There was a long pause and no one said anything. Meanwhile, the woman stepped back, and Hazel could feel her intense gaze on her. “What is your name?” Hazel croaked out in her hoarse voice.Another long pause followed before the woman spoke again. “I do not think that it is important.”Hazel realized that the woman was right. It was not important, at least not now. She had other things to worry about.But, she still pressed on. “I, I just n-need to know.”The woman hesitated as if she was considering her words. And then, she finally spoke in a softer voice that still sounded distant. “Mira. It is Mira.Mira. Her name was Mira.The name settled into Hazel’s mind like a quiet reassuring whisper. And for some reason, it made her feel slightly less alone. There was also the hesitance in her voice. It was as if the world had not completely turned its back on her.Mira leaned dangerously close to her and befores Hazel could ask what she was doing, she lifted the blindfolds off her eyes. Th
Ryland stood in his study, his eyes deep with a kind of worry he could not push off his mind.The fire burned softly, but the warmth of it did little to ease the icy feeling of discomfort that was beginning to settle in his chest. With his hands firmly clasped behind his back, he paced the entire length of the room. And no matter how hard he tried, he was unable to get her—Hazel—out of his mind. The little rogue girl who managed to get past his barriers had made his mind wander.His wolf growled deeply, and he wondered why he was thinking of her.He scoffed."Just an ordinary rogue wolf!" He cursed under his breath.He was unable to sleep despite his guards' assurances that they had taken her out of the pack and she was safe just as they had lied to him and he had believed them.Shit!He couldn't get rid of the image of Hazel's fierce defiant eyes, and her witty sharp tongue which challenged him out of his mind.Her absence now was what was gnawing at him, not just her presence.Ry
Hazel felt the dungeons damp dark air pressing down on her from every side. Her knees were drawn to her chest as she sat against the chilly rugged wall.Even though her healing ability was trying to knit her wounds together, every muscle in her body hurt and they burned. She has suffered too much damage for her rogue body to heal quickly, so it was painfully slow. Hazel was so frustrated that she clenched her fists, her sharp nails digging into her palms. What had happened? She had been free fighting the odds as a rogue wolf one minute, and then she was shackled like an animal treated like dirt the next.Her thoughts faintly echoed Mira's voice. The female guard had arrived earlier and Hazel was surprised to see how her angular features softened with sympathy.Though it wasn't much she had brought food enough to sustain Hazel. Hazel was able to move more freely after Mira even slightly relaxed her restraints. Before leaving, Mira had said in a cautious tone. "The boss wants me to
At the head of the long wooden table, Ryland sat calmly and composedly while the pack's elders talked about pressing issues. Candlelight flickered in the dimly lit room, creating shadows on the walls that were decorated with the history of the pack. Ryland hardly noticed the subtle scent of burning pinewood in the air. Shit!His mind was faraway again.“There are more rogue attacks than necessary,” Elder Malcolm stated solemnly. “Security along the borders needs to be strengthened. I don't know why you are allowing rogues to get into the pack.”He hissed in frustration, but he knew better not to say anything that would infuriate the Alpha.Just yesterday, news had flown into his ears that the Alpha had brought in a rogue girl.How could he be this careless?Too much unnecessary indulgence will get the whole pack into trouble.He wanted to tell Alpha Ryland this, but thought better of it.Elder Silas gave a nod of agreement saying, “Eastern border is particularly of concern. We risk
Recalling the meeting held with the elders, Ryland's deep resentment swirled up. The pack's future alliances and his leadership were among the topics covered.Although all they said were reasonable and logical, one suggestion however, had made him angry.He paced his study, whispering out of frustration to himself.The elders had also reminded him of the need to crown a Luna—to make Serena his Luna, as if he was daft. That he was wasting too much time, and that he needed to act fast. If only they knew that it was the least of his problems at the moment. His desires were hot and he desperately wanted to quench it.“It is high time you settle down with someone who can help you in strengthening the pack—bear an heir for the pack,” he growled, repeating the exact words of Elder Malcolm to himself, hissing loudly in frustration.“As if I am not already aware of that!” he barked.“Oh, the rogue girl,” he cried. She was his torment.The thought of his encounter with Hazel stirred his wolf,
Still in the pool of regrets in his study, Ryland sat behind his desk, his fingers unreligiously tapping the surface with his head lowered.He wished to have a nap, but it feels like sleep itself was forbidden.Every second that passed with no information received caused his rage to get on him and the strain in his chest would not go away. He felt a mixture of frustration and longing thinking of Hazel and how terribly he treated her, and the memory clung to him like a shadow. The guards had left to find her and the earlier she was found the better for everyone.His thoughts were interrupted by a gentle knock on the door."Come in," he said sternly as he sat up straight.He was hoping it would be the guards, as he was anxiously waiting for good news—to see Hazel again.This time he promised himself that he won't let her out of his sight.Serena entered as the door squeaked open, and he sighed in frustration, and disappointment stretched on his face.Her emerald-green dress perfectly
