Chapter 4

BLACKWOOD PACK

Hazel's POV

The slaves' quarters reeked of mold and rot. Damp walls wept, and the air was so heavy it felt like it could crush me.

I curled into the farthest corner of the small, windowless room, my knees to my chest, my body aching with every shallow breath.

The stinging sensation in my cheek was a sharp reminder of Sylus's hand on my face, the fiery imprint of his anger searing into my flesh.

A constant reminder that I was no longer Luna...just another broken thing tossed aside, deprived of her rank and dignity.

The floor beneath me was cold and rough, biting into my bare skin. Every inhale brought with it the coppery tang of dried blood mixed with decay.

I couldn't tell if it was day or night anymore. Time had become a blur, just the endless dark and the faint sound of dripping water somewhere far away.

My stomach grumbled roughly, and to my realization, I hadn't had anything since I was thrown inside this dark room.

Perhaps, I thought, Sylus might relent and release me from this place. But with each passing hour, my hopes diminished, leaving me with a heavy sense of dread.

A loud clang shattered the silence. The door creaked open, the harsh light flooded the Aria's silhouette filling the doorway; tall, cruel, her boots clicking sharply against the stone.

Aria's gaze sliced through the room. Her eyes are like twin daggers, piercing me with their deadly intent.

"You can't stay here forever. Get up."

Her voice was like a whip, commanding and cruel. I hesitated, frozen by fear, and her sneer deepened.

"You heard me. Move!"

She barked, and a pair of guards stepped forward, their rough hands seizing my arms and yanking me from the floor. My limbs ached as I stumbled to my feet, the guard's grip tightening as they began to drag me out of the room.

My head spun, the darkness pressing in around me, threatening to consume me.

"Where are you taking me?" I whispered, my voice trembling as I tried to plead for mercy.

No answer.

We stopped before a large wooden door. The guards kicked it open, and Aria shoved me so hard that I hit the floor, palms scrapping against the dirty stone.

I lifted my head, only to meet a dozen eyes staring at me. Some pitied me, some feared me, but most looked satisfied. As if seeing me fall made their own misery worthwhile.

Aria's smirk cut through the air.

"Scrub the dungeons' floors. And if you miss a single spot..." Her lips curled. "You'll lick it clean."

She threw a stained cloth and a bucket of bloody water at me. My throat tightened, tears pricking my eyes, but I refused to let them fall, not in front of Aria. I gripped the bucket tighter even as my stomach let out another desperate growl.

"Hungry?" Aria's laughter echoed off the stone walls.

"Maybe if you work hard enough, you'll earn yourself a meal...just maybe."

Her boots clicked away, leaving behind her cruelty and the stench of mockery.

In the dungeons, I was surrounded by the oppressive weight of darkness. Chains hung from the stone walls like the decaying remnants of forgotten souls, their rusted links creaking softly in the damp air.

The smell of old blood and death hung heavy in the air, a rank, coppery scent that seemed to cling to my skin and hair. The ground beneath my knees was rough and uneven, making the already painful scrubbing even more torturous.

As I worked, the sound of hushed whispers and mocking laughter drifted towards me from a group of omegas. Their laughter was like a knife, slicing through the oppressive silence of the dungeon, making my ears burn with shame.

I tried to block them out, concentrating on the rhythmic scrubbing of the cloth across the floor. But the stench of the dungeon was overwhelming, my stomach churning as I forced myself to continue.

I'd scrubbed filth before. Back home, my father used to make me clean the stables till my hands bled, calling it "training." Training for what? To endure humiliation?

As I worked, a strange tension prickled the back of my neck. Someone or something was watching me from the dark. I turned sharply and found the group of omegas standing feet away, their expression twisted with disgust and amusement. One of them sneered, lips curling just enough to make me want to disappear into the floor.

I looked away quickly, but the air around me shifted, thick, pressing. My stomach knotted tighter from the smell of blood. And I fought the nausea rising in my throat.

My body was giving up, but I forced my arms to move faster. My fingers were raw, my breath shallow, yet somehow I finished.

"I'm done", I whispered to myself.

When I stood, a sudden pain shot through my ribs, sending me tumbling to the floor. My body, already weakened by lack of food, threatened to give out with each passing moment.

I heard the Omegas' laughter escalate, their mocking voices ringing in my ears. My skin burned where it scraped against the cold, hard concrete.

"That's enough!"

The dungeon fell silent. A figure appeared at the entrance to the dungeon, her silhouette tall and imposing. Even in the dim light, I recognized the commanding presence of Remi, the head maid.

She strode towards me, her eyes hard and unyielding, but her voice held a surprising gentleness.

"Are you through?"

I nodded slightly as I struggled to my feet. Murmurs rippled through the others - shock, disbelief. Even I was stunned at how quickly I had finished my own part, something the slaves would take hours to get done.

Was it Lily? The thought came unbidden, chilling me. No...it can't be. Something or someone was watching me.

"I've prepared your bath, my lady," Remi said flatly.

My lady? The title felt like a slap in the face, given my current circumstances.

Confusion and doubt warred within me as I regarded Remi. Her treatment of me was perplexing, her behavior contradictory to the harshness with which I'd been treated.

"Luna Hazel is still the Luna of the Blackwood pack, no matter what. Whoever disrespects her will face the wrath of Alpha Sylus."

My heart lurched in my chest at the mention of Sylus's name. I swallowed hard, unsure of what to make of Remi's words. Sylus had allowed Aria to throw me into the dungeons. And now she spoke of him as if he would still care about what happened to me.

Remi guided me out, her steps sharp and precise. The omegas watched me, their eyes filled with a mixture of pity and revulsion. They knew who I was, and yet they seemed to enjoy watching me suffer.

But who was I?

I felt like a prisoner, not just in this dungeon, but in my mind. I couldn't make sense of anything anymore.

When we reached my chambers, I stopped. My eyes swept across my room - the soft mattress, the clean sheets, the faint scent of lavender. It all felt... wrong.

Is this where I belong? I wondered. Or with the slaves.

The thought burned. I turned to Remi, but she was gone - vanished as quietly as she had appeared. Maybe she was just following orders. Maybe she enjoyed my shame. I couldn't tell anymore.

I sank into the bathtub, letting the warm water kiss my skin. Dirt swirled around me, but no matter how hard I scrubbed, I couldn't wash away the humiliation I felt. It wasn't on my skin - it was inside me.

I leaned back, closed my eyes, and tried to block out the aches and pains in my body, the humiliation of my situation. I longed for a glimpse of who I used to be. A strong, confident me.

But the person I was before seemed like a distant memory, a stranger I could barely recognize. Tears stung at the corners of my eyes, and my heart felt like a heavy weight in my chest.

Then, clash! A glass shattered somewhere in the room.

My heart jumped. I bolted upright, water dripping down my arms.

"Who's there?" My voice trembled with fear...and something else.

Goosebumps crawled over my arms. The air had changed - it pulsed, charged with something unseen. I'd felt it before, back in the dungeon. The same invisible gaze.

Was something watching me?

No answer came. Wrapping a towel around myself, I stepped cautiously into the room. Everything looked the same - quiet, still but the energy was off. Heavy. Someone was watching from the dark.

It wasn't Remi. She would've announced herself.

I reached for the dresser, every nerve on edge, when the air behind me shifted. A whisper brushed my ear.

"My lady..."

I spun around, pulse racing and there she was, standing right behind me.