The Alpha Regretted Having An Affair

Alpha Adrian Blackwood had torn asunder the primal link that bound our fates.

I, Vivian Hart, stood at the threshold of his study.

My black stilettos clicked softly against the polished mahogany floor.

After a wnineed pause, I lifted my hand and tapped the brass doorknob.

"Enter," a deep voice rumbled from within.

My fingers tightened around the folders in my grasp, my other hand turning the knob.

As I stepped inside, I offered a fleeting smile and made my way to his side.

"Swamped? Got some contracts that need your signature, ASAP."

My words feigned concern, yet I was already sliding the documents across the oak desk, flipping to the pages requiring his mark.

Alpha Adrian had returned that morning from northern clans, his presence still carrying the faint tang of mountain air.

He'd gone straight to the study, immersing himself in a backlog of pack business.

His sharp features, aristocratic as ever, were shadowed with the weariness of a long journey-yet he didn't even glance at the papers before scrawling his signature in bold strokes.

"Appreciate the promptness," he muttered, flipping through a ledger.

I gathered the signed documents and tossed out casually,

"Dinner tonight? I picked up that venison bourguignon you like."

"Plans tonight. Don't bother."

"Sure thing. I'll head out then."

I hugged the folders to my chest and turned, my heels clicking a staccato rhythm.

The moment my back was to him, my smile curdled into a sneer.

As I passed the reading nook adjoining the study, a soft sound pricked my ears-like a startled breath, quick and shallow, from behind the velvet curtains.

My gaze flicked to the side table: a half-empty glass of pomegranate juice sat beside a crumpled chocolate wrapper, and a single gold hoop earring glinted on the arm of the armchair.

In an instant, the pieces aligned.

The faint scent of jasmine perfume clinging to the air, the way his pulse had quickened when I mentioned dinner-all of it sharp as a winter wind.

My blood turned to ice.

Back in my own room, I collapsed into my sofa.

I flipped to the last page.

Memories flooded my mind: his fierce devotion when he swore to form a sacred bond with me beneath the full moon, the way his presence had once made the very walls of the pack estate hum with shared power.

His mother Evelyn Blackwood's icy smirk as she warned me not to get too comfortable, claiming no wolf stays loyal to one mate forever.

And my own naive insistence that we were different, that our bond was forged in something deeper than primal urge.

What a load of crap.

He'd strayed with some young she-wolf. That trip? He'd taken her along, letting her breathe the same thin air that should have been reserved for his mate. And now, he'd even brought her to the pack.

I snapped a photo of the signed agreement and sent it to Evelyn: He signed.

A week ago, she and I had struck a deal.

Evelyn, ever the calculating matriarch, demanded I initiate the bond-breaking and keep our sacred union a secret from the pack.

In return, I demanded a billion in compensation-enough to carve out a new life, far from the stench of their lies.

Three weeks from now, Alpha Adrian would be gone from my world for good.

Knock knock.

I tucked the agreement away, my fingers brushing the edge of a locket-once a gift from Adrian, holding a fragment of our shared scent. "Come in."

The door opened, and Ryan Hale, Alpha Adrian's assistant, stepped inside. His posture was rigid. "Vivian, this is from Alpha Adrian." He set a box on my desk.

I opened it carelessly.

Inside lay a stunning set of pearl jewelry, said to be harvested from a hidden cove only accessible to those with pure wolf blood.

But my mind flashed to a different scene: a short-haired she-wolf, eyes hazy with afterglow, lounging in a silk bathrobe, dangling a pearl bracelet with a careless grin, the room's dim lights casting an intimate glow over a messy bed, the faint marks of teeth glaring on her chest-marks that matched Adrian's bite pattern.

Nausea churned in my gut, my throat tightening as if I'd swallowed wolfsbane.

"Thanks, Ryan," I said.

I lifted my gaze, my eyes cutting into him. Ryan squirmed, his pulse spiking.

He blurted, "Alpha Adrian picked it out himself. One-of-a-kind, you know, sourced from that private island the clan owns. Only a handful exist."

Too bad his loyalty wasn't one-of-a-kind.

I didn't want it anymore.

"Oh, really? That's sweet. Making time to shop for me in his crazy schedule? So touching."

Sweating bullets, he bolted from the office.

I glared at the jewelry like it was filth.

I snapped a photo and texted it to a luxury reseller: Sell this set.

In the corridor of the hotel's underground bar, I adjusted the strap of my handbag, just about to push open the bar door when my sharp senses picked up on a familiar presence.

Across the dimly lit corridor, a sleek black sedan idled by the service entrance.

Through the tinted window, I spotted Alpha Adrian in the backseat, a short-haired she-wolf pressed close to his side, her round face glowing with that kind of youthful vitality.