Time had passed ever since Hazel was brought into the dungeon, and slowly, she grew used to sitting in one spot for hours. The dungeon was a complete world of its own—dark, damp, and heavy with the scent of mildew and decay. She had lost track of time down here. Days bled into nights, the only indicators of passing hours were the distant footsteps of different guards who came to drop stale bread and murky water by her feet. It was humiliating. It felt terrible that she had been reduced to this after everything she had once been.Hazel sat in her usual spot, her back pressed against the rough freezing wall as her chains rattled slightly with every minor shift of her body.Somehow, Hazel had learned to live in silence. To keep her thoughts to herself.And yet, Mira, the female bodyguard, had found a way to break that silence.The bodyguard stood just a few feet away, leaning against the iron bars with her arms crossed, watching Hazel with a contemplative expression. She wasn’t like
"I can tell that you're hiding something. Trust me, you don't want to know what I will do to you if I find out that you are actually hiding anything from me..." A deep voice growled in the dimly lit chamber. His voice was sharp, and almost impatient as he cleared his throat. "Mira!" He barked at the lady who stood before him. Mira held her breath as she blinked at him without a word. Her hands were clasped tightly behind her back as she stood rigidly, barely moving an inch. She had her eyes pinned on the man who was seated across from her at an enormous wooden desk. His name was Darius Voss, the most powerful leader of one of the deadliest trafficking rings. It was the very trafficking ring that Mira now worked for. She eyed her boss without a word, as her heart thumped in her chest. She could tell that he knew she had something to hide, but she didn't know if it was safer to say anything else than all she had already told him. She tore her eyes away from his face as she look
Hazel stared at the door for the next hour. For odd reasons, she felt like Rodrigo could come through the door any moment. Finally feeling a little safe, she pulled the phone from under her sheets. She dialed Ryland and he picked up. "Hey Sunshine," he answered in a tired voice. Hazel felt her tummy do a backflip but she ignored it. "Hey," she said in a dry tone, too exhausted. "How was it?" He asked and Hazel rolled her eyes. Ever since, he found out she had a date with Rodrigo, he had given her several reasons why she couldn't be with Rodrigo. "It was okay," Hazel muttered, hoping he'd get the hint that it wasn't worth talking about. But unfortunately Ryland had the opposite in mind. "What happened? Where did you go? Did he touch you?" He asked, stumbling on his words. "You don't need to know, it's nothing important," Hazel said, frustration creeping in. "It is. Tell me," Ryland said, his wolf taking over. "We had dinner, and no he didn't touch me," Hazel replied carefully
Rodrigo stared at Hazel, his head banging with all sorts of thought. She had been acting weird lately. She seemed to fake everything about her from her laughs to even showing interest. It was almost like she wanted nothing to do with him. As he stared at her, he searched his mind for a way to make sure she stayed with him. He couldn't tell what Hazel had been up to but he was sure it could not be in his advantage. "I asked a question,” he muttered, his eyes never leaving her face. She looked at him with wide eyes, her heart racing and that only made his guess more solid. Rodrigo watched her open and close her mouth unsure of what to say. "Don't lie to me," he warned and she slowly swallowed, imagining the worse. "I wasn't talking to anyone," she said, trying to put on a smile, but Rodrigo saw through it. He felt his temper rising and he hurriedly looked away, taking deep breaths. "I said not to lie to me," he yelled, making her shake. "I heard you talk and this isn't the firs
"Can we meet?" Ryland muttered, his voice laced with desperation. Hazel's eyes widened in shock. "I'm not sure, Ryand," she said, the whole idea made her uncomfortable. Meeting him was a lot and she had to do so without Rodrigo finding out. Besides, she still didn't trust Ryland as such."He loves you," a voice in her whispered, but she rolled her eyes. "I'm waiting for a reply," Ryland said and Hazel blinked repeatedly as she realized that she waa still on call. "Are you okay? You seem a bit distracted today," he asked, his tone full of concern. "Yea, I'm fine. Sorry," Hazel replied, placing a strand of hair behind her ear. "What do you say?" He asked, and she bit her lips hesitantly. "Please say yes," he muttered and she couldn't help but feel a little bad. "Okay, I'll try," she retorted. For some reason she felt like she was going to regret her decision, but she waved it away. They both went silent and Hazel could feel the tension even though they were so far away. She parte
