"Let go of me," The strange guy said to Austin who rolled his eyes and let him go.He then slowly turned to me. "Have you met Hazel?""Hazel? Is that...her name?" He never took his eyes off me even as I pushed the covers off and slowly made my way to them."Hi."He responded with a smile. "Hello.""He is Eric, my cousin and childhood friend. He will be here for some time."I turned to Austin and nodded. "Nice to meet you.""It is my pleasure. But...you make me curious.""Everything makes you curious, Eric.""Let me ask her," He said sternly, and Austin laughed. "You think that will scare me?""Why? Because you are now alpha? Those red eyes don't fit you."I smiled along with them. Then carefully excused myself to go to the washroom."What did you want to ask her?" I heard Austin say."That is not Catherine. You were obsessed with Catherine for longer than I can remember so...it is not possible you just dumped her."There was silence. I walked to the door to listen better."That was
Later that night, I, Austin and Eric sat across from each other over a table full of drinks, each slightly tipsy. Eric had to drag me down for dinner, and Austin didn't seem to mind, but with the grand alpha less than concerned with us and Lily being absent, we three had the time and space to ourselves.I leaned back on the couch, my eyes slightly closing. My head throbbed slightly, but I felt on cloud nine and a little too confident."So, Hazel..." Eric started to say, as he leaned on the table and refilled his cup. "Why would you agree to something like that?"He gulped the drink again, then let out a small hiccup."Why wouldn't she?" Austin asked, drawling. He was sitting like the alpha male he was, one of his hands spread over the couch he was resting on, and one knee drawn to him. "I could see that she liked it.""Why would she like it?" Eric asked. "She's beautiful. She could have had anyone. Including you."I gulped and turned to Austin, who looked a little somber now. He sai
I calmly sat on the couch, one leg folded under me. My heart was breaking, but my eyes refused to concede, and I just sat there, blank.My mind reeled over the events of my life, my chest filling up. I don't even remember her coming to us last night. I don't remmeber seeing her at all and now...I stood and went back up, determined to wake him up this time."Austin." I said, touching his shoulder lightly. "Austin, wake up."His eyes squinted, before, ever so slowly, he opened his eyes and turned them to me."Is something wrong?" He asked, his voice low.I pursed my lips, and just stared at him. It must have made him uncomfortable because he straightened, letting the sheets fall away from his upper body. He leaned back on the headboard, then looked at me again, his hand on his forehead."Is something wrong? You woke me up.""What isn't wrong, Alpha Austin?"He tilted his head to the right. "What do you mean?""Maybe you should take a look around you," I said to him and he promply turne
"Austin. So nice to see you here." The woman said. I slowly walked backwards till I was right next to Austin. He was rather cold and stiff, like a statue. Or maybe he just gave up knowing we were already in deep shit."What are you doing here?" I asked in a whisper."You shouldn't have left the pack. I told you not to. But will you listen? Of course not." He looked pissed now, and he slowly lifted his head up to the woman."I feel very delighted seeing you too, Lilia." He smiled, then put his arm around my shoulder. My eyes widened at the name and I turned to her. "However beautiful this meeting may be, we are already done here. Let's go."I almost let out a sigh of relief when we successfully turned on our heels and took the first step, but before I could take another, the cold hard end of a gun was leveled directly at Austin's chest.I gasped, my hand instinctively going to my mouth as I started to realize how deep the trouble I had gotten us into was."Is there really any need for
"What do we do? Even if we somehow get out, we don't know the way home."He sighed. "I think I can find it. Can you help me up?"I nodded and wrapped my hand around one of his arms, then helped him up slowly. He squinted his left eye from the effort."Are you sure you are okay? Are you positive? You look hurt.""I have been through way worse." He answered, then walked to the small window on the other side of the room. He seemed to examine the place for a long time, then turned to me."I can find the way home. But the window is too small to pass through. Even for you. Talk more of me.""So what do we do? Wait for them to kill us?"He sat back down. "I think they will offer us a deal.""What?" "Lilia may hate me to shreds, but...she wouldn't kill me. She may inflict harm, like the one on my head, but...she won't kill me.""So you are just going to bank on the possibility that she might not kill
We shared an intense gaze for more than a minute, her eyes fixed on me as she slowly moved her index finger over the trigger.I heard Austin give a small frustrated sigh, and he put his palm under the butt of the gun, then you shed it upwards, making us both lose the grip to it. He caught it mid air, then removed the bullets."Don't you think you both are taking this too seriously?" He said, letting go of the bullets."Too seriously? This woman is literally keeping us captive!""I think of it as a somewhat reluctant, unplanned meeting with a long lost friend," He said and I began to think someone had switched bodies with him. "Right, Lilia?"She smiled. "Glad you think of it positively."I could see the disdain on his face but I said nothing as he came between us, pushing me behind him."Maybe you should excuse us."She looked at me and nodded. "I will make arrangement for a bedding."She walked away from us and I immediately turned to him."What are you doing? Are you enjoying this?"
