Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Third POV

Hazel’s hands trembled as she stared at the contract. The words blurred together, but their meaning was crystal clear. Sign away her life, or face exile in disgrace.

“Finn is still young,” she said weakly, her voice barely a whisper. “He still needs his mother.”

The council members exchanged glances. Percy leaned forward, his expression calculating.

“Not many people know yet that Finn is actually your son,” he said coldly. “It’s better this way.”

Hazel’s heart clenched. “What do you mean?”

Benjamin adjusted his glasses, studying her with clinical detachment. “If they found out the truth, they might grow resentful of their future Alpha. When that happens, they may want Asher’s other future children to be the Alpha instead.”

The room fell silent except for Hazel’s ragged breathing. She felt trapped, cornered like a wild animal with no escape route. She wasn’t even gone yet, and these old crooks were already planning to replace her precious baby with another woman’s child.

“Won’t you want Finn to be the next Alpha of Moonveil?” Percy asked, his tone deceptively gentle.

The question hit her like a physical blow. Of course she wanted that for Finn. He was Asher’s firstborn, his heir. Finn was the rightful future Alpha of Moonveil Pack.

Hazel looked around the room at the stern faces of the council members. Their expressions were impassive, unmoved by her suffering. They had already made their decision before she even walked into this room.

They would never let her leave without signing.

Her hands shook as she picked up the pen. Every fiber of her being screamed against this decision, but she didn’t have much of a choice. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Hazel gritted her teeth and signed the contract with sharp, angry strokes.

The moment the pen left the paper, the council members sprang into action. They snatched the contract away from her, examining the signature with satisfaction.

“Excellent,” Percy said briskly. “Warriors will escort you to collect your belongings.”

“Now?” Hazel asked, stunned by their efficiency.

“Now,” Benjamin confirmed. “The sooner this transition is complete, the better for everyone involved.”

Two warriors appeared at the door as if they had been waiting just outside. Their faces were professionally neutral, but Hazel caught the hint of pity in their eyes.

She stood on unsteady legs, her world tilting around her. Everything was happening too fast.

The warriors flanked her as they left the council chamber. Hazel kept her head high, trying to maintain some dignity, but inside, she was crumbling.

As they walked through the pack house corridors, she became aware of the whispers following in their wake.

“Is that Hazel?” someone murmured.

“The council called her in for a meeting,” another voice responded.

“Look at those guards. That can’t be good.”

Hazel’s cheeks burned with shame. The whispers grew louder and bolder.

“I heard she’s been trying to worm her way into Alpha Asher’s bed.”

“Really? But he’s mated to Estelle.”

“Exactly. Why do you think Estelle left?”

“Hazel’s been trying to take over as Luna, but the Alpha kicked her out.”

“Good thing. Estelle is so much better than her.”

“Estelle actually cares about the pack. Hazel only cares about herself.”

Each word felt like a dagger to Hazel’s heart. Estelle was the third party in this relationship. Asher was her fated mate, not Estelle’s.

But she couldn’t. In the eyes of these people, Asher and Estelle were the proper mates. Hazel was nothing but a desperate woman trying to steal another’s husband.

Only a few people knew the truth about her bond with Asher. Not even Estelle knew, as far as Hazel was aware.

The warriors escorted her to her office first. The space felt hollow and cold as she packed her personal items into boxes.

She worked slowly, hoping desperately that Asher would appear. He had to know what was happening. Nigel promised to tell him. Surely he would come to stop this madness.

But the minutes ticked by, and Asher never came.

Next, they went to her quarters in the pack house. Hazel’s steps grew heavier with each item she packed.

She kept glancing toward the door, straining to hear Asher’s voice in the hallway. However, it remained painfully silent.

“Ma’am, we need to move along,” one of the warriors said gently. “The council is expecting a prompt departure.”

The last box was sealed and placed into the car’s boot. Hazel steeled her expression. Asher wasn’t going to come after all.

She entered the car and slammed the door shut.

***

Asher slammed open Hazel’s office door with such force that it crashed against the wall. The sound echoed through the empty room.

The space had been completely cleared out.

His chest tightened with panic as he took in the bare desk, the empty shelves, the missing personal items.

He spun around and ran through the hallways, his boots pounding against the floor. Pack members jumped out of his way, startled by their Alpha’s frantic energy.

“Hazel?” he called out once he made it to their living quarters. However, all that greeted him was silence. The house was cleaned out.

Finn was still in the infirmary, recovering from his illness. The boy needed constant monitoring, so he remained there full-time. Without Hazel’s presence, the pack house felt like a tomb.

Asher’s hands clenched into fists. When Nigel reached out to him earlier, he was out of the pack for an important meeting. Thankfully, he had managed to secure the deal. This was an important agreement for Moonveil and would help them tide them past this difficult time.

He rushed back as fast as he could after the negotiations were done. However, he was still too late.

Asher clenched his jaw. Then, he reached out to the council members via the pack’s mindlink.

‘I want all council members to be present in the meeting room. Now.’