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
Bang!There was a loud crash at the far end of the dark hallway which led to the dungeon. Hazel froze in horror as heavy footsteps approached the dungeon, and she glanced at the overheard fire touch which flickered above her. Then, she shut her eyes, taking in a sharp breath. It was time! She reasoned. It was probably time for her to be taken by whoever was in charge of this dungeon. She bit down on her lower lips as the sound of the footsteps drew closer. Seconds later, Hazel was sure that she wasn’t alone. The heavy iron door groaned open, and a tall figure stepped inside. He had an intimidating presence which seemed to suck air from the room, like a predator entering the den of its prey.He was composed, with precise movements. The kind of man who never had to raise his voice to be feared.Hazel remained seated on the thin cot, her wrists shackled in front of her, her back pressed against the wall.She refused to stand. Whoever he was, she wouldn’t give him the satisfaction
The next few days passed in a blur of silence. Hazel grew uneasy and she kept to herself, refusing to talk to anyone. She needed a plan. She needed to find a way out. The thought of spending the rest of her life in this place, under Darius’s control, made her stomach churn.One evening, she heard footsteps. Not the usual ones. These were slow and deliberate. They stopped right outside her cell.Hazel looked up. Mira stood there, arms crossed, her face tight with something Hazel couldn’t quite read.“Hazel,” Mira said quietly. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want this.”Hazel’s jaw tightened. She didn’t speak right away, just stared, studying her.“What do you want?” Her voice was cold, flat.Mira shifted uncomfortably. “Darius… he’s asking about you. About your past. He’s getting interested, and that’s not a good thing.”“I don’t care what he wants,” Hazel said, standing. The chains around her wrists clinked as she moved. “I’ll get out of here. I always do.”Mira hesitated.“You can’t do this
The sunlight slowly made its way past the thick curtains, waking Hazel up. She turned to check the time, her mouth making way for a yawn. But it was cut short as she remembered Rodrigo's lips almost touching hers. She sat up straight, feeling her face grow hot.Memories of the previous night flooded her mind. She recalled how awkward it was when she turned away to avoid the kiss. Rodrigo had apologized, and she had forced a weird smile onto her face.Despite the mixed feelings, Hazel was all warm and fuzzy inside, remembering how the almighty Rodrigo had respected her words and did not attempt to push further. She giggled to herself, but stopped when she heard someone approaching her door. A knock came and she lifted the blanket off her body, walking towards the door. "Who is it?" Hazel asked, her hands about to make contact with the door knob. But the door was pushed from the other side and Rodrigo walked in. Hazel stepped back as she recalled what almost happened between them."Goo
Hazel combed her hair, getting ready for dinner. A smile slowly crept onto her face as she thought about Rodrigo. It had been four days since they had a picnic together, and she had started looking forward to seeing him more often. Even though she was careful around him, not forgetting her past and experiences, yet she was helpless with the way she now felt by just thinking of him. She wasn't sure what to call it, but one thing is certain, Hazel realised how warmth and comfortable she feels being around Alpha Rodrigo, plus she finds herself longing to see him more frequently. To her, Rodrigo was not the cruel man she thought him to be. He was actually fun and sweet to be with.Placing the hair brush on the counter, she made her way to the dining area, expecting to see him. But for the first time, he wasn't at the diner, nor was he anywhere visible. Hazel quietly searched around hoping he'd appear, but he still didn't show up. She felt her heart sink, her appetite suddenly vanishing
Two days after their meeting, Ryland met with the detective. His chest was twisted with anger over the slow progress in finding Hazel. "How far?" he asked, his hand running over his hair as he took a seat."Any news?" Ryland asked, trying to ignore the growing impatience of Kael. His wolf had grown more aggressive each passing day and it was becoming difficult to keep him under control. They both wanted Hazel back, and they wanted her back now.The officer opened his folder, pulling out a file. "It depends on what you call it," he said with a grin as he let out a puff of smoke.Ryland narrowed his eyes as he collected the file from him. He scanned through it—a list of names, and important information. He looked back at the detective, a question in his eyes. The detective stared, pleased with himself. "These are names of prominent trafficking lords; men we think might be involved in Hazel's disappearance."Ryland felt a great wave of relief wash over him. Finally, a breakthrough. The
