Chapter 159: Something dangerous
*~Hazel’s POV~*
I told myself I wouldn’t bring it up to Aurora..not the dream, not the shadow of a man claiming to be my mate. How could I even explain it to her? How could I tell her about someone tall, dark, and impossibly gorgeous appearing out of nowhere, calling my children mistakes, claiming that my mother had tampered with my destiny, and that I was his true mate? That the bond I shared with the triplets was nothing more than a false weave?
No. That couldn’t be true.
I had felt it. The bond with Caspian was real—undeniably real. And even with Cayden, as much as I loathed to admit it, the bond was there too. Surely something that strong couldn’t be fabricated. At least, not entirely.
Still... I needed answers. Answers about my mother. And Aurora had to be the one to give them to me.
Aurora was busy playing with my babies when I turned to her.
"Aurora," I said softly. "I’m ready."
She glanced up, smiling. "What? You’re ready for the naming ceremony?"
Her eyes glittered as she went on. "Oh, you’ll love it. Caspian has prepared the most beautiful blue dress for you. Even more dazzling than the one from your wedding. The maids are refreshing it now, making the diamonds sparkle brighter. You’ll look radiant in it, my dear."
"No." My voice cut through her words. I shook my head. "I’m not talking about that."
The shift was immediate. Her expression sobered, her playfulness vanishing into something heavier.
"Then what, darling?" she asked carefully.
"My mother," I said. The name alone felt like a weight on my chest. "I need to know."
The gleam in her eyes dimmed. "Is this... about your dream?" she whispered.
"Maybe," I admitted. "But please. Tell me everything I need to know about her. I demand to know."
Aurora hesitated, then motioned to the seat beside her. "Sit."
I obeyed, pulse quickening.
"When you gave birth," she began slowly, "and you passed out, your mother came. We believed her immediately—because the resemblance between you two is striking. She proved it to us, in every way. Lilith..." Aurora’s voice faltered.."
I swallowed hard.
"My little sister showed me her picture," i added quietly.
Her brows furrowed. "Your sister?"
"Yes. Ariel. She’ll be coming tomorrow for the naming ceremon right?." "I wonder why hasn’t she come to see me yet? Is Mom and Dad keeping her from me?"
Aurora’s heartbeat stuttered, loud and uneven, betraying her. She forced a smile. "No, nothing like that. She’ll definitely be there tomorrow. The Gilbert family is just... holding her back."
I frowned. "And Natasha? Where is she? She should be in the High House. I haven’t seen her at all."
"They went out," Aurora answered too quickly. "On a picnic. That’s why Ariel hasn’t been around either."
"A picnic," I muttered bitterly. "Of course. And of course, I wasn’t invited. Am I even a Gilbert?" I rolled my eyes, anger simmering under my skin.
But I pressed on. "Back to my mother. Where is she? Why haven’t I seen her myself? I need to ask her so many questions, Aurora. I need to see her. Is there anywhere I can find her before tomorrow?"
Aurora reached for my hand. "Calm down, Hazel, We don’t know where she went. But she’ll be back soon—I promise. Please, for now, forget about her."
I swallowed the lump in my throat, fighting the storm inside me.
"Well then," I whispered at last, "I know Jonathan said he’d be coming back tomorrow."
Aurora stiffened, but I said nothing more.
I had already decided.
Everyone here was hiding something from me. So of course—I would keep Jonathan’s existence hidden from them too.
"So... what about the dress Caspian got me?" I asked, forcing a small smile.
Aurora’s face brightened instantly. "Oh! Let me get it. It’s beautiful!" she shrieked, nearly bouncing as she rushed out.
Less than ten minutes later she returned, holding the dress delicately in her arms. And when I saw it, my breath caught.
The stones glimmered under the candlelight, the embroideries of white and blue shimmering like moonlit frost. Even without wearing it, I knew it would fit me perfectly. Bless that man, always so thoughtful.
"Do you want to try it on now?" Aurora asked hopefully.
"No, no, no," I shook my head quickly. "It’s too precious to wear before the ceremony. Tomorrow will be the first. I can already see it fits me—I don’t need to test it."
"Good idea," she said, still beaming.
I touched the dress gently. "Ah, I love this. I love you guys so much. Only if Leon could get me something like this..."
At that name, Aurora froze. Her expression faltered.
"Leon?" she asked carefully, her face suddenly tense.
"Are you... having something with Leon?" I teased, raising a brow.
"What? No, no!" Aurora waved her hands, too quickly. "Leon and I? Never. He’s a werewolf, I’m a witch. Very soon, he’ll find his mate, and they’ll live a happy life. And I’ll find my wizard. There’s nothing between us."
"Aurora," I pressed gently, "you can tell me."
"There’s nothing to tell you, Hazel. You wouldn’t understand."
"I will," I insisted.
"No," she snapped softly, shaking her head. "I promise you—there’s nothing."
I studied her, but she wouldn’t meet my eyes. "You two are awfully close for people who claim not to be in love," I murmured.
Aurora stiffened, then abruptly rose. "You need sleep. Tomorrow is a big day." And before I could stop her, she rushed out of the room and shut the door behind her.
My heart ached for her. I knew. She would never truly have her happy ending—not with the forbidden romance she carried for Leon. A witch and a gamma werewolf... their worlds could never align. And yet, wasn’t I living proof it could work? A Crescent—born of both witch and werewolf blood. If I existed, then maybe, just maybe, they had a chance too. I sincerely hoped so.
Midnight came, and I lay down beside my babies, their soft breaths steady and comforting. The window creaked open suddenly, and I tensed immediately, my heart pounding, ready for Jonathan.
But it wasn’t him.
It was Cayden.
He stepped inside, holding something that glittered under the candlelight.
"Is that... a dress?" I asked.
Cayden scratched his head nervously, his smile faint but genuine. He set the dress gently on my bed. His eyes shifted—and landed on Caspian’s gift, displayed proudly on the mannequin. His jaw tightened slightly.
"Oh. I see Caspian’s already given you a dress," he muttered.
"Yes," I answered. "And yours? Did you... get this one for me?"
He shook his head. "No. It’s for my mother. I just wanted to show you. To ask if it looks good."
"It looks beautiful," I said honestly.
But something inside me twisted. I didn’t know if it was greed or longing, but the sight of that red dress melted me. Suddenly, Caspian’s dress didn’t feel like the most beautiful one anymore. My selfish heart wanted that dress. But Cayden had said it was for his mother, and I had no choice but to let it go.
"What are you doing here, besides showing me your mother’s dress?" I asked.
His gaze flickered, and then he said softly, "I came here to sleep."
"Sleep?" I blinked in disbelief.
"Yes," he nodded, though his thumb fidgeted nervously. I realized then—Cayden, the cold-hearted Alpha, was nervous in front of me. And gods, what a rare sight that was.
"Since we’re now a family," he continued cautiously, "with beautiful twins... I propose we sleep together."
I furrowed my brows. "You are aware I don’t have only one husband, right? I also have another."
"Yes," he admitted, his eyes softening. "But he’ll be fine with it. This is just... sometimes."
My chest tightened. "And when the babies grow up? What then? Why are you suddenly doing this?"
He hesitated, his gaze flickering toward the mirror. For a brief moment, his face shifted—haunted.
"I just... I just don’t think it’s safe for you to be alone right now. With the clouds, and—" He stopped himself, swallowing the rest of his words.
When his eyes returned to me, his voice was low. "It’s not safe. Let’s just get some sleep."