Her Alpha Ex-Husband's Regret

Lunaria's POV.

"What is going on?" I whispered to myself, staring in disbelief at the body lying next to me. My heart raced as I pinched myself, trying to wake up from what must surely be a nightmare.

This couldn't be real. It had to be some figment of my imagination, a twisted dream that I desperately wanted to end.

"Sir," I called out, my voice trembling as I gently tapped him. But to my horror, his body was cold and unresponsive. No movement, no sign of life. My heart pounded in my chest as panic set in. "Sir!" I repeated, pushing him slightly. His body just flopped over, drenched in blood like a lifeless shell.

I gasped, my hands flying to cover my mouth as shock overwhelmed me. Tears blurred my vision as I tried to make sense of the scene. Glancing down at myself, I saw that I too was covered in blood.

A small scream escaped my lips as I leaped up from the bed, my legs trembling beneath me. There, on the bed, lay a small dagger, stained with blood. What the hell was going on? I was in a state of complete shock.

The last thing I remembered was feeling a bit intoxicated after the ceremony last night, though I hadn't drunk much. I went to bed, but how on earth did I wake up in the room of my mate's father and the Alpha of our pack, Alpha Griffin, drenched in his blood? How did this happen? My mind raced with questions, none of which had answers.

Just as I was trying to piece together what had happened, a knock on the door made me jump in fear.

"Your morning coffee is ready, Alpha Griffin," came the voice of the butler, Marcus, as he entered the room with a tray. The moment he saw the lifeless body of the Alpha, drenched in blood, his expression shifted to one of sheer horror.

The tray slipped from his hands, crashing to the floor as he stared at me, his eyes wide with disbelief. I shook my head frantically, tears streaming down my face as I looked from the Alpha's body to the butler.

My entire body trembled as I tried to speak, but the words came out in broken stammers, "I didn't do it... I... I don't know how I got here."

But Marcus wasn't convinced. He bolted to the door and shouted, "Guards! Guards, come quick! The King has just been murdered!" His words sent a lot of panic crashing over me.

My breathing became labored, and it felt like my heart was about to burst from my chest. I gripped the edge of the table, trying to steady myself as I struggled to maintain my composure.

If this was a dream, I needed to wake up-now. This nightmare had gone too far, and I was desperate to escape it.

Just then, my mate Nathan rushed into the room, and the first thing he saw left him in utter shock. His father lay lifeless on the bed, drenched in his own blood.

His eyes met mine with the same horrified disbelief that the butler had shown earlier. Desperate, I shook my head and stammered, "I didn't do it... Nathan, I swear, I didn't do it." He looked away, staring at his father's body in stunned silence as I tried to plead with him, "Sir Nathan, please, you have to believe me. I didn't do it."

But it was as if my words bounced off a wall, having no effect on him in that grievous moment.

Then Sarah, my best friend and a fellow servant in the pack, hurried into the room. She gasped, her hands flying to her mouth, her eyes wide with shock as if they might burst from their sockets.

She looked at me, then at the Alpha's lifeless body, pointing as she stammered, "Lunaria... did you...?"

"I didn't kill him, Sarah, I swear I didn't," I pleaded, my voice trembling with fear and desperation as tears streamed down my face. "I woke up this morning and found myself here. I don't know what happened or what went wrong. One minute I was sleeping, and the next I was..."

"You are covered in his blood, Lunaria," Sarah interrupted, her voice cutting through my explanation, silencing me instantly.

"What do you mean you didn't kill him? Why would you go that far, Lunaria? Why?" She was crying now, and her accusation cut deeper than anything I could have imagined.

I was stunned, unable to believe what I was hearing. This was supposed to be my best friend, yet she seemed utterly convinced that I had committed this unspeakable act.

I glanced at Nathan, who still hadn't taken his eyes off his father's body. His hands trembled slightly at his sides, the initial shock on his face now replaced by a cold, unreadable expression. I gulped, trying to control my racing heart as Sarah continued.

