Chapter 4

Hazel’s POV

My eyes fluttered open, and I looked around, trying to figure out how I ended up in this room. "Ouch," I winced, sitting up and cradling my throbbing head. The pain was intense.

As I scanned the quiet room again, I wondered where everyone had gone. I struggled to recall what happened the day before, but all I could remember was being on stage before everything went black. 

“Did Thalia really poison the wine?” I thought, my mind racing with questions. I grabbed my phone to check the time and realised I had been out for almost the whole day. 

Summoning my last bit of energy, I stood up and made my way downstairs. As I got closer, I overheard my father, my blood, saying awful things about me.

“That useless girl has shamed this family; Thalia will always be better than her,” Alpha Dorian said. I fought back tears, but it was too hard. A lump formed in my throat as I descended the stairs.

When they spotted me, everyone fell silent. My father stormed up to me in a rage and hit me hard across the face. The sting on my cheek was sharp, but I didn’t flinch.

“Careful Dad The doctor said Hazel was dehydrated and malnourished, which was why she had passed out the night before.” Thalia said.

Talking about me going to prison had been taboo in the Labrith family. But last night, I had said it out loud in front of everyone, turning it into a spectacle. 

My gaze locked onto Adrian, who stood there with his arms around Thalia as she cried. "It's all my fault. I should have just died when I was kidnapped three months ago." 

Tears threatened to spill from Thalia's eyes, but she fought to keep them in. "Adrian, you shouldn’t have saved me. I would have been better off dead." With those words, she pushed away any blame for my troubles in prison.

I looked at her coldly. "People who really want to die don’t just talk about it." Adrian's face was tight as he comforted Thalia, gently patting her hand before turning to me.

"I told you to behave last night. Do you understand what your actions have caused?" My lips curled into a bitter smile. "Yes, I made a scene. But you’re my fiancé. Aren't you supposed to support me?

From the moment I arrived at the Blue Moon pack, Adrian had always been by Thalia's side. I felt myself crumbling as I stood there, but this kind of hurt was familiar to me. 

After three months in prison, I had learnt to bear it quietly. My once warm and loving gaze now looked cold and distant, as if I were seeing a stranger.

I knew what I needed to do. Taking a deep breath, my tears fell before I could even say a word. "I'm ending the engagement." A shocked silence filled the room as Dorian and Elara tried to understand what I had just said.

"What did you just say?" Alpha Dorian asked, disbelief clear in his voice. I clenched my hands tightly and forced myself to speak again. "I'm breaking off my engagement with Adrian. He and Thalia seem to belong together.”

Dorian's face twisted in anger. "Hazel, have you lost your mind? You can't just cancel an engagement like that! Do you really think you can just walk away?" 

"Yes, I can, Dad," I shot back without hesitation. Dorian was shocked that I, who had given so much of my life to Adrian, would now so easily end things. 

"Is this really about Thalia? They've just been working together more closely lately. Is that worth all this fuss?" Elara chimed in quickly, her pretence very obvious.

"Do you really think so little of Thalia? She's always been kind to you. Why would she want to take Adrian from you?" I glanced at my father and stepmother before my eyes settled on Thalia.

A sarcastic smile appeared on my face. "I'm not joking or being childish." Adrian, clearly annoyed, tugged at his tie. "So what now, Hazel? What’s going on?"

"Adrian, do you really think that just because I love you, I’m less than you? Do you think I don’t have the right to feel hurt?"

"You can’t see my pain, so you think I’m just making a big deal out of nothing. How could you just push me away like this, after everything we've been through?" 

The memory of what Adrian had said to Alaric yesterday made my heart ache even more. Adrian’s face changed as he realised that my anger was because of what I had overheard. 

Sensing the situation was getting out of hand, Thalia jumped in. "Hazel, this isn’t the right time for this. Your outburst is only going to make things worse for Mom and Dad.”

“Calling off the engagement like this makes us look foolish,” Dorian shouted. “This family is already a mess! I’ve never seen a daughter treated so badly by her own father. And you’re worried about how we appear to others!?” I yelled back.

