HAZEL
It's a Friday afternoon and I'm bored at home, with nothing much to do.My mother is left all alone at home as I take a walk around the Pack, something I haven't done in a long time.The afternoon sun scorch my head as I stand near the edge of the pack border line. Looking beyond the invisible line, marked off only by the scents of Pack Members and land marks to help remember when the edges end. The terrain visible to my eye has been used repeatedly over time. Only adult males, and training males are allowed past the border. That's only with the permission of the Alpha and sometimes the Beta. It's a law to make sure that no one in the pack gets hurt.I see a deer a few yards up ahead across the border line. I blink and wonder why it would be this close to civilization and not deeper in the woods. It's quiet but no where close to calm. The wind is blowing my scent directly to the deer. As soon as it hits him, he runs. I'm not too sure if it's a male or female deer, the males have started shedding their antlers for the year.“What are you doing over here, Hazel?” A voice takes me out of my trance, and a large body now stands in front of me with their arms crossed. I look up and shrug my shoulders. It's Trevor who happens to be my step-father and has been since two years ago. I like him, in a father's sense. Sometimes he gets a little too over protective of me and my mother, but usually he is a great guy.He's a warrior, and is usually patrolling the borders when he's not away for pack business. "I just wanted to look at what's out there. I've been everywhere in the pack and I'm just a little curious." It was more like an obsession than anything to cross the border and see what's out there. I can only imagine."Curiosity kills the cat, you know." Trevor says giving me a soft grin. I roll my eyes at the old saying but nod my head anyways. "You shouldn't be this close to the border, Hazel. As strong as our pack is a rouge can still sneak his way through the borders. I don't want you getting hurt." He says softly, he presses a hand on my shoulder and begins to walk me away from the border. "You're mom would hang me for that." He jokes. I give him a little laugh.I guess he's right. Rogues and stray wolves are still a threat to the pack, and the pack doesn't have super powers to keep them out. They can only try their best to. He makes a great point.I pause, and turn back to look at the woods. It's quiet, and I feel as if something is coming. "What's wrong?" Trevor asks, looking back at the woods."Nothing, sorry. I just got this sudden pull to the woods. It might just be the fact I'm still interested in them." I mumble. The pull fades away as we keep walking. I don't think much about it think much about it, because it doesn't concern me."Go home, Hazel. Your mom is cooking Mac and cheese for dinner, and she's probably worried about you." He says and I nod my head then he starts walking, heading back towards the borders. My mom is a worry wart. She's always afraid that something bad is going to happen to me. I just decide to head towards the direction of my home.When I get home, my mother greets me as I walk into the house. Her hair falls down to her shoulders. Her stomach is swelled and she's going to pop any time soon. It's a little strange knowing that my mom is going to be having a baby and I'm barely seventeen but I'm happy for her. Ever since my dad passed away she hadn't even tried a blind date. Then she met Trevor, and it was like he was her second chance mate as she called it. They always look at each other with so much love. I only dream of my mate looking at me the way Trevor does my mom."Do you need any help?" I offer. I've taken a nursing course in high school and learned a few things about pregnant women. They're not only carrying their own weight but the baby's too. That puts some pressure on your feet."Can you put the pan in the oven?" She asks. I nod my head and do what she says. If it's not obvious that a belly is in the way of bending over, than I don't know what is.I take in a deep breath and catch a smell so delicious it makes this lasagna seem like nothing. "What's that smell?" I ask mom, wondering if she had bought some new ferbreeze or perfume. Mom furrows her eyebrows. "The Mac and cheese?" Confusion laces her words but she let's out a laugh as if she were joking. "No," I smile and roll my eyes at my mother.I breath in again. It's not as strong now, but it lingers in my senses. It's something that I can't really get enough of. "What's it smell like?" Mom questions. I take in a deep breath and try to make out what it smells like."I don't really know," I take in a deep breath, "peppermint mostly, but there's other stuff too. I just can't think of what the smells related to." I explain to her. Mom nods her head and chews on her bottom lip."I think my nose is stuffy from the cooler weather." Mom says. I nod my head. She's only half werewolf. Yes, she has shifted but the bond between her and her wolf isn't as good as a full blooded wolf's would be. My father was a pure blooded wolf, so the chances of me shifting are very high. His ancestors were very picky about blood lines.I check on the food and turn back to my mother. She's now sitting at the barstool sipping on a glass of water. Even while she's pregnant she still moves