"You shouldn't have done this, Lunaria. We talked about it..." Her words were confusing, her tone accusing. I couldn't understand what she was getting at, and I was too scared and shocked to offer any defense.

Then, turning to Nathan, tears streaming down her cheeks, she said, "I'm so sorry for not telling you earlier, sir, but Lunaria has always talked about killing the Alpha. She would often tell me how she wanted to spike his drinks and drive a silver dagger through his chest because he opposed your marriage to her, a common slave in the pack. I never thought she'd actually do it."

Nathan finally lifted his head to look at me, and I shook my head, horrified. "What are you saying, Sarah? I never said any of that!"

I didn't know what shocked me more-the lies pouring from my best friend's mouth or the fact that I had somehow found myself in this nightmare. How does someone go to sleep and wake up in the middle of a murder scene? What the hell was happening?

I walked closer to Sir Nathan, but a few guards stepped forward, blocking my path as if I were some dangerous murderer who might strike again if they weren't careful. "Please, Sir Nathan, believe me. I didn't kill him. I swear I didn't. I had no reason to."

I might have had many reasons to hate the Alpha, but murder? The thought had never crossed my mind, let alone actually doing it. I was just a common slave in this pack, bought years ago.

Weak and without a wolf, I was often treated as less than nothing by the other members of the pack. The only one who ever stood by me was my best friend Sarah, and it was almost unbearable to think she might be betraying me now.

It was Sir Nathan who had announced to the entire pack one sunny afternoon that I was his mate. I didn't know about the bond since I didn't have a wolf, but he made his intentions clear: he wanted to honor the mate bond by marrying me. Of course, the Alpha didn't approve.

He wanted his son to marry a princess from another pack, not a slave who would one day be queen. But Nathan didn't care. He proceeded to get engaged to me despite his father's objections, and though the Alpha made my life a living hell at every opportunity, Nathan was always there to protect me. But could he protect me now, with me being accused of murdering his father?

"You don't get to plead innocent when you're standing there drenched in the Alpha's blood," Sarah spat. I looked at her, confused, tears welling up in my eyes.

I opened my mouth to say something, anything, but no words came. She continued, her voice filled with fake disappointment, "I'm so disappointed in you, Lunaria. How could you go this far? What happened to the sweet, innocent woman I once knew? How did you become a cold-blooded murderer?"

"I DIDN'T DO IT!" I screamed, my voice echoing through the room. I looked at Sir Nathan, my eyes pleading with him, tears streaming down my face.

"Please, I'm begging you, if not for anything else, then for our mate bond. Believe me, I didn't do it. I just woke up..." I glanced at the king's lifeless body, then back at Nathan. "I didn't do it..."

Nathan remained silent, his eyes fixed on me. The room was atmosphere was uncomfortable, the silence almost suffocating, before he finally spoke.

"You betrayed me, Lunaria. You committed a sin I can never forgive. A sin I will make sure you are punished severely for." His words hit me hard like a blow. I staggered back, struggling to stay conscious amidst the chaos as he commanded the guards, "Take the traitor away and lock her in the dungeon. If she resists, do as you wish to her. She will stay in the dungeon until her judgment is passed."

Nathan turned and walked out of the room, leaving me behind. Sarah stared at me with an expression I couldn't quite tell what it meant. She wiped away her fake tears with the back of her hand and offered me a very small, almost unnoticeable smile before she too walked away.

I stood there, numb with shock, as the guards roughly grabbed me, dragging me to the dungeon. I couldn't resist; I was too overwhelmed to even try.

The guards flung open the dungeon door and shoved me inside, causing me to fall flat on the cold, hard ground. My knees scraped against the rough surface as they slammed the door shut behind me.

Lying there on the dungeon floor, different kinds of emotions took over me. I let out a loud, piercing scream, trying to release my frustration, my despair. I sobbed uncontrollably, my heart aching as I desperately tried to wipe the Alpha's blood from my skin, but all of my efforts were useless.

