Alpha's Regret After the Divorce by Christina novel Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Kira’s Perspective

The sharp, acrid scent of antiseptic hit me the moment I stirred awake, burning fiercely in my nostrils. My eyelids felt unbearably heavy, as if weighted down by invisible stones, and forcing them open demanded every ounce of willpower I could muster. Pale sunlight filtered through unfamiliar curtains, casting a harsh glow that made my head pound with each throb of my heart.

“You’re awake. That’s good,” a voice said softly.

I turned my gaze to find Lucas Bennett standing beside the bed, his hand gently pressing against my wrist as he checked my pulse. His dark hair was tousled and messy, sticking out in unruly tufts—as though he’d been running his fingers through it all night. The deep shadows beneath his eyes confirmed my suspicion: he hadn’t slept much.

“Where—” I croaked, my voice rough and raw, the word scraping painfully from my throat.

“My place,” Lucas replied quietly, releasing my wrist with care. Though his tone was clinical, the concern in his eyes was unmistakable. “I found you collapsed near the edge of the forest last night. You were half-drowned and burning up with fever.”

I tried to sit up, but the room swirled violently around me, forcing me back down. God, I’m so weak. When did I become this fragile?

“My beta assistant helped me get you into dry clothes,” Lucas said, reading the confusion on my face as I looked down at the unfamiliar t-shirt I was wearing. “Your wet clothes would have only made your condition worse.”

“Thank you,” I whispered, a flush of embarrassment creeping into my cheeks. “But I should go—”

I attempted to stand again, but my legs buckled beneath me like soggy paper. Lucas caught me before I could hit the floor, his arms surprisingly strong for a medical wolf. As he steadied me, his scent wrapped around me—fresh moongrass and clean linen, with an underlying note that twisted my heart painfully. He smells like Rocco. Why does he have to smell like him? They must share some distant bloodline.

“The syndrome is advancing faster than I anticipated,” Lucas admitted, his voice steady but the worry etched on his face impossible to hide. “You need to begin the poison-counteracting treatment right away. Modern werewolf medicine has come a long way. While full recovery from Bondbreak Syndrome is rare, you have to believe in yourself.”

Exhausted, I allowed him to help me back onto the bed. “I was a werewolf medical researcher before I married Rocco,” I reminded him, frustration bubbling up inside me. “I understand the pros and cons of the treatments.”

Lucas nodded gravely. “Then you know exactly what you’re up against.”

His words weighed heavily on me, crushing a fragile part of my spirit. Tears welled up, burning behind my eyelids as the stark reality of my situation settled in once more. “I don’t think I can keep doing this,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I feel my wolf slipping away… fading, and I can’t hold on to her.”

“Is there anyone you still care about?” Lucas asked softly, his eyes searching mine. “Someone worth fighting for?”

My thoughts immediately turned to my father, lying unconscious in his hospital bed, hooked up to tubes and machines that kept him barely alive. The mounting medical bills piled up like a relentless avalanche, threatening to bury our family entirely. “Just my dad,” I murmured, each word catching painfully in my throat.

Lucas gave a slow nod. “Then fight for him.”

Fight for him. Such a simple command, yet it felt like an impossible mountain to climb. My chest tightened painfully, the familiar pressure building behind my sternum like a storm on the verge of breaking.

“How?” I asked, tears spilling freely now. “How do I fight when everything’s falling apart? When some days I can barely breathe? When the man I loved—” My voice cracked, unable to finish the sentence.

“One step at a time,” Lucas said gently. “Start by getting through tonight.”

Tonight. The word echoed inside me like a death knell. Midnight at the Moonbreak Center. That was when my marriage to Rocco would officially end beneath the full moon, as tradition dictated. And he had promised me money for the divorce—money that could save my father’s life.

“I can drive you,” Lucas offered, concern deepening the lines around his eyes.

I shook my head, the motion sending sharp pains through my temples. “No, I need… I need to do this alone.” My fingers trembled as I pulled out my phone. “I’ll call a taxi.”

The full moon hung heavy and swollen in the night sky, its pale light casting long shadows over the Moonbreak Center as the taxi pulled up. According to wolf custom, divorces could only be finalized between midnight and 1 a.m., when the moon goddess was said to witness the severing of bonds. Though the connection between Rocco and me was already shattered beyond repair, without this ceremony, we remained legally married.

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