faster than I can say peanut butter. Mom let's out a exaggerated breath and runs her fingers through her hair."Looks like it's just you and me eating dinner together tonight." Mom mutters. I furrow my eyebrows. "Why?" I'm appalled by that. Trevor was excited to sit down and finally have a day off in a long time."The King is here and is calling a meeting to see how the pack is running. He says he doesn't know how long it will take, so to just eat without him." She explains it to me. I frown. Mom always seemed so much happier and cheerful when he's around. I mean, he's around in the morning but because he has night shift if means they never really get to go out and have fun which is disappointing. I want mom to be happy. She's made me happy, she deserves it."We can catch up on American horror story?" I offer, giving mom a cheeky grin." I offer, giving mom a cheeky grin. Her expression lifts into a happier one. I smile, turn to the over when it dings and pull the Mac and cheese out. I guess that there is always a plus side to Trevor being gone. He hates American horror story. They're weird sometimes, but they're good.****I remember when I was young, I was quite an inquisitive kid and there's this particular day I couldn't stop asking mom several questions."Mummy?" I asked her while resting my head against my her chest. Her hands ran through my hair, soothing me to sleep. Back then, she was a single mother. She was young and she had me when she was only seventeen.I was seven years old back then. My hair was light and my eyes were a shade of green like a blade of grass. People said I looked almost exactly like my mother. She was humming softly to an imaginary tune and I listened to the sounds around us as we lay on a blanket looking up at the stars."Why do wolves howl mama?" I murmured curiously and she dwelled on the question for a while herself. She understood what the wolves were saying, but there's no way she could explain something so disappointing to a seven year old."They tell stories to other wolves." She said softly. Her voice was low, like if she were to raise it any louders it would wake up nonexistent neighbors."This one sounds sad, what's it about?" I asked. My mother blinked at the question and let out a soft breath."He's telling about how he feels, Hazel honey. He lost someone very dear to him, and he is mourning her loss." I understood the word mourning. I knew that meant that someone had died. My bottom lip poked out and tears welled up in my eyes."It's okay, Haze. It's only a story." Mum fondly called me and said softly, holding me close to her chest. I nodded my head in response and then let soft whimpers out, because it reminded me of how it felt when I lost my dad.HAZELI wake up to the sounds of a conversation going on in the living room. A smell hits my nostrils and wraps around my mind. I blink, roll to my side and look at the time. It's only two in the morning. I roll out of bed. My mouth is dry anyways, so an it's an excuse to see who's here. I don't have the ability to just know that kind of stuff yet. I don't have super powers.The smell only seems to get stronger as I get closer to the two speaking. I know Trevor's voice from anywhere. I rub my eyes, and finally get to the living room to see who the other person was.I've never seen this man in my life. He has dark hair, and a beautiful shade of brown eyes. It's not a deep brown, but a creamy chocolate kind of brown. His eyes are on me, and they break from my eyes and take me in fully. I'm quiet and take in a deep breath. I can finally make out what that smell really smelt like. Pine cones. The woods.His eyes break away from mine, and he turns back to Trevor. I see that as a time to go
HAZELThe smell of thick smoke fills my lungs. Ashes burn the back of my throat as I try to get a decent breathe of oxygen. I can't breathe.My eyes fling open to a room full of flames. A room all too familiar to me. "Mom!" I yell out through the roar of the fire. "Dad!" I scream- making my way to my bedroom door. The smoke rolls in through the top of the door just as if a train would. I reach for the door knob whilst in pain because the metal knob is burning hot."Mom! Dad!" I scream, looking around in a panicked trying to figure out a way out of here. Where are my parents? My breathing becomes more ragged as my eyes gaze out the window. Even out there is covered in black smoke.The fire burns its way into the room. The red hot flames fill the room faster than anything I have ever witnessed. I run to my window as quick as I can, but it won't open. What do I do?I search the room and grab the first thing I see on my desk. A photo frame. With everything I have in me I swing it at the w
HAZEL"When is the next full moon?" I ask, my fingers brush over the counter top. Ramon is slicing up some carrots for some kind of soup he's making. He purses his lips while he concentrates on not chopping his fingers up."In a few weeks. Why?" He scrapes the carrot into the pot and turns to look at me. I poke my bottom lip out and shrug my shoulders."I just don't want the..heat to happen-" I try to explain without embarrassing myself. Ramon raises an eyebrow at my shyness."It only really hurts when you're still human." He says. I feel his eyes on my body before they're ripped from me completely. "But you won't have to worry about that." He adds, stirring the pot."Why?" I ask. I've already confused myself. I take a seat at the nearest barstool and spin around to ease the awkwardness."Trust me when I say I'll have all of you before then. Yeah?" His back is to me but I can almost feel that he has a smile on his face. I go quiet."Why didn't you just do it last night?" I ask. Ramon
