Zelda's eyes widened in disbelief, and for a moment, she stood frozen, staring at Hazel as if she'd seen a ghost.
"H-Hazel?" Zelda stammered, her voice quivering with shock. "Is that you?"
Hazel managed a faint smile, tinged with uncertainty. "Hey, Zelda. Long time, huh?"
A flicker of a smile appeared on Zelda's face. "I can't believe it's you! Where have you been all these years? We thought you were..."
"Yeah, I know," Hazel interrupted, her voice tinged with regret. "I had to leave, remember? But now I'm back."
Zelda's eyes searched Hazel's face, trying to comprehend the sudden return of her long-lost friend. "But why now? What happened? You never—"
"Zelda, I'm hearing voices. Strange ones." Hazel interrupted her friend. "They kept telling me to come back home when I was in Seattle."
Her voice was a hollow whisper as she let out the next words:
"Help me."
Hazel's head was pounding with exhaustion and how she had survived the accident, and she was relieved when her friend finally invited her into the house.
It was night already, several hours since Hazel had woken up in Kieran's bed. Zelda found a spare bedroom for her friend, tucked into the very back of the house.
"There!" Zelda said, opening the room door with a flourish. "You can rest in this room till tomorrow. Then we'll talk in the morning.
Hazel stepped into the spare room Zelda had arranged for her and looked around. The bedroom was sparse, containing only a single bed, a bench by the window, and a single bedside shelf on which stood alone, dusty vase with wilting flowers.
The window was wide open, letting in cool night air that made goosebumps pop up on Hazel's skin.
She shivered slightly and turned to Zelda. "Thank you so much, Zee."
Zelda waved off her thanks with a smile. "Come on. As your best friend, I'll do anything to make sure you're comfortable here again. We'll talk more about everything tomorrow. Get some rest, Hazel."
"Goodnight," Hazel whispered, as Zelda closed the door behind her.
Hazel took a deep breath, feeling the weariness of the day settling in her bones. Yet, as she turned towards the bed, a scent, unmistakable and haunting, invaded her senses.
The air carried an earthy aroma, reminiscent of dew-kissed soil and the fresh essence of the forest after a rainstorm. It was intoxicating, stirring memories that both comforted and unnerved her.
And instinctively, Hazel recognized the very familiar scent.
Kieran.
Her heart raced, anger flaring within her as she flicked on the lights, revealing Kieran casually settled in a corner, his demeanor brimming with cockiness. He had his back against a wall, with his hands buried in his pockets.
"What the hell are you doing in my room?" Hazel demanded, her voice taut with anger.
Kieran raised an eyebrow, his lips curling into a smirk. "Just dropping by, love. Can't a guy visit an old friend?"
"You're not welcome here!" Hazel snapped, her fists clenching at her sides. "How did you even get in?"
"I have my ways," Kieran replied nonchalantly, his arrogance apparent in every word. "And by ways, I mean a window your friend left open."
The fact that Kieran was the alpha of this entire pack, meant he could have knocked on Zelda's door, and yet he had resorted to climbing through an open window unnerved her greatly.
"I couldn't resist seeing you again, darling." He continued, eyes roaming over my body.
Kieran's eyes on Hazel's body stirred memories within her—more intimate, sensual memories. Times she'd spent with Kieran when he was still her lover and her mate. Times she so badly wanted to forget.
Her lower belly clenched with desire as she watched him, but she tried to push those erotic thoughts aside.
Rage pulsed through Hazel's veins. "Get out!" she ordered, her voice sharp with anger.
Kieran leaned back casually, unfazed by her anger. "I don't think I will. Not until I get what I came for."
"And what is it that you want?" Hazel seethed, her eyes blazing with fury.
Kieran's smirk widened. "Oh, I think you know exactly what I want, Hazel. I want you back where you belong—with me."
Hazel's jaw tightened, a mix of anger and disbelief flooding her. "You're out of your mind if you think I'd ever go back to you! Get out before I make you leave!"
"That's not what I meant, 'Zel." Kieran's gaze remained locked with hers, unwavering. "But I'm not leaving until I get what I want. You can't deny the pull between us, can you?"
Frustration bubbled within Hazel as she glared at him, the tension in the room palpable.
"I never got over you," he whispered, barely more than a breath.
Hazel's eyebrows shot up. "What?"
Kieran didn't wait for her to say another word. Swiftly he crossed the room, over to her. His dewy, rain-like scent hit Hazel's nose again as she craned her neck upwards to look into his eyes.
"Hazel," he whispered hoarsely, the greens of his eyes growing darker.
"Kieran," she whispered in response. And then he leaned down and kissed her fully on the lips.
Kieran tasted like whiskey and rain. His lips were unnaturally soft, and soon Hazel felt the last shred of her resolve slip away. Her body gave in to him as he deepened the kiss, his hands going around to clasp her waist.
He broke away from her mouth and traced a line along the nape of her neck with his lips, then forward to the hollow of her collarbone. She felt her pulse leap beneath his mouth, mimicking the throb of desire in her lower belly.
He pulled away again, whispering, his breath warming her face. "I want you, Hazel. Right here, right now!"
Hazel took in a sharp breath. "You should go. Your mother—"
"I don't care!" He growled, low and hot.
A feral growl escaped Hazel's lips as his hands went around her waist and grabbed her bottom. He squeezed gently, his mouth plunging into hers and taking what she was offering. He mimicked her groan and gently guided her towards the window. Then he reached down and lifted her by her thighs, placing her on the windowsill.
He drove his tongue through her eager, parted lips, and her lower body jumped in response. The glass behind her back felt damp with the perspiration from her desire, as she held onto it. His tongue began to flicker and curl over hers, sending hot waves of pleasure through her.
Heat coursed through her, the burning lava hot. She needed to bury herself in him and claim him as hers forever, but she held herself back. She could feel him holding back too, restricting his desires to grinding against her pelvis with his. She almost went crazy as he moaned in response, as his hands slipped forward and cupped her breasts through the sheer material of her silk gown.
She could feel the hard bump of his erection between her legs, could feel the desire pool in her lower belly as he kissed her hard.