As the emotions and pain I was feeling took their toll, my head grew light, and my vision blurred. It was only a matter of seconds before I passed out, my head hitting the cold floor as I slipped into unconsciousness, my last thought echoing in my mind:

How did my life suddenly take such a terrible, wrong turn?

Lunaria's POV.

I sat down on the prison floor, tears flowing freely down my face as I sobbed, wiping them away with the back of my hands.

The entire situation was just too painful. I tried desperately to remember a glimpse of what had happened that night, but nothing came to mind-absolutely nothing. I was lost and in shock, wondering when and how I got involved with the Alpha to the point that I woke up in his bed, covered in his blood, lying next to his lifeless body. The entire situation felt utterly unreal-how on earth did this happen?

The door to the dungeon opened, and someone walked in. They didn't even give me a chance to speak or protest as they dragged me roughly to my feet.

My body was weak from crying and exhaustion, but that didn't stop me from trying to argue back and break free from their grasp. I immediately regretted this action as I was met with a hard slap to my face that momentarily disoriented me, sending me spiraling to the floor.

My eyes glistened with tears as I muttered under my breath, "I didn't do it," but it seemed no one believed me. It was extremely tragic.

They shoved me to the ground harshly as soon as we reached the courtroom. As expected, a group of council members was gathered, staring intensely at me with a look of disapproval etched across everyone's faces. I gulped, looking around as it felt like the room was closing in on me at that very moment. I was too scared to think straight.

Inhaling deeply, I tried to stand to my feet, but a guard kicked me hard, making me fall to the ground as they barked, "Remain on your knees." I cried out silently, and this seemed to reach my mate as I lifted my head and saw a slight look on his face, one I couldn't quite discern at first but soon recognized as pity and concern.

Does he know I couldn't have done this? Does he believe I am truly innocent? I had so many questions with no answers at that minute.

"You are brought before the council because you are accused of killing the great Alpha of this pack. Do you plead guilty to that crime?" I lifted my tear-streaked face, shaking my head, trying to prevent myself from breaking down into a full-blown sob.

"I didn't do it," I said, my voice choked with tears. Taking a deep breath, I looked around, hoping someone would at least see me for the innocent person I was, but at that moment, it seemed the entire world had turned its back on me.

There was a long, uncomfortable silence before Councilwoman Adina finally spoke up, saying, "Let's hear what the witnesses have to say."

The first person to step into the witness box was my best friend, Sarah, and at that moment, I knew I was doomed. What could she have against me? Maybe she had a change of heart and would speak the truth this time. I had a lot of hope burning within my soul at that moment.

Then, all of a sudden, she broke into a full-blown sob, her shoulders shaking with each cry as she covered her face with her hands.

I couldn't help but cringe at how dramatic the situation was. Councilwoman Adina seemed to share my thoughts as she urged, "Please speak up, woman, we unfortunately do not have all day here." Sarah sniffed, raising her head to look at me, and then, right before saying...

"My best friend over there, I know her to be the sweetest woman alive," she looked at the council before adding, "It is quite unfortunate that she would commit such a treacherous act, especially against the father of someone who loves her so much." She turned to me, saying, "Why would you do something so vile?"

"I didn't do it," I spat, immediately regretting it as a whip cracked across my back, pain radiating through my body. The guards sent me a warning with this cruel gesture, reminding me that I wasn't allowed to speak.

Councilwoman Adina looked at me, her expression as cold and bitter as ever, saying, "It will serve you better if you speak only when spoken to."

I gulped, trying to fight back the pain while glaring at Sarah, wondering why she was doing this to me and what she stood to gain from these horrible lies she was telling.

Sarah paused, taking a deep breath as if trying to gather herself before continuing, "She is my best friend, but that doesn't mean I will indulge her, especially when she has committed such a treacherous sin. I am someone who has always stood by the truth, and I do not care if she despises me for it-at the end of the day, I will always stand by the truth."

