The Alpha's First Regret
1355 Words
Chapter 3
The Alpha's First Regret
"Damon Blackwood was never my true mate."
The words echoed through my mind like a thunderclap.
Everything around me blurred.
The ballroom.
The crowd.
The music.
The whispers.
All of it faded beneath the sound of my racing heartbeat.
Pain exploded through my chest.
I gasped.
My knees buckled.
Before I hit the floor, a strong arm wrapped around my waist.
The Lycan King.
The moment he touched me, another surge of silver energy erupted beneath my skin.
Gasps echoed throughout the ballroom.
Several wolves stumbled backward.
Even the elders looked frightened.
"What is happening to her?" someone whispered.
"No ordinary wolf can produce silver energy."
My vision swam.
I clutched the front of Kael's shirt.
His scent surrounded me.
Dark cedar.
Rain.
Power.
Strangely, it calmed the pain.
Not completely.
Just enough for me to breathe.
The Lycan King's jaw tightened.
"Ava."
I looked up.
For the first time since entering the ballroom, genuine concern appeared in his silver eyes.
"Stay with me."
The words should have sounded like an order.
Instead, they sounded almost gentle.
The room erupted into chaos.
The pack elders began arguing.
The crowd whispered frantically.
Vanessa looked terrified.
Alpha Victor looked pale.
But none of them shocked me as much as Damon.
Because Damon was staring at me as though he had just realized the ground beneath his feet was collapsing.
"Ava."
My name left his lips in a whisper.
For years I had imagined Damon saying my name like that.
With concern.
With fear.
With emotion.
Now that it was happening, I felt nothing.
Nothing except exhaustion.
The bond truly was breaking.
And somehow that hurt more than I expected.
Damon took a step toward me.
Then another.
The Lycan King immediately shifted.
Placing himself between us.
A growl rumbled through the ballroom.
Deep.
Dangerous.
Ancient.
Every wolf in the room froze.
Including Damon.
The message was clear.
Stay away.
Damon's fists clenched.
"Your Majesty, I need to speak with her."
The Lycan King's expression didn't change.
"No."
A single word.
Cold.
Final.
Damon's jaw tightened.
"She belongs to my pack."
A deadly silence followed.
The Lycan King's eyes flashed silver.
Then he smiled.
The smile didn't reach his eyes.
"Is that so?"
The pressure in the room intensified.
Several wolves dropped their gazes immediately.
The King took one slow step forward.
Damon stepped back.
The entire ballroom noticed.
And so did I.
For the first time in my life, I saw Damon afraid.
"Interesting," the King said softly.
"You rejected her."
Damon said nothing.
"You publicly humiliated her."
Still nothing.
"You declared she wasn't worthy of becoming Luna."
The King's gaze sharpened.
"And now you suddenly wish to speak with her?"
Damon looked toward me.
For a moment, something almost desperate flashed across his face.
"Ava—"
"No."
The word escaped my lips before I could stop it.
The entire room went silent.
Damon stared at me.
I stared back.
For years I had waited for him to choose me.
Tonight I finally realized I was done waiting.
The hurt in his eyes should have satisfied me.
Instead, it simply felt sad.
A consequence of choices he could no longer undo.
The Lycan King looked pleased.
Very pleased.
"Well," he said. "That settles that."
A faint ripple of laughter moved through several Lycans standing near the entrance.
Damon's face darkened.
Humiliation burned in his expression.
Good.
For once, he understood how I felt.
Suddenly another wave of pain hit me.
Harder this time.
Silver light flashed beneath my skin.
I cried out.
The crowd gasped.
The Lycan King's arm tightened around me.
"What is happening?" Alpha Victor demanded.
One of the oldest elders stepped forward.
His face was white.
"I've seen this before."
The room fell silent.
Every eye turned toward him.
The elder swallowed.
"Only once."
Fear flickered through his gaze.
"It was mentioned in the oldest records."
The Lycan King's attention shifted toward him.
