The Alpha's Fated Regret

I'm just an ordinary human. But I'm the fated mate of Alpha Sebastian, a werewolf.

For five years, I thought he truly loved me.

Then the day I found out I was pregnant, I overheard a secret.

In the werewolf world, only those who complete the Mark ceremony are considered true mates.

Alpha Sebastian marking Diana is for the good of the pack. She has the bloodline of powerful werewolf warriors. She's more suited to be Luna.

"As for Miss Elaine... she's just a pet the Alpha keeps around. Humor her, keep her happy."

I didn't cry. I didn't make a scene. I just silently packed my things.

They would never know that in half a month, I would disappear from Sebastian's world completely.

Elaine POV

Five years. I had finally been blessed with this child.

I waited in the hospital corridor for my prenatal checkup, my mind planning how to surprise Sebastian.

As I turned the corner, a hushed conversation drifted into my ears, making me stop in my tracks involuntarily.

"So you're saying Alpha Sebastian still hasn't Marked that human?"

"Of course not. She's just a human. Even if she is his fated mate, she's too weak, can't compare to Diana. Diana's father was once the most powerful werewolf warrior in the pack."

"But didn't he have a grand wedding with Miss Elaine?"

"That was just a human ceremony. Only those Marked by the alpha are truly Luna, so the one to inherit the Alpha's position and territory will only be Diana's child."

"Poor Miss Elaine, she still thinks she's..."

"Shh, keep your voice down. The Alpha warned us not to let her know. After all, she is the Alpha's 'Fated Mate,' and the Alpha does have feelings for her."

"Feelings are one thing, but what power can a human bring to the Pack? Alpha choosing to Mark Diana is the most beneficial decision for the Pack. As for Miss Elaine... she's just a pet the Alpha keeps by his side. Just humor her."

When I left the hospital, my whole body was ice cold.

The joy of becoming a mother for the first time was crushed to pieces.

Those words hit me like a frozen hammer, pounding away at everything I believed.

Our five-year marriage... in the werewolf world, it meant nothing?!

Sebastian and I met when we were eighteen.

I was still in school at the time.

Sebastian pursued me for a whole month, and on prom night he formally confessed to me and told me his true identity.

He was the Alpha of Moonclaw Pack.

He gave me a grand wedding and brought me back to Moonclaw Pack.

Everyone said Sebastian loved me, loved me enough to pluck the stars from the sky for me.

But why would he, where I couldn't see, give the Mark that represents eternity to another woman?

I barely hesitated before immediately driving to that private club where Sebastian and his circle often gathered.

I had to ask him about this face to face.

When I found the most secluded VIP room in the club, laughter and the clinking of glasses came from inside.

I stood outside the half-open door, and through the gap, I saw the man surrounded by everyone.

He wore a finely tailored casual suit, his figure tall and handsome. His face radiated a happiness I had never seen before, like a weight had been lifted, and the wine glass in his hand reflected amber light in the dim lighting.

That was my husband of five years, Sebastian.

"Congratulations, Sebastian, you finally got what you wanted!"

"Honestly, Sebastian, this was a brilliant move. Marking Diana in the Pack, giving Elaine a dream wedding in the human world to keep her satisfied. You've managed both sides perfectly."

"So what is Elaine to you? These five years... weren't you afraid of being found out?"

"You don't get it." Someone laughed.

"Sebastian feels guilt toward Diana. More than that, responsibility. If Diana hadn't saved Elaine back then, Elaine would've been the one splashed with poison. Sebastian said he owes Diana a lifetime. Marking her, making her Luna. It's compensation and also him choosing a suitable Luna for the Pack."

"What a brilliant strategy!"

I froze outside the door, like someone had pushed me into the deep sea, where even breathing became a luxury.

I even wondered if I was hearing things.

But the next second, Sebastian's own words threw me completely into an icy abyss.

"I'm serious about Diana." His tone was calm and steady, each word carrying undeniable determination. "She sacrificed her dream of becoming a werewolf warrior to save Elaine, and now she can never shift again. All she wants is a definite status and a secure future. I can give them to her."

