My Cheating Alpha Mate's Ultimate Regret

Elliana's POV:

I was back.

I was really, truly back.

Back three years before the tragedy. Today. This was the day it all started. The day Gallagher first publicly chose that "fragile" human girl, Carson Barr, over me, his Luna.

But I will never forget the day when my husband and his mistress put me in the dungeon, and I can't forget the inhuman torture and pain I suffered there, and finally I died without dignity in cruel humiliation.

A wave of nausea and pure, undiluted hatred churned in my heart. I gripped the cold marble countertop to keep myself from collapsing.

The bedroom door opened.

A tall, powerful silhouette filled the frame. My fated mate. My Alpha. Gallagher Jarvis.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black suit, his dark brown hair meticulously styled. Those sharp, golden wolf eyes swept over me, and his brow furrowed in that familiar, habitual way.

"What are you making a scene about this early?" His voice was a low rumble, devoid of any warmth. It was the tone he used for an underling who had displeased him.

He ignored my pale face and the way I was trembling, striding directly to the walk-in closet to grab his car keys. He was leaving. To see her.

Just then, his phone rang.

He answered, and the ice in his voice melted instantly. "Don't be afraid, Carson. I'll be there soon."

I watched his back, a hollow ache echoing in my chest. In my past life, he had used that same gentle tone to soothe her, while I, his mate, was left to writhe in the agony the mate-bond inflicted on a betrayed partner.

The Moon Goddess designed the bond to ensure loyalty. When one mate is unfaithful, the other feels a pain that can tear their soul apart.

But right now, all I felt was a numb cold. The heart that had beaten for him, ached for him, had already been crushed to dust in my previous life.

He ended the call and turned to leave, not even sparing me a second glance, as if I were just another piece of furniture.

In my past life, this is when I would have rushed forward. I would have grabbed his arm, begging him not to go, not to see that woman.

My body, driven by the ghost of memory, even took a half-step forward.

I immediately clenched my fists. My nails dug into my palms, the sharp sting of pain a welcome anchor to this new reality.

No, Elliana. You are not that foolish, blind girl anymore.

Gallagher noticed my arrested movement. He glanced back, a flicker of sarcasm in his golden eyes. "What? Not going to throw your usual crying fit today?"

He thought all my resistance was just a performance to get his attention. The supreme arrogance of an Alpha.

I lifted my head, meeting his gaze. My ice-blue eyes held none of their former adoration or pleading. They were as still and dead as a frozen lake, with a glint of mockery he couldn't comprehend.

I looked at him, and my voice came out clear and steady. Each word was a shard of ice aimed at his heart.

"How can it be? I'm happy to see such a moment."

The impatience on his face froze. He clearly hadn't expected that. His frown deepened, as if trying to search my face for a lie.

I didn't give him the chance. I turned my back on him, walked back to the bed, and sat on its edge, not bothering to look at him again.

A heavy silence fell over the room. I could feel his oppressive Alpha presence, his Dominion, filling the air, trying to press down on my will.

An Alpha's Dominion has a compulsive effect on lower-ranking wolves; it's the foundation of their rule. But he forgot, I am a Luna, chosen by the Goddess. My will is my own.

I completely ignored his mental pressure. I simply walked over to the vanity, picked up a brush, and began to slowly comb through my long, black hair.

This utter disregard, I knew, would infuriate a control freak like him more than any argument.

I heard him let out a low growl, a sound of suppressed fury. But he was clearly in a hurry to get to his precious Carson. He didn't have time to deal with me.

The heavy slam of the door announced his departure.

I watched the closed door in the mirror, a cold, vengeful smile finally touching my lips.

Gallagher Jarvis. This time, I make the rules.

I picked up my phone and dialed a number I never would have dared to call in my past life. When the call connected, my voice was calm.

"It's me, Elliana Floyd. I need to invoke my Alpha-mate privileges. Right now. I want all the information for Gallagher Jarvis's unlimited black card sent to my email. Immediately."

Since he was so generous with the Pack's resources to support his little lover, I wouldn't be shy about using his money to build my own empire.

This was the first debt he owed me.