Dreamers

Chapter 9

The last couple of days no one has really seen Hazel. She has been trying her best to become stronger and faster like she once was. So far, her wolf is very strong but her human form is not as strong as she would like be. She has been training with Quinton and then goes for a run in wolf form every evening.

"Hey Quint," Hazel greets as she approaches him across the training hall. At the sight of Hazel his face breaks into a smile.

"Hey. Ready?"

"Always."

"Right then, put the gloves on," Quinton gestures to the gloves, then turning around to grab the boxing target pads, sliding them on. Hazel turns back around to him with matching black boxing gloves on. They both stance facing each other. "We'll do some jabs and slips, then I'll put gloves on and we can do one-on-one," Hazel nods, taking a deep breath to prepare herself.

They practice for the next hour, in the end their both sweaty and out of breath. Leaving the hall together, Quinton gulps down his bottle of water. "You know...Ezra was here the other day."

"What?"

"Yeah... it was weird. I left your cabin and he turned up out of nowhere while I was walking back."

"You didn't say anything to anyone?"

"I would've, but I just wasn't in the mood to deal with his shit. I told him to leave and he did," she shrugs, taking a sip of water.

"I still can't wrap my head around his betrayal. We were best friends..."

"I think a big part of him feels guilty. Over the last six months he tried to befriend and make conversation with me. I remember about a month in he had gone so quiet, he would just watch, but never say a thing."

"He was always so talkative..."

"He still bows down to Hays though,"
they leave the training building and begin to walk down the gravel path towards the pack house.

Over the last few days their relationship had been a little rocky, but over all they've built a somewhat strong relationship. At first, Hazel was dodging Quinton at all costs, but he kept pushing until he convinced her to workout with him.

"I really hope Darcy is ok," Hazel mumbles, her gut twisting. She really wishes Darcy could've left with her.

"Why wouldn't she be?" Quinton asks looking at Hazel. He could see the concern written across her face.

"She's had it tough lately and she doesn't know when to keep her month shut, which means she gets herself into trouble."

"Like what?" Quinton asks coming to a stop. Hazel stops a little in front of him, pushing a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Hays doesn't put up with anything and the punishments are harsh," she takes in a deep breath. "He's executed a lot of people. The first month in, Darcy ah... wouldn't stop loudly expressing her feelings and Hays had about enough. He threaten to execute her, he nearly did but I convinced him otherwise. He would've done it, I know he would've done it."

Hazel remembers the day like it was yesterday. The thought of losing her best friend, just after losing Alonzo broke her. She begged Hays not to do it. He agreed on his own terms. Hazel had to inform and convince everyone the decision to put the children of the pack into combat training was right, much to her dismay. It worked, but it didn't stop him executing others.

The first few he killed spoke out and rioted about the children being put into training. This angered him. He felt disrespected as their leader, so to put them and everyone else in their place... he shot the three leaders of the group in front of everyone. Hazel tried to bargain with him but he ignored her. This set example of what would happen if you disrespected him. The pack members went silent from then on.

Hazel yawns bringing a hand to cover her mouth. "Are you still sleeping on the sofa?"

"Yeah, there's nowhere else for me to sleep. I could sleep in one of the houses or huts with a spare room, but I don't want to intrude."

"I'm sure they wouldn't mind."

Hazel smiles and shrugs. "The sofa isn't that bad."

"Why don't you stay with me?"

"On your sofa?"

"No, you can have my bed and I'll take the sofa," he smiles and her heart flutters.

"You can't sleep on your own sofa Quinton," Hazel tilts her head.

"We could take it in turns?"

"I'm honestly happy with the sofa, but thank you," she smiles. They enter the Quintin's cabin.

"How about you give it a think and I make you some lunch?"

Hazel sits down and watches Quinton chop vegetables, he's talking away but Hazel can't seem to focus. But her heart feels warm and she finally feels like she can breathe.

They sit down to eat together at the table. "This looks so good, Quinton."

He smiles and she smiles back as they tuck in to their food. "What time is the meeting later?"

"It's at three. Have you got any plans?" He asks, knowing she lost definitely does.

"I do. Since I've spent so much time working for Hays I've figured out some of his weaknesses and I know that they don't cover one part of the pack grounds, which would be a great angle to attack from. So, I am going to go to speak to Noah."

Quinton nods with a small smile. Hazel takes a deep breath as she watches him eat. "Quinton..."

He looks up his eyes sparking, as her heart flutters. "I'm sorry... I'm sorry for everything. For almost rejecting you. For never giving you a chance..."

He shakes his head and begins to speak. "No, Quinton before you say anything... one of my biggest regrets was when I thought you were dead. I thought... why did I not give him a chance? Was it really about maintaining my alpha rank, or was it more than that? And I think I was scared. I told my myself all my life that I would always reject my mate. That life would be easier that way. But seeing you on the floor like that made me wish I had a second chance to change it all. And I do now. But only if you want to... I want to give this a try. After all there's nothing to lose now," she wipes her tears with the back of her hands.

Quinton abruptly stood up and made his way over to her. He crouched down and engulfs her as she sobs into his shoulder. "Hazel, there is nothing I would want more than to give us a try."

He pulls back, resting both of his hand on her cheeks. They stare back at one another with soft smiles. He gently wipes away a few stray tears from her cheeks. They rest their foreheads against one another's.

"I'm also sorry, Hazel. For being so pushy... I should have just given you the space you asked for."

"It's ok."