“And let's not forget, your criminal record will be out for everyone to see tomorrow,” my father yelled. But I was done caring about what people thought.

“Yes, I’ve been to prison, but I was set up! You can choose to believe me or not, but I don’t give a damn!” Then I turned to Adrian, my voice steady. 

“I, Hazel Labrinth of the Blue Moon Pack, reject you, Adrian Rune, as my friend." I watched as Adrian fell to the ground, clutching his chest in shock. I felt a rush of satisfaction as I gave him a taste of his own medicine. 

I glared at Adrian, my eyes burning with anger. "You really thought you could mess with my heart and walk away unscathed?" I sneered, my voice thick with disgust.

Adrian's expression changed, his eyes begging for mercy. But I had none to give. "Shut up!" I yelled, cutting him off. "You used me for your own benefit, and now you toss me aside like I’m nothing."

"You’re no better than the dirt on the ground." Adrian’s face turned red, tears filling his eyes as he stumbled back, his legs giving way. I felt a sense of triumph as he collapsed to the floor, defeated.

"You're pathetic," I said quietly, turning away from him. Adrian reached out, as if pleading for me to forgive him. But it was over. Seeing Adrian humiliated was like a soothing balm for my hurt heart.

I was done with my family too. Being around them was unbearable, and just as I was about to leave, I heard words that crushed my spirit. “So how do you explain the fact that you’re pregnant, Hazel?” 

Thaila threw a piece of paper on my face as she folded her hands, waiting for a reply. "Wh..what did you just say?" I stammered opening the paper, and what I saw left me breathless. 

“The doctor who examined you brought the result this morning. So this is why you called off your engagement, right?” Thalia asked. I just stood there, tears streaming down my face, unable to comprehend what Thalia had just said. 

How could I be pregnant when I had a miscarriage in prison? The shock on everyone's face was palpable as the house fell silent. Adrian's anger was evident as he approached me, demanding answers. 

"You told me you weren't pregnant yesterday, Hazel, so what do you have to say about this?"

"I.." I tried to say something, but the words escaped me. "Who is responsible, huh? The guards? The warders? or your fellow cellmates, you worthless piece of shit," Adrian cursed while I stood there crying uncontrollably.

"Guess who's the slut now?" I tried to touch him to make him understand, but the pain and confusion were too much to bear. Adrian's hurtful words pierced through me, leaving me feeling lost and alone.

And as if the news of my pregnancy wasn’t enough, my dad spoke up. “Breaking off this engagement means you’re out of this family for good; we can’t have a bastard in our family.”

“You’ll never be a Labrinth again, and all your accounts will be frozen,” Alpha Dorian shouted, slamming his hand on the table.

“Now get this filthy slut out of my pack!” Dorian barked, and the guards moved toward me, dragging me out of the packhouse like I was nothing. I fought against them, but it was pointless.

I watched as Thalia pretended to cry, begging my father not to kick me out. But I could see right through Thalia’s act. As the guards tossed me out, it hit me hard—I had lost everything. My family and my home. 

Adrian’s POV

After Hazel left, the atmosphere in the packhouse grew tense as everyone exchanged puzzled glances, stunned by the news and her sudden departure. 

It was hard to believe that Hazel, who was usually so relaxed, had committed such a dispicable crime. I was so confused and didn’t even know how to react. So many things had happened since the arrival of Hazel.

Just as Thalia was about to say something to me, I abruptly stood up. "I'm leaving," I declared. Dorian and Elara quickly shared worried looks and signalled to Thalia, who nodded and rushed after me.

"It's raining. Let me walk you out," Thalia offered as she guided me to the door. She reached up to fix my tie when my gaze caught a glimpse of a black car parked nearby. 

My heart dropped, and I instinctively pulled away from Thalia, taking a few steps forward. I knew who it was. Alpha Draven, my father’s twin brother, and beside him was Hazel just as the car sped away.