HAZELI don't wake up to the unbearable heat waves washing over me, or the shooting pain up my spine. Instead, I wake up in the middle of the night, all alone.'Maybe he just went to the bathroom'. I try to be logical with myself. My eyes move to the bathroom door- there isn't a light on. They linger there, then I focus my gaze back on Ramon's empty spot next to me. It's cold. He hasn't been here for a while.Or maybe he could be outside smoking. That's probably it. I lie back in bed, but can't help but wonder where he is. A cigarette doesn't take that long to smoke.I roll over in bed, and let out a frustrated sigh. I begin to get restless-more like my wolf- and I climb out of bed. My shirt falls over my legs as I start my journey down the spiraling staircase.I inhale. Nothing. I'm careful as I decend the staircase. Once I'm down stairs, I flick on the living room light. Everything is still there- even the messed up blanket on the couch that I should have folded back.I run my finge
Chapter 6HAZEL"Hazel." Ramon calls out my name and I knot my eyebrows while looking over my shoulder at him. I didn't sleep in the same bed as him last night, nor did I even sleep on the same level of the house as he did.I'm still scared of him. Well, not of him. I'm afraid of what he is capable of doing. Ramon is a strong and spoiled man. He didn't come this far giving everyone in his path a hug and a friendly smile.He is a dangerous man to test. His patience is a thin string and he doesn't like questions. It's like defying his ruling over you to him. He doesn't like it."Hmm?" I hum tiredly because I was up most of the night dreading that he would come into my room as angry as he was before. I didn't sleep very well at all! My back hurts from sleeping in a ball and my eyes are heavy. The only good thing that came out of being here last night were the churros."I need you to get ready for the day." He mumbles, adjusting the shirt that's falling off of my shoulder. I remain calm.
HAZELRamon lets out a sigh as I bury my head into the crook of his neck."No, we're just watching a movie." he replies. "Did you find my papers?" He questions and I can note that he doesn't sound as nice as he is to me. I silently leave feather like kisses on his neck and feel him struggle underneath me.As soon as the door shuts behind her, I nibble on his ear. The wolf in me has awoken and she's not letting up."Stop it baby," he groans, craning his neck for me. I continue my assault on his skin like he has done to me. "I can't concentrate on what I'm reading." He shifts and I can feel his huge bulge in his pants. I playfully giggle and nibble at where his mark will be before I pull away completely."Can we go now?" Mmmh, it feels like I just missed dozens of the Pack's annual events!He nods then we both stand up to leave."Are we going anywhere else?" I ask Ramon, totally clueless. I don't want any more surprise stops on the way. I'm not going to tell him that though because I d
HAZELThe Pack House is absolutely breath taking, just like a prestigious palace. However, we don't get to spend too much time there. Ramon has been bombarded with questions and concerns that he doesn't want me to get involved in quite yet. Most of them regard the Pack stuff which I shouldn't even know that they exist!"You know, I really hate seeing you frown." Ramon points out, running his thumb over my bottom lip. I only blow out a breath in response."All I want to know is, what did you mean by 'soon'?" I ask, knotting my eyebrows and looking into his dark eyes. Curiosity won't make me wait any longer! "I waited until we go home, why won't you tell me?" I ask, continuing to frown.He let's out a sigh and looks at me through his eyelashes. He's so darkly handsome."That's what's bothering you?" He asks, his lips curling into an amused smile. "You could have a million other questions about anything you heard today, and soon is the only thing that's stuck in your mind?""You make it
HAZELI've been curious ever since Ramon warned me never to open the room with a red door and the curiousity is getting the best of me. I can't keep calm any longer!"Will you tell me what's in the room with the red door, now?" I ask him as I glance at it. He merely looks at the door and then back at me with his dark eyes."In time, my dear." He assures me. I knot my eyebrows and look up at him. He takes my look as if it's not good enough, and let's out a sigh. "There are things that you won't be able to understand quite yet, and our bond hasn't been sealed. As of right now, I don't have to share with you what's behind that door!" He simply states without blinking an eyebrow. He never minces his words!"You can just save your breath and say you don't trust me." I say, frowning lightly at his response."Fine, I don't trust you." He says. "I didn't want to sound rude, you put the words in my mouth, Hazel." He says gently, pulling my back against his front and kissing the top of my head.