The Alpha’s Permanent Regret

The blinding headlights of a semi-truck were the last thing I remembered.

Then came the shattering crunch of metal, the smell of burnt rubber, and darkness.

When my eyes snapped open, the stench of gasoline was gone. In its place was the sharp scent of cedarwood, polished stone, and winter frost.

I sat up on a massive, velvet-draped bed.

"Where am I?" I muttered, pressing a hand against my temple.

My fingers were smaller. Fragile. Pale skin covered thin, trembling wrists that definitely did not belong to a twenty-six-year-old corporate strategist.

A leather-bound journal rested on the mahogany nightstand. I reached out and pulled it onto my lap, flipping through the dog-eared pages. The handwriting was neat, shaky, and stained with dried teardrops.

*Day 42: Kael didn't come home again. The guards said he was at Lira's estate. The mate bond burns like needles in my chest, but I won't complain. I must be a good wife for the pack.*

*Day 118: He brought Lira to the manor today. He held her hand right in front of the servants. When I tried to speak to him, he told me my voice gave him a headache. The tearing pain inside my soul is getting worse. I threw up blood this morning, but I hid the towels. I don't want him to hate me.*

*Day 205: He told the elders our marriage is nothing more than a political contract. He said he will never touch me. Why does it hurt so much? Why was I born so weak?*

Memories that weren't mine flooded my skull in violent flashes.

This body belonged to a girl named Lin—a fragile wolf born into a minor noble bloodline, married off to Alpha Kael to secure a treaty. From day one, Kael had treated her like garbage. He ignored her, humiliated her in public, and spent every night with his true love, Lira.

Because Kael refused to accept the mate bond, the magical tether was slowly tearing itself apart. The original Lin had endured that agonizing, bone-splintering pain all by herself, weeping in the dark while Kael flaunted his mistress.

She had literally died of a broken heart and bond shock in this very bed.

And now, I was in her skin.

"What a pathetic excuse for a man," I whispered, slamming the diary shut.

The heavy oak door creaked open. A middle-aged maid carrying a tray of untouched broth stepped inside, her expression bored and dismissive.

"Oh, you're finally awake," the maid said, setting the tray down on a side table with a loud clatter. "Alpha Kael said if you're done sulking, you need to stay in your quarters. Lady Lira is visiting, and the Alpha doesn't want you causing a scene."

I stared at her. "What did you just say?"

The maid frowned, clearly startled by the lack of tears. Usually, the girl would shrink away and apologize for existing.

"I said Lady Lira is here," the maid repeated, raising her chin. "You know how it is. You'll only upset yourself if you go down there."

"Who gave you permission to speak to me like that?" I asked, swinging my legs over the edge of the mattress.

The maid took a step back, her eyes widening. "I... I was only passing along the Alpha's orders, Luna Lin."

"Get out," I said.

"My lady?"

"I said get out."

She scurried out of the room without another word, leaving the door slightly ajar.

I stood up. My knees shook for a second, but I forced my spine straight. I walked over to the tall mirror near the wardrobe. A young woman with wide, silver-grey eyes and dark hair stared back at me. She looked frail, but the fear in her gaze was gone. In its place burned cold, furious fire.

"You suffered for nothing, little wolf," I told the reflection. "He broke you. But he won't break me. I'm going to make him pay for every single tear you shed."

I grabbed a thick woolen coat from the closet, threw it over my nightgown, and walked out into the corridor.

The castle was vast, lined with stone arches and iron chandeliers. As I descended the grand staircase toward the Great Hall, a sudden, violent spasm struck my chest.

It felt like a frozen blade twisting straight through my ribs.

My breath caught in my throat. My vision blurred with flashes of white heat. The mate bond. He was close, and his absolute rejection of our connection was sending shockwaves through my body.

I clenched my fists until my fingernails bit into my palms. The physical agony was real, but I refused to drop to my knees. I dragged air into my lungs and pushed forward.

In the center of the hall, Alpha Kael stood near the roaring fireplace. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with sharp golden eyes and dark hair. Beside him stood Lira, a slender woman draped in silk, laughing softly at something he said. Several pack guards and servants stood around the perimeter.

The moment my bare feet touched the stone floor of the hall, Kael turned.

His golden eyes narrowed into slits of pure disgust.

"What are you doing down here?" Kael's voice boomed across the room, rough and commanding. "I thought I told you to stay in your room."

Lira leaned closer into his arm, feigning concern. "Kael, please don't be harsh. Lin looks so pale. Maybe she just wanted to see you."

"She knows the rules," Kael snapped, not taking his eyes off me. "Lin, go back upstairs. Your presence is giving me a headache."

The pain in my chest flared again, hot and sharp, radiating from the bond. The old Lin would have burst into tears and begged for a shred of his affection.

I took three steady steps forward instead.

"Is that the only line you know?" I asked, my voice ringing clear and steady through the quiet hall. "You seem to get a lot of headaches, Alpha. Maybe you should have a healer look at your brain."

A dead silence dropped over the room.

Two guards exchanged stunned glances. A maid dropped a polishing cloth onto the floor.

Kael's jaw tightened. He let go of Lira and took a heavy step toward me, his Alpha aura rolling off him like a suffocating wave.

"Watch your tongue," he growled, his voice dropping into a dangerous register. "You think because the council forced this mating mark on us, you have the right to disrespect me?"

"Disrespect you?" I let out a dry, sharp laugh. "That implies you did something to earn respect in the first place."

Lira gasped, clutching her chest. "Lin! How can you speak to your Alpha like that? He provides everything for you!"

I turned my head and fixed my gaze on Lira. "Did I ask for your input, mistress?"

Lira's face drained of color. "Kael..."

"Enough!" Kael roared, closing the distance between us until he towered over me. His golden eyes flashed with anger. "Let me make this crystal clear so your tiny mind understands. This marriage is a political arrangement. Nothing more. My heart belongs to Lira, and it always will. You are nothing to me, Lin. Stop embarrassing yourself with these pathetic tantrums."

He leaned down, expecting me to flinch, expecting me to cower like I had done a hundred times before.

I didn't blink. I didn't step back.

Instead, I tilted my head up, met his furious glare, and smiled.

"Good," I said softly.

Kael blinked, thrown off balance by the reaction. "What?"

"I said good," I repeated, stepping even closer, ignoring the tearing pain in my chest until my voice was a razor-sharp whisper meant only for him. "Keep your heart, Alpha Kael. Keep your mistress. Because very soon, you're going to realize that this marriage isn't your prison."

I paused, letting my smile widen into something cold and lethal.

"It's mine to burn down."