Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Third POV

Silence stretched across the line. Zayne could practically hear the gears turning in Asher’s head as he processed that a man had answered Estelle’s phone in the middle of the night.

“What the fuck?!” Asher finally exploded. “Who the hell are you?!”

Zayne remained silent.

“Put Estelle on the phone right now!” Asher demanded. “Estelle! Estelle, are you there? Who is this man?”

His voice rose with each word, panic and fury mixing together.

“Answer me!” Asher shouted. “What are you doing with my mate?”

Zayne didn’t bother to reply. Instead, he simply ended the call and blocked the number before returning to his work.

***

Asher stared at his phone screen in disbelief. The call had just ended. The man on the other end didn’t even wait for him to finish speaking.

His hands shook as he tried calling back immediately. This time, an automated message played.

“The number you have dialed cannot be reached.” 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

“No, no, no,” Asher muttered under his breath, dialing again. Unfortunately, all he got was the same message.

Asher paced around his office. Who the hell was that man? His voice had been calm, and he sounded completely unbothered. That only further ticked Asher off.

But more importantly, where was Estelle? Why was there a man with her at three in the morning? Why was he answering her phone like he had every right to?

The questions pounded through Asher’s skull like hammers. He tried calling one more time, desperate to hear Estelle’s voice instead of that stranger’s.

However, the call still wouldn’t go through.

Rage built in Asher’s chest. The phone felt heavy in his hand. That robotic tone could only mean one thing—his new number was now blocked on Estelle’s phone, most likely the work of that man who picked up the phone call.

Without thinking, he drew his arm back and hurled the device as hard as he could toward his office door.

The phone hit the wood with a satisfying crack just as the door swung open.

Hazel stepped into the doorway, her green eyes wide with shock as Asher’s broken phone clattered to the floor at her feet.

“What the hell, Asher?” Hazel snapped, stepping over the broken device. “So this is where you’ve been hiding this entire time?”

Asher didn’t even register Hazel talking. His mind was still stuck on that man’s voice. It was deep and carried authority. Even through the call, Asher could tell that he was no ordinary man.

Maybe Hazel was right. Maybe Estelle really had gone to Tidal Valley Pack. If it were Alpha Jude or Beta Logan who answered the phone, things would be complicated.

If Estelle had found a mate in either of those men, it would be difficult to get her back. After all, they were powerful figures. Jude Reed and Logan Greene were the Alpha and Beta of a strong pack. Moonveil was nowhere close to Tidal Valley’s status. Even though Asher was an Alpha, he might not necessarily be able to demand Beta Logan to hand over Estelle.

But if it were just some random pack member, it would be easier to handle. Estelle was still his mate, technically. Until they had a proper rejection ceremony, she couldn’t officially mate with another man. The other bond wouldn’t be recognized by pack laws globally, no matter whether or not they were fated to each other.

Asher had conveniently forgotten that his bond with Estelle was a fraud all along.

“Are you even listening?” Hazel’s sharp voice cut through his thoughts. “Your mother and sister want to send me away! You need to speak with them! Otherwise, I’ll end up as a rogue!”

Asher turned to face her, his green eyes still wild with frustration. “Give me your phone.”

“What?” Hazel blinked. “Why?”

“Your phone. Now.” He held out his hand.

Hazel hesitated, clutching her device protectively. “Asher, what’s going on? You’re scaring me.”

He didn’t have patience for explanations. In one swift motion, he snatched the phone from her grip.

“Hey!” Hazel protested, but Asher was already dialing Estelle’s number.

The call went straight to voicemail. Estelle’s recorded voice filled the room, calm and professional.

“You’ve reached Estelle Harper. Please leave a message, and I’ll get back to you.”

The beep that followed felt like a slap to Asher’s face.

“Are you seriously calling Estelle again?” Hazel’s voice dripped with anger. “Are you kidding me right now?”

Asher ended the call and tried again. It was still the same result.

“She’s not going to pick up!” Hazel snapped. “You’re wasting your time! She doesn’t want to talk to you!”

But Asher kept trying. Each failed attempt made his desperation grow stronger.

Hazel watched him with growing fury. Her hands clenched into fists at her sides.

“This is ridiculous,” she hissed. “You’re obsessed with a woman who clearly doesn’t want you anymore!”

“Shut up,” Asher muttered, hitting redial for the fifth time.

“No, I won’t shut up!” Hazel’s voice rose. “I’m your real mate! I’m the one who’s been by your side through everything! I’m the one who gave you a son!”

Asher gritted his teeth as he rapidly tapped the redial button.

“I refuse to believe that Moonveil will crash and burn without Estelle!” Hazel shouted. “I can be a good Luna for this pack too! And I will prove it!”