Too Late To Regret, My Alphas

Rosalie:

I know exactly how I wanted to handle this conversation.

Not on the sidewalk where anyone could overhear us. And definitely not inside my home. That place had become my sanctuary over the past few months, filled with laughter, homemade dinners, late-night conversations, and the warmth that Zaiden and Eiden had slowly brought into my life. I wasn’t ready to invite a ghost from my past into it.

"There’s a diner a few streets from here," I said after a moment. "We can talk there."

Kaiser simply nodded. "As you wish."

Neither of us spoke during the walk. The silence wasn’t awkward. It was... heavy. Filled with months of unspoken words, broken promises, and memories neither of us could erase.

We reached the little diner tucked away at the far end of town. Warm yellow lights spilled through its windows, and the smell of freshly cooked food wrapped around us the moment we stepped inside. Thankfully, there were still a few empty tables, and we chose one tucked away in the farthest corner where we could speak without worrying about curious ears.

After placing our orders, I quietly pulled out my phone.

Before Kaiser could say anything, I opened the group chat that Zaiden, Eiden, and I shared.

Me: I’m with Kaiser.

The replies came almost instantly.

Zaiden: Are you alright?

Eiden: Do you need us to come?

Despite everything that had happened today, I couldn’t help smiling. Those two, no matter what the situation was, their first concern was never what was happening. It was whether I was alright. Or whether I needed them.

The thought alone warmed my heart. I quickly typed another message.

Me: I’m okay. We are just talking. I can handle this.

Three little dots appeared almost immediately.

Eiden: Take your time.

A second later another message appeared.

Zaiden: We’ll be waiting at home.

I stared at those words for a few seconds longer than necessary.

Home.

Not your house. But home.

Without realizing it, my smile widened. I locked my phone and placed it beside my plate. Only then did I realize Kaiser had quietly watched the entire exchange.

He didn’t ask who I had been texting. He didn’t question why I smiled. He didn’t demand answers. His gaze simply lingered on me for another brief moment before he lowered it.

"I’m glad," he murmured.

I frowned slightly.

"That you have people who worry about you."

The words surprised me. Before I could respond, he slowly lifted his eyes to meet mine.

"I’m sorry."

Everything inside me froze. For nearly a full minute, I simply stared at him. Not because I had never imagined receiving an apology. But because it was coming from him.

After everything that happened on my birthday, after months of silence, and after all the pain and disappointments... I had almost convinced myself that the three Alphas of Blackthorn and Crescent Wolf Packs simply weren’t capable of admitting they had been wrong.

Alastor always justified his choices. Darien always convinced himself they had acted for the greater good. And Kaiser... he had remained silent.

Yet the man sitting across from me tonight wasn’t any of those people. He wasn’t demanding explanations. He wasn’t questioning my choices. He wasn’t trying to defend himself. He wasn’t acting possessive.

Instead, he looked exactly like the Kaiser I had fallen in love with years ago. The same gentle man who had quietly helped pack members without asking for recognition. The same man who always remembered my favorite desserts. The same man who had once made me believe kindness could exist even among powerful Alphas.

For the first time in months, I wondered if I hadn’t imagined that version of him after all. Maybe... maybe he had truly existed.

My vision blurred.

Kaiser seemed to notice, yet continued speaking anyway. "I’m sorry for not telling you about Charlotte the first time I learned about her."

Every word landed heavily between us.

"I’m sorry for agreeing with my brothers." He swallowed. "I’m sorry for accepting Charlotte. And I’m sorry for ruining your birthday."

I lowered my eyes.

"I’m sorry for believing..." His voice became noticeably quieter. "...that no matter what happened... you’d forgive us. I’m sorry for betraying your love."

A tear rolled down my cheek before I could stop it.

"I’m sorry for betraying your trust. I’m sorry for standing by while Charlotte hurt you again and again..." His eyes never left mine as he opened himself bare in front of me. "I failed you, Rose. And it took me long enough to realize that."

My shoulders trembled. Only I knew how desperately I had waited to hear those words. Not because they would erase what happened. Nothing ever could. But because, for the first time, someone finally acknowledged the truth. I hadn’t abandoned them out of selfishness. I hadn’t overreacted. I hadn’t destroyed our relationship.

They had.

The guilt I had carried for months - the endless nights questioning whether I had somehow been the problem, whether I should have endured a little longer, whether I had given up too soon - suddenly felt lighter.

It didn’t disappear completely, but it definitely got lighter.

Kaiser continued quietly, "I’m sorry for not being the man you believed I was."

Fresh tears escaped despite my efforts.

"And I’m sorry..." he whispered, "...for not making you my priority."

Something inside me finally broke. Not from pain, but from relief. The apology didn’t heal my wounds. It didn’t rebuild the trust that had been shattered. Nor did it make me want to go back. But it gave me something I never thought I would receive.

Closure.

Just then, the waitress arrived carrying two plates. "I’m sorry for the wait," she said cheerfully before setting the meals down.

Embarrassed, I quickly looked away and wiped my cheeks with the back of my hand. But it was already too late. I caught the brief look of concern on the waitress’s face before she politely excused herself and returned to the counter.

Thankfully, our secluded corner kept the rest of the diner from noticing.

I inhaled slowly. Once. Twice. By the time I looked back at Kaiser, I had finally regained enough composure to speak.

"I have two questions."

He nodded. "Ask anything."

"How did you find me? And..." I hesitated before continuing, "...how did Charlotte find me?"

I noticed his expression change almost instantly. He leaned back slightly before letting out a long, tired sigh.

"Charlotte..." He repeated her name as though it alone exhausted him. Then he looked directly into my eyes and his expression turned completely serious.

"It wasn’t me who found you first, Rose."

A chill ran down my spine.

Kaiser’s jaw tightened as he added, "It was Charlotte."

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