Chapter 5 Is he my mystery man

~Hazel~

I awoke to the van's bumpy ride, and an uncomfortable feeling on my back. When I tried to move, I felt a pounding in my head and some burning on my wrists.

The van stopped short and before I could understand what was happening something grabbed at me with clawed fingers.

The wolves that had thrown me in this van to begin with were now pulling me out, their laughs piercing my ears and grating against my very last nerve as I was blinded by the white hot lights shining from the van's high beams.

"Goodie, you're up," one of them jeered into my face, flashing a set of serrated sharp teeth beneath the dim glow trickling from the headlights.

His fingers sank deeper into the skin of my upper arm when he shot his arm directly through mine to drag me forward.

"Hope you didn't get too comfortable back there Sleeping Beauty because nighty-night time is gonna be a thing of the past once we show you where you're headed."

Panic bubbled in my chest, but I forced myself to keep calm.

"Please," I started to cry, my voice cracking. "You've got the wrong person. I'm no spy."

"Liar!" Another wolf snarled over me, his yellow eyes glowing menacingly in the dark. His lip curled up to reveal fangs when he spoke again.

"You expect us to believe that? You're a spy."

"I swear I'm not lying!" I cried, stumbling as they pushed me forward. My legs, still weak from the earlier attack, threatened to give out beneath me. "Just let me go!"

They only laughed, their cruel chuckles filling the night air. "Save your breath, girl," one of them said, his voice dripping with malice.

"Our alpha Orion doesn't take kindly to liars. He'll have the truth out of you before the sacrifice. And don't worry..." He leaned in close, his hot breath fanning against my cheek. "He'll enjoy breaking you to pieces before he does."

The words sent a chill down my spine, but I had no time to process them as we approached what I could only guess was our destination.

A huge pack house which was jutting out of the ground in the most terrifying way.

I was shoved roughly through an enormous entrance, filled with nothing but shadows.

We walked for a while until we got to a room guarded by two sentries who opened the door for us to enter. The room we entered was large and it took a moment for me to spot him-a man seated in the throne room in an intimidating manner.

His dark hair fell in thin, sleek layers to the sharp angles of his face, and his piercing eyes stood out against the colorless shade of his skin.

"Alpha Orion," one of the wolves said, bowing his head as we approached. "We've brought a spy."

Orion's gaze flicked to me, his expression unreadable.

"Who are you?" Orion asked lazily, his sharp eyes locking onto mine.

His gaze was like a physical weight, pinning me in place. "Another stray dragged in by my men? You know how I feel about wasting my time."

I couldn't speak, couldn't think. My mind raced, trying to place the faint memories that his scent and voice stirred in me.

It was like trying to grab smoke-tangible for a moment, then slipping through my fingers. For a brief second, an image flashed in my mind: a night two weeks ago in my former pack, a night of desperation and heartbreak. After Ryder's rejection, I'd drown my sorrow in drink, seeking comfort in a stranger's arms.

No. It couldn't be him.

I shook the thought away. The man from that night was just a faceless memory, someone I'd stumbled upon in my weakest moment. Orion couldn't possibly be the same man. Could he?

The man from the other night was also a lot more gentle, this one could shred me in pieces if I even sneezed without permission

"Answer me," he barked, his tone sharp enough to cut through my haze. I flinched, my mind snapping back to the present.

"I-I'm Hazel," I stammered, choosing my words carefully. My real name was too risky. It carried too much shame, too much judgment.

"I left my pack voluntarily to see other places, to... explore the world. But your men dragged me here."

A lie, smooth and simple. I couldn't tell him the truth-that I was nothing more than a disgraced outcast, thrown away like trash by Ryder. That I had no home, no family, no purpose. The weight of that shame was too much to bear, especially here, in front of this alpha who exuded strength and authority.

Orion narrowed his eyes at me, like he was trying to figure me out. I wondered if maybe he could see straight through me, if I would be exposed for the fraud I was. But then Orion settled back in his seat, and a grin played across his lips.

"Interesting" he drawled in a velvet, silky voice.

"So tell me, what did you hope to find on your little journey? A fairytale? Did you think you could escape something from your past?"

I looked down, suddenly unable to meet his gaze. "I'm not running," I repeated through the tremor in my voice. "I'm just... trying to find my place."

A silence fell between us; broken only by the crackling from the flames of the torches and the rustle of pants as the wolves holding me shuffled uncomfortably – unsure of how their alpha would react.

Orion rose from his throne with grace, the goblet in his hand falling to the floor as he closed the distance between us. My heart hammered against my ribs, each click of his raised boots echoing through me until I thought I'd shatter.

"My place?" he whispered, the darkness in his eyes no longer inviting. He tipped his head to one side, never breaking eye contact. "And where do you think that is?"

I stiffened, unsure how to respond. It felt as though he was seeing right through me, into all the darkest corners of my soul where I hide my secrets.

"I'm not sure," I said quietly, unable to restrain the honesty.

"Please don't hurt me. I'm not a spy as your guards claim me to be and I'm not a threat. Just a young woman who is pregnant and begging for your mercy. Please."

I prayed that it would work.

Orion stared at me for another long moment, then turned abruptly, his back to me as he addressed his men. "She stays," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

"But she's under my watch. No one touches her without my permission."

The wolves grumbled their discontent but didn't dare challenge him. As they dispersed, Orion turned back to me, his expression unreadable.

"You wanted a place, Hazel?" he said, his voice low and laced with warning. "Congratulations. You've found one. But don't think for a second that you'll be away from my sight here."

I nodded numbly, my thoughts a tangled mess of confusion and unease. What had I just gotten myself into?

And why, despite everything, did some part of me feel like I had finally found the place I was meant to be?

He pointed to a guard.

"Take her to an empty room and tell the maids to care for her."

"Thank you so much!" I said to him as I was being led out of the room.

As the guard escorted me out of the room, his grip firm on my arm, I tried to keep my head down and my face emotionless.

My heart was still racing from my encounter with Orion. His sharp eyes, the pull I couldn't explain-it was too much to process. But as we walked through the dimly lit corridors, my ears caught fragments of hushed conversations drifting through the shadows.

"The Shadowclaw pack won't stop pushing into our borders," one voice murmured.

"Orion will crush them soon enough," another replied. "They've been provoking us for too long with those ambushes."

I stiffened, my breath hitching as the words sank in. Shadowclaw. My former pack. My blood. The wolves I had grown up with, the ones who had cast me out. I clenched my fists.

If these wolves knew where I was really from, I wouldn't live to see another day.

I forced myself to breathe evenly, to keep walking as if their words didn't rattle me to my core. I couldn't risk showing any reaction, not when the slightest crack in my facade could shatter everything.

My connection to Shadowclaw had to stay buried. I was no one here. Just Hazel, a wandering outcast with no ties, no past, and no purpose.

The guard glanced at me, suspicion flickering in his eyes, but I kept my gaze forward, my expression neutral. I wasn't going to tell them anything. Let them believe I was just another stray caught in their net.

Because if they discovered the truth? That I carried the blood of their enemy? It wouldn't just be my shame I'd die for-it would be my identity.