Hazel was sitting in her room, her mind wandering around and going through the events that have been happening in the past few days. She felt some kind of guilt for how harsh she had been to Rodrigo. After all, he hasn't done anything wrong but to be kind towards her. "Maybe I should be a little nicer," she murmured, as she unknowingly toyed and tugged her hair. A knock landed on her door bringing her out of her daze. She turned to see a blond lady, one of the staff poke her head in. "Miss, Alpha requests your presence at dinner."Hazel looked away, considering the invitation. It wouldn't hurt to attend, she thought. She smiled slightly, turning to meet the gaze of the messenger, "Yes, I'll be down."The lady's eye widened in shock, before she nodded closing the door. Hazel stood up, running her hands through her hair hoping it would calm her. "I'm just having dinner with him," she repeated, as if trying to reassure herself.Hazel walked out of her room at a slow pace. She went down
Ryland returned to his mansion, giving no space for any thoughts aside from Hazel.He walked across the rooms with a determined mind, and even the silence of the mansion seemed to bend to his will.“Are you sure that tag belongs to slave traders?” He asked Caleb who was sitting on the sofa, his fingers busy on his keypad.“I am sure, Alpha,” Caleb retorted, his voice steady.“Alright, any news from them?” Ryland asked, clenching his jaw, and his muscles twitched under his skin as his voice cut through the air.“Not yet, Alpha. Let me check on them.”The tension in the room was so strong as Caleb's fingers swayed over the keypad, and the light which came from the screen revealed the seriousness in his furrowed brow. Every second that passed deepened the worry in Ryland's eyes, his jaw tightened with each question clawing at his mind yet to be answered. He curled his hands into fists at his sides as he silently cursed the delay.Caleb put the call on speaker, it rang twice before the re
Ryland tapped his phone's screen after it had been buzzing for a while, he was staring at the screen, but his mind was blurred with the events that happened earlier in the night.“Sir, the remaining captives are ready to confess now,” the speaker simply said. Ryland listened quietly, his brows knitting together as his lips pressed into a deep frown. Then he dropped the call and walked out of his room swiftly.“Alpha, are we going somewhere?” Caleb asked as he saw Ryland coming downstairs, his voice firm, but still worried, he has always tried to stay calm even under tense situations.“Yes, get the car ready,” Ryland replied sharply, his tone leaving no room for discussion. His strides spoke nothing but determination, thus making Caleb quicken his pace, as he bowed and left quickly.As soon as Caleb was out of sight, Serena showed up. The atmosphere felt cold the moment Ryland saw her, and suddenly his breath hitched. “Not again!” Ryland cursed inaudibly under his breath. He wasn't re
It had been two weeks now since Rodrigo got over with the three informants from Ryland's company, and he had been lazily sitting around, observing Hazel's movements, or was she the one observing him? The quiet morning hours had grown into a routine of silent glances, and lingering thoughts. It was now 7:00 AM, and the soft light of dawn filtered through the windows as Rodrigo eagerly anticipated seeing Hazel’s lips move while eating with him. They had been maintaining their usual eating routine, with him staring at her, and her gobbling down all the food she could, as if each bite was an act of defiance against the confines of their daily existence.He walked hastily towards her room, and stepped in without a knock on the door. Something he had never done before.He observed Hazel's dainty figure, his eyes darting through her body.“How soundly she sleeps,” he mumbled to himself. Then he quietly sat on the bed, next to sleeping Hazel. His heart was skipping fast as he admired her be
They arrived at the Ryland Organization where a meeting was to be held.They walked hastily towards the board room, staff bowing as they made way for them to pass.“I hope they are all in there?”“Yes, Alpha,” Beta Caleb responded as he brushed through his tablet.Shortly after they left the torture house, he had gotten new clothes for Alpha Ryland and was just making sure payments were made.“Alright,” Ryland turned the door knob down, pushing open to reveal the worried faces in the room.“Alpha Ryland, what's with the emergency meeting?” One of the three men who met up with Rodrigo inquired, “Hope all is well?”“Sure, all is well, but not with you and your subordinates,” Ryland sneered, eyeing him, his eyes sending daggers his way.The man quickly looked at his two friends, and they gulped unconsciously, fear evident in their faces.“Now if you may all sit down,” Ryland said, gesturing for them to have a seat.Ryland took a seat at the head position, swirling it around, “I have impo
In another grand estate which was hidden behind thick iron gates, Ryland stood in one of his torture chambers, the cold, wet air thick with the smell of blood and hot coal. The dim light flickered, its deformed shadows rising across the shattered concrete walls.There were some men hanging upside down, wrists securely bound with silver chains, breathing short, and sharp shallow breaths. Their stifled groans filled the room.“So...” Ryland drew out the word, moving slowly, his shiny black shoes clicking out a staccato beat on the stone floor. He stopped to regard them, his dark eyes flashing with something a great deal more dangerous than rage. “What have you done with Hazel?” His voice was unnervingly even.One of the men shook with fear, trying to answer, his parched, rasping voice. “W-we did exactly, exactly as you ordered, Alpha,” he stammered, desiring only to deflect what he sensed was coming.“Yes, Alpha,” another barely repeated, blood trickling down his temple, he wasn't sure