Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Estelle’s POV

I raised an eyebrow, setting my phone face-down on the table. “Is that so?”

Caleb nodded, pulling out his own phone and scrolling through it. “Yeah, it’s all over the news. Though I wonder why he didn’t just name her as the Luna. She is his mate, isn’t she?”

I nodded, raising the coffee mug to my lips as they curved into a mocking smile.

Then, Caleb frowned. “Wait. Isn’t the Moonveil Pack the one with the guy who stopped our car previously?” Caleb asked, looking up from his phone.

I nodded. “That would be the one.”

Caleb shook his head with a grimace. “I wonder who would actually marry this guy. His mate must be so unfortunate.”

“You don’t seem to have a good impression of him,” I observed, stirring my coffee slowly.

“I don’t,” Caleb said bluntly. “Because you don’t. Also because there’s just something really off about him. He sounds stuck up, and the way he completely ignored me tells me he only cares about people more powerful than him.”

Caleb really had good observation skills. He’d read Asher’s character perfectly from just one brief encounter.

“This isn’t the first acting-Luna that Asher has, you know,” I said casually, watching Caleb’s reaction.

His eyes widened in surprise. “Really? There was someone else before this one?” He paused. “Come to think of it, I suppose they didn’t announce a name.”

“There was,” I confirmed, not mentioning that the previous acting-Luna was sitting right before him.

Caleb leaned back in his chair, shaking his head. “Wow. This guy seems like he can’t function without a woman by his side. What kind of Alpha needs to constantly have someone propping him up?”

I could only laugh inwardly at his comment. There was a time when I would’ve sacrificed my life for Asher without question. I’d believed every word he said, trusted every decision he made. Now, everything he did just seemed pathetic in my eyes.

The irony wasn’t lost on me. Asher had always been dependent on others, but I’d been too blind to see it. First, it was me, managing the pack’s daily operations while he played politics. Now, it was Hazel, stepping into the role I’d vacated.

“You’re probably right about that,” I said, taking another sip of my coffee. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Not that I cared, however. There was only one reason why Asher had not directly named Hazel as his Luna—he was waiting for me to admit to my mistakes and go running back to him. He still hadn’t figured out that I already knew everything.

That was also probably why he didn’t provide a name as to who that “acting-Luna” was.

Caleb was about to respond when someone approached our table. I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Oh my gosh. Estelle, is that you?”

I turned around to see a woman with brown hair and bright hazel eyes walking toward us. Recognition hit me immediately, and I felt a genuine smile spread across my face.

“Janice?”

She squealed with excitement, rushing over to pull me into a tight hug. “I can’t believe it! It’s really you!”

I stood up, returning her embrace warmly. Janice had been one of my closest friends during an exchange program I’d attended in my late teens. Asher and I had been sent to a boarding school designed to train the next generation of pack leaders for several months. That was where I’d met Janice.

It had been years since we’d last met, and the last time we spoke was before I found out about Asher’s lies. But back then, Janice had been a very good friend.

“You look amazing,” Janice said, holding me at arm’s length to get a better look. “I heard through the grapevine that you were in the area, but I couldn’t believe it until I saw you with my own eyes.”

“It’s so good to see you too,” I said, meaning every word. “What brings you here?”

“Pack business,” she said with a wave of her hand. “But more importantly, some of our old friends from the boarding school are arranging to meet up tonight. A lot of us have been away from home the past few months or years due to pack duties, and finally everyone’s back in the area at the same time.”

Those months at the boarding school felt so far away.

“Everyone’s been asking about you. They would be so excited to know you’re in town, too. I thought you would be busy with—”

Caleb cleared his throat softly behind me, and I remembered my manners.

“Oh, Janice, this is Caleb Jackson. Caleb, this is Janice Miller, an old friend from my boarding school days. She’s the daughter of Firemoon’s Beta.”

“Caleb Jackson?” Janice asked, her eyes sparkling. She seemed a little awestruck. “As in, Killian Jackson’s son? From Blackmoon?”

“The very one.” Caleb stood and extended his hand with a friendly smile. “Nice to meet you, Janice.”

“Likewise,” Janice said, shaking his hand before turning her attention back to me. “Wow, Estelle, I can’t believe that you know Blackmoon’s new Beta.”

As she spoke, she kept sneaking glances at Caleb. She looked so starstruck that I couldn’t help but laugh.

Caleb shrugged. “I’m just her—”

“Friend,” I said, cutting him off. “We met at an event and realized we had a lot in common.”

“Lucky you,” Janice said, grinning. “I never thought I would ever see you befriending another guy.”

I coughed, choking on my saliva. Caleb shot me a worried look while Janice clapped.

“Anyway, so what do you say, Estelle? Are you free tonight? I bet the others would be so excited to see you!”