LOGINHazel’s POVI stared at Dimitri, my pulse hammering in my ears. The room felt smaller, the air thicker, like the walls were closing in.“What did you find?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.Dimitri reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a plain brown envelope. He opened it slowly and slid out a small photograph. He held it up so I could see.“I tried to put a face to the missing picture on the file,” he said. “I asked around with the other maids, showed them the name. After a lot of digging, one of the older servants remembered her. Benedicta Petterson.”I took the photo with shaking fingers. The woman in it looked ordinary…plain brown hair pulled back in a tight bun, a simple maid’s uniform, a face that could blend into any crowd. But something about her eyes felt cold.“She was one of the maids who served Liora,” Dimitri continued, his voice low and serious. “That makes the whole situation very suspicious. Why would she come to call you that night unles
Hazel’s POV“That’s not what I’m saying!”My voice cracked as the words left my mouth, sharper than I intended, but I didn’t take them back. I couldn’t. Everything inside me felt too tight, too stretched, like one more push and I would snap completely.Nicholas turned slowly, his eyes dark and stormy, jaw clenched so hard I could see the muscle ticking. “Then what are you saying?” he demanded.“I’m saying—” I stopped, shaking my head in frustration, my hands curling into fists at my sides. “I’m saying innocent people are suffering, Nicholas. The lakes are dry. People need water.”“And I need you alive,” he shot back immediately.The force of his words hit me like a slap.Silence fell between us, thick and suffocating.I swallowed hard. “You think I don’t understand that?”“It doesn’t feel like it,” he said, his voice dropping lower, colder. “Because it seems like you don’t give a damn about how I feel.”My chest tightened painfully. “That’s not true.”“Isn’t it?” he snapped, taking a
Hazel’s POVI sat there frozen for a second, staring at the empty spot where the green-eyed man had been sitting just moments ago. My heart was still racing from everything he had told me.The loud commotion outside the door snapped me back to reality.“Let me in! I just want to see her! Please!”The voice sounded desperate and familiar. I pushed myself up from the bed, ignoring the dizziness that hit me. My legs felt weak, but I had to know who was causing all this noise. I rushed to the door and pulled it open before the guards could stop me.One of the guards spun around quickly. “My queen, you should be resting.”They were trying to block my view, but the man pushed forward and finally turned. My breath caught. It was Alpha Jackson. His green eyes locked onto mine, filled with so much worry it made my stomach twist. What was with me and green-eyed men today?Before anyone could react, he stepped past the guards and pulled me into his arms, hugging me tightly. I froze, my body goin
Hazel’s POVI was drifting in that warm, heavy place between sleep and waking when I felt it—cold fingers gently brushing across my cheek.The touch was soft, almost careful, like someone afraid I might break. My first sleepy thought was Nicholas. He had stayed by my side all night. Maybe he was checking if I was still breathing. A small smile tugged at my lips even before I opened my eyes.But when my lashes finally lifted, it wasn’t Nicholas staring down at me.Instead I was met with striking green eyes.I jerked upright so fast my head spun. A scream rose in my throat, but before it could escape, his hand clamped firmly over my mouth. His palm was cool and slightly damp, like he had just stepped out of water.“Hey…I’m not going to hurt you,” he whispered, his voice rough and low, almost urgent. “Please don’t scream.”My heart hammered wildly against my ribs. I froze, eyes wide, staring into those familiar green eyes. Where had I seen them before? The realization hit me like ice wat
Nicholas’s POV“They know,” Marco said breathlessly, his chest heaving like he had sprinted across the entire palace. “They know she’s here.”I stared at him, my mind still spinning from everything the doctor had just told me about Hazel’s brain and the trauma. “What are you talking about?”Marco wiped sweat from his forehead, eyes wide with panic. “Every fucking lake in the kingdom has gone dry. The sea is raging like a tsunami waiting to happen. Even our water supply system has shut down. There’s no doubt this is their doing.”Of course. They would start with what they could control most. Water. The water people can be merciless when they want to be, and these ones…they were worse.My heart slammed against my chest so hard it hurt. They had already smelled Hazel. The realization hit like ice water poured down my back.“Protect my wife,” I ordered, turning sharply to the guards standing at the corner of the hallway. They nodded immediately, faces set in determination.I rushed out of
Nicholas’s POVIt was the next morning, and Hazel still hadn’t woken up.I hadn’t slept all night. I stayed right beside her bed, holding her hand, watching every small rise and fall of her chest. The hospital room felt too quiet, the machines beeping softly like a constant reminder that she was still fighting. My eyes burned from staring at her pale face for hours, but I couldn’t look away. Every minute she stayed unconscious felt like another knife in my gut. I kept whispering to her, begging her silently to open her eyes.A knock came on the door. The doctor entered with a nurse, both moving quietly. They checked her vitals, adjusted a few tubes, and wrote notes on their charts. I waited until they finished before I asked the question burning in my throat.“Why isn’t she waking up?”The doctor gave me a calm look. “Her body is still recovering, Your Majesty. The poison took a heavy toll, but she’s stable. She’ll wake up soon. Give her time.”I nodded, even though every part of me w
Hazel’s Pov I had just slipped into my nightgown…thin white silk that skimmed my thighs and left my shoulders bare when the knock came.I walked to the door barefoot, the hem of the nightgown whispering against my calves.It was probably Martha.I opened the door.And froze.Nicholas stood in the
Nicholas’s POV“I don’t know what the fuck you’re talking about.”The words came out low, dangerous, every syllable edged with warning.Dimitri didn’t back down an inch.“Stop pretending,” he said, voice steady even though his eyes were burning. “Everyone knows you wanted Hazel out of the picture s
Nicholas’s POV“What the fuck has gotten into Hazel?”I paced the length of my chamber like a caged animal, boots thudding against the floor. The room felt too small, the walls too close. My blood was still roaring from breakfast—from her voice snapping my name like it meant nothing, from the crack
Hazel’s POVBefore I could stop myself, my feet moved.I ran.Straight into him.My arms wrapped around his neck so tight I probably hurt him, but I didn’t care. I buried my face in his shoulder, breathing in the familiar smell of clean soap and that cologne he always wore because he said it made h







