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
"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
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
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
"Arghhh" The air was heavy with acrid smoke and blood. Fire licked the sky, casting an unearthly glow upon the ruined clearing. Hazel stood rigid at the edge of what used to be her home, her eyes wide in disbelief.She clutched at the edge of a tree, her nails digging into the bark trying her hardest not to scream, as shallow gasps escaped from her mouth. Among the carnage lay her parents lifeless bodies. Her father, the Alpha of Hibiscus Pack, had crumpled at the steps of the pack house, his powerful body drained of life, as his chest was slicken with crimson. The slight form of his wife, her mother was crumpled right beside him, sprawled so close to him in a way that even in death she had seemed to reach her husband's touch. As she stood behind the shadows watching as her pack burned, she saw her mother's head slightly move in her direction and her lips quivered as tears rolled down her eyes. "Mo..." Her words were caught off as she quickly understood what her mother was trying to
The man quickly pounced on her and offered a fatal punch to her stomach, making her gasp for air as she fell on the cold hard ground."Arghhh!" she screamed in pain as he quickly dragged her hair "I'm going to have fun watching you die, little Alpha," the man whispered into her ear.She felt as though her heart was about to come out through her mouth. They had caught her, and the only thing she could do was to fight back or die.The man's grip on her hair tightened as he forcefully jerked her up, and at that moment his face came into view. She scratched his face hard with her nails, making his grip on her hair loosen, then she sunk her teeth in his arm and he pulled back in pain."You little bi...." The moment he let go of her hair, she took advantage and ran without looking back. She ran like the wind deeper into the forest, as fast as her legs could carry.After hours of endless running and panting she sat under an undergrowth gasping for breath, she had managed to get away. "Wha
The journey with the men was long and tiring, mostly because she couldn't see a thing due to her blindfold.She suddenly felt the shift from the damp forest floor to a stoned ground, the air became cooler and carried a faint metallic tang. A door creaked open, and she was shoved inside."Stay here," one of the men said.She heard the door shut behind her, the sound echoing in silence. The blindfold remained secured, her legs buckled as she weakly dropped to her knees, her breathing shallow and forced. But she dared not to cry.She couldn't afford to cry.***Alpha Ryland Scooper sat in his office, casually sipping a glass of whiskey as the logs from the large fireplace crackled softly, he leaned back in his leather chair and his emerald green eyes scanned the papers in front of him.He was every inch the Alpha he felt he was: tall, commanding, impossibly and breathtakingly handsome.His wild red hair fell in disarray over his forehead, giving him that untamed, wild and dangerously ha
The air around the lower quarters was so cold that it made Hazel shiver.That man called her a stray. What hurt most was the helplessness she felt, she had struggled so hard to survive these past few days, yet here she was locked up and being called a rogue.Her hands curled into tight fists as she calmly pressed her forehead to her knees 'What now? What should I do? How do I escape?'***In the great halls of the mansion, Ryland moved with the assurance of a man who owned the world. Well, in a way he did.He had money and power, what else was missing?At his side, his beautiful fiancée Serena walked with him, her hand resting perfectly on his arm."You seem a little bit distracted, my love," Serena softly spoke loud enough for him to hear.Ryland looked at her sharp features with an expression that gave out nothing as he picked up a glass of wine. "Hmm, I was just thinking.""About the girl?" she asked, her voice laced with an undeniable trace of jealousy. "I saw... I saw how you 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