"Alpha Adrian-!"

Ryan's panicked shout echoed as he skidded to a halt beside me, his breath coming in ragged gasps.

My gaze locked with Alpha Adrian's.

Vanessa, catching my stare, didn't pull away from him.

Instead, she pressed herself closer, looping her arms around his neck.

She whispered something in his ear, her lips brushing his jaw, and a brazen smirk spread across her face as she glanced at me.

My eyes stung as if seared by silver.

I looked away, pushed open the bar door, and stepped inside, not sparing them another glance.

Not long after I returned to our penthouse, the sound of the front door opening echoed through the quiet space. I stood in the master bathroom, unfastening my earrings in front of the vanity mirror when a tall, solid presence pressed against my back.

That commanding wolf scent flooded my senses.

Alpha Adrian braced his hands on the marble counter, leaning in from behind to study my reflection.

"You're angry."

I didn't meet his gaze in the mirror.

I carefully set the earrings down-small, intricate silver pieces shaped like howling wolves, a gift from him on our first mating moon-my tone as flat as a frozen lake.

"Mad enough to tear up the sacred vows we swore beneath the full moon. You'd better sleep with one eye open."

Alpha Adrian fell silent.

After a long moment, he said, "The Quinn pack is pushing for a merger that could secure our territory for decades. I've been negotiating with their leader, Damien Quinn. Vanessa's his sister, and she's been. helping smooth things over. You know how these alliances work-appearances matter."

"Oh, appearances matter?"

I shot back.

"So you have to let her hang off you like a leech to seal a deal? What's next, invite her to the next pack gathering and let her wear my mating pendant?"

"No need to explain," I cut in.

My clear, icy gaze seemed to bore into his very core.

"Alpha Adrian, if I no longer hold your interest, if you crave a new she-wolf, I'll step aside. No need for these petty games."

He went quiet.

Then, "The Quinn pack is pushing for a merger that could secure our territory for decades. I've been negotiating with their leader, Damien Quinn. Vanessa's his sister, and she's been. helping smooth things over. You know how these alliances work-appearances matter."

"Appearances matter? So you let her cling to you like a leech to seal a deal? What's next? Invite her to the next pack gathering and let her wear my mating pendant?"

He grabbed my arm when I tried to leave, his grip tight enough to bruise. "Don't even think about it."

I said nothing, my lips pressed into a thin line.

I'd already signed the dissolution papers, sealed with a drop of my blood-the final step in wolf custom to make it binding.

I was done pretending our bond still held any warmth.

Alpha Adrian lingered in the manor until the early hours, pacing the marble floors like a caged beast, before a phone call jolted him into action.

Through the thin walls of our bedroom, I heard every word-Vanessa's soft, sniffling voice, begging him to come "soothe her fears" after a "scary run-in with a rogue wolf."

The next morning, my oldest friend, Eliza-who'd been by my side since our cub days in the pack-sent me a screenshot: Vanessa's latest Instagram post.

A photo from the summit of Blackpine Mountain at dawn, two hands intertwined, their fingers splayed to form a heart. Caption: Sunrise's first light, where our pulses align as one.

The faint scar across the knuckle, from that winter skirmish with the Western clan-Adrian's, no doubt.

I sat there, clutching my ceramic mug of chamomile tea for what felt like hours. When I finally set it down, it clattered against the oak table.

For days after, Alpha Adrian didn't return to the manor.

Our only encounter was at the quarterly pack council meeting.

He sat on the ornate throne-like chair at the head of the long table; I sat among the other council members on the sides, our gazes carefully avoiding each other.

I didn't bother seeking him out.

Let him play alpha with his new toy.

In my spare time, I kept busy-scouting luxury apartments, touring penthouses with skyline views, and offloading the tokens of our bond he'd given me over the years.

The locket with our mixed scents, the handwritten vows from our mating ceremony, the antique pocket watch engraved with the date of our first moonlit run, even the family heirloom pendant that marked me as his mate-all sold off to collectors. If I was cutting ties, why keep these ghosts of a dead love?

That evening, Ruby Dawson-a big shot in the pack's social scene-invited me to a private spring club tucked away in the hills.

I was reluctant, but with plans to strike out on my own after breaking the bond and leaving, I needed allies in the pack's inner circle.

So, I went.

The moment I stepped inside, the faint scent of cedar and ozone-favored by high-ranking wolves-wrapped around me.

Ruby was waiting by the marble reception desk.

"Ruby, I could've found my way to the lounge. You didn't have to come down," I said, adjusting the strap of my clutch.

Ruby linked arms with me, steering me toward the staircase.