So that's how it was.

My eyes instantly welled up.

So that conversation I accidentally overheard wasn't baseless rumor, but a carefully laid plan of his.

Five years ago, during an outing, we unfortunately encountered an attack by a crazed Rogue.

At that critical moment, Diana rushed forward without hesitation, pushing me aside and blocking the attack.

She was splashed with poison from the Rogue. Though she survived, no one could cure the poison, so Diana permanently lost her ability to shift.

She had been one of the most agile and skilled warriors in the Pack.

To repay her life-saving grace, Sebastian and I took care of everything for her, seeking the best treatment and providing all the resources she needed.

Sebastian said at the time that Diana saving me was saving his life.

He was willing to give everything to make it up to her.

I just never imagined that his way of making it up to her would be to become Diana's true mate.

The ridiculous thing is, for five whole years, I had no idea.

Sebastian's friend asked another question. "What about Elaine? If she finds out..."

I watched him lower his eyes, his slender fingers tapping lightly on his phone screen, his tone carrying the confidence of someone in complete control.

"She's just human, she can't smell our scents. As long as I continue treating Elaine well, she'll never find out. All of you keep your mouths shut and don't let anything slip in front of her."

The next second, my phone buzzed.

I looked down at the message Sebastian sent, my heart feeling like it was being squeezed by an invisible hand, cold spreading from my fingertips all the way to my bones.

"Sweetheart, I miss you. Tonight is just a boring business dinner, every second without you is torture. On our anniversary, I'll make sure to spend quality time with you.

Love, Sebastian."

I gripped my phone tightly, looking up at him in the distance, laughing and talking among the crowd, my heart throbbing with wave after wave of dense, stabbing pain.

My vision gradually blurred as hot tears spilled uncontrollably. This wasn't my Sebastian.

My Sebastian was the boy who would pick snow velvet flowers from cliffs for me.

He was the man who rented out an entire observatory on my birthday just to show me a star named after me.

He was the man who, on my parents' death anniversary, would put aside everything to quietly stay with me all day.

He was the man who, after marriage, pampered me into a princess who knew nothing of worldly suffering, spending nights endlessly entwined with me...

Not this liar before me, who said he loved me while carving another woman into his soul.

My heart felt like it was being cut with knives. I bit my lip hard.

My phone vibrated again. It was his call.

I took a deep breath, retreated to a quieter corner of the hallway, hesitated for a second, then answered.

"Elaine, where are you? Have you eaten dinner? It sounds like... there's an echo where you are?" His voice was as gentle as always, tender and affectionate, with vague music in the background.

"Sebastian, what are you doing?" I instinctively clenched my fist, my nails digging deep into my palm.

I thought, as long as he was willing to confess, I would give him a chance to explain.

"I'm discussing some business with a few partners, it's giving me a headache." His tone carried deliberately manufactured fatigue. "These kinds of occasions, you know, boring as hell."

I suddenly laughed, though the light in my eyes extinguished inch by inch.

After a moment of silence, I said softly, "Okay."

He immediately sensed something was wrong. "Sweetheart, are you unhappy? Who upset you?"

"It's crowded, I'll hang up now."

The moment I hung up, I heard the sound of the private room door opening.

I instinctively ducked behind a decorative column in the hallway and saw a girl in a dress walk out of the room. It was Diana.

She seemed to have come out to take a call, but soon Sebastian followed her out.

"Sebastian, my foot hurts a little, it's too stuffy inside." Diana's voice carried a pampered tone.

"Let me see." His tone held a precious carefulness I'd never heard before.

He just naturally knelt down, carefully rubbing her ankle, his eyes full of heartache. "It's my fault, I shouldn't have made you stand so long, shouldn't have had you wear these shoes."

That tenderness, compared to his dismissive "boring business dinner" on the phone with me, stabbed painfully at my eyes.

So his love could be divided, his heartache could be replicated.

Even the lie about it being "boring as hell" came so naturally.

Sebastian, how can your heart hold two people?