Hazel stood at the door in shock, her heart racing; it had been so long since she saw him and it was beginning to look like she was going back to normal. So what was he doing now? "What are you doing here?" She asked, grateful her voice wasn't as weak as she had expected. Rodrigo's face fell at her word. He looked over at her, glancing into her room and she couldn't help but grow uncomfortable. It was almost as if he could tell that something was up. "What can I help you with?" She asked again hoping he'd actually answer. Rodrigo looked at her, smiling sheepishly. "I came to see you," he retorted, but Hazel felt nothing, just staring at him with a blank expression. "Won't you even let me in?" He asked, scrunching his face. Hazel lowered her gaze weighing the odds. She had been on the phone with Ryland in the past thirty minutes and she guessed Rodrigo had probably noticed that. Hence, she nursed the feeling that he was there to do a search and probably beat her up again. "I'm
Serena hid beside the stairs, her heart racing. She heard whoever opened the door hum to a tone and she felt herself relaxing a little when it didn't sound like Ryland or Caleb. It had to be the guard But she clung onto the wall internally praying that it would soak her in. She was well aware that whoever entered was going to sense something was off. The whistling got louder and she could tell the guard was coming closer. She held her breath hoping he would mistake her heartbeat for Adams's. The guard came into view and she looked at his outline in the dark stairways. He moved past her and just when Serena thought she was finally safe he stopped. She felt her heart race and she tried to quieten it, holding her breath. Slowly he turned back and Serena started to grow sweaty. "What the heck is that smell?" he cringed, scanning his surroundings before turning back. Finally away from the stairs, Serena let out a small breath of air. Quietly she quickly dashed towards the door, being
Serena turned to see a guard walking out away. She turned towards where he had just left confused. Could it be that Adam was being kept there? She headed towards the door and surprisingly it was opened. She looked back having a feeling that he might come back any minute since the door was left open. But she couldn't risk it. She was probably not going to get another chance. With that she stepped in and shut the door carefully behind her. The place was dark, too dark. So she placed her hands on the walls slowly going down the stairs. It seemed to go on and on and once she reached the bottom a light came on. She quickly moved out of it not wanting to draw any attention. The light went off and she made her way forward walking as quiet as possible. Getting closer, the smell of blood, both dried and fresh lingered in the air and it took everything in her not to throw up. The more she went in, the brighter it got and Serena could see the body covered with blood. Her tongue went dry w
Serena sat in the car staring ahead, her body was there but her mind was far away. Her brain was occupied with so many thoughts and ideas—steps to the plan she was about to carry out. She needed to end Adams. But the problem was how she was going to do it without getting caught. According to Rodrigo, she just had to inject him with the liquid he had given her and he was going to die.That sounded easy but when she thought of all she had to go through before even getting to Adams she felt nothing but utter discouragement. "What do I do?" She mumbled to herself, tapping her fingers while staring out through the window. There were tons of securities and it would be even more difficult to get out than to enter.What if Ryland decided to come in while she was there. He'd never believe whatever she had to say. Serena let out a depressed sigh, earning a glance from the driver Rodrigo had assigned to take her back. She stared at the window for what felt like hours and soon the car stopped
"You think it would work?" Serena asked, placing the bottle in her purse. "They would actually believe that?" She continued lifting her head to meet Rodrigo's gaze. "Of course, Ryland has enough reasons to end Adams, and he's been acting quite rash lately," Rodrigo said, stepping closer to Serena. She looked up at him trying to ignore how fast her heart was beating. "So would you help me?" Rodrigo asked, placing his fingers under her chin. Serena looked at him like a deer stuck in headlights, slowly nodding. "Good girl," he said, slamming his lips on hers. Serena froze for a moment surprised by his sudden action, but slowly she returned the kiss. He cupped the back of her neck deepening the kiss and she let out a small moan between her lips. Serena held onto his biceps, scared that her legs might give out. She savored every moment, his lips were warm against her and she could taste a little bit of mint. That always threw her off but somehow she wanted more.Rodrigo broke the kiss
The line went silent, but Rodrigo was positive that Serena was still on the line. "Say something, time isn't exactly our friend,” he said, losing his patience. "Ehm, you see, this is quite a lot," Serena tried to explain but he was having none of it. "Kill him and prove your worth or you're just as useless as him," Rodrigo said with a smirk. He was fully aware of the effect he had on Serena and he was willing to use it to the fullest. "But Rodrigo," she whined, obviously uncomfortable with the idea. "Don't worry, I'll get you the tool. It would leave almost no trace,” he said. "Come to the pack house tomorrow,” he said and with that he terminated the line staring at the road ahead. He was barely twenty minutes from the pack and his heart was pounding so hard. He felt hot and sweaty and with the periodic side glances Thorne threw at him, Rodrigo knew it was very noticeable and it was all because of one girl HAZELWhat did I do wrong?Rodrigo tried to clean the sweat off his bod