"Didn't want you wandering into the wrong wing. The alpha's private suite is on this floor, and trust me, you don't wanna meet anyone there right now."

Her tone held a knowing edge.

I'd never set foot in this part of the club, reserved for the pack's elite.

Ruby led me to a spacious private lounge, divided by a floor-to-ceiling silk tapestry embroidered with howling wolves.

As we entered, I noticed the murmur of voices on the other side of the tapestry but didn't pay much mind.

Ruby guided me to a quiet corner where a lone she-wolf sat-Lila, the mate of Gareth, one of Adrian's top enforcers.

Lila recognized me too; her expression flickered with unease, though she managed a polite smile that didn't reach her eyes.

I slipped off my cashmere coat and settled into a plush armchair.

Ruby stepped out to "grab more drinks," and as I sipped the elderflower gin handed to me, the chatter from the other side of the tapestry drifted over.

The voices grew louder, cruder, until they landed on a topic that made my blood freeze in my veins.

"Yo, Adrian doesn't even let Vivian sit at his table during council mixers anymore," one voice drawled-it was Jax, that burly wolf with a penchant for trouble, who'd once laughed too hard at Adrian's jokes about "training" me to be a proper alpha's mate.

"Duh, Vanessa's got that fresh spark. He brings her to every territory meeting now, lets her wear that cuff he used to keep locked in his safe? Treated like she's already his chosen mate," another chimed in.

"nine years of mating bonds, and he's finally upgrading. Can't blame him-Vivian's all sharp edges and alpha glares. Vanessa? She bats her eyes and he's putty. Wolves like Adrian need someone to submit," someone else added.

"Vivian's hot, sure, but nine years of the same scent? Even the strongest bonds fade."

"She's so damn oblivious. Followed him, sat through his boring speeches, and for what? Just a placeholder until someone younger came along. If Adrian's done, maybe I'll make a move. Seen the way she moves during the full moon runs? Those hips? Been craving a taste since we were cubs."

My fingers tightened around my glass. I

recognized every voice-Adrian's so-called "brothers in arms."

The she-wolf sitting beside me looked mortified, her eyes darting to the floor, clearly expecting me to storm off.

Instead, I set my glass down with a soft clink.

I grabbed the hem of my silk dress, smoothing it out with deliberate calm, then sauntered toward the wooden trellis covered in ivy that divided the pool deck.

Leaning against one of the posts, I cut into their conversation.

"Y'all, let's not get it twisted. When Adrian and I sealed the bond, he was still wet behind the ears-freshly crowned alpha. You really think I didn't get my fill of breaking him in for nine years?"

The pool deck fell dead silent.

Even the water in the infinity pool seemed to stop rippling.

Every wolf on the lounge chairs gaped at me, their faces draining of color.

As I spoke, the sliding glass doors from the main house hissed open.

Two figures stepped out, and the crowd's eyes darted from me to the pair behind me-their expressions curdling into pure dread.

Alpha Adrian loomed behind me, his frame rigid.

I caught the crowd's terror and glanced back.

There he was.

I turned forward again, my gaze locking onto Vanessa, the short-haired she-wolf draped over a sunbed in the corner.

Moments ago, Vanessa had been preening, twirling a strand of hair while showing off the ankle chain Adrian had gifted her-engraved with the pack's founding date, a token usually reserved for a mated pair.

It was clear this wasn't their first public appearance as a "couple."

The way Vanessa's hand kept drifting toward Adrian's arm, the way the pack members had been laughing along with their inside jokes-they were flaunting their bond, trampling on the nine years I'd spent standing by his side.

Alpha Adrian stepped forward.

"Vivian, we were just messing around-drunk talk, you know how it is," Jax stammered, his voice cracking as he shot a terrified glance at Adrian.

"Vivian, Adrian and Vanessa are just... allies. For the pack's good,"

Kai added, his hands trembling-he knew full well that questioning an alpha's choices in public was a one-way ticket to being exiled to the outer territories.

"Please, don't let this reach the elders!" another begged, his shoulders hunched.

Alpha Adrian grabbed my wrist, his fingers digging into my skin.

"We're leaving. Now."

I spun, flinging the remainder of my citrus mocktail across his face.

The tangy liquid dripped down his jaw, soaking the collar of his linen shirt-where Vanessa's perfume still lingered, cloying and sweet.

The pool deck went dead silent, even the crickets pausing their chirps.

Every wolf stared, their breaths held-no one dared challenge an alpha like this, not even a former mate.

Then, with a smile as sweet as poisoned honey, I purred,

"Go enjoy your little alliance, Adrian. I wouldn't dream of crashing your precious pack politics."

I bent down, prying at his fingers with a strength.

"Let. Go."