Jealousy Alpha's Regret novel Chapter 97

Chapter 97

Iris’s POV

I ended the call with Rachel, her last words still echoing in my mind.

“Just promise you’ll let me be the cool aunt who teaches your kid all

the bad words,” she had said, her voice filled with that trademark

Rachel mischief.

I couldn’t help but laugh, feeling a tiny spark of warmth bloom in my

chest. “I thought you were angling for godmother, not corrupting

influence.”

“Same thing in my book,” she shot back. “I’ll be there for the

important stuff, but I’m also going to slip them candy before dinner

and buy the loudest toys possible.”

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. “My poor child’s doomed

with you around.”

“Absolutely. And they’ll love me for it.”

Setting my phone down, I leaned back on my couch, suddenly

overwhelmed by a wave of exhaustion that seemed to seep into my

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very bones. Seven weeks of pregnancy coupled with the emotional

warfare of the past few days was taking its toll. My eyelids felt

impossibly heavy.

Rachel was one of the few people I could genuinely trust. Her offer to

come over if I needed anything had been tempting, but I didn’t want

to burden her more than I already had. She’d already spent the

evening listening to my problems with Catherine and the Stone

family.

I stood up, deciding to check my mailbox before collapsing into bed. I

needed to start gathering documents if I was going to investigate my

birth records. But first, I needed sleep. So much sleep.

When I opened my apartment door, I stopped short. Several potted

plants were arranged neatly beside my door.

I blinked, wondering if exhaustion was making me hallucinate. But

no, they were real. Three beautiful plants, each in a simple terracotta

pot. I recognized one immediately – moon grass, a rare species that

was notoriously difficult to cultivate. The silver–blue leaves seemed

to shimmer in the hallway light.

“This is incredible,” I whispered to myself, carefully touching one

delicate leaf. Moon grass was nearly impossible to find outside

specialized nurseries, and even then, it was astronomically expensive.

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I carried the plants inside one by one, setting them on my kitchen

counter. There was no note, but I didn’t need one. These had to be

from my neighbor, Jack Lowell. He must have sent them as a thank-

you for helping him that day in the hallway.

The gesture seemed disproportionate to such a small kindness, but it

touched me deeply. I needed to reciprocate somehow.

After a quick shower that revived me somewhat, I made my way to my

study. My father’s collection of handcrafted items was stored there –

small treasures he’d collected over the years. I rummaged through the

cabinet, memories washing over me as I handled each piece.

My fingers lingered on a silver pendant with intricate wolf

engravings. Dad had treasured this piece particularly. He’d told me

once it was made by a master craftsman who understood the soul of

wolves. I could almost hear his voice, see the way his eyes crinkled

when he smiled at me.

“This one,” I decided, carefully wrapping the pendant in tissue paper

before placing it in a small box. It felt right to give something that

had meant so much to my father.

I took a deep breath before knocking on Jack’s door, suddenly

nervous. What if I was wrong and the plants weren’t from him? I

smoothed down my shirt and waited.

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The door opened to reveal not Jack but an older man – his household

manager, I assumed.

“Good evening,” I said, feeling slightly awkward. “I’m Iris Stone from

next door. Could you please give this to Mr. Lowell?” I held out the

small package. “Please tell him thank you for the moon grass. It was

just a small favor – he didn’t need to be so generous.”

The man accepted the gift with a polite nod. “I’ll make sure he

receives it, Ms. Stone.”

“Thank you,” I said, already backing away. “Good night.”

Back in my apartment, I carefully arranged the plants near my living

room window where they would get sufficient light. I gently stroked

the moon grass leaves, marveling at their soft texture.

“Such a thoughtful gift,” I murmured, settling onto my couch. The

quiet of my apartment enveloped me, a stark contrast to the

emotional chaos of recent days.

Everything was changing so rapidly. I’d cut ties with the Stone family,

discovered my pregnancy, faced Sebastien’s erratic behavior, and now

found myself contemplating a future entirely different from what I’d

imagined just months ago.

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I absentmindedly touched my stomach, still flat but harboring the

tiny life that would change everything. “We’ll be okay,” I whispered,

not entirely sure if I was trying to convince the babies or myself.

The Stone family had never truly been mine, I now realized.

Catherine had made that abundantly clear. But that didn’t mean I had

to be alone. Rachel’s steadfast friendship, the unexpected kindness

from my neighbor – these small acts of genuine care meant more

than years of hollow family connections.

As night deepened, I moved to my bedroom and stood by the window.

The moon was nearly full, its silver light spilling across my floor. In a

few days, it would reach

completeness, triggering the transformation

urge in werewolves across the

city.

For the first time in ages, the thought didn’t fill me with dread. I no

longer had to pretend to be the perfect Grey mate during the full

moon runs. I could be myself – whoever that turned out to be.

“I don’t need Sebastien,” I told my reflection in the window glass. “I

don’t need the Stone family. I can build something better for us.”