12:40
Chapter 15
Hazel
Ever since our arrival, a gnawing unease has been tormenting me, and my stomach feels like it’s twisted into knots. My grip on my childrens hand is white–knuckled.
I murmur to myself, “Breathe, Hazel,” struggling to stay calm. The vulnerability of being out in the open with my children makes me nervous. All I can think about is reaching the house Noah found for us. My little bundles of joy are excited, but the crowded environment could easily lead to them getting lost.
As we collect our luggage, my heart sinks when I realize two of our bags are missing. With a heavy heart, I instruct my children, leaving them by the bags we’ve managed to locate in a corner of the airport, a waiting area.
“Stay right here. Don’t go anywhere, and look after each other.” I instructed.
Still consumed by unease, I can’t help but glance back repeatedly to where they’re sitting until they vanish from my sight, leaving a pit of dread in my stomach.
What feels like an eternity passes as we finally find the missing bags. Just then, a strange aura envelops the area, and I sense a shift in Liam’s mood a storm is brewing.
The last time this happened, it was when Daisy was badly hurt. Panic consumes me as I think of my children. “My babies!” I rush back to the waiting area, ignoring the airport staff. Hoping and praying they are still there, I frantically scan the area, losing my composure. The seats are empty, only the bags and some scattered sweets remain on the floor, as if they left in haste or were taken forcibly.
“Oh no, God, no,” I think to myself, imploring any higher power for help. I scan the area, my mind and head spinning. This is a nightmare. Liam’s mood deteriorates, and my children are in danger. I shouldn’t have left them for even a moment.
“Help! My kids are missing–twins, a boy and a girl, about this tall, with dark hair,” I desperately explain to a security guard I find.
“Alright, ma’am, we’ll find them. Don’t worry,” he assures me.
I leave the area but continue searching, combing through the floor. My phone rings, interrupting my frantic thoughts. I grab it, hoping someone has found them and called me. I made sure Liam and Daisy memorized my phone number.
“Noah! Noah, I lost them!” I yell into the phone, tears welling up.
“Calm down, Daisy. I’m also at the airport; I came to pick you guys up. Where exactly are you?” Noah asks, his voice steady.
I look around and reply, “Arrivals.”
In a matter of minutes, Noah finds me. “Calm down, we’ll find them. I can’t sense their presence. It’s like there’s some kind of block, or they’ve left the premises,” he says, his concern evident.
I understand what he means; this is why I’ve been so afraid. There’s an aura block, and I can’t sense or scent my kids.
“Let’s split up,” he suggests.
“But what if someone took them? What if I never see my kids again? This place is enormous; someone might have taken them,” I cry out, breaking into sobs. Those kids are
my entire world.
“Liam’s a smart kid. He’ll take care of his sister. There are cameras everywhere. We’ll find them. I’ll go talk to the security unit to check the cameras. What were they wearing?” I provide him with the details.
“They’re fine. We’ll find them,” he assures me, squeezing my hand lightly before walking off to locate the security unit.
“Excuse me, have you seen two kids, a boy and a girl, about this tall, one in a sundress and the other in a blue sweatshirt?” I ‘inquire of people passing by. Most politely shake their heads.
“A girl and a boy. They look similar, right? Twins,” a middle–aged woman says, approaching me from the opposite direction!
“Yes! You’ve seen them?” I ask hopefully.
“Go back that way; I spotted them from the stairs,” she advises before walking away.
I hastily climb the stairs she indicated, which offers a better view of the area. My heart is pounding as I scan the place, desperate for any sign of my children.
My phone vibrates, and I answer it in a rush. “I’ve found them; they’re on the ground floor.” Noah said from the other end.
In that moment, I spotted Daisy squatting down with Liam at a distance, and a wave of relief washed over me as I frantically waved to them. However, my relief swiftly transformed into dread when I sensed the aura of the man standing before them. They were surrounded by a group of individuals, all dressed in suits, emanating a dangerous and enigmatic aura that sent shivers down my spine. I knew I had to get my kids away from those people.
Panic took hold of me, and I sprinted back in the opposite direction, bounding down the stairs two steps at a time. My mind raced, desperately trying to communicate with Liam, “Liam, get away from those people,” I implored through our link.
As I drew nearer, I noticed Liam’s teeth bared, but as soon as he saw me, he visibly relaxed. Just as I was about to reach them, I froze in my tracks. I recognized that back view, and the scent was all too familiar. Yet, it had changed; it was both familiar and tainted with a dangerous and unsettling unfamiliar aura.
“Mommy!” Daisy yelled, running toward me, snapping me out of my stupor.