She paused again, taking a deep breath before continuing, "She has always told me how much she hated the Alpha and how she wished to murder him because he was against her marrying his son.

At first, I thought they were just empty threats, but I was shocked to find her there, in the Alpha's room, covered in his blood."

The situation was beyond shocking. I had never said anything like that, and the fact that she was so adamant about it was puzzling.

Who was bribing or, perhaps, threatening Sarah to say these evil things about me? She was my best friend, and even though she stood there testifying against me, I still couldn't believe this situation was real. None of it made any sense to me. I wanted to speak; I was tempted to, but I was also terrified of the harsh and painful punishment that would follow if I dared to utter a word against the councilmen. I didn't want to.

"If my words are not enough to prove she committed such heinous crimes, perhaps Olivia's words will be," she said, stepping out of the witness box as Olivia took her place.

Olivia was one of the maids, but she and I had never gotten along; however, she and Sarah had always seemed to get along well.

Olivia stepped into the box, swearing by the old gods and new that she would only speak the truth. But just like Sarah, she blatantly lied, claiming she had seen me walking around the night before the tragic accident, a dagger in my hand.

She claimed she had reported the situation to one of the guards on duty, and the guard who was called to the witness box also lied, saying that what Olivia had said was indeed true and that was exactly what had happened.

He said Olivia had run to him looking panicked that day when she saw me walking around with a dagger in my hands, but then they couldn't find me again. They both had concluded that maybe I just needed the dagger to cut something, and they didn't expect that I would actually use it to murder the king.

I couldn't believe their words, tears welling up in my eyes, threatening to spill at that very moment. This was all too much, just too much to bear. I didn't know what to say or what to do. After countless witnesses came to the box and testified against me, I knew my fate was sealed, and there was nothing that could turn this around for me now. Is this how my life ends? Is this really the end for me?

"All evidence points against you," Adina said, readjusting herself in her seat, her eyes fixed intently on me.

I took a deep breath, not saying a word in my defense. Nothing I said or did would matter. The decision was going to be made, and I could only hope for some miraculous intervention to save me.

A guard walked towards Councilwoman Adina, placing the dagger in a small transparent bag. She looked at it and said, "This weapon was tested and carefully scrutinized, and only your fingerprints were found on it, which without a doubt makes you guilty of murdering the Alpha, the man who was supposed to be your father-in-law. The price for such heinous crimes is nothing but death. Do you plead guilty to that?"

"I didn't do it," I said as another whip landed on my back, making me crumble to the ground, pain shooting through every fiber of my being. I cried out in pain again, and I desperately hoped someone would help me out of this nightmare. I would never go as far as killing the king, especially with a dagger.

"Do you or do you not plead guilty?" Councilwoman Adina asked again, and this time I refused to take the blame for something I did not do.

I took a deep breath, my heart pounding in my chest as I said, "I didn't do it." With that, another painful whip struck my back, sending me crumbling to the ground once more. I cried out again in agony, unable to bear it anymore. At that moment, I just wanted to die. If death promised escape from the unbearable pain, I welcomed it.

"I am going to ask you this question one more time," Adina continued, her voice icy, "and another lie from you will cost you 100 strokes of the whip.

A quick death would be better than suffering like this. So, did you or did you not commit the crime?" I looked around, my eyes brimming with tears. My gaze landed on Sarah, whose look was cold and void of emotion. Then, all of a sudden, she flashed me a smile before raising her hand and waving slightly at me. It shattered me. What had I ever done wrong to her?

My eyes traveled back to Councilwoman Adina as I took another deep breath, bracing myself for the inevitable beating. My fists clenched as I said, "I did not do it." Immediately, I felt the sting of the whip on my back, sending me crashing to the ground. I screamed in pain, my voice echoing through the room as I struggled to stay conscious.

