Estelle’s POV

The dinner wrapped up without any further drama. Conversations flowed smoothly around the tables. Several Alphas approached me during dessert to discuss potential trade agreements. I handled each interaction with practiced ease, keeping my responses diplomatic yet confident.

When the last course was cleared away, guests began filtering out of the dining room in small groups. The tension from earlier had completely dissipated, replaced by satisfied murmurs about the excellent food and successful evening.

Even Rosalind had mostly kept to her food, only raising her eyes to shoot me a glare every once in a while. I hadn’t noticed it during dinner, of course. This was something Caleb had informed me right after.

Right after dinner ended, she had left without another word. I couldn’t be happier about it. That was one less problem.

Caleb pushed back his chair and offered me his arm. “Shall we go?”

I nodded, accepting his gesture. We made our way through the corridors toward the main wing.

“You handled tonight brilliantly,” Caleb said as we walked. “You seemed to have the right answer for everything. I think my father and your father would be pleased to know that the Blackmoon Pack will be in good hands.”

“Thank you.” I smoothed down my dress. “I suppose I also have you and Killian to thank for preparing me.”

Ironically, I also had a lot of training while handling the Moonveil Pack’s affairs for Asher. All that labor had incidentally prepared me for this role. I didn’t even need much time to adjust to it.

Speaking of which, it was lucky that the Moonveil Pack was considered too small a pack to be invited to an event like this. Even the most unknown pack at this event was still leaps and bounds ahead of Moonveil in terms of social hierarchy.

If Asher had been invited, he would have found out about my identity much sooner than I hoped. It would also be an additional problem I had to deal with, especially considering how Zayne and I’s engagement wasn’t fully set in stone yet. With how confident Rosalind was, it seemed like Zayne had some things he needed to clear with the Lycan Council first and foremost.

“Even the Lycan King looked impressed during your discussion about territorial agreements,” Caleb continued. His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Or maybe he just found you much more interesting than the steak they served tonight.”

I raised an eyebrow at his words. “Are you trying to imply something?”

“Nothing,” Caleb said with a shrug. “I just found Rosalind awfully entertaining. I wonder what the Lycan Council actually told her that made her so confident the Lycan King would choose her to be his fiancée.”

I shot him a glare, warning him to keep his voice low. He had perfectly guessed what was on my mind even without the intention to do so. However, there were ears everywhere, and lycans had sharper hearing than even werewolves did.

Caleb merely whistled a merry tune.

We reached the main hallway where our paths would diverge. Caleb paused, glancing around at the various couples heading toward rooms together.

His brow furrowed slightly. “You know, I’m noticing something odd about these lodging arrangements.”

I followed his gaze. Several women were indeed following their husbands toward rooms in the main wing, despite what we’d been told about separate accommodations.

“The males and females don’t seem actually separated,” Caleb observed. “Look at Alpha Jude and his Luna. They’re definitely sharing a room.”

I shrugged. “Maybe it’s because they’re mated couples. The rules might be different for bonded pairs.”

Caleb’s frown deepened, but he didn’t press the issue further. “Well, regardless of the arrangements, you should get some rest. Tomorrow will be even more demanding.”

“Good night, Caleb. Thank you for tonight.”

“Good night, Luna.”

He headed down the corridor toward his assigned room. I watched him disappear around the corner before sighing. I didn’t want to return to the room that had been assigned to me.

Instead of heading down the long path that led to the shabby room, I found myself wandering through the corridors. My heels clicked softly against the marble floors as I explored the unfamiliar territory. The palace was like a maze of elegant hallways and grand chambers.

Eventually, I discovered a set of glass doors that led to the outdoor gardens. The cool night air greeted me as I stepped outside.

The gardens were absolutely breathtaking. Silvery moonlight shone on the flora here, which was abundant and plentiful. The smell of flowers perfumed the air.

I walked deeper into the garden, my dress trailing behind me on the smooth stones.

I paused beside a particularly beautiful rose garden. The flowers were in full bloom. I breathed in deeply, allowing the tranquil setting to wash away my remaining tension.

Part of me considered spending the entire night out here. The weather was perfect, and the garden felt like a private sanctuary.

But that reminded me of a more practical concern. The lodging situation was still unresolved. There really wasn’t a proper place for me to shower or change clothes in the morning.

Maybe I should contact Zayne about it. He seemed reasonable, and he’d already demonstrated that he was willing to address problems directly. I hadn’t been fair with my initial frustration towards the accommodations. He might not even know anything about it.

I pulled out my phone and scrolled to his contact information. My finger hovered over his name as I considered what to say.

How should I phrase this? I didn’t want to seem demanding or ungrateful for the invitation. But the current arrangements were genuinely impractical.

Just the thought of the small, cramped, and moldy room made me shudder. Even in the Moonveil Pack, at least accommodations were decent, even when I didn’t share a room with Asher.

I stared at the empty message field, trying to find the right words. The cursor blinked at me expectantly.

Should I mention the issue with couples sharing rooms? Would that make it seem like I’m asking for special treatment?

Maybe I should just ask for clarification about the facilities available in the female wing.

Or perhaps I should wait until tomorrow and handle it through official channels.

I continued staring at my phone screen, weighing my options.

He’s probably busy with post-dinner meetings anyway. This can wait.

But if I wait too long, it might be too late to arrange alternative accommodations. We weren’t going to be in Lycan territory for long anyway.

He had also already helped me tonight with the seating situation. I didn’t want to seem like I was constantly complaining.

The internal debate continued as I stood there in the moonlit garden. My phone felt warm in my hands from holding it so long.

“Are you planning on sending me a message, or are you going to just stare at your screen for the rest of the night?”

I froze. That voice was unmistakably Zayne’s, coming from somewhere behind me.

My heart jumped into my throat. How long had he been standing there?