I fled in panic, hiding in the shadows of the fire escape, curling up and hugging myself, letting tears fall silently.

I cried until I was nearly exhausted before slowly standing up.

The light in my eyes died. What was left was pure resolve.

This five-year fake marriage. I didn't want it anymore.

This man, Sebastian. I didn't want him either.

Since Diana was the one he was willing to Mark as his true mate, I'd give them what they wanted.

In half a month, it would be my parents' death anniversary.

After I said goodbye to them, I'd leave.

And never come back.

Elaine POV

After leaving the bar, my mind was in chaos, not knowing what to do.

So I returned to the hospital to continue my unfinished prenatal checkup, wanting to calm myself down through this process.

The doctor told me, "Miss Elaine, that accident five years ago injured your uterus. Being able to conceive is already a miracle. You need to rest well and avoid stress and risks."

My fingertips went ice cold, my heart hit with another unexpected sharp pain.

Sebastian had never told me about this.

All these years, when people urged me to give the alpha an heir soon, Sebastian always took the responsibility himself, saying he wanted a few more years of just the two of us.

In that moment, my eyes welled up.

He used to consider me in everything, afraid I would be sad.

But no matter how well he treated me, it couldn't change the fact that he had deceived me.

"Thank you, doctor. I'll be careful." I heard myself say.

I walked out of the examination room in a daze, my steps unsteady, but at the end of the corridor, I saw Sebastian and Diana.

Sebastian was carefully helping Diana out of an examination room, undisguised joy and tension in his expression.

His gentle gaze was glued to her face, unwilling to look away for even a moment.

"Sebastian, don't be so nervous. I'm just having some early pregnancy reactions, I'm not sick."

Diana's eyes crinkled with a girlish charm.

Sebastian showed a rare smile, but his tone was incredibly tense. "This is our first child, we can't have any mistakes."

I gripped the examination report in my hand tightly, feeling the temperature drain from my body bit by bit.

In that moment, I seemed to clearly hear the sound of my heart shattering inch by inch.

So pain at its extreme doesn't bring tears.

Sebastian helped Diana into the elevator.

I silently tore the examination report in my hand into pieces.

Sebastian had no need, and no right, to know about this child's existence.

After throwing the pieces in the trash, I took the elevator to the underground parking garage.

As if fate was playing a cruel trick, I encountered them again.

In that moment, possessed by some impulse, I started my car and followed them from a distance.

Sebastian brought Diana to the restaurant within the Pack that had been specially built for me.

My heart completely sank to the bottom.

That restaurant had been renovated for me on my birthday last year.

It sat on the best scenic spot in the territory, with huge floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the starry sky above the entire valley.

Every decoration inside, even every specialty dish on the menu, was designed according to my preferences.

Compared to werewolves' rough eating habits, it better suited my human tastes.

He had personally told me this was our exclusive corner.

But now, he had personally brought another woman inside.

In the restaurant, Diana stood in front of the floor-to-ceiling window with the most magnificent starry view.

Sebastian pushed over a cart covered with white cloth, topped with exquisite desserts. He elegantly took a velvet box from the cart and opened it.

Inside was a dazzling constellation necklace.

"Congratulations to my Luna on becoming a mother-to-be."

In that instant, I could barely stand.

"Sebastian... thank you." Diana's eyes reddened with tears. "And you personally made desserts for me."

"Try them." Sebastian's voice was unbearably tender. "After you eat, go back and rest. You've been with me too long, now it's my turn to go back and keep Elaine company."

Diana blinked understandingly, deliberately squeezing out a few tears.

But Sebastian was full of heartache, pulling her into his embrace. "Silly girl, I'm not going anywhere today, I'm staying with you. Don't forget, we're the true mates."

I hid around the corner, slowly backing away, my back against the cold wall, the chill spreading along my spine, freezing my whole body until I shook.

Yes.

Diana was Sebastian's true mate, recognized by the werewolf world.

And I was just a ridiculous human who had been deceived and remained oblivious for five whole years.