Desperate, I tried mind-linking Nathan even as I didn't have a wolf, to beg for his intervention.

"I didn't do it. I promise I didn't do it." I didn't know if he heard me or if my words reached him, but I needed an immediate escape from this hell, I just needed to do something.

I heard the whip slice through the air, signaling another blow about to land on my back. I closed my eyes, mentally preparing myself for it, when I heard Nathaniel's voice say calmly, "Stop." The room fell into immediate silence, and I was relieved that the whip did not strike me.

"It doesn't matter if she pleads guilty to the crime or not," Nathaniel said, his voice cold and final. "She is a traitor to this pack and has killed the old Alpha. All evidence points to that."

There was an unusual silence before he added, "And for that, I, Nathaniel, son of Griffin, sentenced her to death. She shall be burned alive on a pyre in eight days, and everyone will gather to witness the death of a traitor." He paused before saying, "For now, take her away and lock her up without food or water."

Some guards came forward and grabbed me, escorting me out of the courtroom. As we made our way to the dungeon, a knot formed in my stomach and a sharp pain stabbed through me leaving me breathless.

I screamed as my legs buckled, and felt myself being pulled down. That's when I noticed it – a warmth spreading between my thighs, followed by a trickle of liquid. I tried to process what was happening, but my mind was a jumbled mess. Panic set in, making my heart race.

Everything went fuzzy after that. The pain faded into the background, replaced by a numbness that seeped into my bones. I felt weightless and disconnected from my body. My thoughts fragmented, leaving me with only one coherent thought: What's happening to me?"

Lunaria's POV.

I woke up to the smell of sterile substances and the sound of a hospital monitor beeping. I groaned loudly in pain in my semi-conscious state, the pain radiating from my body almost too much to bear at that very minute.

I winced, slowly fluttering my eyes open, only to be almost blinded by the brightness of my surroundings.

I closed my eyes again, then slowly reopened them to adjust to the new environment. That's when I realized I was in my room, back in the place I was given right before I was accused of the Alpha's death and thrown into a dungeon.

"You're awake," the family doctor, Maya, said as she walked towards me, a smile on her face. I didn't know if I should return it since there was nothing to smile about.

"You..." I began, but I couldn't complete my sentence. "What are you?"

"Just relax and don't try to move too much," she said, her concern quickly turning into disgust as she added, "Those animals... How could they have done that to you? Especially with the way things are for you in this fragile stage, what were they thinking treating you like that?" She settled in a chair next to me after checking my vitals.

I gently sat up straight, and she immediately assisted me. I looked around, trying to calm my racing heart, as I said, "What am I doing here? Aren't I supposed to be in the dungeon? Aren't I supposed to be dead or something?

"You passed out, and Alpha Nathan called me to check on you. You have been unconscious for two days now, and I am sure you must be weak from all the beatings you have endured." I took a deep breath, not knowing what to say or how to respond.

Tears welled up in my eyes, gently flowing down my cheeks as I said, "They think I killed the king." I looked down at my hands and added, "They found my fingerprints all over the dagger that was used to murder him, and now they think I killed him. They think I am some kind of murderer." I struggled to keep myself from breaking into a sob.

She reached out to me, gently grabbing my hands in hers as she whispered softly, "Please don't dwell on it too much, okay? I know you didn't do it, and I know you are not capable of killing anyone. Whoever committed such heinous crimes will be found. Alpha Nathan will make sure of that, you know he will reinvestigate it. All you have to do is relax and know that your innocence will be proven very soon in front of the council and every single traitor who had testified falsely against you."

I immediately raised my head to look her in the eyes, arching my brow in confusion as I asked, "Nathan?"

"Yes," she replied, nodding while I struggled to find the words.

"I thought he didn't believe me. Isn't he the one that passed the death sentence on me?" I was confused because nothing was making sense at that very moment, why would Nathan who seemed like he had drawn a conclusion want to investigate again. She smiled at me as she said.

