Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Third POV

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Asher said. He took a deep breath and calmed himself down. The very suggestion that he might have feelings for Estelle made his skin crawl. “You know damn well my heart belongs to you. It always has.”

Hazel’s eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Asher’s expression softened as he stepped forward, cupping Hazel’s face with both hands. “I need to keep her close to control her. Like you said, she’s slowly becoming unpredictable.” His thumbs brushed away the tears threatening to spill. “She is still useful to us. Until I become the Alpha, we need to keep her around.”

“But the way you worry about her—”

“Is purely strategic,” Asher interrupted firmly. He pulled Hazel closer, pressing his forehead against hers. “Why are you bringing this up again? You know you’re my mate, the only woman I could ever truly love.”

Hazel’s shoulders trembled as she let out a soft sob. “I’m scared, Asher. Every day I watch her play the perfect Luna. Every day I see the pack looking to her instead of me.” Her fingers clutched at his shirt. “What if she finds a way to keep you? What if I never get to be your true Luna?”

Asher’s jaw tightened. He guided her to sit on the edge of the bed—the marital bed he shared with Estelle.

“Listen to me,” he said, his voice low and intense. “Estelle is nothing but a pawn. She always has been. I’m just making sure she stays under our control until we no longer need her.” His fingers stroked through Hazel’s hair. “Soon, you’ll take your rightful place as Luna. I promise you.”

Hazel’s tear-filled green eyes looked up at him. “You promise?”

“I promise,” he repeated, leaning down to capture her lips in a fierce kiss.

The kiss quickly deepened. Hazel’s hands pushed at his chest until he fell back onto the bed. She climbed on top of him, her blonde hair falling like a curtain around their faces.

“Show me I’m the only one,” she whispered against his lips.

Asher flipped their positions, pinning her beneath him on the same bed where he and Estelle slept.

“You’ve always been the only one,” he growled, his hands already working to remove her clothes.

***

Estelle’s POV

The persistent buzzing of my phone dragged me from sleep. Sunlight streamed through the curtains as I squinted at the screen. Fifteen missed calls. Twenty-three text messages. All from Asher.

As if on cue, the phone started vibrating again with his name flashing across the screen. I briefly considered ignoring it but knew that would only make things worse. With a deep breath, I answered.

“Where the hell have you been?” Asher’s voice boomed through the speaker without preamble. “I waited for you all night!”

I held the phone away from my ear, letting him rant about how worried he’d been, how inconsiderate I was, and how long he’d waited at our meeting spot. The familiar guilt trip that had once worked so effectively on me now sounded pathetic.

“I was in meetings when you called,” I replied once he paused for breath, keeping my voice deliberately tired and neutral. “When I finally finished, it was late, and your car wasn’t there anymore. I assumed you didn’t come, so I checked into a nearby hotel.”

The lie flowed easily. I almost wanted to laugh at how quickly Asher’s anger deflated.

“Oh,” he said, his voice immediately softening with guilt. “I... I waited for a while. I thought you were ignoring me.”

I closed my eyes, thinking of how blindly I had once loved this man. How easily manipulated I had been. The signs had always been there—his controlling nature, the constant gaslighting, how he’d strategically isolated me from everyone except those he approved of.

“Listen,” he continued, “about my mother and Ashley... You should apologize—”

“No,” I cut him off firmly. “I will not be apologizing to your family. They demanded I abandon my work to play nanny. I have too many responsibilities preparing for your coronation to drop everything for them.”

“You could hand those tasks to Hazel temporarily,” Asher suggested. “Just until Ashley gets back on her feet with the twins.”

“Like how Hazel handled the Silverclaw Pack trade agreement?” I countered, unable to keep the edge from my voice. “The one that fell through completely because of her incompetence?”

Silence greeted my response. We both knew I was right.

“Actually,” I continued, seeing my opening, “You know what? You’re right.”

Asher sounded surprised. “I am?”

“Yes,” I said. “I do think it’s necessary for Hazel to take over some responsibilities. I need to take some time for myself.”

“What?” Asher’s voice immediately flared with anger. “You can’t just leave everything during such a busy period!”

“But you just said I could hand things to Hazel,” I pointed out coolly. “So why the change of heart? Is it because I’d be taking time for myself rather than serving your family?”

His sputtering non-response told me everything I needed to know.

“That’s what I thought,” I said. “I’ll be back at the pack house tomorrow. We can discuss this further then.”

I ended the call before he could argue and dragged myself out of bed. After a quick shower and breakfast, I drove to the Blackmoon Pack territory for the council meeting.

As I parked and approached the entrance, I spotted Killian waiting at the steps.

“Luna Estelle,” he greeted with a respectful nod. “Welcome back to Blackmoon.”

“Thank you, Killian,” I replied, noticing how the title still felt strange to my ears. Here, I wasn’t just the stand-in Luna of a smaller pack—I was the rightful heir to one of the most powerful packs in the region.

“Everyone has arrived for the council meeting,” Killian informed me as he guided me up the stairs. “They are all excited to meet you—”

As we approached the grand doors at the end of the hallway, the door suddenly opened without warning. A young man stepped out, his shoulders knocking harshly against mine.