Torn by fate

The betrayal

After going around and collecting fake congratulations from everyone, Hazel thought that nothing could ruin the perfect day. The wedding had gone off without a hitch. It had been beautiful, and she felt like she was finally free from the pain of her past. It was her wedding night, the beginning of a new life.

But things were about to change in a way Hazel couldn’t have imagined.

The night was supposed to be perfect. Damien had promised to mark her, to claim her as his. Hazel had dreamed of this moment, the moment when she would finally belong to him. But now, as they sat on the bed together, her heart was pounding with anticipation.

“I’ll be right back,” Damien said, standing up suddenly. Hazel blinked, surprised.

“What? Where are you going?” she asked, trying to hide the confusion in her voice.

“I just need to use the bathroom,” Damien said, his tone soft but quick. Hazel nodded, trying not to let her disappointment show. She had waited so long for this moment.

He walked out of the room, leaving Hazel alone with her thoughts. Her mind was racing, and her heart was still beating fast. She couldn’t believe she was finally here, about to become Damien’s. But something didn’t feel right.

She stood up and moved to the window, looking out at the quiet night. The world seemed still, too still. Her stomach turned as an unsettling feeling settled over her.

Just then, the door creaked open. Hazel turned around quickly, expecting to see Damien—but instead, a dark figure stepped into the room.

“Who are you?” Hazel asked, her voice shaking.

The figure didn’t respond, just moved closer to her. Hazel’s heart raced, and she backed away, panic rising in her chest.

“Stay away from me!” she shouted, her hands trembling.

But the figure was too quick. Before she could run, they grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward the bed. Hazel screamed, kicking and punching, but the figure was too strong.

“Help! Damien!” Hazel cried, her voice breaking. But the room was silent, and there was no answer.

The figure shoved a cloth over her nose, and Hazel’s body went limp. Her vision blurred, her mind faded, and she lost consciousness.

***

When Hazel woke up, everything felt wrong. She was lying on a cold, hard floor, her body aching. She blinked, trying to focus. The room around her was dark and damp, nothing like the warm, safe space she’d left behind.

“Where am I?” she whispered, sitting up with effort.

She looked around and froze. There, standing in front of her, were the people she’d once trusted. Selena. Lady Celeste and Damien. What was going on

Hazel’s breath caught in her throat. “Damien?” she asked, her voice trembling.

He didn’t say anything. He just stood there, his face blank.

Selena laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. “You’re so naive, Hazel,” she said, her eyes cold. “Did you really think he cared about you? Did you really think you were special?”

Hazel’s heart sank. “No… it’s not true, what's going on” she whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

Damien finally spoke, his voice colder than she’d ever heard it. “It’s true, Hazel. I never loved you. I married you for power. You were nothing but a means to an end.”

“No…” Hazel’s voice was barely a whisper. She couldn’t breathe.

“You think I would mark an omega like you? A child of a traitor?” Damien said, his voice harsh. “You were always just a tool for me. I needed you to secure my power, to protect my pack. I need your soul”

Hazel’s heart shattered as the words sank in. The man she had trusted, the man she thought loved her, had been using her all along.

“Why… why would you do this?” Hazel gasped, her chest tightening with pain.

Damien didn’t answer. Instead, he turned away from her, his back to her as if she was nothing.

“This is over,” he said coldly. “We’re done.”

Hazel felt a wave of despair wash over her. “No… please, Damien, don’t leave me like this…”

But he didn’t care. He had already made up his mind.

Suddenly, a dark mist began to fill the room. It was thick and suffocating, and Hazel could feel it tugging at her. She tried to move, but her body felt heavy. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized what was happening.

The smoke twisted, coiling around her like a snake. “No…” Hazel cried, her voice filled with fear. “Please, someone… help me!”

The mist reached out for her, its cold touch sending shivers through her body. She could feel her soul being pulled, her very being slipping away.

“Please!” she cried again, her voice breaking. “Someone, help me! I don’t want to die!”

Selena laughed again, her voice mocking. “No one’s going to save you now, Hazel. You were always just a pawn in our game.”

The mist continued to circle around her, its grip tightening. Hazel’s body was shaking with fear, and she thought she might faint from the terror.

But then, something changed. Hazel felt a strange pull, like a thread deep inside her, tugging at her heart. Her breath caught in her throat. What was this feeling?, was her soul really leaving her body?.

Somewhere far away, in a distant land, an alpha woke from a deep, unnatural sleep. His eyes snapped open, his heart racing with a feeling he couldn’t explain. He felt a pull, a connection, as if something—someone—was calling to him.

He gasped for air, his chest tight, and his mind raced. There was a pain in his chest, a hole that he couldn’t explain. And then, through the fog in his mind, he heard it.

A scream. A cry for help.

He had to go to her.

***

Hazel was barely conscious as the dark mist surrounded her, its cold fingers clutching at her. She let out one final cry for help, her voice echoing in the silence.

But as the mist closed in, Hazel heard something—footsteps.

Someone was coming.

A shadow appeared in the doorway, but Hazel could barely see who it was. Her vision blurred, and she felt herself slipping into darkness.

Who was that? Was the last thought she had before everything went black.