Marry to Alpha or Vampire?

The doorbell had been ringing for a while before Hazel saw the door open. Mrs. Garcia, Eloise’s mother, peered out from inside and, upon seeing Hazel, fully opened the door. Hazel hadn’t seen Mrs. Garcia for a long time since her falling out with Eloise. She hadn’t visited this house since then.

“Mrs. Garcia, it’s been a while,” Hazel greeted, realizing that she should have visited Mrs. Garcia sooner.

“Oh, it’s the lovely Hazel. How have you been?” Mrs. Garcia greeted her with a surprised smile, clearly not expecting to see Hazel.

Mrs. Garcia hugged Hazel and ushered her into the house. Meanwhile, Carlotta and Viola had arrived at the destination and were discreetly waiting outside the house, ensuring that they wouldn’t disturb Hazel and her friend’s meeting.

Hazel entered the house, taking in the familiar setting, which hadn’t changed much since she left. Perhaps there were some new furnishings, but it didn’t matter.

“I’ve been good, Mrs. Garcia. How have you been?” Hazel looked at the pictures on the wall, smiling.

“About the same as before,” Mrs. Garcia replied, looking genuinely happy to see Hazel.

“What’s it like coming back?” Mrs. Garcia asked, offering Hazel a glass of juice and inquiring about her well-being.

“I’m still adjusting,” Hazel shrugged.

She couldn’t tell Mrs. Garcia about all that had happened since her return; it would only worry her.

“You’re welcome here anytime,” Mrs. Garcia said with a smile.

“Thank you, Mrs. Garcia. I’d like to see Eloise,” Hazel said with a grin, feeling a sense of nostalgia in this house.

“Of course, you can. She hasn’t been quite herself since she came back last night. Would you mind checking on her for me?” Mrs. Garcia took a basket of bread and placed it on the table, her demeanor unchanged.

Hazel used to love coming to Eloise’s house because her mother was kind, showing the utmost kindness to everyone and making Hazel feel the warmth of a motherly presence.

“I’d be happy to,” Hazel said and ran up the stairs to Eloise’s room. She knocked gently on the door, making sure Eloise could hear without causing too much disturbance.

“Come in,” Eloise’s voice came from inside.Nôvel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.

Hazel opened Eloise’s door. She was lying in bed, wrapped in blankets, her face still pale.

“Eloise,” Hazel said, approaching her bedside. “Are you okay, dear?”

Eloise looked at Hazel and managed a forced smile, “How did you end up here?”

“Just to check on you,” Hazel said, trying to put on a brave face.

“I’m fine, just had a nightmare,” Eloise said, sitting up in bed. “Why did you come over?”

“Just wanted to see you,” Hazel replied, still worried.

“I’ll be fine in a few days,” Eloise reassured. She was struggling to come to terms with the terrifying sight of five lifeless bodies last night. It was a visual shock she needed time to recover from.

From the doorway, Mrs. Garcia’s voice was heard, “Kids, I made some butter cookies. Who’d like to try some?”

“Wait a moment, Mrs. Garcia,” Hazel responded before turning her attention back to Eloise, asking, “Do you want something to eat?”

“Sure, let’s go. Don’t worry about me. I’m feeling better,” Eloise said as she got out of bed. She looked better seeing Hazel, although the horror from last night was still etched in her memory. She could only hope she wouldn’t have another nightmare tonight.

Hazel and Eloise went downstairs toward the kitchen. Mrs. Garcia had just taken the butter cookies out of the oven, and the aroma filled the room.

“Hazel, I bet you’ll like this.” Mrs. Garcia pulled out cherry cheesecake ice cream from the fridge.

“Thank you, Mrs. Garcia.” Hazel smiled. This was something she used to love. Every time she visited Eloise’s home, Mrs. Garcia would greet her with cherry cheesecake ice cream.

“Maybe you’ll like the cookies my mom made,” Eloise’s face seemed to brighten a bit, whether from Hazel’s arrival or the delicious food.

“You should try them,” Mrs. Garcia placed the cookies on the table, stowing some in a cookie jar she’d made.

Mrs. Garcia was a woman who understood life. She loved all things food, enjoyed gardening, and was an artist. Hazel tasted a cookie. It was just the right texture, a bit crunchy, with a hint of milky fragrance mingled with creamy goodness. “Mrs. Garcia, you should open a dessert shop,” Hazel praised. The craftsmanship was quite impressive.

“Oh, Hazel, you’re quite the talker.” Mrs. Garcia couldn’t stop smiling; nobody disliked compliments. It gave her a sense of accomplishment.

“Eloise, why don’t you try some?” Mrs. Garcia turned to her daughter, who seemed a bit lacking in enthusiasm.

If Mrs. Garcia knew what her daughter went through last night, she wouldn’t have said that.

“Mom, just chill,” Eloise smiled, picking up a cookie, quietly savoring it. She let the creamy aroma ferment in her mouth. “I like this taste.”

Mrs. Garcia nodded, content with Eloise’s response, and busied herself in the kitchen, leaving Hazel and Eloise at the dining table.

“Hazel, do you want to go check on Fiona?” Eloise suddenly remembered the girl injured in the forest. Her injuries hadn’t healed yet, which was odd. Werewolves had powerful healing abilities beyond that of normal humans.

Hazel confirmed that she was a werewolf.

“She was injured in our patrol area; we should go check,” thinking about the injured girl made Hazel uneasy.

So much had happened lately. Bessie died, Kane’s guards died, and now a girl was injured in the forest. Hazel was worried she might be the next victim.

“Let’s go now,” Eloise hurriedly put on her shoes, ready to leave with Hazel.

Hazel nodded, then spoke, “Mrs. Garcia, Eloise and I are going for a walk. We’ll be back later.”

“Go ahead,” Mrs. Garcia’s voice came from the kitchen. Hazel and Eloise exchanged smiles and left the house.

Not far from the house, Hazel spotted the figures of Carlotta and Viola. They maintained a certain distance from Hazel. She silently signaled to them, and they discreetly followed Hazel and Eloise.

Hazel didn’t want Eloise to know she was in danger; that would only worry her.

“Her injuries haven’t healed all this time,” Hazel began, cautious about recent events. There might be an underlying issue.

“Let’s see how we can help her,” Eloise was also a bit tense. The events of last night had left her concerned, and she wasn’t sure what had happened.

In the morning, she had seen the notice posted on the bulletin board, but she knew that those guards hadn’t assassinated the Alpha. If the Alpha hadn’t disclosed the real cause of their deaths, it meant that there was something suspicious about their deaths. Eloise was no pushover.

Hazel nodded and continued walking alongside Eloise.

By the time Hazel and Eloise reached the medical room, Fiona was already awake. Her spirits seemed good, but her injuries still appeared quite severe.

The staff informed Hazel that Fiona had been in a coma until Hazel and Eloise arrived and she woke up.

“We’ve notified the guard unit,” one of the medical staff members said.

Hazel and Eloise nodded in agreement. They needed to inform the guard unit because the cause of Fiona’s injuries needed to be clarified.

“Did you save me?” Fiona lay in the bed, looking weak.

“We found you injured during our patrol,” Eloise replied with concern.

Hazel studied Fiona, her long black hair and a few freckles on her cheeks, brown eyes constantly shifting as she fixed her gaze on Hazel.