surroundings. A dull ache spread through her body, becoming more pronounced with each

m so sorry... Thank g

Olivia despite the weight pressing down on her limbs. She had long grown accustomed to Olivia's reckless behavior

Hazel murm

shifted her gaze past Olivia, looking for someone else. Lucas stood behind her, stari

rtner for you was my mistake, and I've alre

d received? Fragments of her memories trickled back slowly, as she struggled to recall what had happened earlier... or even yesterday. She had no idea how long she had been confined to this bed o

rupted by the sudden intrusion o

arge food tray in his hands as

. why do you guys have s

m him while Dylan collapsed onto the couch

le like you to climb," Lu

ht Dylan's warning glare, though the grin on her face remained as wide as ever. Settling beside Hazel on the bed, Olivia atte

muttered under his b

meanor vanished, replaced by an unfamiliar hardness. Wit

ilently implying that Lucas had lost his mind. Hazel couldn't suppress her laughter

-

quarters toward the Alpha's mansion, which stood just a s

pha's voice echoing furiously in his head, summo

responding to an invisible force. He could feel the weight of cou

ok a deep breath, attemp

e stepping inside, kee

ze, only to find the Alpha approaching him with deliberate steps, hi

ell happene

lm, tightly controlled, but the fire

as my fault. But Veronica i

lled Hazel, Lucas! What d

ha's tone was uncharacte

f concern for Hazel. Though surprised, he mas

further. Instead, he g

etched between the

th his own thoughts, struggling to find the ri

is sh

surprise. He hadn't e

r. She'll be able to re

kable hint of challenge in his gaze as he studi

at," the Alpha muttered,

It was rare to see the Alph

ay, pretending to ignore him, but Lucas could t

oning himself directly in front of the

you and

. Instead, he rolled hi

lking no

gaze, challenging

defeat, raising hi

t so smug. We're fated

toward the window, crossing his

on the Alpha's shoulder in a silent gestur

oice tinged with bitterness as h

the training hall, too afraid to step inside because I didn't want anyone t

n at the end, making Lucas i

running his hands through

that I'm unfi

as a certainty-a truth the

ad no r

by his side, silently sh

t's enough. I

lling against Olivia's repeated attempts to feed her.

ng her back to the bed, her warning

! You haven't

y. She then rose slowly, wincing as a sharp pain coursed through

on her forehead. With a slow hand, she touched them, pitying her own state before reaching up to undo the

lan and Olivia's attempts to stop her. They both knew all too well how st

rong scent struck her nose. The aroma didn't fade; it clung to her senses, intensifying until her wolf began to howl within her, demanding control. Ha

She pushed the door open slowly, her heart

light cast over a figure at the cent

him-he

in rivulets, rolling down the thick strands of hair that clung to his forehead. His

rely on the strength of his arms for his workout. His movements were swi

ld excitement. She didn't even notice the heat rising in her body o

rough the damp strands of his hair. It was as if the very air ha

Sto

behind it rolled through her like a lightning strike, making her shudder and freeze

ll. A gasp escaped her lips as she clapped a hand over her mouth, brac

gainst the wheelchair, an

e landed smoothly onto the seat, exe

clear he was used to this, eve

air, pushing the damp strands away from

saw

ting handsomeness-one that she de

ed from him, a pull she couldn'

ed her gaze away from his c

his presence was suffo

n't sure she