“Say something… please. Anything.” Hazel whispered, pressing her fingers against her temples.Nothing.“Selene, I need you.”Silence.Her heart pounded in frustration as she sat at the edge of the bed, and stared at the floor. Her wolf had been silent for a very long time, ever since the night her parents were murdered. And she had withdrawn farther after their mate's rejection. The moment their lives were snuffed out, something inside her had fractured beyond repair. She had screamed, begged, pleaded for Selene to come forward, to help her fight, to save her. But her wolf had vanished into the depths of her mind, leaving her alone. No matter how much Hazel tried, she couldn’t reach her wolf.She swallowed hard. She couldn’t afford to panic. She had told herself it would get better, and that Selene would return when things were safe.But she didn’t know what to feel about this place Rodrigo Whales’ mansion was nothing like the filthy cages she’d been trapped in before. There were no
What the hell is wrong with me??Oh, Damn it! Rodrigo muttered under his breath. He was still at the dinner table, rigid, as his fingers tightened around the silverware. His thoughts were a storm, circling one thing.Hazel.The way she had stiffened at Thorne’s words. The barely concealed tremble in her fingers. The way she had swallowed her emotions like a woman who had done it a thousand times before. Then she had fled and bolted from the room like the walls were closing in on her. Like she couldn’t stand being seen.And he had let her go. What was the point of stopping her? She obviously wasn’t comfortable around him. Rodrigo ground his teeth, shifting in his seat as frustration curled in his chest. He wasn’t the type to care. People broke in front of him all the time. Wolves begged. They cowered. They yielded.He had never cared. So why was he still thinking about the look in Hazel’s eyes?At the corner of the room, Eleanor stood watching him without a word. Rodrigo let out a
“Missing?” Rodrigo asked the older woman who stood before him. “I don’t have time for your silly jokes.”She looked everywhere but his face. “Alpha...she’s not in her room!”Rodrigo twisted his lips in a sneer, “And—”“I can’t find her anywhere,” she said, avoiding his eyes.“That’s nonsense!” He barked. A cold chill ran through her as she shuddered. “My Alpha...”“Did you look everywhere for her?” He asked. Before she could respond, he brushed past her and headed down the hallway. She followed behind him, ranting about how Hazel wasn’t known to leave her room unless it was time for dinner, or breakfast. Nothing made any sense to Rodrigo at the moment, except the fear that Eleanor could be telling the truth, and Hazel was missing, but Rodrigo Whales was not a man accustomed to losing control.Yet, as he stormed through the palace halls, his fury was barely contained beneath the surface. Eleanor’s voice still echoed in his head—Hazel is missing, Alpha. Missing.The word alone sent
Rodrigo sat in his private chambers, one hand gripping a crystal glass filled with amber liquid, the other resting against his temple as he let out a slow breath.The room was dimly lit, the soft glow of the fireplace casting long shadows across the dark oak walls. He should have been focused on his upcoming meeting, on his plans for Hazel, on solidifying his power. But his mind kept drifting back to her.She’s stubborn.She barely spoke to him. In the weeks since he had taken her under his roof, she had kept to herself, avoiding conversation unless absolutely necessary. And even then, her words were clipped, guarded. Every attempt he made to get close was met with icy resistance.Rodrigo exhaled sharply, swirling the liquor in his glass. His wolf prowled inside him. It was restless and impatient. She is ours. We just have to make her see it.“She flinches every time I’m near her,” Rodrigo muttered under his breath. His eyes darkened as he remembered the way Hazel stiffened whenever h
Why can’t I stop thinking about her? Ryland muttered with a frown as frustration built in his chest. He was seated in a dimly lit room with his gaze fixed on the window where the moonlight barely touched the edges of the curtains. The room felt too quiet. His mind, however, was anything but calm.Hazel was the only thing on his mind. Hazel—The rogue he had pushed away, the woman he had discarded. Yet, every night, her scent haunted him. Every waking moment, her face, her eyes, lingered in his thoughts, pulling at him. He hated it. He hated how his wolf, Kael, growled restlessly, aching to be close to her. She’s a freakin’ rogue, he reminded himself, but it didn’t help. It did not make the ache go away.“You are still thinking about her, aren’t you?”Serena’s voice snapped him out of his trance. He turned to see her standing by the door. Her arms were crossed over her chest and the anger was clear in her posture.There was a frown on her face as she eyed him. Ryland said nothin
The days stretched into weeks, and Ryland was fast becoming a shadow of himself. He tried to ignore it at first. He drowned himself in work, trained harder, pushed his wolves to their limits. He spent more time in meetings, pretending to care about business ventures and pack alliances. But none of it mattered, and none of it silenced the storm inside him. He was a man possessed. Every time he closed his eyes, she was there. The rogue he had tossed aside—Hazel, the mate he had rejected. He saw her body trembling beneath him, her lips parted in breathless surrender. He felt her fingers digging into his skin, pulling him closer, her voice whispering his name in a way that sent shivers down his spine.And then he’d wake up—hard, aching, his sheets damp with the evidence of his need. It wasn’t just at night. Every moment of every day, his body reminded him of what he had lost. His wolf was relentless, clawing at his mind, howling for her. “Ryland, you need to act fast. Find Hazel.
