Chapter 32 What is coming?
Back In the Mansion, Hazel sat beside Kael in the healer’s chamber with her arms crossed and lips pressed into a thin line. Kael was already healed, the wound from the arrow closed and gone. But Hazel still looked irritated, though he couldn’t tell if it was because he put himself in harms way, or because he had jumped in front of her like she was helpless.
Miguel quietly walked in a minute later, expression unreadable but Hazel turned, looking towards the door.
“Where’s Dona”?
Miguel cleared his throat.
“She’s… resting”.
Hazel narrowed her eyes.
“Resting? She seemed fine when she left”.
Miguel swallowed.
“She is, I just told her to get some air”.
Hazel’s suspicion deepened, she noticed Miguel couldn't even look at her properly. But Kael sat up before she could comment.
“Enough.”
Kael said, voice low. “We need to talk about what happened in the woods”.
Hazel exhaled and straightened.
Her face became serious instantly.
“She was there”.
Hazel said, tone dark.
“I saw her, but she didn’t attack us”.
Miguel frowned.
“Who”?
“Rave, my twin sister from the same source but different parents”.
Hazel said and Miguel raised a brow.
“But something felt off. She wasn’t hiding her presence, she wanted us to know she was there”.
Kael’s jaw tightened at the name.
“Her move today was pretty reckless but still calculated”.
He said and Hazel nodded.
“I thought so too. I don't think she wants to kill me that easily if not, she would have come straight for me instead of going for other people”.
Miguel leaned forward.
“Maybe she’s planning something, or maybe she’s trying to provoke Hazel”?
Hazel shook her head.
“I can't help but feel like we're missing something”.
Kael turned fully to Hazel.
“Did you sense her like you always do”?
Kael asked and Hazel hesitated before she shook her head.
“I didn't, I didn't sense her presence at all”.
She said.
“Then it might not be her at all”.
Miguel said, causing both of them to look at him.
“What are you talking about? Who else would come all the way here just to look at me”?
She asked and Miguel looked at her seriously before looking at Kael and back at her.
“You didn't know"?
He asked and she raised a brow.
“Know what”?
She asked.
“You've always been a target for supernaturals. It might be because of your powers, but they've always lurked around you”.
He said and Hazel turned to Kael.
“Is this true”?
She asked and he nodded.
“I thought you knew. Isn't that part of the reasons why you kept your powers at their minimal”?
He asked and Hazel went quiet.
“This won't do, for now, Hazel has to remain in the mansion or only go out with escorts”.
Hazel’s eyes snapped up.
“Excuse me”?
Kael knew she didn't like that, but he didn’t flinch.
“You heard me”.
“I’m not a child”!!
Hazel yelled
“And I’m not risking you”.
He growled.
Their eyes locked, tension crackling between them.
Miguel glanced between them and slowly stepped away.
He wasn't in the mood to intervene.
Hazel scoffed and looked away, refusing to acknowledge the warmth spreading through her chest from his concern.
“Whatever”.
She muttered.
Kael exhaled, relieved she didn’t argue further.
But the unease in the room didn’t fade.
Hazel finally spoke again.
“She’s planning something, something very big”.
Hazel said after a while of trying to figure out what was going on in Rave's mind and Kael nodded in agreement.
But none of them knew just how big.
Meanwhile, Rave laid calmly in her bathtub, trying to cool off her mind from the drama she was obviously enjoying.
Her eyes still glowed a faint green as she laid in the soothing water.
“You’re getting reckless”.
A voice said from the shadows.
She smiled slowly, turning toward the cloaked figure leaning against the wall, resting her hands by the side of the tub as her boobs appeared visibly from the water.
“On the contrary…”
She purred.
“I think I’m getting stronger”.
The figure stepped forward, their presence heavy and ancient.
“You risk exposing everything. You’re allowing emotions to cloud your judgment”.
Rave hissed and turned back.
“I have no emotions”.
The figure tilted its head.
“You watched her for too long”.
Rave’s fingers twitched.
“Hazel is the key, if she dies too early, everything collapses. If she lives too long, she becomes a threat. I have to time it perfectly”.
The figure circled her slowly.
“And the tribreed has grown stronger, more than we anticipated”.
It said and Rave smirked cruelly.
“She will never be strong enough, not stronger than me”.
She said as her eyes glowed even more.
The cloaked figure stopped behind her.
“You worry too much about her powers”.
Rave closed her eyes.
“I don’t worry, I prepare, prepare to take it all”.
She lifted her hand, green flames flickering around her fingers.
“With each kill, I become unstoppable”.
The figure’s voice dropped dangerously low.
“Make sure you don’t become stupid instead”.
Rave’s smile widened.
“Oh, trust me, everything is going exactly as planned. Very soon, I won't just be the most powerful, but I'll also take everything away from them”.
___
Dona stumbled into her room, closed the door, and immediately leaned her back against it as if she had just escaped a pack of wolves.
Her lips still tingled.
Her heart still hadn’t slowed.
She dragged her fingers through her hair and sank to the floor.
“What is wrong with me”?
She whispered.
“I'm… his mate”?
She didn’t want to think about the kiss, she didn’t want to think about his hands.
She didn’t want to think about the way her body responded instantly.
But she couldn’t stop replaying it.
Again, and again and again.
She buried her face in her palms.
“Get a grip, Dona…”
A knock suddenly echoed on the door.
She froze, fear shot down her spine.
If it was him, if it was Miguel, she wasn’t sure she would survive another moment.
“Dona”?
Hazel’s voice called out.
Dona exhaled sharply in relief.
She scrambled up and opened the door.
Hazel stepped in immediately, closing the door behind her.
“You disappeared after Kael got treated, are you okay”?
Dona forced a smile.
“I’m fine, just tired. It's been a while we trained”.
Hazel’s eyes narrowed slightly, studying her.
“Your face looks red”.
Dona stiffened.
“It’s the sun”.
Hazel raised a brow.
“There is no sun outside, it’s cloudy”.
Dona froze before speaking again.
“Then… the wind”?
She said and smiled nervously. Hazel folded her arms.
“Dona, what’s going on”?
Dona’s lips pressed into a thin line.
Hazel stepped closer.
“Did someone say something? Did Miguel say something”?
Dona’s heart nearly shot out of her chest.
Hazel noticed.
“Oh my goodness”.
Dona panicked.
“Did he hit you”?
She asked and Dona blushed lightly before she shook her head.
“More like the opposite”.
She had already spoken before she looked at Hazel with her eyes opened wide. Hazel also had her eyes opened wide.
“Hazel, no…”
Hazel gasped.
“HE KISSED YOU”?
Hazel said in shock
“Hazel!!”
Dona slapped a hand over her friend’s mouth, mortified.
Hazel’s eyes sparkled with mischief and a little bit of shock as she mumbled through her palm.
Dona finally removed her hand with a painful groan.
“It was nothing, he just lost control”.
Dona insisted but Hazel smirked.
“Did you lose control too”?
Dona glared.
Hazel raised her hands in surrender but didn’t stop grinning.
“Dona, the Miguel I know isn't one to just lose control. If he did that, it's only because he wanted to”.
She said and Dona was lost in thoughts.
“You deserve someone who can’t take his eyes off you”.
Dona looked away, shy and conflicted.
Hazel touched her arm.
“And I think Miguel already made his choice”.
Dona’s breath hitched.
She wasn’t sure if that made things better
or so much worse.