Hazal:
I was fast asleep in my bedroom, dreaming about my failed life, when the door burst open and warm hands shook me awake.
“Hazal, Hazal! Miss Anna is calling for you again.” Emily yelled, and I groggily opened my eyes, disoriented.
“What? Where?”
“I don’t know, Hazel. She’s not in her room. She’s waiting for you in the basement,” Emily replied worriedly. I sat up, my heart racing.
“The basement? Why would she want to meet me there?” I questioned, and Emily hesitated.
“She said something about her apologising for taking your dress and offering you another one.”
My eyes widened in surprise. “Another dress? Why would she do that?”
What did Anna want from me now? And why was she being so nice all of a sudden?
Emily shrugged. “I don’t know, Hazal. But be careful, okay?”
I nodded slowly, threw off my covers, and followed Emily out of my room, my senses on high alert.
As we walked, I couldn’t help but notice how beautiful she looked in her dress for the mating ball. “Emily, your dress is stunning! You look amazing,” I complimented her, trying to hide my own sadness.
“Thank you, and I hope Miss Anna makes it up to you,” Emily said, hugging me. I could sense her concern.
“I hope so too,” I muttered, letting her go. With a sad smile, she walked in the direction of the kitchen.
I let out a long sigh as I moved down the dark basement alone. My wolf began to howl in my head, urging me to run away.
“What’s wrong?” I asked silently.
“I don’t like this, Hazal. Something feels off. The basement feels dark,” my wolf responded, and I took a deep breath and tried to calm her down.
“I know it feels weird, but I can’t disobey Anna. Maybe Emily’s right, and Anna really wants to apologise and give me another dress for the mating ball.”
My wolf snarled in disbelief, but I pushed on, trying to convince myself that everything would be okay. As I descended into the basement, the darkness seemed to swallow me whole, and the creaking of the stairs beneath my feet echoed through the deserted hallway.
Reaching the bottom, I paused, my eyes straining to see in the dim light. My hands trembled slightly, and I clenched them into fists to steady myself.
I couldn’t shake off the feeling that my wolf was right. Something did feel off, and Anna’s sudden change of heart might be a ruse.
I turned to a corner, and my eyes locked onto a figure standing by the door. Anna. But something was different. I had expected her to be wearing the stunning dress she had forcefully taken from me, but instead, she wore a black garment that seemed to swallow her whole. The fabric was taut across her body, accentuating her slender frame. A black glove covered her hand, giving her an ominous appearance.
Her smile was the only thing that seemed familiar, but even that seemed twisted, like a grotesque parody of her usual charm. The gleam in her eye was sinister, sending a shiver down my spine. I slowed my pace, my heart racing with fear.
“Hazal,” she said, her voice low and husky. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
The way she said my name sent a chill down my spine. It was as if she was savouring the sound, enjoying the power she had over me. I tried to speak, but my voice caught in my throat. My eyes were fixed on the black glove, wondering what she had planned.
As I stood there, Anna’s smile grew wider, and she gestured for me to come closer. “Hazal, I’ve been feeling terrible about what happened. I want to apologise and make things right,” she said, her voice dripping with fake sincerity. “And I want to return your dress. It’s only fair.”
I hesitated, my wolf howling in warning to stay away, but Anna’s words seemed genuine. I took a step forward, and Anna’s eyes gleamed with excitement. “Come on in, Hazal. Let’s talk.”
I entered the room, and Anna’s smile grew even wider. Before I could speak, I suddenly hissed in pain, feeling a hard hit on my head, and everything went black. I crumpled to the ground, unconscious, and the last words I heard were, “That was easier than I expected.”
*****
I slowly opened my eyes; the blurry vision cleared, revealing Anna sitting on a chair before me. My head throbbed, and my mouth felt dry. I tried to speak, but my voice came out in a weak whisper.
“You’re awake,” she said, leaning forward with a predatory grin. “Good. I was starting to get bored.
“W-what’s going on? What are you going to do with me?” I asked, struggling to free myself, but I realised I was tied to a chair, my arms and legs bound securely. Panic set in as I noticed the chair was anchored to the wall, leaving me helpless.
“Don’t bother trying to escape, Hazal,” she She laughed; the sound was cold and menacing. “You won’t be leaving this place anytime soon.”
Her words sent a jolt of fear into my veins. I tugged at the restraints, but they only seemed to tighten.
