Let Him Regret it
Let Him Regret It
(Paige’s POV)
I looked at Ryan and finally understood why he would do such a stupid thing. He came with a sports car and flaunted his wealth just to piss Liam off.
He was jealous. He was jealous of Liam, and jealousy made him reckless and crazy.
But I wasn’t going to let him off easy. Not anymore.
“You kissed him?” Ryan’s thumb traced my lips, his voice dangerous and low. “Did you two kiss?”
I stopped crying and looked directly at him. My eyes were still wet with tears but now held a stubborn glint I’d never shown him
before.
“Yes,” I said clearly, letting the word hang in the air between us. “I kissed Liam.”
The lie rolled off my tongue easily. I wanted to hurt him the way he’d hurt me for months. Years, even.
Ryan’s face went completely still. His thumb stopped moving against my lip.
“And I enjoyed it,” I continued, watching his face darken like storm clouds gathering. “When Liam tried to kiss me again, I pushed him away because-”
Ryan’s teeth gently bit my lower lip, cutting off my words mid–sentence. The possessive gesture sent unwanted shivers through
- me.
Then he captured my mouth in a forceful kiss that stole my breath. His wolf was asserting dominance, claiming what he considered his property.
My heart hammered against my ribs despite my anger. When he pulled back, his eyes were blazing with territorial fury.
“Are his kissing skills better than mine?” he demanded, his voice rough with barely controlled emotion.
The sheer arrogance in his voice snapped something inside me. My hand flew across his face in a sharp slap that echoed through
the RV.
Amy, my wolf, growled under my skin. The sound rumbled in my chest as I glared at him with pure rage.
“We didn’t kiss,” I clarified, my voice shaking with anger and hurt. “Liam and I haven’t mated. I lied to drive you away.”
Ryan’s hand went to his cheek where I’d slapped him. His eyes widened in genuine surprise, like he’d never been hit before.
Which he probably hadn’t. Golden boy Ryan Quinn, heir to everything.
“I’ve loved you for years,” I continued, the words pouring out like a dam breaking after too much pressure. “But your behavior has hurt me deeply.”
My chest heaved with emotion. The pain I’d been carrying finally had a voice, and it was gettin uder.
“You treat me like a decoration. Like something pretty to show off when it suits you.”
Ryan opened his mouth to protest, but I held up my hand.
“I’m doing what Amber did with Ethan,” I said, my voice growing stronger with each word. “I’m using my own rules to kill Peggy–the part of me that loved Ryan Quinn.”
Amy whimpered at my words, but my human resolve remained iron–strong. This needed to happen.
“I’m making sure I never look back,” I finished. “Just like Amber never looked back at Ethan.”
Ryan stared at me in shock. The confident heir to the Quinn Pack suddenly looked lost and young.
Let Him Regret it
“Paige, you don’t understand-
“No,” I cut him off sharply. “You had your chance. Multiple chances. And you threw them all away.”
I stood up from the couch, putting distance between us. My legs felt shaky but I forced them to hold me.
“You want to know what Liam does that you don’t?” I asked, turning back to face him.
Ryan’s jaw clenched but he didn’t answer.
“He sees me. Really sees me. Not the Sugar Pack heiress or the perfect fiancée. Just me.”
My voice cracked slightly on the last word, but I pushed through.
“He brings me coffee exactly how I like it without being asked. He remembers that I hate crowds but love small gatherings. He listens when I talk instead of checking his phone.”
Each word was like a knife, and I could see them hitting their mark
“So yes, Ryan. In every way that matters, he’s better than you.”
(Amber’s POV)
Everyone around me started acting strange after the charity event incident. The weirdness was almost comical if it wasn’t so concerning.
Dominic became incredibly doting, like I was made of spun glass. He fulfilled my every whim and constantly checked our mate bond to ensure my emotional well–being.
“Dominic,” I complained playfully while he adjusted my pillow for the third time in an hour. “You’re spoiling me.”
His blue eyes searched my face with intense concern, like he was looking for cracks in my facade.
“Are you uncomfortable? Do you need anything else? Water? Food? Should I call Dr. Bennett?”
I laughed and pulled him down for a kiss. “I need you to stop treating me like I’m dying.”
