AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I blink rapidly. “What?” Hazel. Grayson. The links and reminders are everywhere. I can smell him like he’s standing beside me. Mangoes. My throat squeezes closed.
Scarlet shakes her head. “That girl, she’s got to fix everything that’s broken. I can understand why, though, her story is tragic and with no happy ending. She can’t stand to see us all like this. She has a message for you.”
I tense. “I didn’t think she cared. I haven’t heard from her since the day I left.”
“Of course, I care, but sneaking away from my brother, the new dictator of Waters, is getting harder and harder. He’s impossible, I swear. But I’m here because you made them love you. And you loved them. You protected them.” Hazel says suddenly from the front door. I stare at her, confused. What are they doing here? “That kind of loyalty is rare. We are destined to be sisters.”
I shake my head, denial, confusion; I don’t even know anymore. “What’s the message, Hazel? Why are you here?”
Silas would look at her and know. He would stand beside me, his arm touching mine. A silent show of support. I miss him.
“She said to tell you she knows what you did to save them, and she knows that living without you will never give her family the happy ending they deserve. So-“ Barren glances at Hazel and obediently falls silent.
I look between them. “What are you two talking about?” I thunder.
“I challenge you to come home.” Hazel lifts her chin, glaring at me with all the superiority of her damn family line. “To see them, to stand before them and tell them how you feel. To show them what you’ve done and let them decide once and for all. The truth, Onyx, tell them the truth. You let the lies fall between you, and you didn’t fight for them,” Hazel shouts at me. “They won’t listen to anyone else. I’ve tried. You can’t let them believe a lie. If you won’t fight for yourself, fight for them, fight for their happiness.”
I stare at her, stunned. Is she for real? All I can think of is her words hitting into me over and over. Is she right? Did I give up on them? Did I give up on myself?
Missy sneaks through the gap between Hazel and the door. She grins at me and then ushers Moira through.
“Hey, hun.” Moira waves at me. I let out a cry and explode towards her. We embrace, and I hug her to hide my tears. The last time I saw her was the night I left. All the memories come back.
“I'm so glad to see you,” I say and brush a tear away.
“I've missed you, too. It’s the first weekend I could get off.”
I approach Hazel, who is glaring at me.
“Pause so I can say hello, then you can yell at me some more?”
Hazel’s frown vanishes, and she throws her arms around me.
Missy and Scarlet exchange a look and roll their eyes. “Haze, we could have handled one brief message,” Scarlet says.
“It needs to be done right,” Missy and Hazel say at the same time.
I look between the two of them. Missy pokes her tongue out at Hazel.
“She’s a control freak,” Missy stage whispers.
“You don't know what it’s like living without the ones you know are yours. I know, my pack, my scent matches are out there, they turned away from me,” Hazel says in a rough voice.
I make a sound of protest even though there’s nothing I can do. How could anyone turn away from Hazel? Moira reaches out and grabs Hazel’s hand, squeezing her fingers.
“I don’t want that for my brother. So, I’m being selfish here, Nyx. I’m being greedy. I’m going to fight whatever I have to fight to get you to go back to him.”
“It’s not them,” I say, my throat tight. “I’m a beta.”
“So?” Scarlet snaps icily. I wince and backtrack.
“So, they are rich, and-”
“Lonely, scared boys who turned into cold men surrounded by people who didn’t or couldn’t show love,” Hazel interjects. “Men who found an omega they could love and almost lost him because they didn’t know how to be a safe place for him. But you taught them with words, with gestures, with actions how to be that, but they need you.”
I shake my head in mute protest.
Hazel closes her eyes. When she speaks again, her voice is bitter. “I never pegged you for a coward, Onyx Davies.”
