it’s all right. That we’ll figure it out. But I can’t. I can’t lie to him.

The truth is, I don’t know if I can be what he needs. I don’t know if I can be the right choice.

And as the moon rises above us, I realize something I hadn’t allowed myself to consider before.

Maybe I’m the one who’s not strong enough.

Maybe I’m the one who’ll tear us apart.

But before I can voice my thoughts, a voice calls out from across the room.

“Kieran.”

It’s Marcus.

And I know, just like that, the game has changed.

The stakes are higher. The consequences are real.

And there’s no going back.