But secretly, I delighted in his attention. My mental relationship ledger–a habit I’d developed after my experiences with Ethan, –was giving Dominic bonus points left and right.
Cora purred contentedly at our mate’s devotion. His scent wrapped around us protectively, making both my wolf and I feel
cherished.
“You’re being ridiculous,” I told him, but my smile betrayed how much I enjoyed it.
Dominic’s fingers traced my cheek with reverent gentleness. “After everything that’s happened, I want to make sure you’re truly okay.”
7
The sincerity in his voice made my heart flutter. This was so different from how Ethan everything about himself.
“I’m fine,” I assured him. “Better than fine, actually. I’m happy.”
His expression softened at my words, but the protective gleam in his eyes remained.
to dismiss my concerns or make
Paige, on the other hand, grew increasingly sensitive to any mention of Ryan’s name. I’d catch her staring blankly out windows, unconsciously writing his name in the condensation on glass.
Then she’d realize what she was doing and angrily wipe it away, cursing under her breath.
“I’m formally breaking off the engagement in early November,” she confided during one of our late–night talks. “When Vivian Quinn returns from her business trip to oversee the dissolution.”
I nodded, understanding the political necessity. Ryan’s aunt would need to handle the pack diplomacy involved in breaking such
Let Him Regret It
a high–profile engagement.
“Are you sure?” I asked gently. “This isn’t just anger talking?”
Paige’s eyes were hard as amber. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
Ryan himself had grown uncharacteristically quiet. His typically high–profile persona was subdued after the public humiliation at the charity event.
I mused that his privileged upbringing as heir to the second most powerful pack had left him unable to handle setbacks properly. The ostentatious display had been pure jealousy over Liam’s presence in Paige’s life.
His wolf’s territorial instincts had been triggered, and he’d reacted like a spoiled child instead of a future Alpha.
Liam also started acting weird. He stopped posting daily updates on social media about “pursuing his fated mate.” His normally cheerful demeanor was replaced by somber withdrawal.
The change was so dramatic that even our photography clients noticed. His usual bright energy was completely gone,
“What happened?” I finally asked him directly during a break in our charity work.
Liam’s shoulders sagged like he was carrying the weight of the world.
“I went back to the hotel that day to get Paige’s forgotten wallet,” he said quietly.
His voice was barely above a whisper, like speaking louder would make it more real.
“I found her crying after her confrontation with Ryan. The pain and heartbreak coming off her was overwhelming.”
I felt a pang of sympathy for both of them. Young love was always so intense and dramatic.
“She smelled like grief, Amber. Like someone had died.”
Liam’s hands clenched into fists at his sides.
“I wanted to comfort her, but she wouldn’t let me touch her. She just kept saying she was fine while tears poured down her face “Liam,” I said gently, “only true devotion and patience can overcome a she–wolf scarred by past love.”
He looked up at me with desperate hope in his eyes, like I held all the answers.
“Especially one as deeply hurt as Paige,” I continued. “Emotional wounds take time to heal. You can’t rush the process.”
I placed a comforting hand on his shoulder, feeling the tension in his muscles.
“And for a she–wolf with a mate relationship, it takes time to sever those bonds even if she wants to. The heart doesn’t follow logic.”
Liam nodded slowly, absorbing my words like a man dying of thirst
“Just… don’t give up,” I added. “But don’t push either. Let her come to you when she’s ready.”
“What if she’s never ready?” he asked, his voice breaking slightly.
“Then you’ll have your answer. But I don’t think that’s the case here.”
Despite these personal dramas swirling around my pack of friends, my work coordinating the charity project in the rural territories proceeded smoothly.
We’d made real progress in the outer villages. The medical supplies were distributed efficiently, and the educational programs were well–received by the local communities.
The children especially loved the literacy programs we’d set up. Seeing their bright faces made all the political maneuvering worthwhile.
Everything was going perfectly until the last day
I was at the village community center, reviewing final reports with the local coordinator, when I noticed a familiar figure across
Rebecca Clearwater stood near the volunteer registration table. Lees’s mother was supposed to be in London with her family, not here,
Her presence here, in this remote village, during our charity project was no coincidence.
My blood ran cold as our eyes met across the crowded room
