After I left Alpha father and son went crazy with regret

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Chapter

19

Chapter 19

When they got to the comm, Ales went into the bathroom in wash up while Nora made his bed.

pot then, Alex's phone screen lit up, and a melodious ringtone filled the room,

Nova glanced at it and noticed the caller ID:

"Aunt Linda"

Alex rushed out of the bathroom, his face still lathered with soap, and grabbed the phone. He looked at Mora nervously and warily, as though afraid she might hang up the call.

I had been months since Alex had shown any desire to connect with her, yet he spent long stretches talking to Linda every day.

Nora Inwered her gaze, masking the heartbreak that flickered in her eyes.

She had finished tidying the room and was crady to leave. Before stepping out, she instructed gently, "Don't look at your phone for too long. It's bad for your eyes. Go to bed eatly, okay?"

Alex's tone was impatient as he pushed her toward the door and muttered under his breath. "Stop being so nagry. Aunt Linda never nags like this Knowing that his mom was free tomorrow, he needed to explain

to Aunt Linda that they wouldn't be able to meet. The thought of Linda being disappointed made Alex feel even more annoyed with Nora.

In his mind, it was all "her" fault.

If only she weren't around, he'd be able to go out with Aunt Linda tomorrow!

As soon as Nora left the room, Alex locked the door.

From behind the locked door, his excited voice carried faintly into the hallway. "Aunt Linda, sorry I took so long to call you back. My mom was nagging again

Nora didn't linger to listen to Alex bad-mouth her to Linda

She chose not to dwell on it or let it bother her.

Returning to her room, Nora took a shower. Afterward, seeing that it wasn't too late, she turned on her computer and began organizing the information she had recently compiled.

rwork

Time passed, and her eyes grew sore from staring at the screen. Blinking to ease the strain, she finally completed her

The clock in the corner of her screen read *11:30 PM".

Yet Arnold still hadn't returned.

Despite being MATES, Arnold had always resisted coming near her.

For years, he had believed that her bond with him was some kind of ploy. Because of this, he actively resisted the MATE connection and flat out rejected her.

Through tireless effort, Nora had managed to soften Arnold's attitude over the years. Their relationship had slowly started to improve.

he picture.

But then Linda entered the

Linda bad effortlessly undone everything Nora had fought so hard to build. She had captured Arnold's

affection with ease, and from that moment, both Arnold and Alex began to drift away from her.

After that, Arnold barely even touched her

At first, Nora would stay up night after night, waiting for Arnold to return, her eyes reddened and weary as dawn broke, but that familiar figure never appeared.

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Chapter 19

Eventually, she realized Arnold was deliberately avoiding her.

Now, she didn't want to wait anymore.

Shaking off those thoughts, Nora went downstairs to get herself a glass of ice water before bed.

Just as she reached the

kitchen, voices drifted from the hallway,

"Why are you still smoking here at this late hour? Is it because Nora's in the room, and you don't want to go back?

It was Josiah's voice.

Arnold stood across from her, a lit cigarette in his hand, remaining silent.

From her vantage point, under the dims hacklight. Nora couldn't see his expression.

Josiah continued,

man could fail to be attracted to her. Her parents prioritized her education, she "I get it, actually. I've met Landa a few times-she's beautiful. No graduated from one of the best colleges in the werewolf world, studied abroad in the human world, speaks a foreign language fluently like Nora, and has been groomed to manage both the pack and her family since she was young. She's practically a Luna made for you." "But-"Josiah paused for emphasis. "The Snow Moon Pack is too weak compared to Silver Moon. Her origins don't match yours, Arnold. You deserve better."

Arnold exhaled smoke and replied calmly. "I know what kind of woman I want."

Josiah frowned. Though she despised Nora, she didn't fully approve of Linda becoming Lana either. In her mind, no woman under the sun was worthy of Arnoki.

She wanted to press further but caught the flash of displeasure in Arnold's eyes and decided to stop. "You're so protective of her that you won't even let me say a word. Fine. I'll stop talking. Whatever." From her hiding spot, Nora clenched her fists. The night breeze stung her cheeks as she listened to their conversation.

Her lips curled into a bitter smile. She lost interest in hearing more and turned to leave,

As she stepped away, Josiah spoke again. "Oh, by the way, I heard Nura handed over the project she was working on for the pack. Is that true?" Arnold replied lightly. "She made a mistake in her work a few days ago. We agreed that if she couldn't do her job well, she'd step down and focus on

Josiah sneered. "So that's what happened. The way she talked about it earlier, it was as if she chose to quit. She's not even a good wife, and she wants to act like a real Luna? Ridiculous."

This time, Arnold didn't defend Nora as he had defended Linda earlier. He remained silent, as if the topic had nothing to do with him

"Hey, don't listen to them."

A young male voice startled Nora as she turned away.

She nearly

screamed but stopped when the faint glow of a phone illuminated Harrison's face.

Harrison offered her an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I just wanted to say don't

listen to what they're saying. I think you're amazing.

Out of the entire Lancelot family, aside from the old lady. Harrison was the only one who openly showed her kindness.

Nora shook her head, smiling weakly. "I'm

fine!

When she married Arnold, Harrison had still been

in very young, too young to understand the complexities of adult relationships.

Chapter 20