Chapter 4

Hazel's POV

The next morning, I woke up to an empty bed.

For a second, I thought maybe last night had been a dream. Maybe if I reached out, Blaine would still be there, lying beside me and breathing evenly in his sleep.

But the sheets were cold. He was really gone.

I stared at the empty space in front of me. Had he gone to her again?

When I had left the hospital, Eloise had been coughing blood. Blaine must have gone back to her this morning.

Of course he had. That was how it had always been.

Eloise, the orphan girl people pitied, loved and protected. The girl my parents had taken in and raised as their own. She had gone from having nothing to living as a daughter of an Alpha. People adored her because she was cute. They treated her like a little sister, cherished her in ways I had never quite understood.

At first, Blaine had been the same as the rest: kind, protective and treating her like any younger sibling. But then, slowly, things changed. The more time they spent together, the less time I had with him. The more he looked after her, the less he looked at me.

And now, I had no doubt where his heart truly belonged.

My wolf Mae growled lowly in my head. She had never liked Eloise. Never trusted her. I didn’t know if it was jealousy or something deeper, but for once, I agreed with her. Because how could a man abandon his pregnant wife to be with her fake sister?

I let out a slow breath, trying to push the thoughts away. My head was already heavy enough from last night.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts. Luna Astra opened the door and stepped inside. She smiled when her eyes fell on me.

“You’re awake,” she said, stepping closer. “How are you feeling?”

I pushed myself upright. “I’m fine.”

Her eyes roamed down to my cheek, where the slap had landed last night. I knew she had noticed the red welt on it.

“Blaine isn’t here,” she said after a moment.

“Yes, I figured.”

“He went to handle rogue issues with his father.” She hesitated. “That’s why he wasn’t here when you woke up.”

I laughed softly. “You don’t have to make excuses for him, Luna.”

“I’m not.” Her voice was soft. “I just thought you should know.”

She knew already. She knew exactly what I was thinking, what had been weighing on my mind since I opened my eyes.

“Rest,” she said. “Stay safe. Stress isn’t good for you or the twins.”

"How did you know..."

"I got the tests this morning."

I breathed out slowly, nodding. She turned to leave but stopped at the door and turned back to me. “I’m sorry,” she murmured.

I frowned. “For what?”

“For Blaine not showing up yesterday.”

A bitter chuckle escaped my lips. “Oh, he showed up.” I replied. “Just not for me.”

Luna Astra didn’t respond, but the sadness in her eyes told me she understood. When she finally left, I sat there in silence.

I shouldn’t care. I shouldn’t expect anything from him anymore, since I had decided to renounce him. But still, I longed for him. I picked up my phone, staring at the screen for a long moment before typing a message.

‘Be careful.’

I hovered over the send button, then pressed it. Seconds passed, then minutes, and I got no reply. I set the phone down, as emotion built in my throat.

I shouldn’t be surprised, and I wasn’t.

*********

The entire day dragged by slowly.

I had heard whispers from the guards in the pack house that the rogue attack was dangerous. Too many of them, too strong and too organized. It wasn’t just a simple patrol issue. Some even said the pack warriors might not make it back.

Might not make it back.

I wrapped my hands together as I sat in our shared bedroom, trying to push away the thought. Despite my hatred for what he was doing with my sister, I wanted him to be safe.

Blaine was strong. He had faced worse before. But still, I felt doubtful.

What if this time was different? What if...

Someone knocked on the door, and I glanced up. A maid peeked inside, bowing slightly. “Luna Hazel, should I prepare Lady Eloise’s room for when she returns?”

Right, of course. She had been staying here before she left. I forced a nod at the maid. “Yes.”

“I can go clean it now, Luna. Would you like to check if anything needs changing?”

I hesitated. I had never stepped foot in Eloise’s room. We had never been the kind of sisters who shared everything. Not for years, at least. We used to be close, but everything changed when Blaine came into our lives. 

The maid was looking at me expectantly. "Luna Hazel?"

“Alright,” I murmured. “I’ll come with you.”

Before leaving, I picked up my phone and typed out another message to Blaine: ‘Are you okay?’

Still no response.

With a deep breath, I followed the maid down the hall. We stopped in front of the door and she pushed it open. I stepped inside, expecting nothing unusual. But the moment I looked around, shock made me go mute

The room was very neat; Eloise had never been a slob. Everything was arranged just right, like someone had taken extra care to keep it perfect. But that wasn’t what made me feel sick.

The maid walked over to the closet and pulled it open, and I gasped.

The dresses!

Row after row of them, lined up neatly, dresses that looked exactly like the ones I had in my closet. Not similar, not close, the very same. Same cuts, same colors, same fabrics. Some I had bought just recently.

I took a slow step forward, reaching out to touch the fabric. Why did she have these?

I turned away and moved toward the dresser. A small collection of makeup sat on the surface. I scanned the products and my mood dropped even more

They were the same, the exact same ones I used. Even the perfumes on the dresser were the exact same as the ones in my room. This wasn’t normal. I glanced at the maid, but she was busy straightening the bed, unaware of what I was going through. 

How long had this been going on? How long had she been trying to mimic my scent to get Blaine to fall in love with her?

What the hell was going on?