The Alpha I meant to kill is my mate.

Chapter5

Chapter 5

Hazel's pov

I felt all eyes on me their judgment, curiosity, and suspicion pressing down like a physical weight. Dominick’s mother, Ciara, my father, my mother, every one of them was watching me, searching for cracks, for answers I couldn’t give.

I swallowed, my throat dry, my mind racing. Every instinct told me to speak, to tell the truth, but the truth was a trap I couldn’t afford. If I mentioned the Bloodstone Pack, they would demand I return. And returning… returning would be death. Alpha Desmond would never spare me. But if I stayed he would assume that I was caught and killed, and he couldn't harm my sister even if he wanted to cause she was under Dominic protection.I wasn't sure how I felt about my sister having Dominic child but I couldn't return to the bloodmoon pack, And besides… after all these years, they didn’t care. The family I had tried to protect had moved on, living their best lives while I suffered and was left to rot. I couldn’t trust them. I couldn’t give them a key to my chains again.

I lifted my head slowly, keeping my hands pressed to my cloak, my voice barely above a whisper. “The last thing I remember…” I began, forcing myself to sound uncertain, scared. “I was… attacked by some rogues. After that… I don’t remember… where I came from, or… who I am.”

The room fell silent. I could feel the tension in their eyes, the suspicion in Ciara’s stare, the cold judgment of my parents’. Every pair of eyes seemed to probe me, searching for deception.

Dominick’s hand found mine at my side, warm and grounding. His gaze softened as he looked at me, pity flickering in those steel-gray eyes. “No wonder you don’t remember your name,” he said gently, brushing a stray lock of hair from my face. His voice was steady, protective, and full of a patience I had never known.

I swallowed, trying to hold back a tremor. Dominick guided me forward, leading me up a sweeping staircase to the upper level. The halls were wide, lined with subtle modern decor, light spilling from recessed lamps onto polished floors. He stopped in front of a door and gestured for me to enter.

“This will be your room,” he said softly. “When you’re more comfortable… when you trust me enough, you can share my room. For now, this is yours.”

I nodded mutely, my hands still pressed together, my mind racing with doubts and fears.

Dominick’s gaze softened further, seeing the lingering shadows of terror and mistrust in me. “You’ve been through a lot, Hazel,” he said quietly. “We’ll take care of those scars.”

He stepped back and gave a small nod to one of the housekeepers. “Call a doctor,” he instructed. “She was attacked, and she needs to be examined properly.”

I flinched slightly, the memory of the “rogues” I had invented still raw and confusing, but Dominick’s hand found mine again, giving a reassuring squeeze. “It’s okay,” he murmured. “You’re safe here. No one will hurt you. Not while I’m around.”

I let out a small breath, leaning against him, allowing myself a momentary anchor. I still felt the weight of their eyes Ciara’s suspicion, the sharp scrutiny of my parents but Dominick’s presence made the world shrink down to just him and me.

As he guided me to the bed, gently helping me sit, I realized something terrifying and exhilarating all at once: my life had changed forever. The Alpha I had been sent to kill, the man whose power I had feared, was now my protector, my anchor, the only person I could trust.

And yet, even as I felt the comfort of his presence, a part of me stiffened, knowing that lying about my past was only the first step in surviving here. They didn’t know me. They didn’t trust me. And I couldn’t let them. Not yet.

Even as I sank into the relative safety of my room, the weight of the clearing’s stares lingered like a shadow I couldn’t shake. My body trembled not from fear alone, but from the strange, magnetic pull of Dominick. That bond, that inexplicable connection, pulsed beneath my skin, and I hated how much it made me ache.

Dominick crouched beside me, his gaze soft, commanding, unwavering. “Hazel… you’re safe here,” he murmurs but inside, my mind was a storm. My pulse thrummed, my chest tightened, and my thoughts spun uncontrollably.

Mate bond… I thought, my mind whispering the truth I didn’t want to admit. I felt Dominick. Pulling me toward him. Claiming me. Making me ache with a strange, undeniable hunger that wasn’t just physical but something deeper, primal. I had no control over it, and yet, part of me selfish, terrified, yearning wanted it.

But then reality crashed down. My sister… pregnant for him. Ciara’s earlier words, the warning I had imagined, the memory of her glare echoed in my mind: stay away. Leave.

Am I being selfish? I asked myself, gripping my knees. She’s carrying his child. He belongs to her. How can I feel this pull toward him? How can I want him when my sister… my own blood… is already tied to him?

Tears pricked my eyes, hot and unwelcome. I wanted to bury these feelings, to hide them, to pretend my body didn’t betray me. But every time I looked at him, every time I felt the warmth of his hand or the protective steadiness of his presence, the bond sang through me, impossible to deny.

Dominick had left briefly, checking on the doctor who had been delayed, leaving me alone with my thoughts, my guilt, and the relentless ache of desire I could barely comprehend.

I hadn’t realized how tense I’d become until movement caught my eye. A shadow slipping down the hallway. I squinted, heart skipping. Ciara.

She stepped lightly into the kitchen, glancing over her shoulder as if to make sure no one was watching. In her hands, she held a bright, pink dragon fruit, cutting into it with deliberate care and taking a long, unashamed bite. My stomach twisted, cold and sharp.

That… that’s impossible.

Years as a slave had taught me the rules: anyone truly carrying an Alpha’s child must avoid certain foods, certain strains on their body, even certain moments of carelessness. Spicy foods, bitter herbs, raw delicacies, anything that could endanger the baby, they wouldn’t touch. And yet here she was, biting into something vibrant and sharp, My heart raced. She’s lying.

I ducked behind the doorway, pressing my back against the wall. The dragon fruit’s bright flesh gleamed in the dim light as Ciara licked her fingers clean, completely unaware or unconcerned that I had seen her.

My mind reeled. Hazel, stay quiet, I told myself. Don’t let anyone know you saw this. But the revelation burned in my chest, mingling with the ache for Dominick and the guilt that tangled around my sister’s presence.

Even as I wrestled with the confusing, forbidden pull of the mate bond, I realized one thing: Ciara was playing a dangerous game, but my only question was whose child is growing inside her?