"Continue."
The elder hesitated.
Then lowered his head.
"I thought it was a myth."
A chill ran through the room.
"What myth?" Damon demanded.
The elder ignored him.
His eyes remained fixed on the silver light surrounding me.
"The records spoke of a bloodline blessed directly by the Moon Goddess."
My stomach twisted.
A bloodline?
What bloodline?
I was nobody.
Just Ava Ashbourne.
A forgotten girl from a minor family.
The elder continued.
"When members of that bloodline awakened, silver energy appeared around them."
The crowd erupted into whispers.
"No."
"That's impossible."
"The bloodline vanished centuries ago."
I looked toward the Lycan King.
His expression revealed nothing.
But he wasn't surprised.
Not even slightly.
He knew something.
Something important.
And suddenly I realized that everyone in this room knew more about me than I did.
The thought terrified me.
"Enough."
The Lycan King's voice cut through the chaos instantly.
Silence returned.
He looked toward his warriors.
"Prepare to leave."
The command sent another wave of whispers through the ballroom.
Damon stepped forward again.
"No."
The King's gaze shifted.
The temperature in the room seemed to drop.
Damon swallowed.
But to his credit, he didn't back down.
"You can't take her."
The King's expression became unreadable.
"And why not?"
"Because—"
Damon stopped.
Because what?
Because she belongs to me?
Because she's my mate?
Because I made a mistake?
The answer never came.
Because for the first time, Damon didn't have one.
The Lycan King smiled.
A slow.
Cruel.
Victorious smile.
"Exactly."
Damon looked as though he wanted to punch something.
Possibly the King.
Possibly himself.
I wasn't sure which.
The King turned toward me.
"Can you walk?"
I nodded.
A lie.
My legs felt like water.
The moment I tried to stand on my own, the room spun.
I stumbled.
Before I could fall, Kael caught me again.
This time he didn't let go.
Instead, he lifted me into his arms.
A shocked gasp escaped me.
The crowd erupted.
My face burned.
"What are you doing?"
The Lycan King's expression remained completely serious.
"Preventing you from falling."
A few Lycans smirked.
I wanted to disappear.
The King seemed entirely unbothered.
As though carrying me through a crowded ballroom was the most natural thing in the world.
Damon looked ready to explode.
Good.
Let him.
He had already made his choice.
The massive doors opened.
Cold night air rushed inside.
The King's warriors immediately formed a protective circle around us.
Like royal guards protecting a queen.
The thought made me want to laugh.
Or panic.
Possibly both.
As we reached the doorway, I looked back one final time.
My eyes found Damon.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then I saw it.
Regret.
Real regret.
Not because I was special.
Not because he loved me.
Because he finally understood he had lost something.
And there was no way to get it back.
The realization hit him like a physical blow.
Good.
It was about time.
The Lycan King carried me outside.
Moonlight bathed the world in silver.
A line of black vehicles waited beyond the gates.
Palace guards stood at attention.
Everything looked unreal.
Like a dream.
Or perhaps a nightmare.
I looked up at Kael.
"Where are you taking me?"
His silver eyes met mine.
For a moment, something almost protective softened his expression.
Then it vanished.
"Home."
The answer only confused me more.
Before I could ask another question, one of the warriors approached.
"Your Majesty."
The King nodded.
The warrior lowered his voice.
"The signs are exactly as the prophecy described."
My heart skipped.
Prophecy?
The King's gaze darkened.
"I know."
Fear curled inside me.
"What prophecy?"
Neither man answered.
The silence was worse than any explanation.
I looked directly at Kael.
"Tell me what's happening."
For several seconds he simply stared at me.
Then he smiled.
A slow smile filled with secrets.
And far too many answers.
"Not yet."
Frustration surged through me.
"Why?"
The King helped me into the vehicle.
Then leaned closer.
Close enough that only I could hear him.
His next words sent a chill down my spine.
"Because you're not who you think you are."
- Writer