“You should have stayed out of my way, Hazal. Now, you’re just a pawn in my game.” Anna’s smile faded, replaced by a cold look, and I felt a lump form in my throat.
“What game? What do you want from me?”
Her eyes narrowed, and she stood up, towering over me, her eyes glinting with excitement. “You’ll find out soon enough. But for now, let’s just say you’re going to be my little secret.”
“Please, let me go. I am nothing but a lowly omega compared to you,” I tearfully screamed, and Anna’s laughter echoed through the room.
“Oh, Hazal, you are not as gullible as I had expected. For that, I will tell you my plan. I snuck into Adrian’s room at midnight to see if I was his mate, as I had confidently thought, but his wolf didn’t even flinch or recognise a bond. He just kept sleeping like a dead man. My wolf confirmed it too, saying we are not his mates.” She said that, and a small smile tugged at my lips.
I couldn’t believe that, despite being tied to a chair and facing death, I was happy that she wasn’t Adrian’s mate. I couldn’t dare dream or hope of becoming his mate, but I was just glad that she didn’t have him. This gave me a small confidence boost, and I struggled against the restraints, pushing away my fear.
“Again, what does that have to do with me?” I repeated, and Anna frowned in displeasure at my words. She looked at me with a hard glare. “Well, I need to make sure you’re not his mate, Hazal. And to do that, I need to keep you here, locked up, until my plan is successful.”
Me, his mate? A lowly omega? Impossible.
“You’re only wasting my time and yours. I am not his mate either. How can an omega be a mate to an alpha? That’s fucking ridiculous,” I yelled. She scratched her chin thoughtfully.
“You are right, but I still need you here, locked up, so that you don’t ruin my plan. If you behave, I’ll let you go afterward. But for now, let’s just say that I’ll do whatever it takes to get what I want. And if that means keeping you prisoner, then so be it.”
I screamed and thrashed against the restraints, but they only seemed to tighten. Anna laughed louder, enjoying how I was trapped at her mercy. The worst part was that I had no idea what she had planned for Adrian.
I watched in horror as Anna walked to a dress stand and put on the same green-blue dress that Adrian had given me, the one she had stolen from my room. She applied makeup, her eyes gleaming with a sinister intensity.
“Soon, everyone will be calling me Luna Anna. No longer just Miss Anna. The disrespect will soon stop. And you, Hazal, will be nothing but a forgotten memory in Adrian’s mind.” She smirked at me while I scoffed in disbelief at her plan.
The b*tch was planning to impersonate me to win Adrian’s heart. But what if he had already found his real mate at the party? Hadn’t she thought of that?
“No, Anna, you can’t do this! Adrian will never fall for it!”
“Oh, but he already has, Hazal. He’s already fallen for me. And soon, the entire pack will bow down to me, Luna Anna.” Her words sent chills down my spine.
She was mad, consumed by her own ambition. And I was trapped, helpless to stop her.
“Your plan won’t work, Anna! Adrian’s mother, the Luna, is smart and will stop you!” I spat out the words, and Anna’s face twisted in rage. She lunged at me, her fist connecting with my face. I felt a burst of pain and tasted blood as I spat it out.
I glared at her, my heart burning with defiance. “You’ll never be Luna, Anna. You’re just a fraud, a pretender. And Adrian will never love you, no matter how hard you try.”
Anna’s face turned red with anger, and she raised her hand to strike me again. I braced myself for the impact, but it never came. Instead, Anna’s eyes flashed with a sinister light, and she leaned in close, her voice dripping with malice.
“We’ll see about that, Hazal. We’ll see who the true Luna is.” She walked to the door and paused.
“And if you try to escape, you’ll be killed. Don’t even think about it, Hazal.” With that, she turned and left me alone in the dark, cold room. I was left to my tears, my body shaking with sobs. I felt so weak and helpless. I wondered if this was the end for me and if I would soon be joining my family in death.
I sat there for what felt like forever, bowing my head in defeat. Just as I was about to lose hope, I heard a loud crash, and the door burst open. Smoke filled the room, and I coughed, my eyes burning. But as the smoke cleared, I saw a figure rushing towards me.
It was Luna Ruby, her face etched with a sad smile. “Hazal, I did it. I’m so proud of you for being strong.”
I felt a surge of relief and gratitude as she reached me, her arms enveloping me in a warm embrace. I felt safe, finally. I knew I was going to be okay.