Page 68 of Abandoned By My Alpha Husband

"What do you want to say?" She cut me off, flat. "That you searched for five years? That you're sorry? That you were wrong?"

I opened my mouth. Every word drove needles into my heart.

"Yes." Finally. "I was wrong. Five years ago, I shouldn't have—"

"Shouldn't have thrown me out?" She took over. Same flat tone. "Shouldn't have told everyone I wasn't your mate? Shouldn't have left me kneeling in the rain, begging you to believe me?"

Each word cut like a blade.

"I'm sorry." My voice strained. "Elena, I'm sorry. I was—"

"You were what?" She turned, amber eyes boring into me. "You didn't believe me. You thought I was a liar. A half-blood!"

"That's not—"

"Then what?" Her voice rose, then dropped again. "Lucifer, do you know what happened after that day?"

My hands clenched.

"My mother threw me out." Each word precise. "Said I was a mistake. That I'd disgraced the Gray name. Then I ran to the hospital alone, with the wounds you left in my body."

My breathing quickened.

"I gave birth to Anya alone." She kept going. "Afterward, the nurses said they had to report a half-blood birth. So I took her and climbed out the window."

"Elena—"

"I didn't know where to go." Her voice shook. "I just knew if they caught us, Anya would die. So I ran. Kept running. Until I reached Silverthread Kingdom."

She paused, drew a deep breath.

"I opened a fragrance shop. Raised Anya alone. Built a business alone. Survived every night alone." She looked at me. "You know how I spent those five years?"

My hands trembled.

"I'm sorry." Only thing I could say. "I'm sorry, Elena."

"Does your sorry fix anything?" She turned away. "Five years, Lucifer. Five years."

Silence again. I stared at her profile, her trembling lashes. I wanted to reach for her, pull her close, tell her I'd searched every day, regretted every moment, thought of her constantly.

I didn't dare.

"Elena, give me a chance." My voice barely there, shaking. "Let me make it right."

She looked at me. Something flashed in her eyes, then vanished.

"Make it right?" She repeated. "How?"

"I can—" I breathed in. "I can take care of you. Both of you. You and Anya. I can give you the best life, the best—"

"I don't need it." She cut me off. Firm. "Lucifer, I'm used to this now. Used to being alone. Used to living without you."

The words hit like ice water.

My wolf howled.

"Elena—"