Lunar Year

10

'There are things we don't want to happen. but we have to accept. There are things we don't want to know, but have to learn. And there are people we don't want to leave, but we have to let them go.' - This has nothing to do with the story but I like it so here it is.

Pic is of the moon because I think it looks pretty

Omniscient P.O.V

Hazel laid there in bed, sleeping. Her eyes were puffy and her hands were bleeding. Kaden watched his mate. She looked so peaceful and beautiful.

He loved the way her eyelashes hit her cheeks every time she blinked because they were so long, he loved how when she blushed she tried to cover her face with her hair. Kaden loved her and he let her get hurt.

Hazel stirred and opened her eyes. She immediately felt a pain in her arm and rolled up her sleeve to check on her bruise. Oblivious Kaden was in the room she examined the purple discoloration on her skin.

Kaden flinched at the sight of her physical harm. Hazel snapped her eyes toward her mate and pushed her sleeve down.

"I didn't believe you. I'm a terrible mate." he said, his gaze flickering from her face to the ground.

"You are not. I probably would not have believed me either."

"But at least you would have me a chance to prove myself." Kaden countered.

Hazel sighed and looked down. He was right, so there was no use arguing.

"I still shouldn't have left without you." Hazel pointed out.

"There shouldn't have been a reason for you to leave in the first place." Kaden said placing his head in his hands.

It hurt Hazel to see her mate so beat up. She got up from the bed and hesitantly wrapped her arms around his waist.

"Don't beat yourself up about it, please?" she asked.

Kaden took a deep breath before saying 'fine' and embracing his mate back.

***

2 weeks later

Kass, Donovan, and Kaden were downstairs; Kass was in the kitchen while the men were in the dining room as usual. This night the girls wanted to make spaghetti, but there was an incident with the sauce, so Hazel had to go upstairs and change while Kass had to clean up mess and make new sauce.

Hazel chuckled at her friends ridiculousness to herself as she changed into her new shirt. But as soon as she opened the closet door someone hit her head and she fell down. Blood trickled down from her wound and the last thing she remembered before passing out were a pair of

black dress shoes walking towards her limp figure.

Downstairs Kass was finishing up in the kitchen, wondering where her friend was.

She entered the dining room and saw that she wasn't there.

"Uh, do you know where Hazel is?" she asked the intimidating men in sitting down.

"We thought she was with you." Kaden said in a dangerous voice.

"There was an incident with the sauce and she had to change. She hasn't come back down yet."

As Kass spoke the words realization hit each and every single one of them.

"Oh my goddess!" shrieked Kassandra and she raced up to Hazel and Kaden's bedroom, the duo behind her. When she entered her mouth let out a terrifying scream as she saw and smelt her friends blood on the floor.

She rushed to the closet only to find clothes and small puddle of blood on the floor. Kaden gently pushed Kass to the side to witness the scene himself.

Anger coursed through him and pure rage took over every fiber in his body. He growled, tearing up everything in sight. He was mad, no he was livid. Elijah had done this and Elijah would pay.

Kaden let out an unearthly howl before shifting into his wolf.

"Kaden!" Donovan shouted following after his Alpha as he ran through the house and into the woods.

Donovan gave Kass a quick peck on the forehead before shifting into his own wolf and chasing his Alpha. Kaden ran, pumping his legs furiously. He felt a wolf behind him and he knew it was his beta there to stop him.

Donovan barked at Kaden warning him to stop. However, Kaden was relentless and continued forward. Donovan gave up and finally tackled Kaden to the ground, stopping him.

Kaden snapped and clawed, but Donovan held him down with all the strength he had. Kaden eventually rolled them over and got onto his feet shifting back into his human form. Donovan did the same.

"Ka-," Donovan couldn't even finish saying his Alpha's name before he was punched in the face. He stood back up only to receive another punch. He got up again, but punched his alpha back.

The two of them went on until their faces were bruised and their knuckles bleeding. They sat down next to each other on a fallen tree breathing deeply.

"Why did you stop me?" Kaden whispered.

"You can't get to her like that. You need a plan."

"I had a plan."

"One that would get you killed." Donovan opposed.

Kaden sighed. His beta was right.

"You need a plan. You know Elijah is stronger and now he probably has guards everywhere."

"I know. It's just... How would you feel if someone just took away your mate? One moment you're together and everything is OK, but then the next it's all falling apart?" Kaden asked, too deep in thought to pay attention that Donovan was growling at the idea of someone taking Kassandra away from him.

Kaden stood up suddenly and held out his bruised hand for Donovan to take. He did and stood up.

"Let's go make a plan." he said before they both shifted into their wolves and went back to the house.