Rejected By My Mate; Claimed By Lycan Quadruplets Chapter 57

Beta Ash's POV

The sun was just beginning to rise when I stood in the courtyard, a stack of sealed letters in my hand. Each one bore Enzo’s insignia—the mark of our pack. Today wasn’t a day for small talk or procrastination. Enzo had asked me to summon the Alphas for an emergency meeting. The tension surrounding the rogue attacks had escalated, and we couldn’t afford to sit idle while the threats grew stronger.

“Make sure these get to every Alpha personally,” I instructed the young couriers lined up before me. My voice was sharp, not because I was angry, but because I needed them to understand the weight of their task. “No delays. Baron, Rowland, Knox—every one of them must know this is urgent. Ride through the night if you have to.”

They all nodded, gripping the leather pouches like their lives depended on it. In a way, they did. Failure wasn’t an option.

I handed the last letter to the fastest rider among them, a wiry boy with determination in his eyes. “This one is for Alpha Baron,” I said, holding his gaze. “If there’s even a scratch on this letter when it arrives, I’ll know.”

He swallowed hard and nodded again before leaping onto his horse. Within moments, the rhythmic sound of hooves faded into the distance as the couriers split in different directions, each carrying Enzo’s message of urgency.

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. The weight of this task settled on my shoulders like a boulder. If the meeting didn’t yield the results Enzo hoped for, we’d have more than rogue attacks to worry about—we’d have war on our borders.

Shaking off the tension, I adjusted my leather jacket and started toward the villa. The sharp scent of wet earth mixed with the faint smell of firewood. I liked mornings like this—quiet, almost deceptive in their peace. But just as I reached the stone archway leading back into the estate grounds, I spotted someone hesitating near the entrance.

Lisa.

She looked like she didn’t belong, yet there she was, fiddling nervously with the hem of her plain dress as if the ground beneath her feet might swallow her whole. She hadn’t seen me yet, but I could feel her unease from where I stood.

“What are you doing out here?” I asked, stepping into view. My voice came out more clipped than I intended. I didn’t mean to sound harsh, but with all the chaos swirling in my head, my tone was rarely soft these days.

Lisa startled, her wide eyes snapping to me. “I… I just wanted to…” She trailed off, looking down as though embarrassed to finish her sentence.

“Speak up, Lisa,” I said, though not unkindly this time.

She swallowed and gave a small shake of her head. “I just wanted to see the grounds. I didn’t mean to disturb anything.”

I studied her for a moment. She still looked fragile, like a porcelain doll that had been thrown around too many times but somehow hadn’t broken. Her voice was soft, yet there was a stubborn streak in her posture that I couldn’t ignore.

“You’re not disturbing anyone,” I said finally, sighing. “Just… stay out of trouble, alright? We’ve got important business going on.”

She nodded quickly, almost like she feared I’d scold her again. I was about to move past her when I heard my name being screamed from behind.

“Ash!”

The voice was unmistakable—high-pitched, dramatic, and grating in a way that could only belong to Irene. I clenched my jaw, already dreading what was about to happen.

Before I could react, Irene came running toward me, her heels clicking against the stone like some over-dramatic noblewoman making her grand entrance. She threw herself at me, arms wrapping around my neck like we were long-lost lovers.

“Ash! I’ve been looking everywhere for you,” she said breathlessly, her eyes sparkling in that fake, calculated way of hers.

I froze for a second, my hands hovering awkwardly in the air. “Irene,” I muttered, trying to keep my voice neutral. “What are you doing here?”

“Do I need a reason to see you?” she said, tilting her head with that infuriatingly smug smile. “You’re always so serious. Don’t you ever smile?”

I was aware of Lisa still standing there, watching the scene unfold. Her face was unreadable, but I caught the way her hands tightened around the fabric of her dress. She didn’t say a word—she simply turned and hurried away like she couldn’t get far enough from us.

Irene, oblivious to the awkwardness she caused, tightened her hold around my neck. “You didn’t answer me,” she said, pouting like a child denied candy.

I stepped back slightly, forcing her arms off me. “I’m busy, Irene,” I said firmly. “There’s no time for this.”

“Busy?” She gave a little laugh, tilting her head. “Too busy for me? Now, that’s disappointing.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, taking a slow breath. “What do you want?” I asked, already regretting it.

“I just wanted to see how you were doing,” she said, her tone softening just enough to sound fake. “I was in the area, and I thought—why not visit my favorite Beta?”

I gave her a flat look. “I’m not your Beta. I work for Enzo, not you.”

Her eyes narrowed for a split second before she smoothed her expression. “So defensive,” she purred. “No wonder people like you—such fire under all that ice.”

I turned on my heel and started walking toward the villa, not giving her a chance to cling to me again. Of course, Irene trotted along behind me like a determined shadow.

“You know,” she continued, her tone dripping with fake sweetness, “you could be a little nicer to me. I’m not your enemy, Ash. I’m just… curious about you.”

“Curious or not, I don’t have time for games,” I said.

She laughed softly. “Oh, I love how serious you are. But maybe I’ll change that someday. Who knows?”

I didn’t bother replying. Instead, I focused on the villa’s doors ahead, silently hoping someone—anyone—would save me from this conversation.

Once inside, I finally managed to shake her off, telling her I had important tasks to attend to. Irene pouted, but she eventually let me go, her parting words echoing behind me: “Don’t forget me, Ash. I might just surprise you.”

I muttered under my breath, “That’s what I’m afraid of,” before heading straight to my office to report to Enzo.