Chapter 27 27
Hazel’s POV
By the time I woke up that morning, the sun was already up in the sky. I raised my head slowly. It took a while before I remembered that I was now in a different pack. I had fallen asleep while trying to take care of Draven who suddenly passed out last night.
Draven's breath was steady. His chest heaved up and down. I wondered if he had regained consciousness while I was asleep. The curtains were parted to the sides to allow fresh air into the room. I stood up and yawned.
I wish he was awake. There was nothing to do in the pack where I knew no one. The physician soon stepped into the room. He walked straight to Draven without bothering to say any greetings to me.
"How is he?" I asked Noah. "He should regain consciousness before the day ends," he said, barely moving her lips.
I nodded my head. After spending some time with Draven checking how he was, he left. Once again, I was in the room with Draven. I sat on the stool close to the bed. I wished he would open his eyes.
Aside from the fact that I was worried about him, I was also worried about myself. How would I introduce myself if I was asked who I was? The mating ceremony was so sudden and no one truly knew who I was.
I kept my eyes fixed on Draven's face. Although he was unconscious, he was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. Slowly, I moved my hands to trail his face, from his nose to his lips.
My finger lingered on his lips as I imagined them locked on mine. "Put yourself together, girl," I scolded myself in my head and retracted my hands.
Just then, I heard a loud murmuring outside. I stood up and stepped out. I came face-to-face with some wolves. More than ten men were standing outside Draven's room.
"Who are you?" They asked immediately, and I stepped out. My eyes widened. This was just what I was worried about.
"Why are you in the room with our Alpha?" "Do you have anything to do with him being unconscious?" They threw one question over the other without allowing me to respond.
My already-beaten heart accelerated. 'What was I going to do?'
They all had their eyes trained on me. "Let's move to the sitting room and not disturb the Alpha," the oldest wolf among them said. We moved to the sitting room. I walked slowly behind them. One hand over the other.
I tried to keep my heart in control. It wasn't like I did anything wrong. I stood in the middle of the room while they all sat down. I wished Draven would wake up and defend me.
"Could you please introduce yourself?" One of the men asked. I inhaled a scent of breath. "I am Hazel, the daughter of Alpha Dorian." I quickly corrected myself. I didn't think it would be right to tell them I was the Luna of a pack so soon.
"And how did you meet the Alpha?" Another asked. How was I supposed to answer such a question? I couldn't say I had met him when I was released from Heichen Prison, or could I?
"We met in my pack for the first time," I said. They didn't seem satisfied with my answer. "He came for a business."
"Then what happened?" One of the men asked. His tone was strict. His brows creased into a frown.
"Well, young lady, do not be angry," the oldest man among them began. He seemed to be given a lot of respect by the others in the room, and that left me wondering what his position in the pack could be.
"We have to ask these questions because it is only right. When our Alpha returned the pack, he was strong and healthy, only to be unconscious after the mating ceremony," he said.
I nodded. I wasn't angry, just a little tense. I knew I was going to be questioned but didn't think it was going to be intense. "I completely understand," I said to the man. I am a bit relaxed now.
At least someone was ready to listen to me and try to understand. He didn't sound as if he was judging me or was ready to throw me into a dungeon or something.
"Tell us more about the situation you encounter; as members of the pack, we would like to know what happened to our Alpha," the old man said.
My eyes almost bulged out of their sockets. I thought we had already settled it. I fidgeted. One hand against the other, trying to keep myself calm. I became the centre of attention one more time.
They pinned me to the ground with their gaze, and I felt shivers coarse through my veins. "Well, that is," I began. I took a deep breath, my eyes moving from one person to another before finally settling on the oldest man.
"Well," I contemplated telling them about my pregnancy, but then I would have to tell them about being the Luna of a pack, and I wasn't ready for that.
Before I could continue my statement, a man in a black suit rushed in. He stood in front of the men in the sitting room, one hand on his legs as he tried to steady his breath. "Mark, is there any problem?" The oldest man asked.
"Yes. I just got a message from Jason; he said to prepare as there will be an attack on the pack," Mark said. "What?" The old man stood up.
There was murmuring in the room. "Sam, what do we do?" One man asked from among the men.
"I don't know what to do; now the alpha is unconscious, Noah is nowhere to be found," he sighed and continued, "I don't know what to do about this. Protection of the pack is the duty of the Alpha," he said. It was clear that he was distressed.
And now, as the older member of the pack, he was the one that was looked up to. "Call Noah; we have to know when he will be regaining consciousness." They seemed to forget that I was there with them.
I had no problems with it, though, and quietly stepped to the side. Noah soon came, hurrying down the stairs. She stopped in front of the men and bowed a little.
"What's wrong? When. Will the alpha be able to join us?" Sam asked. "He should be okay by this evening," she said.
"What caused him to lose consciousness?" They asked him. "Well, that would be the Alpha’s place to say.” Noah said.
Memories of yesterday's event flooded my mind. Draven had tried to perform the ritual and I had passed out. Maybe it affected him that’s why he passed out too. I knew that was what made him weak, but hearing what happened within his body, I didn't know what to feel.
This was all because of me; I felt guilty towards everyone. I knew about how war can affect a pack more than anyone. And I’ve heard so many stories about Alpha Zac, he loves war and blood; he wasn't scared of wars and was always the one that initiated wars.
I didn't know much about Draven, but I could tell he was a peaceful person. I tucked some loose strands of hair behind my ears. I wondered if there was any way to help.
"We have to wait for the Alpha to regain consciousness, don't you get it?" Sam's loud voice jolted me out of my reverie. Noah was no longer standing in the room. I guessed he must have gone back inside.
"I don't think we have to; the king already has an arranged mate. She’s strong and also knows the workings of the pack. Why should we wait when she's already like the Luna of the pack?" my eyes almost blasted out of their socket.
"Draven already had arranged mate." I asked within. Then what about me? "Why do I feel like you are only saying this because Debbie is your daughter, Morris?" Sam asked with obvious displeasure in his voice.
"I am doing it for the best of the pack. My daughter will be Luna sooner or later, and she will do tasks like this for the pack, which should be normal," Morris said.
"There is a huge difference between being a Luna and being a Luna. Please take note of that," Sam said. Morris seemed to have given up trying to persuade him.
"If even the real Luna cannot help us, who can?" A man at the back asked. I stepped out. "I'll help you," I said.
All eyes moved to settle on me. "And why do you think you are qualified to even voice your opinion here? You are nothing but a stranger; who knows if you are a spy?" Morris asked.
"I think I have a right to speak in this gathering," I muttered. "Why?" Sam asked.
"Because I am carrying Draven's child," I said. My statement was followed by recurring gasps.