Filed to story: Alpha’s Regret After His Pregnant Luna’s Death (Evelyn & Declan)
“Don’t mention it! It’s what anyone would do!” kara boomed, her grin wide and warm, masking the hurt in her eyes. “If you miss us, come back and visit, alright? Kids grow so fast. I really wanna see how pretty that little pup’s face turns out.”
That word-pup-slipped from her lips so naturally that for a moment, my wolf stirred inside me, aching for home.
We laughed then, even if it sounded brittle at the edges. It was easier that way, to pretend this wasn’t another goodbye. I turned and left, I had only walked a small distance when I turned back to see them all shedding tears.
“Alright, alright,” kara said roughly, wiping at her eyes. “Everyone back to work before Kevin finds another reason to bark.”
I smiled faintly and turned away, balancing Lana in one arm and dragging my worn suitcase with the other. My wolf prowled uneasily under my skin, sensing my fatigue. The city’s air was thick with exhaust, but all I could smell was uncertainty.
I opened my phone, scanning through rental listings until I spotted a small, low-cost apartment on the edge of town. It wasn’t much, but it would do. When I tried to pay the deposit, though, the app froze. Again.
“Great,” I muttered. Maybe the signal was bad.
I decided to find a bank and just withdraw cash instead. When I approached the ATM, I slid in my card, but the screen blinked red-Error.
I frowned and tried again. Nothing.
My pulse quickened. Frances had promised this morning that my salary was already transferred. My wolf growled low in my chest, restless, sensing deceit before my mind even caught up. I called her immediately.
“I sent it this morning,” Frances’ mocking voice rang in my ear. “If you can’t withdraw it, that’s your card’s problem. I’ve got the records right here, so don’t try to scam me. You’re not greedy enough to want double pay, are you?”
Her words hit like claws raking across my heart. My breath caught, anger and panic mixing beneath my skin.
“Understood,” I forced out and ended the call.
The city noise buzzed around me, but all I heard was the rush of blood in my ears. Something wasn’t right. My instincts screamed danger.
I rushed inside to find a bank clerk. After a few tense minutes, he looked up from his computer and said flatly, “Your account has been frozen.”
Frozen.
The word echoed in my skull, colder than any wind. My fingers tightened around Lana’s blanket. Someone was cutting me off, they wanted me trapped.
And deep down, I already knew who.
Evelyn’s POV
“When did this happen?” I asked, my voice weak.
“Around noon today,” the employee replied.
My knees nearly buckled. The world tilted for a second, and I had to grip Lana tighter to keep from collapsing.
I stepped outside, the sun above was merciless, its rays scorching against my pale skin.
I could feel my wolf stirring beneath my skin, pacing, restless and angry. A low growl almost escaped my throat.
It had to be Declan.
He was the only man could freeze my account without my consent.
Only him!
The scent of asphalt and hot air mixed with my rising fury. My chest felt like it was wrapped in invisible webs that were tight and suffocating, pulling me into a black hole where rage and despair met.
My pulse pounded in my ears.
I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood. The metallic tang only fueled the storm in me.
Did he really have to destroy everything? Me… and our daughter?
I adjusted Lana against my shoulder, shielding her tiny face from the harsh sun. Every step I took on the sidewalk felt like walking on shards of broken glass. The ground was steady, but my world wasn’t.
Then my phone buzzed.
A text from the landlord of the low cost apartment I wanted to make payment for blinked on the screen:
[So when do you want to check out the apartment?]
A hollow laugh almost left me. Check out the apartment? I didn’t even have a bank account anymore.
I typed out an apology with trembling fingers, gavw some lame excuse about needing to reschedule and shoved the phone back into my bag.
I looked up at the sea of strangers rushing by, my eyes stinging. My wolf whined softly inside me, sensing my despair. Where can we go now?
My gaze drifted until it landed on a wall plastered with loan advertisements. I walked closer like I was in a trance, tracing my fingers over the torn, sun-bleached papers. That’s when I realized the wall belonged to a law firm.
A sharp ache pierced through my chest.
Once, Law had been everything to me. Justice, truth, purpose. I used to stand in court, my voice unwavering, my heart proud as I defended clients. Now I stood outside like a beggar, clutching my child and memorizing loan numbers.
I blinked away the tears burning in my eyes, holding Lana close as I copied a few numbers onto the back of an old receipt.
That’s when something cool brushed my forehead and a shadow fell over me.
It was an umbrella.
The familiar scent hit me before I even looked up back.
My pulse quickened.
“Evelyn,” came that low, velvety voice. “Come with me. I’ve got a villa that’s been waiting for you. It has been for a long time. We can hire an experienced nanny to help with the baby.”
It was Richard.
He now stood tall beside me, his umbrella shielding us both from the brutal sun.
For a heartbeat, my wolf stilled. Then I took a step back. “How did he know where I was?”
A tremor ran down my spine. I could feel his eyes darken.
“You just quit your job,” he said, his voice deep and rough, every word scraping against my heart. “And even if you can’t find a place to stay, you still won’t ask me for help?”
I had already decided to cut all ties with these people. The moment Richard started talking, I turned my face away, my voice freezing over like the dead of winter. He didn’t deserve a single word from me.
My wolf bristled beneath my skin, her tail low, her ears pinned back in silent warning. We were done with him.
But then his last words hit me.
I whipped my head around, fury igniting through every nerve like wildfire. “Are you spying on me? Did you have someone follow me?”
My wolf snarled, I scanned the street fast. I searched for strangers lurking nearby, unfamiliar auras masking themselves among the crowd. My pulse spiked. I could not spot any danger. Still, paranoia clawed up my spine. I hated that he could make me feel hunted again.
Richard furrowed his brows in displeasure. “Is that really what you think of me?” he asked quietly.
Something in his voice made my wolf hesitate. For a second, I wondered if I’d overreacted. I exhaled shakily, the tension in my shoulders easing but only slightly.
Even if I had overreacted, I didn’t feel an atom of guilt. He didn’t deserve it.
“Luna Evelyn?”
A new voice broke through the tension like sunlight cutting through a storm.
I turned, my senses alert again, and saw a pale hand push open the law firm’s glass door. My eyes trailed upward, tracing the movement from those slender fingers to the face of the person.
“Luna Evelyn! It really is you!”
I blinked, stunned as I recognized who it was.
Evelyn’s POV
“Peter Clinton?”
A genuine smile tugged at my lips before I could stop it. I looked him up and down, taking in the sharp lines of his black suit and the gold frames perched on his nose.
Gone was the shy, bumbling intern who used to hide behind thick glasses and piles of case files. This Peter looked confident, self-assured even.
He furrowed his brows briefly as he watched me, a flicker of sadness, flashing through his eyes. I could tell what he was thinking. He was probably wondering why I looked so different from my usual self.
He eventually smiled at me, his eyes gleaming with the same earnest warmth I remembered, and something in my chest loosened.
I honestly never thought I’d see him again.
Back when I’d still had my job…Peter had been the nervous new intern no one thought would last a week.
Always quiet, always fumbling with his papers, too timid to speak during meetings. But I’d seen something in him that others hadn’t. He had a sharp focus beneath all that fear.
He might not have been bold, but he was brilliant. So I’d taken him under my wing, brought him to trials, made him watch, listen and learn.
And now, barely a year and a half later… he stood before me, running his own law firm.
