Chapter 28 Not a damsel in distress
Hazel laid on the bed with her hands on her nose as she kept inhaling Kael’s scent that still clung to her fingers. A warm blend of mint and something darker, something uniquely him. And every time she inhaled, the feeling she’d tried so hard to bury rose again, stronger, louder, harder to ignore but she couldn't stop herself from taking in his scent.
Her heart was at war with her mind a pretty crazy war, one she didn't think she'd be fighting so soon.
Opening her eyes, she slowly dropped her hands to the side and kept her eyes up to the ceiling.
“You shouldn’t feel like this Hazel, you shouldn’t want this”.
But she did.
Oh, she did.
And that was the worst part.
“This is too much”.
She said as she rolled and dumped her head in her pillow, flinging her legs up and down while screaming into her pillow.
A soft knock snapped her out, bringing her back to reality.
She looked up to see Cathy standing in the doorway.
Hazel cleared her throat, a bit embarrassed.
“How much of that did you see”?
She asked and Cathy answered nonchalantly.
“Enough to give me nightmares for a few days".
She said and Hazel smiled lightly before sitting up.
Cathy walked towards her and asked.
“Your new bestie is not here today”.
She said and Hazel looked at her with a face that said 'seriously'?
Cathy noticed her gaze and smiled.
“Calm down, I just wanted to apologize to her”.
She said and Hazel looked at her in shock.
“Really”?
She asked and Cathy nodded.
“I was jealous to see both of you so close. It felt like I had lost you completely but I was just overthinking things”.
She said and Hazel smiled, happy at her words.
“You know I'd never leave you, you'll always be my best friend”.
She said and Cathy looked at her, raising her pinky.
“Promise"?
She asked and Hazel nodded before entwining her finger with hers.
They both smiled at each other and the air was finally comfortable again.
Hazel then looked like she remembered something.
“Aha, you're a warrior now”?
She asked and Cathy nodded.
“Mnnn, I started working with Kael after you left. I was one of the few people he could trust to find his parents killers but no matter how much we searched, we just couldn't find them”.
She said and Hazel nodded.
After a while, she looked at Cathy and noticed something was bothering her.
“Is something wrong”?
She asked and Cathy looked at her, hesitating for a while before she finally spoke.
“We spotted someone at the southern border today, a woman and she looked exactly like you”.
Hazel’s breath stopped, the hair on her skin immediately rose, and her heart slammed into her ribs.
'Rave'.
She thought in her mind.
Cathy continued
“Kael doesn’t want you to know yet, but… I thought you should. Whoever this woman is, she could be linked to the death of his parents”.
She said and Hazel suddenly felt shivers. She immediately looked outside her window, obviously feeling Rave's presence but she didn't see anyone.
She whispered.
“You saw her”?
She asked and Cathy nodded slowly.
“She smiled at the patrol, almost like she wanted to make sure we saw her and then she just… vanished.”
Hazel’s stomach twisted painfully.
Her wolf, Dove, stirred with a low, anxious growl.
“She’s such a coward, hiding behind your face and playing tricks. Come out bitch, let's have a face off”.
Dove said angrily and Hazel's eyes opened wide.
“That's it”.
She said and both Dove and Cathy answered with a
“Huh”?
“She hasn't master all her powers yet, that's why she's still hiding”.
Hazel said with a smile and Cathy blinked severally, looking confused.
“What are you talking about”?
Cathy asked but Hazel smiled and shook her head.
“It's nothing”.
She said and Cathy nodded.
“Kael is looking for a way to keep you safe”.
She said and Hazel raised a brow.
“Keep me safe”?
She asked and Cathy nodded.
“Why would he want to keep me safe? I'm not some damsel in distress”.
She said and Cathy smiled lightly, almost like a flash smile. One that no one caught except her.
“My thoughts exactly. You've never been one to protect yourself while others risked their lives”.
She said and Hazel looked at her for a few seconds before looking into space, very seriously.
Later that night, Hazel sat alone on the bed, hugging a pillow to her chest. The moonlight spilled lightly through the curtains, washing the room in pale silver.
She didn’t hear Kael enter until he sat beside her.
“You left so suddenly earlier”.
He said quietly, keeping a bit of a distance.
“I needed time to think”.
Hazel whispered.
Kael moved slightly, his face inches from hers.
“Hazel… whatever Cathy said, don’t take it the wrong way”.
He said and she immediately jerked up.
“And what exactly am I not supposed to take the wrong way”?
She asked startling him by how serious she sounded.
“Well…”
She didn't let him speak before cutting him off.
“I can't help but feel like you say words so carelessly Kael. First you tell me you want to fight with me by your side and now… you're keeping things from me”?
He sighed.
“I have no intentions of hiding anything from you Hazel".
He said and she scoffed.
“What a joke”.
She said looking away.
“I mean it. I only wanted to be sure of his intentions and what connection he has with Rave before telling you”.
He said and she turned back to him.
“That's not how it's done Kael. You don't involve me after the job is done, we get the job done together".
She said and he went silent as he bent his head for a while before he nodded and looked back at her.
“You're right and I'm sorry”.
She looked at him for a while before replying with a calmer voice.
“I can't feed off apologies forever Kael. You need to start matching your words with actions”.
She said and turned away, laying back down.
He closed his eyes for a second, pained.
Then he moved a bit closer to her, just close enough so he could see her face a little.
“I’m trying… I’m trying not to lose you again”.
He said and Hazel closed her eyes even harder. She knew he meant well, but this is her battle too. She didn't like being left in the dark.