Goddess, it couldn’t be! The man turned to face me, and my heart sank. “Hazel?” he called out in confusion.
Time seemed to slow down as the realization hit me like a ton of bricks–this was Ethan. My first love, my ex–husband, and the father of my twins! The last person I ever wanted to see again.
“Hazel?” Ethan asked once more still rooted to the spot.
I stared at him, taking in his more mature appearance and the menacing change in his aura. He exuded danger, and a faint scent of blood lingered around him, a stark contrast to the man I once knew. This was Ethan, but it wasn’t him; he had transformed completely.
“Mommy, do you know this man?” Liam asked, glaring in his direction.
“Mommy?” Ethan asked, his gaze shifting from Liam to me. Those eyes that I had been once deeply in love with and still harbored a strange attraction to had turned cold, the eyes of a predator, an Alpha.
“Leave us,” he ordered the group of men who appeared to be his entourage. Their departure
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was immediate, leaving me alone with the man I never wanted to encounter again.
I silently urged myself to breathe, attempting to calm the irrational pounding of my heart. “Yes, honey. I know him,” I replied to Liam with a forced smile.
“They’re your
kids?” Ethan asked, launching himself toward us suddenly.
“You had kids?” he inquired once more.
I pulled them both behind me, forming a protective barrier. He looked at them possessively, as though he believed they belonged to him.
“Surprised?” I challenged, stepping closer to him. “You’re married, right? You found your mate. Is there some unwritten rule that says I couldn’t move on with someone else?” I inquired, my head held high, and my fists clenched at my sides.
“How old are they?” Ethan demanded, moving closer to get a better look at the children.
“What?” I replied, taken aback.
“How old!” he bellowed.
“What’s it to you?” I shot back, my voice quivering slightly.
He glared at me suspiciously. I had to dispel any doubts he had about them.
“You surely don’t think they’re yours, do you?” I asked with a scoff, challenging his -assumptions. He gave me a complex look.
“I took a pregnancy test before our rejection and divorce. Remember that?” I pressed further. “It was negative.”
His expression shifted to one of realization; I was right. He looked almost disappointed, almost crushed. He remembered, and it was true–I wasn’t lying.
His eyes softened as he turned back to me. “How have you been?” he asked in a hoarse voice. Before I could respond, a voice interrupted us.
“Hazel! Hazel!” Noah called, rushing over. “Are the kids alright?”
“Dada Noah!” Daisy cheered, running into his arms. Even Liam, who usually remained composed, jumped on him.
Noah squatted down, showering them with kisses before lifting them up in his arms. They giggled and squealed with delight. I couldn’t help but smile brightly at the sight; my children’s laughter and voices were pure and innocent, a welcome contrast to the chaos. surrounding us.
Noah walked over and gave me a kiss on the cheek. “Hey, mama,” he said with a smirk. “Where did you guys go? You made me and your mom very worried, you know?” he scolded gently.
“Sorry, Mama and Dada,” Daisy chimed in.
“Boss,” a man called, approaching Ethan. He whispered something in his ear, and Ethan turned to walk away with him. He glanced back at us one more time, with an unreadable expression before finally departing, leaving me with a sense of relief, I hadn’t realized I was holding my breath
I let out a sigh and turned my attention back to my children. “I lost the magic pebble, but I found it,” Daisy explained.
“Is that why you left, even though I told you not to?” I asked Liam.
He appeared distracted, still fixated on Ethan’s retreating figure. “Liam?” I called out,
following his gaze.
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“Yes?” he replied, finally breaking his focus.
When Ethan disappeared from our sight, he turned back to answer me. “Yes, Mommy?” “You left to find Daisy’s pebble?” I asked once more.
“Yes,” he answered with a nod.
“Hey, my favorite kids,” Chloe greeted, walking toward us. She hugged the twins, gave Noah a fist bump, and then enveloped me in a warm hug.
“What took you so long?” I asked.
“The road was completely blocked. Some important guy was returning to the country or something, so they blocked it,” Chloe explained with an eye roll.
“Really?” I replied, raising an eyebrow.
She shrugged. “He must be pretty important.”
“Let’s go to your new house. It’s really pretty, with a large balcony,” Chloe said, her eyes lighting up as she turned to Daisy.
“Noah helped get the house,” I added.
“It was nothing. Anything for you guys,” Noah replied with a friendly smile.
A uniformed man wheeled our luggage over to us. “Here, ma’am,” he said.
“Oh, thank you very much,” I replied.
Noah took charge of the luggage, leading the way out of the airport building to the parking lot. Chloe and Daisy chatted animatedly, while Liam remained quiet, his thoughts seemingly occupied.
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