Chapter 6
As Ethan stood there, watching the car drive through the gates, a searing pain suddenly ripped through his chest, throwing him off balance. His steps faltered, and he nearly stumbled from the intensity of the sensation. “What’s happening?” he questioned, perplexed by the overwhelming agony that engulfed him. He and Hazel had never been mated; their marriage had been a result of her manipulation. He felt no genuine emotions for her, so why was he experiencing such excruciating pain?
Confusion and unease swirled within him as he tried to rationalize the inexplicable pain. “Ethan, I’m here,” Bella’s voice called out, reaching his ears from where she stood nearby. The sound of her voice momentarily broke through the disorienting discomfort. “Right, Bella,” he muttered as he stared back at her smiling face as be walled towards him as if reminding himself of the current situation. “I have a mate now. She’s my responsibility.” He repeated the thought like a mantra, attempting to anchor himself and regain control over the unsettling turmoil that had seized him.
“Are you okay?” She asked quietly as she moved to embrace him.
“Yes, he replied curtly withdrawing from her hug. There was this emptiness he felt inside of him, he could explain it nor place his fingers on the reasons why he felt the way he did.
He cleared his throat slightly turning to leave the balcony.
Bella stared at his retracting back with a complex look on her face. Her face gradually broke into a smug and mysterious smile.
“Yes! I’ve won.” She would finally become Luna.
She grabbed her phone to make a call.
“Derrick, Hazel is gone. Ethan divorced and rejected her today.”
“Good,” he replied from the other end.
“Now all that’s left is to access your position as Luna, make Ethan get married to you.” “Yes, of course. He will.” She replied with a confident smile.
Five Months Later
Ethan sat in his car, irritation filling him as he occupied the back seat of his customized Rolls–Royce, trapped in a traffic jam. As his gaze aimlessly wandered, his eyes settled on a small coffee shop. Suddenly craving caffeine and a doughnut.
It has been months since Hazel vanished, she left, disappeared without a trace. A part of him wanted to and yearned to see her again.
In that very moment, a lady dressed in a striking red outfit exited from the shop. Her back turned to the road. He found himself staring at her back sensing a strange familiarity in her figure. A surge of emotions washed over him, causing literal goosebumps to rise on his skin, making him jolt upright and almost stumble from surprise. Without a second thought, he hastily exited the car, the cold air hitting his face made him draw in breath sharply, ignoring the chaotic traffic, driven by an overwhelming mix of disbelief and confusion. Could it actually be her? Hazel? She had disappeared from his life completely. Left immediately after the divorce, although he was remarried now, he still felt a huge gap. Like something was missing inside of him. His driver sat behind the wheels in confusion at his bosses unerrratic behavior, he parked out of the way and followed closely behind his boss.
Ethan rushed forward trying to catch up with the woman along the busy streets, she took a
turn and vanished completely from his sight blending amongst the cluster of people. He stood there tossing and turning bumping into the influx of people. Just as he turned he caught sight of her once more, he ran forward reaching out and grabbing her wrist from behind. “Hazel.” He called out breathlessly
The woman turned.
“Excuse me?” She snapped.
“Oh. Sorry. I thought you were someone, he gave a small sigh of disappointment, it wasn’t Hazel.
The woman shrugged him off and continued walking on. He stood there for long moments. “Sir, are you alright?” Adam his driver has caught up with him and asked in concern.
“Yes. He replied slowly. I made a mistake, I thought I saw Hazel.”
“The Luna?” Adam asked.
“Yes. It wasn’t her.” Ethan said turning and walking back to where the car was parked settling back into the seats.
Hazel, just where is she.” He wondered.
The car drove into his gated mansion
“It’s been five months, without a word from her Ethan said pacing around his study.
He recounted his encounter earlier that day to his Beta and best friend Christopher.
“No one knows where she is, I’ve asked neighbouring packs. She didn’t leave the country either.” Ethan said still pacing.
Christopher sat there listening to his Alpha’s musings.
“Oh please stop your whining.”
“It was you who divorced and rejected her.” Christopher snapped.
“You say you found your mate, and then you sent her away. You picked Bella over her.” Christopher said pointedly.
“What was I supposed to do? When I heard those dreadful things I completely lost it. And Hazel, I never imagined she would give up so easily, that she would sign it that very day. She didn’t even try to talk me out of my decision.” Ethan said sadly.
All his life he was used to Hazel being my him, always constantly trying to and begging for his attention. He never imagined she would have moved on so easily and disappeared from his life completely. He felt she was a nuisance, but now, he missed her presence. “What would you have had her do? You found your mate. She had to back off. She wasn’t wanted, you made it clear.” Christopher challenged.
He was on Hazel’s side, she had been a loving and loyal Luna and leader while Ethan’s actual mate Bella irked him.
“She should have stayed!” Ethan snapped.
“You got used to her being obsessed with you and you imagined she’ll stay that way fighting to remain by your side even after you kicked her away constantly? Well it’s good she knew her worth. She’ll find someone better who would love her the way she deserved.
Christopher said.
“Hey watch it.” Ethan snapped at him.
“What?” Christopher snapped back.
12:38)
“She has a large heart. But she wasn’t good enough and you tossed her away. Now, you should get over it, move on with your mate.” Christopher finished.
Ethan had gotten engaged to Bella but was still hesitant to get married to her. He spent weeks trying to find Hazel.
After she left he had felt empty. He never imagined it before and hadn’t noticed it before, but Hazel was a fixed presence, she was always constantly there for him. And now she was gone, completely gone without a trace. Without giving word of where she was or what she was up to. A part of Ethan felt pained at the thought. Her phone never turned on, she was still in the country, he was sure of that. Her international passport hadn’t been used yet. But yet she stayed completely off raider, she didn’t want him to find or see her. It only meant she was guilty. She’d indeed harmed his mate, for years Bella had, suffered he gritted his teeth in restrained rage, he was begining to feel angry again thinking about it.
Hazel had played him. But why did he miss her this much and feel empty. He sighed and relaxed back into his office chair.
