Alpha Kaden’s Regret

Briana’s POV

Thirty years old today and the sixth anniversary since I was bound to Alpha Kaden, a mate who neither loved me nor let me go. I stood in front of the mirror, the reflection staring back at me, reminding me that I wasn’t the girl of my youth.

I had grown tired, my eyes heavy from years of being invisible to the man fate had cruelly bound me to. I had tried to love him over the years but it was difficult for him to return the love.

The sound of footsteps echoed in the hall, then it was followed by a sharp knock at the door. I straightened my back, instinctively pulling myself together. The door opened without my invitation, and Kaden’s Beta, Damian, walked in with a box in his hands.

“Alpha asked me to deliver this to you,” Damian said, avoiding eye contact as he set the box down on the table.

I stared at it, confusion swirling in my chest. A gift? After six years of nothing, not even a kind word, why now? I hesitated but eventually reached for the box.

When I opened it, inside was a delicate necklace, its design intricate and beautiful. For a brief, fleeting moment, my heart warmed. Maybe Kaden had finally remembered my birthday. Maybe he…

Damian cleared his throat, snapping me out of my thoughts. “I should go,” he muttered before quickly leaving the room.

I frowned, watching his hurried retreat. Something about his demeanor made me nervous. It was obvious that he was hiding something, but my focus was on the cake I had made for Alpha Kaden and me to celebrate when he returned from the pack’s company.

After sitting for hours in the room alone, I decided to take a walk around the pack, probably to get fresh air. As I walked through the hallway, some of the maids in the pack house kept on staring at me, until I overheard a conversation between two maids. “Vivian didn’t want the necklace,” one of them said, her voice dripping with amusement. “I guess Alpha Kaden decided to give it to Briana instead.”

“Did I hear you say Vivian?” I asked, seeking the attention of the two maids. They didn’t give a reply, instead, they tried to run away but I quickly called them back. “Is the Alpha seeing Vivian?” I asked again.

They stared at each other for a few seconds until one of them nodded. “He got her a house too, but please don’t mention it to anyone that we told you about it.” The other maid added before they left.

The words hit me like a slap, the joy I felt earlier turned to sadness and the humiliation was unbearable because it seemed everyone was aware except me. The gift that brightened my face earlier wasn’t for me, it was Vivian, his ex-girlfriend.

“Did he have to send a rejected gift to me?” I exclaimed and stormed out of the pack house. As I walked through the Pathway, I quickly remembered his discussion with his beta, the same words he said to Damian that morning. “I want that house completely furnished.”

I sighed and walked back to my room, I gently placed the Jewelry back in the box and stormed out of the room. I headed straight to the house I heard them talking about. My wolf tried to stop me from seeing my mate with his mistress but I couldn’t help it, I wanted to see them. I wanted to be sure.

After a five-minute walk, I finally arrived at the house, and without a knock, I pushed the door open, and the sight before me made me boil. Kaden and Vivian were having dinner together, under a dim candlelight.

They were laughing, sharing wine, and acting as if they were the only two people in the world.

“Kaden!” I yelled, my voice trembling with fury.

He looked up, startled, but his expression quickly changed into annoyance. “What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” I repeated, my voice rising. “I thought you were done with her? What is she even doing here?”

Kaden sighed, brushing his hand through his golden hair as if this were all just an inconvenience. “You’re being dramatic, Briana. This is just a business meeting.”

“A business meeting?” I laughed bitterly. “While you’re sharing wine and laughing like lovers?”

Vivian smirked, clearly enjoying the show, and that made my rage boil over. “There is no point having this discussion here, and I came to return this too.” I snapped, gesturing to the gift box in my hand, and threw it onto the floor. “You can keep your secondhand gift,” I spat. “And your lies.”

Kaden didn’t say a word, instead, he stood up and picked the gift from the floor but before he could sit down, I removed the engagement ring from my finger and tossed it on the floor. “I am done, Kaden.”

His face was filled with shock and surprise, but before he could respond, I left the house, my heart was pounding with anger and heartbreak. I didn’t expect he would return to Vivian, his ideal woman.

“Briana!” He chased after me. “You dare walk out on me?”