My heartless Alpha

the woman he had never seen before

When they brought me back, I went straight to the pack house. I couldn't bring myself to go home just yet, not with all the emotions boiling within me. Stepping inside, I spotted them in the kitchen—members of the pack all gathered, as if waiting for something, or someone. And there she was, standing among them. Sabrina. Today, I would put an end to this. I was done being merciful.

"You," I said, venom in my voice. "I want you out of my pack, Sabrina."

She laughed, tossing her head with that smug, unbothered look. "What are you talking about? Alpha Liam invited me."

I narrowed my gaze, letting the power of my words echo around the room. "Do you think I care that Jarem invited you? I'm uninviting you. Get out. Now." My tone was hard, unyielding. "I don't want to see you here. I'll give you five minutes to leave, or I'll remove you myself."

The room went silent. Pack members stood frozen, their eyes wide as they took in my fury. They'd never seen their Luna like this before, and for the first time, they could see my strength, my power. Alpha Jarem started to step forward, perhaps to intervene, but I looked at him sharply, challenging him with just my gaze.

"What are you going to do, Jarem? Tell me I don't have the right? Are you going to hit me? Lock me in the dungeons?" I said, my voice steady and unafraid. "I am not afraid of you. And let me remind you of something—you are mine. You belong to me. But I am not just yours," I added, steel in my voice. "If you ever lay a hand on me again, I will leave. And I won't be alone when I do. I'll leave with him."

Confusion rippled through the pack. They didn't understand what I was talking about, or why I was here confronting him like this. But what shocked them the most was that Jarem, their leader, had nothing to say in return. He stood silent, his face taut, every muscle in his body screaming tension. In that moment, he looked ready to lash out, to establish his dominance, to remind me and everyone else who was the Alpha.

But then, he stopped, a look crossing his face that I hadn't seen before. His eyes widened, and his expression softened as understanding dawned. His wolf stirred within him, a realization flashing across his face—she's pregnant.

Jarem's wolf settled, the rage melting into a profound pride and joy. She's carrying my pups, he thought, nearly overcome with the revelation. His own happiness overrode everything else—the need to control, to punish, to assert power. He sat down, almost weak with relief, and murmured, "Pups... she has pups."

Gasps echoed around the room, and the pack broke into whispers. They looked at me in a new light, seeing what I hadn't realized myself. I was carrying our future, their next heir. Pride shone in their eyes, and at that moment, I saw Jarem look at me, a depth of emotion in his eyes I hadn't seen before.

But in his eyes, too, was fear. The unspoken knowledge that he would never let me leave him—not with his children. He couldn't bear the thought of me taking his family, of losing everything he was just beginning to understand he'd always wanted.

For the first time, I saw Jarem falter. I saw the vulnerability of a man who'd finally learned what love meant, a man who knew he was at risk of losing it. He looked at me, his voice barely a whisper. "Azura, you've brought a happiness I never knew I could feel. And I know—I know I've destroyed it time and again. I don't know why I treated you like I did, why I pushed you away, but I do now, and it's time I became the Alpha you deserve. I want to be the man our pups will look up to, a father who deserves their love."

My heart clenched at his words. This was a side of him I'd never seen, and maybe a part of me had hoped to see for so long.

His thoughts spilled over, almost as if he was speaking to himself. "I can't be like my father. I need to change. I want to show you love, respect, and loyalty—everything I should have given you all along." His eyes misted, and he looked out toward the forest, wrestling with his emotions.

For once, the fierce Alpha let his guard down. His voice was raw. "I feel as though there's more than just one or two pups," he admitted with a choked laugh, emotion cracking through. "Maybe I should tell you everything, explain why I was so blind, so... cruel. Or maybe," he hesitated, a small, pained smile crossing his face, "I should leave the past where it belongs, behind us. But Azura," he said, turning fully to me, his gaze steady, "I love you. I know you may never believe it after the way I've treated you, but... I love you. And I am so, so sorry, my love."

And for the first time in a long time, I saw his heart laid bare, and maybe—just maybe—part of me wanted to believe him.