I remembered when Sebastian first brought me here, he had also prepared an identical necklace for me. To make that dessert for me, he secretly studied with a Michelin chef for a whole month.

"Elaine, try my cooking. From now on, I'll take care of all your meals."

"In this lifetime, I'll only love you."

As he put the necklace on me, he made that vow in my ear.

But now, this love and affection that was supposed to be uniquely mine had been completely and precisely replicated for Diana.

My chest felt tight and painful.

So Sebastian's lifetime was this short.

I fled in panic, tears already streaming down my face when I left the restaurant.

Immediately after, I began liquidating all the assets under my name, separating everything connected to Sebastian.

The inheritance my parents left me was enough to live on for the rest of my life.

And I just wanted one thing.

To completely cut ties with him.

Elaine POV

I didn't return home until dusk.

The enormous villa was empty and hollow, with only a single lonely lamp lit in the entrance hall. I practically dragged myself onto the sofa, my gaze sweeping over the art pieces and books we'd chosen together throughout the house. My heart felt crushed by a giant boulder, each beat pulling out clear and sharp pain.

I raised my hand to rub my temples, forcing myself to get up and walk to the bookshelf.

That first out-of-print art book we found together. He had laughed and praised my impeccable taste.

The art history book full of our notes. He'd held my waist and promised we'd visit every museum in the world.

And the poetry collection he'd hunted everywhere for me. On the title page, in his elegant script:

"To my beloved Elaine, my one and only."

...

I pulled out one of the books and opened it.

Then, I tore out every word he had written, page by page, until it was shredded.

The sound of tearing paper was especially clear in the empty living room. All through the night, I mechanically repeated the same motion, bit by bit completely severing the thoughts, passions, and souls we once shared.

By dawn, my arms were numb, my fingertips had lost all feeling.

And Sebastian never came home.

Today was supposed to be our wedding anniversary.

At midnight on our anniversary, Sebastian's social media updated right on schedule.

It was a video he had personally edited, recording all the moments of our five years together, with a deeply emotional caption.

The comments were full of envious voices.

The outdoor screen in the pack territory plaza was also playing that video on loop.

The lawn outside the villa had been transformed into a sea of roses at some point.

In the center of the rose garden sat a drone, carrying a huge gift box containing a set of limited edition art supplies I'd been wanting forever.

Through the speaker system, his deep magnetic voice played on repeat.

"Elaine, happy anniversary. I love you, just as I did in the beginning."

I expressionlessly pulled the curtains shut, burying myself under the covers, shutting out the world's noise.

Before long, his call came through, his tone full of apology. "Sweetheart, I need to discuss some cooperation with another pack's alpha, I can't make it back today. When I return, I'll make it up to you with an even grander anniversary celebration."

Listening to his flawless lies, I suddenly laughed, though my laughter trembled slightly. "It's fine, you're busy."

"Sweetheart, you're upset." He keenly sensed my emotions. "You don't like the surprise I prepared? Don't be angry, I'll make it up to you double in a few days."

"No, work is important." My tone was calm. "I'm a bit tired, I want to sleep."

I hung up the phone and curled up, desperately suppressing the pain in my chest.

I don't know how much time passed before the bedroom door was suddenly thrown open, a blinding beam of light flooding in.

Backlit, I saw Sebastian standing in the doorway, panic all over his face.

His hair was disheveled, his face pale, those deep eyes filled with fear and relief.

Perhaps because he sensed something wrong with my emotions and couldn't reach me no matter what, he had actually used his private jet to rush back.

The moment he saw me, he practically rushed over, pulling me tightly into his arms, his voice hoarse and choked. "Thank god you're alright! Sweetheart, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."

His eyes were red, his body trembling uncontrollably. "I'll never leave you alone again. When you didn't answer my calls, my whole world collapsed."

"Nothing is more important than you. I came back to be with you."

I said nothing.

He assumed I was still angry, kneeling on one knee by the bed, coaxing me in a low voice. "Elaine, promise me, never ignore my calls again, never ignore me. I'll truly go insane."

