Chapter 5

 Next Morning~Layla’s suite

Layla paced the room, her bare feet padding against the thick carpet as she listened to the voice on the other end of the phone. Her voice was low and harsh, her tone brooking no argument. 

"Listen to me," she hissed, her nails digging into her palm. "I'm not paying you to hem and haw. I'm paying you to do a job. And if you can't handle that, I'll find someone who can."

She paused, letting her words sink in, her eyes fixed on the muted TV. "This isn't negotiable.

"I want confirmation before sundown," Layla snapped, her patience wearing thin. "If you can't deliver, I'll find someone who can."

She paused again, taking a deep breath to calm her racing heart. "And don't forget, you'll be handsomely rewarded if you do this right. I have my own another person waiting and I won't hesitate to replace you if you disappoint me."

She hung up the phone without waiting for a response, her fingers trembling with rage. 

“I have to do this if I want to enjoy my marriage with Ethan” Layla muttered 

Layla turned from the phone, her expression a mask of fury. 

"Hazel may have been the Luna, but she was weak, too soft. I won't make the same mistake."

She strode over to the window, looking out at the land that would soon be hers. 

"This pack needs a strong Alpha, a strong Luna," she whispered to herself, her voice hushed, almost reverent. "And I will be that Luna. I will be the one to guide this pack to greatness."

A twisted smile played on her lips.

**

Hazel was still sleeping when someone knocked on the door to her room 

“Lia please I’m not ready to stand up” she muttered still sleeping but the knock came in again 

She opened her eyes and realized she wasn’t in the castle anymore 

Hazel sat up with a start, her hand reaching instinctively for the knife she kept under her pillow, only to find nothing there. A dream, it was just a dream. But the pounding on her door was very much real.

"Who is it?" she called out, her voice thick with sleep. The reply came a moment later, the voice on the other side muffled but urgent.

"Ms. Hazel, it's the manager. Are you alright? We've had some reports of noise coming from your room."

Hazel shook her head, the remnants of her nightmare lingering like a fog. 

“Oh,” Hazel said, rubbing the sleep from her eyes as the events of the past few days came rushing back. "I'm sorry, I must have been talking in my sleep."

There was a pause from the other side of the door, and then a sigh of relief.

 "Thank goodness, I thought there might be something wrong." The manager's voice was lighter now, less tense. 

"Just be sure to keep it down, Ms. Hazel. We have other guests to think about."

"I will," Hazel promised, but even as she spoke, her mind was elsewhere.

The door closed, and Hazel sank back against the thin hotel pillow. Alone again, she closed her eyes, letting the events of the past few days play out like a movie in her head. The rejection, the betrayal, the pain. She didn't know how she was going to get through this, but she had to.

A deep ache settled in her chest, a place where love and hurt mingled together like a twisted knot. But there was something else there too, a small spark of defiance, of determination. She wasn't going to let Ethan, Layla, or anyone else break her.

“I need to get some clothes,” She said to herself and stood up 

The act of standing felt like defiance itself, a small rebellion against the forces that sought to keep her down. Hazel slipped into her shoes and grabbed her keys, heading out the door with a newfound purpose.

The world outside was still unfamiliar, the streets of this town a maze of unknowns. But she didn't falter, letting her feet carry her through the streets with a newfound sense of freedom. She wasn't the Luna anymore, but she was still Hazel, and that meant something.

She walked out of the hotel and headed down the street to the boutique, a strange guy was following her 

And it took a while before Hazel knew he was following her 

Hazel's footsteps slowed, her eyes narrowing as she became aware of the stranger. The air around her seemed to thicken, charged with a sudden sense of danger. 

She turned a corner, her heart hammering in her chest. The man followed, his pace relentless, his presence menacing. Hazel's hand tightened around the key in her pocket, her mind racing for a way out.

Suddenly, she ducked into an alleyway, pressing her body against the brick wall. She waited, her breath shallow, her senses heightened.

The man's footsteps echoed in the alley, his shadow growing larger as he approached. Hazel's grip on the key tightened, her mind racing for an escape.

"I know you're in here," he called out, his voice raspy, malevolent.

Hazel's heart pounded in her chest, her eyes scanning the alley for a way out. She saw a fire escape, the rusted ladder leading up to the rooftops. It was risky, but she didn't have a choice. 

She moved silently, her feet light on the ground, every instinct screaming at her to run.

Hazel reached the fire escape, her heart pounding as she began to climb. The ladder groaned beneath her weight, the metal cold and unforgiving against her palms. 

Below, the man cursed, his footsteps racing towards the fire escape. Hazel pushed herself higher, her breath coming in short, ragged gasps. The ladder seemed to stretch into infinity, the ground far below a distant memory. 

And then, she reached the top, the roof an empty expanse of concrete and silence. She had escaped, but for how long?

“Do you think you can run from me?” The man said 

Hazel froze, her blood running cold. She turned, her back pressed against the concrete parapet as she faced the man. He stood there, his eyes dark, his face twisted in a sickening grin.

"Where do you think you're going?" he asked, his voice a low, menacing purr. "The Alpha sent me to bring you back. And I always complete my missions." He lied 

Hazel swallowed, her mind racing. She knew there was no way she could outrun him. But she couldn't go back. Not now, not after everything.

Hazel saw a tiny road that could take her back to the main road, and she started running while crying 

The man was still standing not knowing Hazel was not there again 

Hazel saw a luxurious car driving toward her and she fell on the floor immediately 

The driver rushed out of the car and Hazel raised her hands up 

“Please help me” She muttered and her hand dropped 

The driver looked at her with concern, then his eyes shifted to the man behind her, who was sprinting towards them. The man's eyes were wild, his lips pulled back in a snarl. 

The driver didn't hesitate. He pulled Hazel to her feet and shoved her into the back seat of the car, slamming the door behind her. He raced around to the driver's seat, the engine roaring to life.

The man slammed his fists. against the side of the car, howling in rage, but the car was already speeding away.