He exhaled sharply through his nose, running a hand over his face. “This isn’t working.” Her jaw clenched. “This isn’t working?” she repeated mockingly. “You were just all over me a second ago!” Ryland turned to face her, “I was trying.” Serena folded her arms, the lace of her lingerie doing little to hide her irritation. “Trying? Trying what, exactly?” He didn’t respond. He just buttoned his pants, as he avoided her gaze. Serena’s eyes narrowed. “It’s about her, isn't it?” Ryland stiffened, and his hands paused at his belt. “I already warned you to stop talking about her.”Serena let out a short, humorless laugh. “And what will you do? Kill me and bury my body so no one ever finds out what you did? I am your chosen mate, Ryland! But you can’t even make love to me because you’re too busy fantasizing about some pathetic rogue.” Ryland’s jaw ticked. “Watch your mouth, Serena.” “Or what?” She stepped closer as her blue eyes flashed with anger. “You’ll choke me again? Go a
Ryland barely noticed when Serena left. The moment the door slammed shut behind her, he let out a sharp breath, his hands raking through his hair. Darn!He was going insane. His wolf was restless, clawing at him from the inside, howling for its mate. It kept demanding that he find Hazel; that he take her, claim her, make her his again. Ryland let out a shuddering breath, as his body ached with tiredness. His mind was haunted by the memory of Hazel’s scent, the way her body had fit so perfectly against his, the way she had moaned his name like it belonged to her.He stood up, and walked over to the door. Then, he locked it. As he walked back to his table, something stirred within him and he realized that he was yet to get an orgasm, despite how horny he had been earlier. He rushed to his seat and slumped in it as he reached for his belt, his fingers working quickly to undo it. Then, he pushed his pants down just enough, his fingers wrapping around his erection as he closed his
"Baby?" Serena mewed like a cat, her voice loud yet shaky. She waved her hand in front of his eyes to make sure the sleeping pills were effective. Slowly she got out of bed, rushed towards her bag, and they took out the layers of napkin while rubbing her sweaty hands against her lingerie.Serena pulled out the bottle Rodrigo had given her. She pierced it, and drew out the green colored liquid, cringing at the sight of it. "This looks concerning," she whispered to herself, staring at the syringe. Ryland made a sound and she froze in fear. Slowly she turned back to find him still asleep. "Goddess help me," she muttered, walking towards him with the poison in hand. She took his hands as she placed the syringe on his shoulder. Her heart pounded and just as she was about to inject the substance into him, his eyes peeled open. "What are you doing?" Ryland's voice came sharp and unexpected, making Serena freeze in shock. Her whole body trembled as she slowly stared to see a pair of glow
Serena sat in Ryland's room in dark purple lingerie. It had been so long since he had touched her and she found herself cringing at the thought. She sat on his bed passing a hand through her hair. Even though she hated to admit it, she was very nervous and anyone could see it with how sweaty she was. Letting out a groan, Serena went through her bag, pulling out her napkin. She dabbed her face and neck with it until she felt dry enough.Shoving the used napkin in the bag she took her phone staring at the text she had sent him. "Still no reply," she muttered, becoming impatient. She looked around his room trying to snoop for anything that could help Rodrigo, but found nothing; most of his drawers were either empty or locked. She let out a frustrated sigh, falling back on the bed. "Should I call?" She asked herself as she picked up her phone, but she thought against it and dropped it. A yawn left her lips and soon she fell asleep. The sound of the door being pushed open woke Serena u
Ryland stared at the elders in front of him. They had decided to meet up after Adam's death and this was one of the few times he had been free since then. Unfortunately, Adam's death still had no murderer tied to it. Even though he did play a vital role in the pack, a part of Ryland was happy he was dead. The plus side being that he didn't even have to do it. Ryland fought a yawn, staring straight ahead. He checked his wrist watch, mentally groaning when he found out that they had barely made it through half the time. The buzzing of his phone rang through the hall, and this made the elders halt in their discussion as they turned to stare at him. Some gave him bitter glares, but swallowed their words, not brave enough to say a word. Ryland apologized to them before picking his phone from the table. He had no intention of receiving the call, but seeing the contact name, he was shocked. Aaron?With that he got up, "You can go on without me," he said to the elder beside him, walking
"What are you doing?" Rodrigo yelled, taking hold of Hazel's arm. She glared at him, yanking it out of his grip. "I need to talk to you, and I'm tired of standing," she replied back, her chest heaving. Rodrigo studied her for a while. It was clear this had nothing to do with wanting to talk to him. She took a deep breath, and glanced at his door and his heart skipped a beat as he waited for her to try to push it open. But to his surprise, Hazel turned back to face him. "What's in there that you don't want me to see?" She asked, staring at him with squinted eyes.Rodrigo's eyes glared wide as he searched his brain for what to say. For some reason, lying to her felt difficult. "You know what? I don't even care," she snapped, turning away. Rodrigo stared at Hazel's retreating figure in confusion. Something about her seemed uneasy. Her eyes looked different from before and Rodrigo felt a chill run down his spine. "It's probably the baby," Leo muttered, and Rodrigo nodded in agreemen
