Third POV

Zayne blinked slowly, processing the information. His birthday.

He had completely forgotten about it with how packed his schedule had been lately.

A small smile tugged at the corner of his lips. Had Estelle known? Or was this purely a coincidence?

Either way, the timing felt significant.

“I see,” Zayne said, his voice giving nothing away. He looked down at his phone again, rereading Estelle’s message.

The people present watched him nervously. Edgar Vurbont’s hands trembled slightly as he gripped his folder.

“Your Majesty,” Edgar ventured carefully, “the preparations have already been made. The guest list, the menu, the entertainment—”

“Cancel it,” Zayne said without looking up.

The room erupted in shocked murmurs. Edgar’s face went white as a sheet.

“But Your Majesty—”

“Postpone it,” Zayne clarified, typing his response to Estelle. “We can celebrate another day.”

[Yes, I’m free tomorrow evening. Where would you like to meet?]

He hit send and looked up to find every council member staring at him in horror.

Edgar looked like he might faint. His daughter Rosalind had spent weeks planning this celebration. She’d been convinced this would be her moment to win Zayne’s heart, to prove she was the perfect choice for Lycan Queen.

Her efforts merely doubled when she found out that Zayne had selected someone else to be his bride. Rosalind had refused to believe that Zayne was serious about marrying a werewolf. This birthday surprise was supposed to change his mind.

But now...

“But Your Majesty—”

“The celebration can wait,” Zayne said firmly. “I have other plans.”

His phone buzzed with Estelle’s reply.

[I’ll handle the restaurant booking. It’s my treat. I’ll send you the location once it’s finalized.]

Zayne’s smile widened slightly. When was the last time someone had offered to treat him to anything? When was the last time he had celebrated his birthday at all?

He couldn’t remember ever having a real birthday celebration. Growing up, he’d been too busy hiding and surviving. In comparison, birthday celebrations seemed so trivial.

“This meeting is adjourned,” he announced, standing up.

The members present scrambled to their feet, papers rustling and chairs scraping against the floor. 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Edgar opened his mouth to protest again, but Zayne was already striding toward the door.

“Mason,” he called over his shoulder. “With me.”

Mason quickly gathered his notes and followed, leaving behind a room full of stunned nobles.

Edgar stared at the closed door, his face pale with dread. How was he going to tell Rosalind?

***

Meanwhile, in neutral territory, Asher sat on the edge of a bed in a modest apartment. The space was small but comfortable. It was enough to serve as a temporary refuge he’d rented for Hazel.

She lay propped up against pillows, her color slowly returning after the fainting episode at the store. Her blonde hair spilled across the white pillowcase as Asher gently dabbed her forehead with a cool towel.

“I’m fine,” Hazel murmured, but her voice was still weak.

“Just rest,” Asher said softly. “The healer said you were dehydrated and stressed.”

Hazel caught his wrist, stopping his gentle ministrations. Her green eyes flashed with anger.

“Stressed?” she repeated. “Of course I’m stressed, Asher. Do you have any idea what it’s like watching your mate pretend to be married to someone else?”

Asher’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t pull away.

“And today,” Hazel continued, her voice gaining strength, “she had the nerve to question us. Did you not notice the way she acted as though she were the victim in all of this?”

She pushed herself up higher against the pillows, her grip on his wrist tightening.

“Did you see how she looked at us? Like we were the ones doing something wrong. She doesn’t even care about Finn anymore. She’s obviously moved on.”

Asher remained silent, his expression troubled.

Hazel studied his face, noting the conflict there. She’d seen how quickly he’d dropped her hand when Estelle first spotted them in the store. Throughout their entire interaction, the moment Estelle came into the picture, Asher maintained a respectable distance between them, as though they were really nothing but superior and subordinate, Alpha and Beta.

It stung, but she pushed that hurt aside for now.

“That tie she bought,” Hazel pressed on. “And those cufflinks. It came with a matching earring set. You saw it too, didn’t you?”

She waited for his response, but Asher just stared at the towel in his free hand.

“Those weren’t gifts for a friend,” she continued. “It was clearly meant for couples. She’s found someone else, Asher. You’re the only one still hung up over her!”

Hazel’s voice turned bitter. “I bet it’s that Alpha from Tidal Valley Pack, Alpha Jude. You saw him at that party in the lycan territory too. He’s young, handsome, and wealthy. I bet she already has him under her spell.”

Finally, Asher spoke. “It doesn’t matter who she’s seeing.”

“Doesn’t matter?” Hazel sat up straighter, wincing slightly. “Of course it matters! Don’t you see? This is our chance.”

She grabbed his hand with both of hers now, her eyes bright with hope.

“We can tell the pack the truth about us. They’ll understand once they realize we’re fated mates. No one can fight the Moon Goddess’s will. Even if they disapprove of my father’s past mistakes, they can’t argue with fate.”

Asher pulled his hand free and stood up, running it through his light brown hair.

“It’s not that simple, Hazel.”

“Why not?” she demanded. “We’ve never even tried. You keep making excuses, but what if the pack accepts us? What if they’re relieved to know their Alpha found his true mate?”

“The pack will never accept it,” Asher said firmly. “Not after everything that’s happened between our two families. Did you forget what sort of rumors are out there regarding your father and how he killed mine?”

“How can you be so sure if we don’t try?” Hazel’s voice rose. “Besides, Estelle clearly doesn’t want to come back. She keeps finding excuses to stay away. She’s practically handed us the perfect opportunity.”

Asher turned to face her, his expression hard. “The pack is in a dangerous position right now. We can’t afford to create more instability.”

“More instability?” Hazel’s eyes flashed dangerously. “Or are you just afraid?”

“Afraid of what?”

“Of losing your precious Estelle,” she snapped.

“That’s not—” Asher pursed his lips. “I am just putting the pack first.”

“Put the pack first?” Hazel exploded, throwing the damp towel across the room. “That’s all you’ve ever been doing! Ever since you found out that we’re fated mates, you’ve always placed the pack as your priority! I am your fated mate! When will I become your priority? Do you even care about me? Was I ever in your future plans? Or were you just trying to placate me like you’ve been doing to Estelle all these years?”