Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Third POV

Asher knocked gently on the door. “Hazel, can I come in?”

The door opened just a crack. Hazel’s face appeared in the gap, her green eyes cautious.

“He just fell asleep,” she whispered, stepping outside and closing the door softly behind her. “We shouldn’t wake him.”

Asher nodded, studying her face. Hazel looked tired, which only further added to his guilt.

“I’m sorry,” Asher started, his voice low. “I shouldn’t have lost control like that. I shouldn’t have hit him or raised my voice.”

Hazel said nothing and just watched him.

“I know I went too far,” Asher continued, the words tumbling out. “You and Finn have every right to be angry with me. I was out of line.”

To his surprise, Hazel reached up and touched his cheek gently. Her fingers were cool against his skin. She didn’t speak, just traced the line of his jaw with her thumb.

The tender gesture caught Asher off guard. He’d expected anger, maybe even tears. Not this quiet understanding.

“Everything is just so complicated right now,” Asher said, his voice wavering slightly. “With Estelle gone, the pack is falling apart. She didn’t give us any time to prepare, and now everyone is demanding answers I don’t have.”

Hazel’s hand remained on his cheek, steady and warm.

“I’ve been working eighteen-hour days trying to keep up,” Asher continued. “And then to come home and hear Finn celebrating her departure like it doesn’t matter...”

He trailed off, unable to finish the thought.

Hazel sighed softly, her thumb still stroking his cheekbone. “I understand, Asher. I can see how stressed you’ve been.”

Relief flooded through him at her words. He nodded, leaning slightly into her touch.

“I forgive you,” Hazel said simply.

She stepped closer, wrapping her arms around him. Asher buried his face in her shoulder, breathing in her familiar scent. For a moment, the weight of leadership lifted from his shoulders.

They held each other in the quiet hallway, and Asher felt some of his tension ease. This was what he needed. Hazel’s understanding and support.

When they pulled apart, Hazel’s expression had shifted slightly. There was something more determined in her eyes now.

“I can help shoulder some of these responsibilities, you know,” she said, her voice still soft but with an edge of steel. “You haven’t been letting me handle much of the important work. You keep giving everything to Nigel instead.”

Asher blinked, caught off guard by the shift in conversation. “What do you mean?”

“The trade agreements, the pack meetings, the budget reviews,” Hazel listed. “You’ve been doing it all yourself or delegating to Nigel. But I’m capable too.”

Asher’s mind raced. It was true that he’d been relying heavily on Nigel lately. But that was mostly because Nigel had worked closely with Estelle before and understood the existing systems. He knew which packs preferred formal negotiations and which responded better to casual approaches. He understood the budget categories Estelle had established and the reasoning behind her allocation decisions.

Hazel, while intelligent and capable, hadn’t been involved in those day-to-day operations. She would need time to learn the systems, understand the relationships, and figure out the nuances that Estelle had developed over months of careful work.

That was time that they didn’t have right now.

But Asher couldn’t say that out loud. It would sound like he didn’t trust Hazel’s abilities.

Furthermore, she had been so excited about the mating ceremony that she had been occupied with planning it. Now that Finn was sick, she had even less time to take over pack duties.

“You have your hands full with Finn right now,” Asher said instead, choosing his words carefully. “I don’t want to stress you out with pack business when you’re already dealing with his health.”

Hazel’s eyes flashed with frustration, but it disappeared before Asher could get a second look.

“We’re mates, Asher,” she said, taking his hand in both of hers. “It’s only right that we help each other out. I want to be useful to you.”

She lifted his hand and pressed it against her neck, right over the mating mark he’d given her years ago. The skin was warm under his palm, and he could feel her pulse beating steadily.

“I’m your mate,” Hazel said, her voice dropping to almost a whisper. “As your mate, I want to be of use to you and the pack.”

Asher felt the familiar pull of their bond, the way it always centered him. Hazel was right. They were supposed to face these challenges together.

“When will you officially make me your Luna?” Hazel asked suddenly, her green eyes locked on his. “Once the packs know my official status, maybe they’ll finally trust me more with important decisions.”

Asher’s eyes widened at the direct question. His hand froze against her neck.

“That’s not a good idea,” Asher said, hesitating.

If Estelle came back, Asher didn’t know how she would react, especially with how she was lately. He still needed her for certain pack alliances and arrangements.

Hazel smiled. It was as though she could read his mind.

“I know what you are concerned about,” she said. “But as a woman, I know how women work. She’s just upset that you’re giving me more attention now, even though in her eyes, she is your mate, not me. She just wants your attention.”

“She will never be my true mate,” Asher growled.

“I know, baby,” Hazel cooed. “But we need her to come back and tidy up the loose strings before we kick her out for good. This will just be to intimidate her a little. Maybe then she would come back on her own.”

Hazel’s words seemed to strike a chord.

That’s right. Asher had pampered her with his attention for so many years that Estelle had grown complacent. This whole thing was just Estelle’s temper tantrum because things were no longer going her way.

If Asher continued to beg her to return, the cards would just be in Estelle’s hands instead. They needed a way to make her come back on her own.

***

Estelle’s POV

I picked up my coffee as I glanced through my phone. A particular headline of a small-time magazine had caught my attention.

I read it with great interest.

“What’s got you so enraptured?” a voice asked. I looked up from my screen to see Caleb sitting down opposite me.

“Just looking at today’s news,” I said, setting my coffee down.

“Ah,” Caleb said with a smile. “Then I suppose you’ve already seen that the Moonveil Pack has officially named a new Luna?”