"You what?" Serena yelled, and Rodrigo squeezed his eyes shut, and remained calm. "You want me to kill someone!!” she repeated in a frustrated tone. Rodrigo rolled his eyes at her childishness. "Yes, Serena. I want you to kill someone. You killed your uncle. This should be easier," he said, running a hand through his hair. The low growl on the other side of the phone told him that his words had gotten to her, but he had no sympathy to share. "Yea. He was my uncle, but he wasn't all that important. Ryland is an Alpha, and one of the strongest and richest at that. I'm going to get caught," she whispered. "Why the hell are you lecturing me? Do what I want you to do," Rodrigo yelled back. Images of him lying dead on the dirt road filled his mind, and it only made him more anxious. "Look, this is all you have to do. If you kill him no one stands in our way and you'll become my Luna," Rodrigo tried to convince her. "He really isn't in your way. He just wants his slut back," Serena mu
Rodrigo peeled his eyes open sitting up. He took a look at his surroundings, squinting his eyes. "Where am I?" He muttered to himself, trying to ignore the growing migraine. Slowly he stood on his feet and he could barely see.How did I get to this place? He took off his suit jacket and threw it. Rodrigo tried to find his way back to the pack, taking the normal route, but after walking for a few minutes it dawned on him that he was going in circles. The fog made it hard for him to see, and his patience began wearing thin. He stuffed his hands into his pocket in search of his phone, but found nothing. "Shu! Am I lost, or what?" He muttered, running his hand down his face as if clearing his views well.A low growl resounded in the air and Rodrigo paused, scanning around him. A sense of deja vu hit him, but he had no idea why. "Who's there?" He asked, his voice loud and firm, but no response came. "I can hear you; whoever you are, you had better come out before it's too late," he or
Hazel turned to see Aaron standing a few paces in front of her. She could barely make out his face in the dim light, but his eyes shone brightly. "What are you looking for?" Aaron asked Hazel, stepping closer. "You were banned from stepping out." “I am quite aware of my situation. Thank you,"Hazel retorted, anger evident in her tone because of his words. She needed him to talk to Ryland not to tell her what she already knew. "Yea, you're right. I'm sorry,” Aaron apologized, his head slightly bowed at the same time. They stared at each other for a while before Hazel looked away trying to remember why she was there. "Yes-" Hazel tried to say something, but was cut off. "I've got something for you," Aaron said, staring at Hazel. "It seems you were about to say something," he pointed out, but Hazel shook her head wanting to hear what he had to say. "Are you sure?" He asked and she nodded "Alright. Ehm, Alpha Ryland asked me to give you something," he said and her eyes lit up. "O
Hazel sat on her bed, a book in hand. Her fingers dug into the pages, her mind far away. She thought of Ryland, it had been more than a week since Rodrigo found about the burner phone and she had not heard a word from him. She tried everything to see Aaron, but it turned out to be harder than she thought. A loud sigh left her lips. Just then Maria poked her head through the door. "Don't you know how to knock?" Hazel hissed, feigning annoyance. "Well, if you want privacy, lock the door. Luna!" Maria shot back, calling her Luna like it was the biggest insult. "Why are you here?" She asked, placing the book by her side. "If you look outside you'd see that it's past sunset. That means it is dinner time," Maria said, slamming the door before Hazel could reply. A bitter chuckle left Hazel's lips, but she got up and walked out of her room.Hazel dreaded the idea of having to spend time with Rodrigo. In the past few days, they had eaten together, and even though he barely said a word bec
Rodrigo stared at Hazel, his gaze strong. His lips stretched into a cold grin as he got up to walk away. He could feel her eyes on him, but he moved on without turning back. He walked towards his office ignoring the terrified glances his workers gave him. Pushing his door open he sat, and grabbing a bottle of whiskey on his desk, he settled himself, chugging it down at once. Seeing that one cup could not quench the anger boiling inside, he filled another cup and was about to drink from it when his phone buzzed. With annoyance, Rodrigo placed the cup on the table and fished his phone out. Serena's name popped up and he rolled his eyes, memories of their last call sinking in. He casually let the phone sit on the table while he sipped his drink, but Serena did not back down as her calls kept coming. Frustrated, Rodrigo picked the phone, holding it against his ear. "What is it?" He yelled, clutching the phone so tight that it felt like it was going to break. "Seriously you need to w