His nervousness and fear didn't seem fake.

He did love me.

But was this love from possessiveness over his fated mate, or was it genuine?

"You came back so quickly." I forced a smile, speaking softly.

His expression changed slightly, a flash of guilt in his eyes, and he immediately changed the subject. "Sweetheart, you haven't eaten all day, have you? I'll take you to the restaurant, I made your favorites."

"I'm not going." I shook my head.

He was clearly flustered. "Then rest, I'll go downstairs and cook."

"Okay." I nodded coldly, turning over with my back to him.

He thought I was still sulking, took a deep breath, and left the room.

The moment the door closed, I lay with my eyes open, staring into the darkness, my heart a wasteland.

Elaine POV

About ten minutes later, a commotion suddenly came from downstairs.

I went down and saw Sebastian's friends filling the living room.

They were frantically gluing together the torn book pages one by one, trying to put them back on the shelf, as if reconstructing those paper fragments could bring everything back to how it was.

Seeing me appear, several people spoke at once.

"Elaine, Alpha Sebastian nearly turned all of Europe upside down looking for you, don't scare him like this."

"Next time you're angry, tell us, we'll help you beat him up, just don't turn off your phone again. Sebastian will really go crazy."

"Yeah, when Sebastian saw all those shredded papers on the floor, his face went white. He almost fainted on the spot, and he insisted on going through the trash, saying he had to glue every single piece back together."

"Stop talking." Sebastian stood to the side, his face full of remorse. "It's all my fault for making Elaine feel wronged. However she treats me, I'll accept it."

"Sebastian truly loves Elaine to the extreme. He has no pride at all in front of her. She's so blessed."

I looked in the direction of the voice and realized Diana had also arrived at some point, standing in the crowd with an envious expression.

Sebastian looked perfectly natural, a gentle smile on his lips. "Of course I'll spoil the woman who's mine."

My stomach suddenly churned with violent nausea.

I spoke flatly. "Don't bother putting the books back, I want to change the style."

Sebastian immediately came to my side, reaching out to put his arm around my waist, his tone gentle and firm. "Alright, everyone stop. Listen to me."

He helped me sit on the sofa, then turned back to the kitchen.

Soon, the dining table was filled with dishes I used to love.

But I had no appetite.

With one hand, he thoughtfully served me food, coaxing me in a low voice to eat more; but under the table, his other hand was tightly clasped with Diana's.

In that moment, I suddenly found all of this absurd to the extreme.

I just wanted to escape.

After dinner, Sebastian took me away from the pack to the seaside.

There he had prepared a fireworks show over the ocean for me, and hired my favorite jazz band.

Halfway through the performance, he excused himself to go to the restroom.

Possessed by some impulse, I followed him.

In the yacht's VIP lounge, I saw Diana actively throw herself into Sebastian's arms, standing on her toes to kiss his lips.

"Sebastian, I missed you so much, just for a moment."

Sebastian wrapped one arm around her waist, one hand pressing the back of her head, deepening the kiss as the room's temperature suddenly rose.

After a long while, Diana pushed him away with a flushed face, breathing heavily. "That's enough, you should go back and keep Elaine company."

"Can you bear to let me go?" Sebastian's eyes were tinged with desire, his fingertips caressing her red lips.

Diana lowered her eyes. "I can't, but Elaine wouldn't even answer your calls because of me. I don't want her to be sad anymore. I can wait, wait until you're done keeping her company before coming to find me."

"Your understanding always breaks my heart. Good girl, don't think about anyone else right now, just enjoy." Sebastian kissed her lips, trailing downward...

Pleasured moans escaped from Diana's lips. "Sebastian, don't..."

I felt like I'd been plunged into ice water. I bit down hard on the back of my hand to stop myself from crying out.

I thought my heart was already dead. But seeing it with my own eyes still shredded me.

My stomach seized. I covered my mouth and ran to the bathroom, heaving until nothing was left. A dull ache spread through my belly.

I pressed my hand to my stomach, tears blurring my vision.

Baby, I'm sorry.