Alpha Hunter’s Regret

Chapter 4

Anika:

I don’t know what it is, but Alpha Matteo won’t stop staring at me. Even his hand stays clasped around mine a few seconds longer than it should.

Without missing a beat, Hunter steps in and gently pries my hand from Matteo’s grip. “Mind if I borrow my beautiful wife for a second, Alpha Matteo?”

Hunter doesn’t waste a second. He grabs my arm and pulls me aside, dragging me into a quiet corner.

I flinch at how tightly he’s holding me before yanking my arm free the second I can. “What the hell is your problem, H-“

“Do you know him?” Hunter fires at me, his eyes darting behind him before snapping back to mine. “Alpha Matteo—how does he know you? Where did you two meet?”

“Should that really concern you?”

His jaw tightens, and I can see the anger simmering just beneath the surface. “Yeah, it should. I’m your husband.”

“Husband?” I let out a sharp laugh.

Then it clicks…what Alpha Matteo said back at the bar… about jealousy.

I clear my throat, let the silence hang for just a second, and then casually say, “Oh, right. Yeah… Alpha Matteo’s my boyfriend now.”

Hunter’s face drains of color.

I tilt my head, studying him. Matteo was right—he’s definitely jealous!

But just as fast, Hunter covers it up with a forced laugh. “Tell me you’re joking, Anika. Y..you didn’t actually tell him about this, did you?”

“I’m not joking!”

My fists tighten at my sides as I blink rapidly, trying not to let the sudden tears fall. I don’t even know when they welled up.

“Did you ever love me, Hunter?”

“What?”

“Did you ever f*****g love me?” I yell, the words tearing out of me. “I’ve done everything to make you love me. Everything! But no, you’re still hung up on your first love, Jasmine, aren’t you? And now you want an open marriage. Hell, even a divorce. All because of her??!”

I press my palm to my forehead, shaking my head as the silence stretches between us. He doesn’t say a word. Just stares at me like I’m something he can’t figure out.

“Say something, Hunter! f*****g answer me!”

He opens his mouth, finally. “Look, I—”

But before he can finish, his phone buzzes.

He glances down, then mutters under his breath, “s**t. I need to go… My mum—”

I frown. “What about Alpha Matteo?”

“Handle him. I’ll be back soon,” he says before hurrying off.

Of course. Just great.

Gritting my teeth, I turn away from his disappearing figure, only to freeze as Jasmine and Alpha Matteo suddenly appear in front of me.

My hand flies to my chest. “Goddess… y-you—”

“Oh, my apologies,” Matteo says with a smile. “Jasmine was just kind enough to give me a quick tour of the pack house. I hope I’m not intruding?”

Before I can say a word, he turns slightly and gestures for Jasmine to leave.

She does instantly but not without giving me a suspicious look.

I don’t care. Let her think whatever she wants.

Once she’s gone, I force a smile at him. “Oh no, it’s not intrusive at all.”

I pause, then add softly, “And… I’m sorry you saw me at the bar. I know it’s not exactly Luna-like behavior. I just… needed a moment to think. And—”

“Oh, I totally get it. Your husband’s making life difficult, hm?”

I shake my head quickly, offering a polite smile I don’t quite feel. I can’t paint Hunter in a bad light. Who knows what Matteo might do? One wrong word and the whole alliance could crumble… and it would be my fault.

We end up standing there for several minutes, talking about a few things.

When I realize Hunter is taking longer than expected, I finally excuse myself.

Matteo doesn’t look too happy about it, though.

My legs pound against the stairs as I rush up toward Hunter’s study with a smile. Just as I reach the door, my hand hovers over the knob…. and then I freeze.

Voices.

“Believe me, I know the baby is definitely not Hunter’s!” Beatrice’s voice is loud and furious.

My chest tightens, like a dozen arrows suddenly lodged in my ribs. She must’ve seen that video. She really thinks the baby inside me isn’t her son’s.

And Hunter… he’s in there. Oh, I know he is.

So why the hell isn’t he saying anything? Why isn’t he defending me?

Then comes another voice. The doctor’s. “W-what do we do then? We could wait until she delivers… run a DNA test afterward, just to be sure—”

“No!” Beatrice snaps. “I can’t wait that long. I don’t even want to see her face until then!”

My stomach churns. I press a hand to the doorframe to steady myself.

Still… nothing from Hunter. Not a single word.

If I thought what I’d already heard was painful, the next words out of Beatrice’s mouth nearly break me.

“Flush out the baby. Hunter consents to it. And if possible…” she pauses, her voice dropping to a cold whisper, “End her life too. Oh, and do it tonight. Keep it clean.”

A strangled yelp escapes my throat before I can stop it. I slap a hand over my mouth, heart pounding like a drum in my ears.

No. No. No.

I stumble back from the door, my legs moving so fast to my room before my mind catches up.

I have to get out of this f*****g pack tonight.

If I don’t, I’ll lose my baby. My life.

I glance around wildly, grabbing a small bag and stuffing in what little I can. Clothes, a little money, anything that’ll fit. Tears blur my vision, some falling silently onto the clothes in my hands.

I can’t believe this.

Hunter, my husband, the man I fought so hard to love, who I thought would protect me… He didn’t just stay silent. He agreed. He’s letting them kill me. Kill our baby.

First, it was the open marriage. Then divorce.

And now… murder? Of his fated mate, and pup?

My hand swipes at my face, brushing away the tears. I rip the goddamn ring off my finger and toss it onto the chair without a second thought. That part of my life is over.

Without looking back, I hurry out.

I take the back door where I know no one’s posted and slip silently into my car. My hands tremble as I grip the wheel, but I force myself to breathe and drive off. It takes several long, agonizing minutes before I finally break past the borders of the pack.

The guards don’t question me. I lie to them I was just visiting the Luna of a neighboring pack.

But the moment I’m far enough away, I finally let out the words that have been building in my chest like fire.

“I, Anika Torres, reject you, Hunter Ford, as my mate and cut all ties with your pack… from this moment on!”

The moment the words leave my lips, my head slams back against the seat as a searing pain tears through me.

I can’t breathe.

It’s like a thousand needles piercing through every inch of my body. My chest tightens. My vision blurs. And then I scream; a broken, guttural sound that rips through the still night.

What have I done?

Please… please, Moon Goddess, don’t take my baby.

I clutch my stomach, sobbing. The pain is unrelenting.

Minutes pass-maybe hours-before the storm inside me begins to fade. My hands, trembling, find their way back to the wheel.

And then I drive. Away from the pack.

Away from him.

From the man I never want to see again.