Alpha's Regret After Her Rebirth by Aurora Starling

Chapter 0086

Hannah

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My hands trembled as | gripped the sleek leather of Drake's jacket, the low rumble of the motorcycle’s engine

vibrating up through the soles of my boots. Up close like this, straddling the seat behind him, the machine

seemed even more intimidating.

And precarious.

“You settled in back there?” Drake asked over his shoulder.

Leo Uliikes™

“Don’t tellthe big bad Luna is scared of a little bike,” he teased.

| bristled at the lilt in his words, my chin lifting defiantly as | tightened my grip on his jacket. “Of course not,” |

scoffed, even though we both knew that was a blatant lie. “Just... go slow, okay? I've never done

this before.”

Drake let out a laugh and turned his head to look atover his shoulder. “Where's the fun in that?”

ww

Before | could protest further, he reached out and grabbed my hands, tugging insistently until my arms circled

around his abdomen. A startled gasp slipped past my lips as he pulledflush against the solid wall of his back,

my breasts pushing up against the firm muscles there.

Heat flooded my cheeks, my heart pounding against my ribs as he tuggedeven tighter and forced my fingers

to clasp together around his midriff.

“There,” he said, releasing his grip on my hands. “Just hold on tight, just like that, and you'll be fine.”

Then, before | could even gasp out a single syllable, Drake was already kicking the motorcycle to life. | barely

had tto suck in a sharp breath before we were peeling away from the curb, the sudden. acceleration

flatteningagainst Drake's back as the world moved around us.

For a few moments, terror took over me. | grit my teeth, glad for the privacy that my helmet affordedas my

fingers tightened around Drake's jacket.

But soon, as the city streets gave way to the winding roads curving their way through the forest, as the brisk

wind whipped at the strands of my hair and the crisp scent of pine filled my lungs....

Something began to loosen inside me. Something that hadn't felt sweet release in a long, long time.

My wolf.

My fear soon began to turn into thill, an electric sort of exhilaration that left my entire body tingling. | was flying-

soaring through the world in a way | never dreamed possible, and my wolf was howling in excitement inside of

me.

| couldn’t help it. As we whipped around another curve in the road, a wild whoop of excitement rang out from

somewhere deep in my chest. There was no holding it in, and no embarrassment to be felt; not out here, where

there was no one to judge me, no one to make comments about the Luna of Nightcrest acting like a fool in

public.

So, | craned my neck back, feeling more gloriously alive than | could remember as the crisp winter breeze

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whipped across my hair and my hands.

Then, when a massive snowy owl took flight from a roadside branch right before us, | couldn't contain my

reaction-my shout of surprise and unbridled joy echoing through the trees as it streaked past us, almost as

though it were trying to race.

Drake seemed to feed off my exhilaration, his muscles tensing as he hit the throttle even harder. Before | knew

it, we were practically moving at lightspeed through the snow-dusted forest, and for a moment-just a moment-1

thought that if | died right here, if this was the end of the Moon Goddess’s grace, then at least | would go out in

glory.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of whipping past blurred landscapes, Drake began to ease back on the

throttle. Our breakneck speed slowed down to a relaxing cruise, and it was only then that | realized how sore my

face was from smiling.

As we finally cto a stop in a small pull-off area, | blinked dazedly, my surroundings slowly coming into focus.

We had ascended quite high into the mountains, | realized, because below us the whole of Nightcrest was

revealed.

“Wow...” | breathed, reluctantly loosening my iron grip on Drake to slide off of the motorcycle and back onto my

shaky legs. “I don’t think I've ever seen the entire pack like this.”

It was true; in all my tas Noah's wife, he had only ever takento places where business was to be

conducted-councils, negotiations, dull political affairs that required a united front. He had never taken me

sightseeing. Not like this, at least.

“That's a crime,” Drake murmured, lifting his helmet off and tucking it under his arm as he joinedat the

overlook. “You're the Luna of Nightcrest, and you've never seen a view of your entire pack?”

| shook my head and quickly looked away, gritting my teeth. No. Of course | hadn't.

“What about you and Zoe?” | found myself asking, tilting my head to glance up at Drake. “Do you take her on

your motorcycle for sightseeing?”

To his credit, Drake didn’t tense or seem to grow angry at the mention of her. He simply averted his gaze to his

boots, a guilty expression covering his face.

“Not as much as | should, I'm afraid.” He let out a weary sigh. “Ever since Adam was born... well, I'll admit |

haven't been the most attentive husband.”

“Why not?” | blurted out. “Forgive me, but usually having a child is what makes couples even more bonded

to ach other.”

He paused, clenching his jaw tightly for a moment before he spoke.

“There are certain rivals of mine who wouldn't hesitate to use Zoe and Adam as collateral againstif given the

chance. Holding them hostage, threatening their lives... all to gain power and control over me. Over my pack.”

Drake's jaw ticked, but he kept talking had to create a persona to throw off any hint that they meant

“So |

anything tobeyond another duty. And it worked.”

The realization hitthen: his coldness toward Zoe, his apparent philandering, the rumors that seemed to

follow him across the entire region. It was all a lie.

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He was no playboy after all. Just a man making terrible heart-wrenching sacrifices to keep his family safe.

My fingers move of their own accord toward Drake's shoulder and gave him a squeeze. “I'm so sorry,” |

murmured. That must be extremely difficult.”

Drake let out a mirthless laugh. “That's putting it lightly,” he said, castinga sidelong glance. “And I'm pretty

certain that my behavior is what pushed Zoe back toward Noah.”

| felt my chest clench at the mention of Noah and Zoe together; but this time, for a different reason than normal.

All this time, | had only seen their relationship as an insult toand no one else. But now, seeing the sincerity

in Drake's eyes, | knew that | wasn’t the only one who was suffering.

Suddenly, however, | had an idea. | pulled my hand away and turned to face Drake fully, tilting my chin up in an

attempt to appear more confident than I truly felt in that moment. When | finally spoke, my voice was

surprisingly clear.

“Lethelp.”

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