*~Hazel’s POV~*
The window was right in front of me. My escape.
I didn’t know how quickly Cyrius would wake.his vampire abilities made that unpredictable—but I couldn’t wait to find out.
I threw it open, and the rush of cold air slapped against my face. My heart pounded. My babies were clutched tightly to my chest. I was ready.
The door slammed open. Aaliyah stood there, her mouth falling open. God..help me.
I didn’t hesitate. I jumped.
The ground hit hard under my feet, but I barely felt it. My arms tightened around my children, making sure their baskets didn’t shift.
That’s when I realized my mistake...Guards.
They were already there, forming a ring around me. Aaliyah’s scream for help brought even more, the thundering of paws and boots as Alexander and the rest of the pack poured into the courtyard.
I scanned them, one by one, counting, assessing. My babies came first...I carefully set them down, baskets nestled safely on the ground.
Then I cracked my fingers. I could take them. All of them.
Flora’s heat burned inside me, our bond thrumming. I didn’t even need to shift to kill them but without my wolf fully out, an entire pack would be harder. Still... there is no rage wilder than a mother’s rage.
The first few rushed me.
I tore through them instantly claws flashing, blood spilling, heads ripped away before they could even howl.
I was so focused on the wolves in front of me that I forgot about those above.
The arrow hit before I could react.
If it had been normal, I would’ve yanked it out and healed—but this one burned. My breath caught, my knees buckling slightly.
My vision blurred, but I kept fighting—until another wolf tackled me from behind, forcing me to the ground.
Pain shot through me, not just mine, but Flora’s. She was suffering inside me, her power dimming.
I tried to rise, but I was too weak. I could feel her slipping away.
Someone yanked my hair back.
Alexander’s voice cut through the ringing in my ears. "How could she do this? How could she turn on her own helper? Someone who saved her life?"
His tone was cold, mocking.
"Take her to the prison. Chain her. Bring the babies to me."
That last sentence tore through me worse than the arrow. My body tried to surge upward, but I couldn’t move. My limbs felt like stone.
"No... not them... not my.."
Darkness swallowed my voice. My consciousness slipped away.
Click. Click. Click.
The sound crawled into my ears before I even opened my eyes. Chains.
My eyes flickered open, adjusting to the dim, cold light. My wrists burned, the metal biting so deep I could feel skin tearing. Not the first time I’d been restrained—in New Orleans, they had chained me for turning off my emotions—but this was different. This time, they had made it hurt.
The links rattled as I tested them. Too tight. Too heavy. Too laced with something foul. My shoulders ached from being pulled at an unnatural angle.
I closed my eyes and reached out with every sense I had, searching for them.
Nothing.
The bond was silent. My babies... too far away.
The realization scraped at my throat like broken glass.
I yanked the chains again, fury bubbling up in me. "Release me!" My voice tore through the room, sharp, raw. "Anybody! HELP!"
No footsteps. No answering voice. Only my own breathing and the cold metal holding me.
My throat tightened, and the only name that slipped past my lips was the one I should never have to say like this.
"Cyrius! CYRIUS, I’m chained here! Do you hear me? CYRIUS!"
Nothing.
No shadow. No blur of movement. No voice. Not him. Not anyone.
A hollow ache punched through my chest.
Argh, Hazel... do something.
I bit down hard enough to taste copper and let a broken sob escape..but it was laced with heat, not surrender. I wasn’t breaking. Not for them.
The door creaked and Alexander walks in.
He came into view like a storm cloud, his expression carved in disdain. He didn’t speak at first, just sat across from me as if taking in the sight of a dangerous animal in a cage.
When he finally spoke, his voice was dripping venom.
"Why would you attack him?" His eyes bored into mine. "Why would you hurt your own helper? The one who pulled you out of the dirt, made you something in my pack? And you..you stab him. Right in the chest. You almost killed him."
"When you die, your pack will just crown another alpha. But me?" My tone was ice. "I could take your place. I could make every single one of you suffer. I don’t want your pack. I don’t want your city. I just want my children. Where. Are. They?"

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