Austin's slight movement against me woke me up, and I moved further into him. I let out a small sigh as I settled into the warmth and comfort of his back again."Don't you think it is a bit too early for you to be trying to cuddle with me?"I sniffed and moved closer, the noise only making me crave his warmth more."Hazel.""Mhm?" I murmured."Could you move? I need to breathe.""What?" I asked, sleep gradually fading from the constant disturbance."I said, move."I opened my eyes at that point, and I came face to chest with him. I lifted my eyes and he was looking down at me, his expression bored.I immediately moved away, my breath hitching in my throat. "Sorry...I thought...""I know.""What?""Well, I turned sometime during the night so you definitely wouldn't be facing my back."Heat rose up to my cheeks as I straightened. "Good morning.""It was morning hours ago." He rolled his eyes and leaned back on the bed, putting his arms backwards to support his head. It made his arm mus
"Come eat, I made sure to leave some for you." He kept the towel and turned to me. "I don't really have an appetite."I sighed. "You want me to feed you, then?" I said it as a joke, something to give him shock therapy enough for the idea of not eating to be repulsive. To my surprise, he nodded."Why not?""What are you, a baby?""You suggested it." He laughed, then came to me and sat on the other side of the mattress with his legs crossed under him, and his arms straightened. The food tray was between us, and he watched me. I didn't say a word, and swallowed hard."Are you about to chicken out?" He laughed."I am starting to think you hit your head a little too hard. You are acting weird.""It is rather annoying that you think my carefree nature is rather weird."As if on instinct, I scooped a spoonful and gave it to him, and without the taunting I had expected, he collected it.I saw his face scrunch up in disgust as he put it down."What's wrong?""It can freeze up my insides." He
Austin's P.O.V.I took the remaining steps towards the large burial ground, the single rose I had plucked from my recent gardening hobby dangling from my fingers. I hated the amount of time it has taken me to come here, but at least I am making my way to her now, and I hope I let myself get to the very end.The grave was still new, and I found myself slowly kneeling toward it, and I dropped the single flower I'd brought. It will wilter and dry up, unlike my love for her. Unlike this undying love I still feel after so long.The headstone had only three letters written in cursive. "I love you."Nothing more. Because I had no words at all to say to her. In front of her, I am a sinner, and I will probably always be. I have no chance for forgiveness with her. She left, long ago, and in her wake a gaping hole.I let out a long sigh. If Hazel were here, she would have said I am a little too young to sigh like that. I smiled, shaking my head a little.I touched the grave again, my fingers sl
9 MONTHS LATERHow long can nine full months be? Probably a little too short when you are anticipating to die. But even shorter with a husband who dotes on you like Austin does.Austin received the congrats half heartedly, and brought in some of thbest healers across different packs to wait on me. Sometimes, I felt a little too protected, but I knew he just wanted to keep me safe.Everyday as I watched my pregnancy grow bigger, I felt the fear surge higher. How would things be for them after I die? Would Austin be able to look past my sacrifice and love the children because they belong to him? It sometimes made me wonder, but I also, learned to push it behind me.Sometimes, I caught him just spaced out a little, and sometimes after I slept, he would hold my hand and end up sleeping on a chair. He didn't seem to mind any of it at all, and didn't show me how worried he was also. For that, I was utterly grateful, more than he knew.I stood in front of the open door, watching the sunset.