"I know he doesn't believe you committed such a crime and made that declaration that the case will be under his control so he can buy time to reinvestigate and save you. If another elder had made the final judgment, he won't be able to save you or do anything," She explained, squeezing my hands gently in a reassuring way before adding, "You should rest for now and try not to think too much about this. You are going to need a lot of rest, judging by your current condition..."

"How can I rest, Doctor? I will be executed, if he fails to prove my innocence then I will be known as the woman who murdered the Alpha, even after I die." I wiped my tears with the back of my hands as I asked, "Is this going to be how I die, Doctor Maya?"

"You are not going to die, especially not now," she said.

Her eyes drifted down to my stomach as she continued, "Not especially when you're carrying Nathan, the new Alpha's child." I froze, unable to say a word. Had I heard her correctly, or had the beatings finally driven me to hear things? I looked up at her, arching my brow as I asked,

"What did you say?" A warm smile graced her lips before she replied, "You're carrying Nathan's child. I carried out some tests, and they showed you're three weeks along. Here are the results," she said, handing them over to me. My body trembled as I slowly reached out and took the paper from her.

My eyes danced over the contents of the paper as I desperately hoped this wasn't happening. Seriously? I was carrying Nathan's child. Seriously.

"Who knows about this?" I asked, lifting my head to look at her. She shook her head as she answered,

"Nobody, just you. I got the results minutes ago, so I haven't told anyone yet. I thought you should be the first to know if you didn't already." I gulped, looking at the test results, crumpling them slightly in my hands, my mind racing.

I looked at her before handing the paper back and saying, "I want to see the Alpha. Please don't tell anyone about this, nobody."

"Your secret is safe with me. As your doctor, I won't tell anyone unless you want me to." With that, I felt reassured as I rose to my feet, groaning in serious pain. She quickly helped me as she asked, "Do you need my assistance?"

I shook my head and replied, "No, don't worry. I will handle this." She nodded immediately, taking a step backward. I had to control the immense pain I was feeling right there and then.

I made my way out of the room, gripping objects along the way. I knew just where he would be at this time. Taking a deep breath, I continued walking until I reached his study. I didn't even know what to say to him at that moment. Neither did I know how he would react to having me around but I needed to break the news to him, to be sure that everything was alright between us at that moment.

Thankfully, there were no maids or guards around. It seemed as if he had deliberately cleared them out, but that wasn't the matter at hand. I needed to talk to him, to make him understand that I wouldn't have done something like that to his father. I needed to see for myself that he believed I was innocent and to reveal that we were expecting our child.

My heart pounded in my chest as I walked to his study. I took a deep breath as I reached the door and lifted my hand to knock, but I paused, noticing the door was slightly ajar. Then, from inside, I heard uncomfortable sounds I didn't want to hear. It was the sound of a woman speaking to him, I guessed, but as I strained to listen more closely, it began to sound like moaning. Was I hearing things, or was something going on?

Driven by curiosity or anger-I couldn't tell which at that moment-I immediately stormed into the room, and to my utmost despair, there Nathan was, seated on a couch with a woman I didn't recognize on his lap at first.

They were entangled warmly in each other as she kissed him like she might as well swallow him any moment.

The moment I entered the room, she broke the kiss, looking at me with confusion that quickly turned into a smile, making me realize that the woman was Sarah, my best friend.

My eyes darted to Alpha Nathan, who sat there with her in his embrace. He squinted his eyes as if he couldn't recognize me, but his expression soon turned to slight shock as I stood there, my heart aching. Still in disbelief, I blurted out without thinking,

"You're cheating on me! With Sarah?" I choked out, my voice trembling. I couldn't process the betrayal, and my eyes welled up with tears. I spun around and rushed out of his study, tears blinding my vision as I raced through the dark streets to nowhere.

Suddenly, tires screeched beside me. A van door slid open, and before I could react, a bag was yanked over my head and that was the last thing I could remember.