Chapter 15: Chapter 15: Waiting Ga
Third POV
Asher drumd his fingers on the steering wheel, jaw clenched as he called Estelle’s phone for the sixth ti. Each unanswered ring ratcheted his frustration higher. The evening shadows grew longer outside his car window as he sat parked in the small town where Estelle had directed him.
“Co on,” he muttered, ending the call when it went to voicemail again.
He glanced at his phone screen. Six missed calls, eight text ssages, and not a single response. At first, he’d assud her eting was running long. Now, with the sun setting, his patience had worn dangerously thin.
Asher leaned back against the headrest and exhaled heavily. He’d been driving for nearly three hours to reach this location, only to find no trace of Estelle. Exhaustion pulled at him, and he rubbed his eyes with the heels of his hands.
His phone suddenly blared to life, the ringtone cutting through the silence. Asher snatched it up without checking the caller ID.
“Estelle? Where the hell—”
“It’s ,” Hazel’s voice interrupted, her tone soft but with an edge of impatience. “Where are you, Asher? Why aren’t you ho yet?”
Asher’s shoulders sagged. “Hazel.” He couldn’t keep the disappointnt from his voice. “I... I’m just waiting for Estelle. Do you know if she’s ho?”
“No,” Hazel answered. “But so pack mbers ntioned seeing soone going in and out of your border house this afternoon. More importantly, why are you looking for her?”
Asher frowned. “That’s none of your concern.” Due to his annoyance, his words ended up coming out harsher than he intended them to be.
The line went quiet for a second before Hazel spoke again. This ti, her voice sounded softer.
“Finn’s been asking for his father. He won’t stop crying.”
Guilt rushed through Asher.
“I’m sorry,” Asher said, pinching the skin between his eyebrows. “I didn’t an to sound so harsh. It’s just...”
The ntion of his son sent a fresh wave of anger through Asher. If Estelle had truly abandoned her responsibilities to their child just to spite him...
“It’s alright,” Hazel said. “I understand. Just... co ho soon. I’ve tried everything, but Finn wants to see you.”
“I’ll head back now,” Asher said, starting the engine.
This was ridiculous. Asher didn’t know what ga Estelle was playing at this ti, but he was done wasting his ti here waiting for her.
Asher ended the call and threw his phone onto the passenger seat. Rage bubbled just beneath his skin as he pulled onto the highway. How dare Estelle leave him stranded in so random town while their son cried for him at ho?
The drive back felt endless. By the ti Asher turned onto the gravel road leading to the small house he shared with Estelle near the pack border, his knuckles were white from gripping the steering wheel.
The house was dark. There was no warm glow from the windows to welco him ho. Estelle always left lights on when she was ho, a habit she claid was for him in case he returned late. She had always said it was so that he would know she was waiting for him.
The darkened windows only fueled his anger. This was definitely because she wasn’t happy with Ashley and his mother’s request. Now, she was throwing a tantrum. How childish.
Asher slamd the car door and stord up the porch steps. He unlocked the front door and flipped on the light, illuminating the empty living room. Everything was tidy, undisturbed. If anything, it looked a little emptier than he rembered.
“Estelle!” he called, his voice echoing through the quiet house.
Silence answered him. He clenched his fists. How dare she ignore him!
He took the stairs two at a ti and flung open the bedroom door. The bed was made, the room untouched. There was no sign that Estelle had been here recently.
Asher stood in the doorway, his anger slowly turning into confusion. Where was she?
“Asher?”
He spun around, heart leaping for a mont before he recognized Hazel standing in the hallway.
“What are you doing here?” he asked, his voice coming out harsher than intended.
Hazel looked hurt. “Soone saw your car heading this way instead of to the pack house, so I ca to check.”
She stepped closer, her familiar scent washing over him. “Why are you here instead of coming to see Finn?”
Asher ran a hand through his hair. “I thought Estelle might be here. She hasn’t answered any of my calls or ssages all day.”
“Ah.” Hazel’s expression softened with understanding, though her eyes remained sharp. “So you drove all the way out here for her instead of coming to comfort your crying son?”
The accusation stung. “She left
waiting for her for hours!” Asher spat.
In that ti, there was so much work he could’ve done instead. He could’ve been spending ti with Hazel and Finn, rather than waiting for her. After he had been so thoughtful as to offer her a lift ho, she simply ignored him and left him out to dry.
Hazel looked away. “She’s grown bolder recently, hasn’t she? Estelle is talking back to you now, ignoring you, and even challenging your position in the pack. You’re her Alpha. How could she be so disrespectful?”
Asher kept silent. Estelle had been testing his patience recently. She was no longer the naive, gullible girl that would listen to his every command. Slowly, she was slipping through his fingers.
He needed to find a way to control her again.
Hazel took his silence as a sign to continue.
“You’ve always been too soft with her.” Hazel’s fingers traced his jawline. “Always making excuses for her behavior. She’s taking advantage of your kindness, Asher.”
She gently leaned forward. But right when her lips were about to touch his, Asher stepped back from her touch. Hazel frowned.
Hazel’s eyes widened slightly as she studied his face. Her hand fell away from his chest.
“Why are you acting like this, Asher?” she asked when he didn’t et her eyes. “Don’t tell
you’ve actually fallen in love with Estelle after all?”
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