The hall looked nothing like the unfinished one that Austin had shown me just yesterday, and I knew there was definitely no way it could have been done without having to pull all nighters.Dark red and black roses adorned a cleared path, and petals filled the floor I was supposed to walk on. Most of the pack were there, and in the front I could see Catherine, tears glistening brightly in her eyes, yet a small smile on her face.I smiled back at her as Austin slowly accompanied me, the train of my dress behind held up by an omega, and the scroll of the Luna's oath waiting on an elevated stand on which Austin would leave me to go to.He gave me a small reassuring smile as he left my side and then made his way to the stand, a happy smile playing on his lips.The standing ovation that had welcomed us was still ongoing, and Austin let it go on for a few more seconds, before he finally raised a hand and firmly clenched his fist. It immediately died down and he lowered his hand."It is an ho
We practiced a lot more, my feet slowly getting accustomed to the introductory steps of the dance while only barely escaping making mistakes towards the middle. I never did get too deep, as Austin just told me to focus on the beginning, and he will ensure we don't make a disaster at the end."Just go with my flow, okay?" he said to me and I ordered, allowing him to lead. It was rather convenient, and I found it easier.We retired to bed after a tired dinner, his hand clasped around my waist, drawing me into him, while his other hand stretched under my head to support it. Before I knew it, I was asleep, his slow, even breaths serving to lure me even deeper.I turned on to my back as the bright sunlight assaulted my eyes, then pulled a pillow over my head to shut it out completely. I didn't even care that Austin wasn't in bed, I just know I needed this sleep. "No, not that. I will inspect it myself in the next thirty minutes, so just move on to other things. Spotlight? Well, Hazel isn
I woke up with a start, feeling the empty bed around me. I had realized Austin wasn't anywhere near me when I stirred and for some reason it just scared the shit out of me. Maybe because things have been going a little too well and I am scared of anything jeopardizing it, or maybe I was having having bad dream."Hey. You are going to get a headache doing that." Austin said, walking over to where I sat. He held me in his arm, and scanned my face."You are here.""Of course, I was just on the phone with the gamma, I did not want to wake you up. Sorry if that startled you."I disentangled myself from him, leaned away and smiled, feeling my fears immediately drown. "No, I am fine. Maybe I was having a bad dream."He nodded. "I'm sorry."I smiled at him and leaned back on the bead headrest. "You know, I just realized...I never really asked what my duties as luna are."The slight furrow in his brows cleared off and he smiled. "Always so thoughtful. I believe during the crowning, you will ge
"This or this?" I asked Austin as we went over the dresses that were brought for the luna ceremony. He had commenced preparations immediately after, telling me how we needed to plan the world's best Luna ceremony in three days.The omegas waiting on me seemed to have an opinion, even as Austin thinned his eyes at the dresses."Why do you keep picking purple dresses? I think you look good in red." He said, his eyes slowly moving towards the red dress I have left on the bed."It's your favorite, Austin."He rolled his eyes and walked to me, then picked out the red dress. It was designed to hug my body from above, and then spread out into the tulles filled with satin towards the end.He put it in front of me, and then nodded. "I believe this will look good when you wear it.""Fine. I will try it on."He nodded and collected the other dresses, then gestured for the omega to leave. He turned away and closed his eyes as I wore the dress."I can't zip, Austin." I called out to him and he gav
I stirred a little and turned to the other side, and my eyes fell on Austin. He was sitting facing me, his elbow propped half on the headrest, his eyes fixed on me. My eyes slowly widened as I straightened."Are we here already?" I asked, my voice sleepy.He slowly nodded. "Yes.""You should have woken me up. You must have been tired from driving all day." I squinted my eyes at him. The sun was setting behind him, the sheen causing his hair to turn a golden brown, and make his red eyes a little lighter than they actually are.He smiled and extended his hand to me. "I thought you looked too pretty that way. I wouldn't mind waiting for you."I smiled, and he let go of my hand, then got out of the car. He went around to my seat and opened my door for me, and waited till I got out."Go on. I will bring in our stuff."I nodded and went in, my arms stretching on their own. My neck felt a little stiff, and once I made my way into the house, I found a couch to rest and I just went on it.When
I felt the entire world come to a stand still as the healer's words hit me again and again, like an ambush of arrows."Me...or the baby?" I asked, a little in a daze. It felt like I was in some faraway place, watching the girl who looked exactly like me sitting in front of the healer.I slowly turned to Austin whose eyes were wide and reddened. Unlike me, he seemed to clearly understand what the healer had said, and seemed to be trying to accept it too."What do you mean?" I asked, feeling hot tears sting the back of my eyes. I blinked rapidly, but it only made them rush down faster, and I felt the warmth on my cheeks."One of you will make it out of labor. It can't be both of you.""Is there no other way? Is there nothing? An offering? A sacrifice? A prayer?"I swallowed on hearing Austin's voice. He sounded just as broken as I was, and my chest filled up."None. That is what's written."Austin gave a slight pause. "What if she doesn't give birth?"I turned to him, my eyes wide. "No
I held Austin's arm tight as she took a step closer to me, and her eyes slowly drifted across to Austin. I turned instinctively to him, but his face was set in expressionless too, his hand holding my waist to keep me on my feet. Seeing him so determined gave me a big of confidence and I swallowed as I turned back to the healer."So she is the one. The substitute I have heard of.""Just check her, healer. Her status does not affect anything." Austin said, his voice cold.She flickered her eyes to him, then back at me. "All of that is good and all, but...do you not realize how powerful a mate bond is? How can an entire pack be so nonchalant towards a mate bond, especially that of the alpha? What were you thinking?"My breath hitched as her eyes thinned in a little judgemental look. I could tell she didn't have good news for us. My eyes lifted to Alpha Evander behind us. He looked a little disgusted too, like he absolutely didn't understand how Austin could disregard a mate bond to be wi