A cool breeze brushed against Hazel’s cheeks, bringing her back to reality. The alley remained eerily quiet, with no one passing by except for Hazel, who was leaning against the wall, still trembling.


    Cyril had left after kissing Hazel, and his parting words were, “Watch your mouth.”


    “Hazel, are you satisfied with this punishment?” Rita cheered. She thought it was the best kind of punishment, making one ecstatic.


    “Perhaps,” Hazel replied, ncing at her torn underwear on the ground. Given her current state, she couldn’t return to the beach.


    “Eloise and Elmer are waiting for you toe back,” Rita continued.


    “They can take care of themselves. We need to go home now,” Hazel said, supporting her forehead. Her trembling legs reminded her of what had just transpired.


    When Hazel returned home, her grandmother was already asleep. She quietly entered her room and received a message from Eloise and Elmer, telling her to get some rest.


    Hazel took off her dress, picked up her nightgown, and walked into the bathroom, preparing for a rxing bath.


    As shey in the tub, Hazel reflected on the events that had just urred. Cyril was consumed by jealousy, and since her search for Putnam, Hazel hadn’t encountered anyone who had truly captured her heart. But everything about Cyril was alluring, and despite their constant shes, he hadn’t explicitly defined their rtionship.


    “Hey, what’s bothering you?” Rita sensed Hazel’s emotional turmoil.


    “Rita, you wouldn’t understand,” Hazel closed her eyes, unsure of how to express her feelings. The days she spent searching for Putnam had made her weary of ridicule. Did she want to go through all that again, chasing after Alpha Cyril? The disparity between them was significant, and she couldn’t ignore the fact that every werewolf had a destined mate. What if Cyril found his mate? What would that mean for her?


    Hazel considered all the possibilities, and while there was much that intrigued her about Cyril, there was also a nagging doubt.


    “You’re doubting yourself, Hazel,” Rita roared.


    Hazel got out of the bathtub, put on her nightgown, and didn’t respond to Rita. Was she indeed questioning herself? Perhaps.


    Hazely in bed, tossing and turning, when a familiar scent invaded her senses. She searched for the source of the scent. When she found the note hidden under her pillow, she furrowed her brows.


    “Would you like to see me again?”


    Another cryptic message. Hazel’s heart filled with fear. Ever since her ordeal with Bessie, she felt that her once peaceful town was now shrouded in strangeness, as though someone were manipting everything.


    How had this strange note found its way into her room? Her house was surrounded by guards, and no stranger could have slipped past unnoticed. Unless this person possessed abilities that allowed them to enter the town without being detected.


    Hazel clutched the note tightly in her hand, contemting whether she should tell Cyril. After all, he was the Alpha. But what if these notes were nothing more than a prank from someone she knew? Would she appear overly rmed? Hazel felt her brain was on the verge of exploding.


    “Nothing is more important than sleep!” Hazel ced the note in a box, deciding not to dwell on it any longer.


    The sunlight beamed down on Hazel’s face, and she shielded her eyes with her hand, wanting to continue sleeping. However, the rm clock’s ringing forced her to get out of bed.


    “Oh, damn training day,” Hazel grumbled as she rose from her bed. Her hair appeared somewhat disheveled, and her expression wasn’t very pleasant, suggesting that her sleep had been far fromfortable.


    Hazel quickly freshened up and went downstairs to have breakfast.


    “Grandma, what’s for breakfast today?” Hazel looked around the house but couldn’t find her grandmother.RêAdt??St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only


    “Is Grandma not at home?” Theo suddenly appeared behind Hazel, startling her.


    “She’s not. I have no idea where she went,” Hazel shrugged. Her grandmother was usually busy every morning, so it was unusual for her not to be at home today.


    “So, I guess we won’t be having a delicious breakfast today, right?” Theo smiled.


    “It’s quite apparent,” Hazel replied and picked up a sticky note.


    “I’ll be out for a while. Make breakfast yourselves.”


    “Okay then, a sandwich for you?” Theo had already entered the kitchen to prepare breakfast.


    Hazel burst intoughter, saying, “Of course, I have to taste a ‘Theo’ brand breakfast.” She rarely saw Theo cook, so she couldn’t miss this opportunity.


    When Theo ced the slightly burnt sandwich in front of Hazel, her facial muscles twitched, and she wasn’t sure if she could eat it.


    “My skills are limited; bear with it,” Theo said apologetically, and Hazel knew he had done his best.


    Hazel was in a dilemma, eating the sandwich meant she might end up at the hospital today instead of the training ground. But not eating it would hurt Theo’s pride.


    “Hazel, I don’t want to die,” Rita chimed in, seeing the burnt sandwich, her face filled with disdain.


    “I don’t want to die either. In that case, let’s skip it,” Hazel quickly grabbed her bag and left. Buying breakfast was a simpler option than expecting Theo to cook.


    When Hazel arrived at the training ground, she was informed that training had been canceled due to Alpha having urgent matters to attend to. Everyone was free to make their own ns. Hazel had no idea what had happened, and she hadn’t even seen Cyril.


    Eloise and Elmer approached Hazel.


    “Hey, dear, how are you afterst night?” Eloise asked mysteriously, aware that Hazel had spent the night with Alpha.


    “I’m fine, nothing special,” Hazel thought about the events ofst night, and she couldn’t disclose the details to Eloise.


    “You missed quite a showst night,” Elmerughed, unable to forget the scene fromst night.


    “What happened?” Hazel looked at the two of them, wondering if she had missed something interesting.


    “Ada and Karin had a brawlst night over a guy. Ada twisted her ankle with her high heels, and Karin emerged victorious; she’s got quite the fighting spirit,” Eloise describedst night’s events.


    Hazel raised an eyebrow. It seemed like a lot had happened after she left. If it hadn’t been for Cyril’s appearance, she might have partied at the bonfirete into the night.


    Speaking of men, Hazel remembered the mysterious man she had encounteredst night. He wore a mask and exuded an air of intrigue. But when Cyril appeared, he left, and she still didn’t know his name.


    “I’m heading to y some ball. Are you guys going home?” Elmer had his backpack on; he had ns with friends.


    “I have to help my mom today,” Eloise shrugged.


    “I don’t have anything to do, so I guess I’ll go home,” Hazel smiled and bid farewell to Eloise and Elmer.


    Hazel walked on her way back home, and from her return until now, she seemed not to have truly observed everything in the small town. Everything here appeared as it was before, yet with some changes.


    Unknowingly, she arrived at the school she used to attend. It had a new batch of students. Hazel reminisced about the days when she used to run out to y with Putnam. Those days felt like they had happened just yesterday.


    Hazel quietly slipped into the backwoods, unnoticed by anyone, something she had done many times before. Generally, no one frequented that part of the woods.


    Hazel proceeded onward, and every tree and nt in the woods seemed just as she remembered them when she left. As she neared the garden area, she spotted a figure crouched on the ground, seemingly digging.


    Hazel didn’t expect to find anyone in the backwoods. Perhaps it was a school staff member. She greeted, “Hello.”


    The next moment, the person on the ground slowly stood up and turned to face Hazel.