Chapter 6 Hazel is Human

Hazel

Two days of being locked up had passed, and the day had finally come.

It was the 16th of April. Hazel's birthday. My birthday.

My eyes opened slowly. Every other part of my body didn't move. I tried not to breathe too loudly just in case my wolf was trying to talk to me.

But….I heard nothing.

Still normal.

I didn't know what it was like to awaken. No one's ever told me about it. Anytime I asked one of the older maids, they'd say it's more of a personal experience and is different for those of us who might awaken as an alpha.

I wouldn't lie, my heart raced.

I gently strode out of bed and stood in front of the mirror. I needed to see something. Something that proves I've changed, but… I still got NOTHING.

I kept staring into the mirror, and my heart wouldn't stop racing.

Deep breaths, Hazel. Deep breathe.

I chuckled nervously even though I knew everything was starting to go wrong.

Nothing changed. Not the color of my eyes, not my strength; absolutely nothing.

I held my breath and tried to listen harder, but no wolf was talking to me.

My hands were sweaty…. My heart raced, my legs shivered, and my brain kept reminding me that I needed to awaken that instant.

I sat on the ground, hugging my knees.

Maybe I was rushing things. My body probably just needed some time, or maybe my wolf was just being shy.

I waited.

A minute turned into an hour, and another hour had passed.

Not long until I had a loud Bang! Three loud knocks sounded on my door.

I flinched, knowing who it was.

Tears streamed down my face as I crawled away from the door. I wished I could crawl away from everything as well.

I didn't awaken, but I couldn't admit it. It would be the death of me not to awaken.

“Please!” I screamed. “Why aren't you saying anything to me! Why haven't you shown up yet!” I cried, hoping my wolf would hear me.

“Why are you taking so long? Say something! Say something! Even if I'm an omega, say something!”

Wherever my wolf was, one thing was sure.

She wasn't listening.

“Talk to me.”

Impatient, Dad broke his way into the room and dragged me by my hair. His other hand raised my chin, forcing me to look directly into his eyes. Dad slowly let go of my hair. His hands were trailing my face as he wiped off my tears.

“You cried,” he uttered. His dark hair fell behind him. “Why, Hazel?” He asked, leaning towards me.

My heart raced. Father looked at me, and all I could see in his eyes was darkness. His gaze got worse with every second that passed, and his grip on my chin tightened.

“You'll break my jaw,” I managed to say, still sobbing.

“It won't be that bad breaking the jaw of a human, would it?” Dad sneered.

Human?

That word hit me like a rock. I'm anything but human.

“Father, I'm not a human. I know I'm not. I can't be.”

“If you're not human, Hazel, shift. Could you show me your wolf? Prove it to me!” Dad seethed. His voice shook the walls of my room.

I flinched, whimpering. “I….I haven't awakened yet,” I revealed.

“I fear that you're never awakening, Hazel. It's too late. I should have known. You're useless.”

“Dad, please, just give me some time. Maybe till evening or probably till tomorrow…” All I wanted was a second chance to prove myself worthy, but Dad wasn't willing to give it.

“It’s too late, Hazel. A true Holloway never waits for dawn. If the blood were yours, you would have awakened the moment midnight struck. I would have heard your howl echo through these walls, strong and undeniable.” His voice was flat, each word striking colder than the last, like iron left in snow.

“But I’m your daughter!” My voice cracked with desperate hope, clinging to the only truth I thought I had.

Father’s lips curled, not in pity but in scorn. He shook his head slowly, the weight of his dismissal pressing down on me. “You’re not,” he said with cruel finality. “You never even looked like me. Not once.”

And just like that, because I had failed to awaken, my own father disowned me. It's surprising how people change. It remains fresh in my memory how he said I looked a lot like him when I was little.

What changed?

“Remain here. I need to announce to the rest of the pack how my only child has failed me.”

I could feel the disappointment in his eyes being inscribed in my brain. It was definitely something I'd never forget.

Father left, not forgetting to slam the door behind him.

My heart shattered into fragments.

At that moment, I wasn't the Hazel who had savage responses to everything. I was a low, helpless adult who would do anything to find favor in the eyes of her father.

Even though my father had warned me to remain in my room, I headed out, wiping my tears.

I could tell in the way the guards and maids still bowed to me that they didn't know about it yet. That I'm….wolfless.

I gently walked towards the entrance of Dad's room. I was about to knock on his door when I heard a familiar voice.

It was Damien.

After hearing his voice, I was willing to do anything to make him marry me. It was the only way dad would at least acknowledge me as his daughter, but….

“Alpha Kimberly, since you claim that your daughter failed to awaken, of what use is she to me?” Damien asked, accompanying his words with a scoff.

“Mr Damien, I understand, but…what do you want people to say if they find out that we suddenly called off the wedding because of my daughter. My own daughter is human?” Dad asked.

Ouch.

“It's none of my business, alpha Kimberly. There's nothing I want to do with her anymore. She's not different from any random girl I can find on the street, so keep your child,” Damien answered.

All my life, I'd never felt so worthless.

“Mr Damien, please,” Dad begged.

Hearing him plead made me feel more useless than I already was. It was all my fault.

“And how about you give her to me tonight? I'll take her with me, satisfy myself with her, and if. Only if she makes me feel good, I might decide to keep her.” Damien said, as if I were a pet.

I waited silently for dad's response…and “Keep her.”

Father agreed.