Alpha's Regret: Marked By The Lycan King

Chapter 150: Chapter 150: Too Much Like Her

Third POV

Asher’s knuckles turned white as he gripped his champagne flute. The woman in the icy blue dress stood just beyond Alpha Jude’s broad shoulders, her face still maddeningly hidden from view.

It had to be Estelle. The height was right. The graceful way she held herself was unmistakable. But how could she possibly be here?

“Darling, you’re looking rather tense,” Eloise purred, sliding closer to him. Her perfume was cloying and overwhelming. “Is everything alright?”

Asher forced a smile. “Of course. Just admiring the crowd.”

His eyes never left the pair across the room. Alpha Jude seemed completely at ease with the mystery woman, laughing at something she said. The casual intimacy between them made Asher’s stomach churn.

He remembered meeting the Alpha of the Tidal Valley Pack briefly in lycan territory not too long ago. The Alpha had been all charming smiles and easy conversation, but there had been something predatory lurking beneath the surface. Everything about him made Asher’s goosebumps rise. He definitely wasn’t as easygoing as he appeared to be.

What business could someone like that possibly have with Estelle?

A server passed between them, blocking his view completely. When the man moved, Asher craned his neck desperately, but the woman was walking away. Her back was to him now, and a large marble column obscured her profile.

“Excuse me for just a moment,” Asher muttered, starting forward.

“Where are you going?” Eloise’s manicured fingers wrapped around his arm. “I was just about to introduce you to Alpha Sylvester from the Lunar Gem Pack.”

Asher barely heard her. His attention was laser-focused on the blue dress disappearing through the crowd. He needed to see her face. That was the only way he would be able to know for certain.

There had been too many coincidences and events where Asher thought he saw Estelle, only for the lookalike to slip away before he could see for himself whether he was hallucinating her presence or not. This time, Asher was determined to catch her.

“I’ll be right back,” he said, pulling free from Eloise’s grip.

He pushed through the crowd, ignoring the annoyed looks from other guests. The woman was moving toward the back of the ballroom, past the orchestra, and toward the tall glass doors leading to the balcony.

Asher’s heart hammered against his ribs. If it really was Estelle, then all those rumors Hazel had whispered might be true. Maybe she really was involved with another pack. Maybe she had found a way to climb higher than he ever expected.

The thought made him sick with rage and something else he didn’t want to name. Jealousy, perhaps. Or fear.

Either way, he saw the manner in which this woman spoke with Alpha Jude. It was too close to be purely friends. On top of that, there was no other reason Alpha Jude would bring a random woman here, unless she was his mate and Luna.

He reached the balcony doors just as they closed. Through the glass, he could make out two figures in the moonlight. One was definitely the woman in blue. The other was a tall man in a dark suit, but it wasn’t Alpha Jude.

Asher pressed closer to the glass, staying in the shadows. The woman’s face was still turned away, but up close, Asher was sure that this backview seemed familiar.

Then the man stepped closer to her, and Asher’s blood ran cold.

Even in the dim lighting, he could see the intimate way the stranger touched her waist. On top of that, she leaned into him without hesitation. They were talking quietly, their heads bent close together like lovers sharing secrets.

Asher’s vision went red. His hands clenched into fists at his sides.

He watched in horror as the man cupped her face tenderly. In turn, the woman rose up on her toes to meet him. Their lips edged closer together before meeting in a kiss. It started out soft before deepening into something more passionate. The woman melted against the stranger completely, her hands fisting in his jacket.

Asher felt like he couldn’t breathe. Whether it was Estelle or not, the scene before him triggered something primal and possessive in his chest. The woman looked so much like her, moved like her, and even responded to kisses like her. He could imagine her doing the exact same things in his memories, with Asher himself in the man’s position.

In his head, this woman was already Estelle, whether or not Asher saw her face. He just needed the final nail in the coffin.

He stepped closer to the glass, desperate to see more clearly. He needed to confirm his suspicions once and for all.

Asher’s hand landed on the handle, pressing it down, about to push it open.