Estelle’s POV

I stared at Zayne, processing his words. “Your bedroom?”

“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to come up with a spare bedroom on such short notice,” he explained, his tone matter-of-fact. “This is the only available room we have. Since we’re about to become a married couple anyway, it doesn’t really matter.”

His logic was sound, though the situation felt surreal. I was standing in a room that connected directly to the Lycan King’s private quarters.

“We aren’t actually sharing the same bedroom or bed,” he continued. “The door locks from both sides, if privacy is a concern.”

I nodded slowly. He made a fair point. The accommodations were certainly better than that horrible room I’d been assigned initially. And technically, we were engaged now, even if it was purely political.

I wasn’t so stuck-up that I would refuse such a room for no good reason. It was better than spending the night in the palace gardens.

“Thank you for the hospitality,” I said sincerely. “This is much better than where I was before.”

Zayne inclined his head. “Good night, Estelle.”

“Good night, Your Majesty.”

He left through the connecting door, and I heard the soft click of a lock engaging. I was finally alone in proper accommodations.

The moment I heard Zayne close his own bedroom door, I retreated into the ensuite bathroom and took a nice hot shower.

The bed was every bit as comfortable as it looked. The silk sheets felt cool against my skin, and the mattress was perfectly firm. After the stress of the day and the unpleasant surprise of my original room, I fell asleep quickly.

***

The next morning, I made my way to the dining hall for breakfast. The palace staff had informed all guests that breakfast would be served buffet-style, allowing everyone to mingle freely.

I spotted Caleb near the windows, already seated with a plate of food. His red hair was slightly mussed, and he looked like he’d slept well.

“Good morning,” I said, settling into the chair across from him.

“Morning. Sleep well in your new room?” He grinned. “I heard you got upgraded last night.”

I raised an eyebrow. I hadn’t told Caleb that I had been shifted into a new room. I wasn’t planning to either, since we were only staying for one night and would be leaving after the ball tonight.

“The new room is much better,” I answered, reaching for a piece of fruit from the centerpiece. “But how did you know I got a room change?”

Caleb pursed his lips, as though he was trying to find an appropriate approach to my question.

I became increasingly aware of the stares directed our way. Conversations seemed to quieten when I peered at certain tables. Several she-wolves whispered behind their hands while glancing in my direction.

A bad feeling settled into my stomach.

“Caleb,” I said quietly, “what exactly happened last night? Why is everyone staring at me?”

He paused mid-bite, looking uncomfortable. “I was about to ask you the same thing.”

My stomach tightened. “What do you mean?”

“Everyone’s talking about how you were spotted leaving the private wing where the Lycan King’s bedroom is located.” His voice dropped even lower. “Gossip is flying that you’re trying to seduce him.”

Heat flooded my cheeks. Of course people had seen me. The guards alone would have been enough to start rumors.

“Since your engagement hasn’t been officially announced, I didn’t think I should explain the situation,” Caleb continued. “Though I figured that Zayne Silvius probably just wanted a night with his fiancée, since you’ve travelled all the way down to Lycan territory.”

I frowned, shaking my head.

“I was given a bad room,” I confessed. “The female accommodations were horrid, actually. It looked more like a sketchy motel than a guest bedroom. Zayne simply heard about it and offered me a different room for the night. He wasn’t able to prepare one in the other wing.”

“Right, about that too,” Caleb said. “Turns out that old servant lied. Male and female wolves were not separated after all.”

My eyes widened slightly. “Even unmated wolves?”

Caleb nodded. “The rooms for male and female guests are all in the same wing. There was never any distinction between genders. The guest wing had enough space to accommodate everyone. I caught some new guests arriving some time after dinner, including Lena’s family.”

Lena Hart was still unmated. If she stayed with her family in the main wing for guests, then there couldn’t be any misunderstanding.

My blood began to boil. Someone had deliberately fed me false information and given me substandard accommodations. I was probably the only guest who’d been singled out for this treatment.

“Do you know who arranged the room assignments?” I asked.

“Palace staff, I assume. Though all arrangements would need approval from higher up.”

I considered the possibilities. Had Zayne orchestrated this just so I would seek his help? The thought crossed my mind, but I quickly dismissed it. That kind of childish manipulation seemed beneath him. He’d appeared genuinely displeased when I described my original room.

Someone else was behind this. But who would benefit from making me look bad or putting me in a compromising position? 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

I thought about how the old servant was so insistent that Benedict and Helena would arrive to represent the Blackmoon Pack, and about the maid who brought me to my original room. Both staff members were not just unfriendly, but downright disrespectful.

“I think I have my guesses,” I said with a snort.

“What do you mean?”

Before I could respond, a sharp voice cut through the ambient chatter of the dining hall.

“Well, well. Why am I not surprised that it would be you who tried to sneak into His Majesty’s quarters late at night?”

I turned around slowly, already recognizing the haughty tone. Vivian Hart stood behind my chair, her perfectly styled red hair gleaming under the chandelier light. Her blue eyes sparkled with malicious delight.

My frown deepened as I met her gaze.