Chapter 174 Used Woman

Estelle’s POV

I stared at the empty hallway, feeling strangely hollow. Zayne had left without saying goodbye.

I touched my lips absently, remembering the warm sensation I’d felt in my sleep. Had he kissed me? Or was that just another dream?

The guestroom door stood open, revealing perfectly made sheets. I had prepared a spare guestroom for him in case he chose to stay the night, but it seemed like he hadn’t used it after all. If I hadn’t distinctly remembered waking up briefly in the middle of the night to find him beside me, I would have thought I’d imagined it all.

Shaking my head, I returned to my room and grabbed my phone from the nightstand. When the screen lit up, I realized that Zayne had actually left me a message hours ago.

[Had to leave early for urgent work back in lycan territory. Made breakfast. It’s in the kitchen. Don’t skip it.]

I typed back quickly, smiling. [I will. Thank you.]

The response came almost immediately.

[Awake?]

I sent a sleepy cat sticker instead of words. After thinking about it for a moment, I decided to add a text. [Thanks for breakfast. You didn’t have to.]

[I wanted to. Eat well today.]

[Will do, Your Majesty.]

[Smart mouth.]

I grinned at my phone, sending another sticker before heading to the kitchen. The smell hit me before I even reached the counter. Zayne had made some warm waffles, perfectly cooked oats with honey, and even prepared some fresh berries arranged like tiny jewels.

My chest felt warm as I took my first bite. Everything was perfect, just the right sweetness. But more than that, I felt the same sweetness in my chest.

***

Third POV

Zayne locked his phone with a slight smile tugging at his lips. The car rolled smoothly through the gates of lycan territory, coming to a stop in front of the royal palace.

He handed the keys to the valet and strode toward his office, already mentally preparing for the day’s meetings. The council had been pushing for updates on several pack negotiations, and there were territorial disputes that needed his attention.

But as he approached his office door, raised voices made him pause. He could hear Mason’s frustrated tone mixing with a higher, more shrill voice that made his jaw tighten.

Rosalind.

Zayne pushed open the door to find Mason standing rigidly behind his desk while Rosalind paced in front of it, her strawberry blonde hair whipping around her shoulders. Both of them looked ready for a fight.

“What’s the problem here?” Zayne’s voice cut through the argument like ice.

Rosalind spun around, her face lighting up when she saw him. She started to rush toward him, but Zayne smoothly sidestepped, maintaining distance. She caught herself just in time, her cheeks flushing.

“Zayne! Finally, you’re back. I’ve been waiting for hours.”

Zayne noticed the photographs clutched in her manicured hands. His expression remained neutral, but his eyes sharpened.

Mason stepped forward. “Your Majesty, the Vurbont family and several other nobility members stayed at the palace last night as your grandmother’s guests. They had late council meetings.”

His tone was carefully controlled, but the expression on his face was nothing short of disdainful. Zayne knew that if Rosalind weren’t present, Mason would’ve already spouted a hundred different profanities to exhibit his colorful vocabulary.

“Miss Vurbont obtained these photographs and demanded to see you immediately,” Mason continued. “When I informed her you were in Blackmoon territory, she insisted on waiting.”

“I must speak with His Majesty before he marries that… that… harlot!” Rosalind cried out.

Zayne’s expression darkened. Mason stiffened as the temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees.

“How dare you!” Mason said, fuming. “That is the future Lycan Queen you’re speaking of. Watch your language!”

“It’s true!” Rosalind said. She turned back to Zayne. “How can you allow yourself to be treated like this, Your Majesty? It’s obvious that this lowly werewolf doesn’t care about you.”

She waved the photos in the air, her voice rising. “Just look at these! You two are about to be wed. She is your fiancée, and yet, here she is, still entangling herself with another man!”

Zayne’s eyes briefly glanced at the photos that Rosalind was waving around. It seemed to have been taken on the same day as the photos that Mason sent last night, but they were an entirely fresh set of photos. This time, it also included photographs of Alpha Asher, taken from within the pack house.

“She has no respect for your engagement, for you, and for us lycans!” Rosalind said. “How can you possibly lower yourself to marry a used woman?”