Chapter 3: The Utmost Betrayal

Hazel’s POV

Kimberley and I froze, both turning toward the voice.

My parents, Frank and Brianna, stood at the end of the hallway, their faces shocked.

Brianna’s hands flew to her mouth when she saw Kimberley. “Oh, my baby! My sweet baby girl!”

They rushed forward, wrapping Kimberley in their arms. Brianna sobbed openly, her hands shaking as she touched Kimberley’s face, her hair, like she couldn’t believe she was real.

“Where have you been?” Frank demanded. “Three years, Kimberley. Three years we thought you were dead!”

“We searched everywhere,” Brianna added, tears streaming down her cheeks. “Every pack, every territory. We never stopped looking.”

Kimberley melted into their embrace, her wounded act returning in an instant. “It was horrible,” she whispered. “So horrible. I thought I’d never see you again.”

“What happened to you?” Frank asked, holding her at arm’s length to study her face. “Who took you?”

Without hesitation, Kimberley pointed at me. “She did.”

“What?” Brianna’s head snapped toward me.

“Hazel hired rogues to kidnap me,” Kimberley sobbed. “The night before my mating ceremony. She was so jealous that Ulysses chose me instead of her.”

“No,” I whispered. “That’s not—”

“She couldn’t stand that I was going to be Luna,” Kimberley continued. “So she arranged for me to disappear. I’ve been their prisoner all this time.”

Brianna’s face transformed. The worry and relief twisted into something dark and furious. She stalked toward me, her hand raised, and slapped me. My head snapped to the side.

“How could you?” Brianna screamed. “How could you do that to your own sister?”

“I didn’t!” I pressed my hand to my burning cheek. “I would never hurt her!”

“Liar!” Brianna raised her hand again, but Frank caught her wrist.

“Brianna, not here,” he said quietly, glancing around the hallway.

“She destroyed our family!” Brianna’s voice cracked. “Our baby girl suffered for three years because of her!”

I looked between them desperately, my eyes already starting to well. “Why won’t you believe me?” I couldn’t stop the sob that escaped. “I’m your daughter too!”

The tears came harder now, streaming down my cheeks. I wiped at them with shaking hands, but they kept coming.

Three years of coldness from Ulysses, and now this. My own parents, the people who’d given me life, chose Kimberley without even hearing my side.

Frank and Brianna exchanged a look—quick, but I caught it. Something passed between them, something I couldn’t quite read.

“I’m very disappointed in you, Hazel,” Frank said finally. “I never thought you could be so…vindictive.”

The words cut deep. Deeper than Ulysses’s rejection. These were the people who’d raised me, who’d supposedly loved me.

“That’s enough!” It was Uma’s voice. She appeared behind my parents, her nostrils flaring. “What is wrong with you people?”

“This doesn’t concern you, Uma,” Frank said stiffly.

“Like hell it doesn’t!” Uma pushed past them to reach me. “This woman just gave birth six hours ago! She should be resting, not standing in a hallway being attacked by her own family!”

“How dare you—” Brianna started forward, but Uma stepped between us.

“She can barely stand! Look at her!” Uma gestured at me. “Look at the blood on her gown! She should be in bed, not dealing with this madness!”

Frank’s lips thinned. “We’re her parents. We have every right—”

“You have the right to act like parents,” Uma snapped. “Which means protecting your daughter, not tearing her down when she’s at her weakest!”

“We are protecting our daughter,” Brianna said. “Kimberley is the one who suffered!”

“Get out,” Uma said quietly.

“Excuse me?”

“You heard me. Get out. All of you. Leave this hallway and don’t come back until you can act like decent human beings.”

“You can’t order us around!” Brianna protested.

“Watch me.” Uma stepped forward, and something in her expression made my parents take a step back. “I’m the head healer here. This is my domain. And I’m telling you to leave before I have security escort you out.”

Frank grabbed Brianna’s arm. “Come on.”

They turned to go, Brianna pausing to look back at me with disgust. “I’m ashamed to call you my daughter.”

I watched them walk away, Kimberley shooting me one last triumphant smile before following.

“Ignore them,” Uma said softly, slipping her arm around my waist. “Come on. Let’s get you back to bed.”

I leaned against her, my legs shaking. “Uma…”

“Don’t talk. Just walk.”

She half-carried me back to the room, helping me onto the bed. The sheets were still stained with blood, but I didn’t care. I was beyond caring about anything.

“Thank you,” I whispered as she pulled the blanket over me.

Uma sat on the edge of the bed. “You don’t need to thank me. We’re friends.”

“I am grateful,” I said weakly. “You’ve always been so good to me, Uma. You’re the only one who believed me.”

Uma was quiet for a moment. “You want to know why I believe you?”

I nodded.

She took my hand. “You know I’m an orphan. Ulysses’s father brought me into the pack, gave me a home.”

I felt tears prick my eyes. I’d known her story, but hearing it now, after everything that had just happened with my own parents…

“When I was growing up here, do you know who was the only person who treated me like I belonged?”

I shook my head.

“You. Everyone else saw me as Alpha Benjamin’s charity case. You saw me as Uma. You were the only one who bothered to be my friend.”

“Uma…”

“So when they accuse you of being cruel, of being jealous, of hurting people?” She shook her head firmly. “I know better. You don’t have a cruel bone in your body.”

The tears came harder now. “Tomorrow I have to sever the mate bond.”

“I know.”

“He’s taking Liam away from me. Forever.”

“I know.”

“I don’t know how to live without my son.”

Uma was quiet for a long moment. Then she said, “You’ll find a way. You’re stronger than you know.”

Before I could respond, the door burst open. A maid I recognized—Alice—rushed in, slightly out of breath.

“Finally found you,” she panted. “I’ve been looking everywhere.”

“What do you want, Alice?” Uma asked warily.

“I’m here because Luna Fiona sent me,” Alice said, trying to sound important. “I have to take the baby now.”

“What?”

“Your son. Luna Fiona says he’s not staying with you anymore. And you can’t see him either.”

“No!” I tried to sit up, but Uma held me down.

“Oh, and one more thing,” Alice added, almost like an afterthought. “Luna Fiona says Kimberley’s going to be his mother now.”