Chapter 80: Chapter 80: Do You Know This Woman?
Estelle’s POV
Hazel steadied herself, her green eyes widening as recognition dawned. For a moment, we both stood frozen in the hotel corridor.
“Well, well,” Hazel said, her voice dripping with disdain. “Look what the cat dragged in.”
Her initial shock quickly morphed into a sneer. She crossed her arms and looked me up and down with obvious disgust.
“What are you doing here, Estelle?” she asked, her tone sharp. “Shouldn’t you be living in some ditch somewhere?”
I straightened my shoulders, keeping my expression neutral. “What I do is none of your concern, Hazel.”
“None of my concern?” She let out a harsh laugh. “You abandoned your pack and your responsibilities. Everything you do reflects poorly on where you came from.”
I coldly met her gaze. “I left the Moonveil Pack. That’s true. And I have no intention of returning anytime soon.”
Hazel’s face flushed with anger. “How dare you! The pack needs every able member, especially during these uncertain times. Do you know how many people have left Moonveil because of you? You’re selfish and ungrateful.”
“The pack has you now,” I replied coolly. “You’re the Luna and Beta. It’s your responsibility to step up and handle whatever challenges arise.”
“Don’t you dare lecture me about responsibility,” Hazel spat. “You ran away like a coward the moment things got difficult.”
I was about to respond when Hazel’s expression suddenly shifted. Her anger melted into a sickeningly sweet smile as she looked past my shoulder.
“Beta Logan!” she called out warmly, waving enthusiastically.
I turned to see Logan emerging from the meeting room we’d just vacated. His pale face remained impassive as he approached us.
My mind immediately began working. Hazel being here wasn’t a coincidence. She must be trying to form partnerships with the packs attending the conference. I hadn’t seen Moonveil on the guest list when I’d entered the hotel, which meant they were likely here unofficially, scrambling to make connections.
“Do you know this woman?” Logan asked me directly, his maroon eyes flicking between Hazel and me.
Before I could answer, Hazel stepped forward with a bright smile.
“I’m Hazel Banner, current Luna of the Moonveil Pack,” she announced proudly. “It’s such a pleasure to meet you, Beta Logan. I’ve heard wonderful things about Tidal Valley.”
Logan’s gaze didn’t shift from me. He completely ignored Hazel’s introduction, waiting for my response.
I opened my mouth to speak, but Hazel cut me off again.
“Oh, I wouldn’t bother with her if I were you, Beta Logan,” she said, gesturing toward me dismissively. “This woman is just an ungrateful wench who abandoned the Moonveil Pack despite everything we did for her. She left her responsibilities, her family, everything.”
Logan’s expression grew colder, but he still didn’t acknowledge Hazel. Hazel, on the other hand, probably thought his silence was a sign for her to continue.
“If Tidal Valley is considering any business with whatever pack she’s managed to worm her way into,” Hazel continued desperately, “I’d strongly advise against it. She’ll betray you just like she betrayed us. That is, if she’s even managed to find a pack willing to take in a wolfless rogue.”
The insult hung in the air like poison. I felt a familiar rage building in my chest, but I kept my face composed.
Logan finally turned his attention to Hazel, and even I had to admire the sheer coldness of his stare. His maroon eyes seemed to glow with an otherworldly intensity that made the temperature in the hallway drop several degrees.
“I don’t recall addressing you,” he said quietly.
His voice was soft, but there was something deeply unsettling about it. Hazel visibly shrank back, her confident posture crumbling under his oppressive aura.
Even I could feel the weight of his presence pressing down on us. Logan might just be a beta, but his aura and confidence was undeniable. He could easily match or even beat the presence of many other alphas.
He turned back to me, his expression softening slightly. “My apologies for the interruption.”
“I’m not particularly familiar with her,” I said truthfully.
Hazel’s mouth fell open in outrage, but before she could speak, Logan cut her off.
“In that case, I’m pleased we were able to finalize our agreement today, Luna Estelle,” he said formally. “I look forward to a beneficial alliance between our packs.”
The words hit Hazel like a physical blow. Her face went pale, then flushed bright red as the implications sank in.
“Alliance?” she whispered. “Luna?”
Logan nodded curtly to me. “Perhaps I may walk you to the door?”
He began walking toward the hotel exit, clearly expecting me to follow. I fell into step beside him, eager to escape this uncomfortable encounter.
But just as we reached the lobby, Hazel’s voice rang out behind us, shrill with desperation.
“What you know about her is wrong! Estelle is nothing more than a spiteful bitch who is unhappy because Asher abandoned her!”
