h4Chapter 126: Copse/h4

    strongi*~Hazel’s POV~*/i/strong

    Aurora had returned quietly, slipping into my room. She sat on the edge of my bed, watching me. I had just finished feeding the twins. The act—though I knew it should be new—had felt oddly familiar, as if my body remembered something my mind had forgotten.

    After cing my babies back in their basket, I smoothed my dress and turned to her.

    "I’m sure you have a lot of questions," she said gently.

    "No," I replied almost instantly. "I don’t. Caspian already said you’d exin what a Crescent is."

    Her brows lifted in surprise, but before she couldunch into an exnation, I interrupted again. "It’s the perfectbination of a human and a werewolf... right?"

    The way she blinked told me I’d hit the mark. "Yeah," she breathed. "Caspian already told you, didn’t he?"

    I nodded. "Yes. He has."

    "Hazel..." She leaned closer, but I held up my hand.

    "Aurora, that’s enough. I get it. I was out for two days. I’ve forgotten things. I’ll be fine, I promise. I just... need space. Time to think."

    She studied me for a moment, then gave a small nod. "Alright. I understand." She was just rising to leave when the door swung open.

    Leon strode in without knocking.

    "Oh my god, where are your manners?" Aurora scolded.

    "Darling," Leon said quickly.

    "Darling?" I echoed, confused.

    He ignored me and went straight to Aurora, leaning in to whisper something I couldn’t catch. Her posture stiffened, eyes flicking toward me before darting away.

    "What’s wrong with Caspian?" I demanded. My gaze swept the room, searching for him. He wasn’t there. Judging by the look on Aurora’s face, something was definitely wrong.

    I tried to stand, but Aurora’s hand pressed firmly against my shoulder. "No. Sit. It’s fine.."

    "Isn’t it?" I pressed.

    "It’s just a minor concussion," she said quickly. "We’ll be going—"

    She didn’t finish.

    The twins let out a cry..sharp, pained, unlike any sound I’d ever heard from them. My head snapped toward the basket. My blood went cold. ck fluid was dribbling from their tiny mouths, streaking their chins.

    "Oh my god—"

    I lunged toward them, but before I could reach the basket, something mmed into my chest.. A pressure so sharp and sudden it stole my breath. My knees buckled. A sour, metallic taste flooded my mouth, and I vomited the same ck liquid.

    Aurora’s voice broke through the chaos. "This is exactly what’s happening to Caspian—"

    "What is happening?" My voice was raw, my throat burning.

    She ripped the chain from her neck and grabbed my hand. Her eyes zed, searching—then snapped back to focus. "I can’t read it. I can’t get through. There’s danger. Tell Cayden. Alert everyone!"

    "Aurora—"

    "You’ll be fine. Your babies will—"

    "No! Don’t say that! My babies!"

    They were coughing now, tiny bodies jerking, the ck liquid still spilling from them. Aurora muttered a chant under her breath, hands trembling as she worked, but her body jerked like she’d been struck by invisible lightning.

    Her voice shook. "Someone’s summoning something. I don’t know who. I don’t know from where...iwhere is Lilith?"/i

    My head snapped up. "Lilith? My mother?"

    "Damn it—we need Lilith now!" Aurora clutched at her hair, desperation in her voice.

    The door crashed open again. Cayden stormed in, his parents at his heels, Leon close behind.

    Anna’s scream cut through the air. "Oh my goodness...get the pack healer now!"

    Cayden was already at the twins’ side, his hands hovering helplessly over their shaking bodies. "Aurora, what’s happening? What’s wrong with my babies?"

    "I don’t know—"

    "Do something!" His voice cracked with fury.

    "I don’t know what to do!"

    "Then find what to do!" Cayden’s shout rattled the walls. us stepped in, gripping his son’s arm.

    "Calm down.."

    "Don’t tell me to calm down!" Cayden pointed at the basket. "Look at them! The ck fluid hasn’t stopped..and Hazel."

    My stomach twisted again, another wave of bile forcing itself up, more ck liquid spilling past my lips. My vision swam.

    Cayden’s face was right in front of mine now. "Hazel, what’s wrong? Did you eat something? Why is this happening to everyone? First Caspian, now you, now our babies?"

    Aurora shook her head, still chanting, still trembling. "It’s spreading... I can feel it—"

    "Then stop it!" Cayden’s voice was breaking, raw with panic.

    I stepped outside and released a long, heavy breath. I hadn’t even realized I’d been holding it in, but the exhale left me feeling drained. Aurora was standing right beside the door, her face drawn tight with worry.

    "This is bad," she murmured. "Very bad. If we don’t control the situation now, it could spiral."

    "It’s still under control," I said quickly, though my own voicecked conviction. "Okay, but... what if she’s already named the babies? What if she and Cyrius have already given them names?"

    Aurora’s lips pressed into a thin line. "Well...We have to give them name the babies."

    " names?" I repeated, my voice catching.

    She hesitated, then stuttered, "Yes."

    I dragged a hand over my face. "This is bad. I’m feeling very, very bad about this."

    "I know," Aurora said softly. "I understand what you’re feeling. But try to remain strong: "

    I swallowed, forcing a nod. "Alright. Alright."

    Aurora exhaled sharply, then stepped back. "I’ll go meet Cayden."

    Before I could answer, a voice cut through the air. "Oh my God, Hazel! Are you alright?"

    Cayden was striding toward me, worry etched into every line of his face. Before I could respond, he pulled me into a tight embrace.

    "I’m fine," I murmured, but he was already calling for the twins. Someone ced them into my arms, their tiny bodies trembling. The cries had faded, reced by soft, exhausted whimpers. Their mouths were smeared with a thick ck liquid.

    Without a second thought, Cayden stripped off his shirt and began gently wiping them clean. "Aurora, go get the maids," he ordered sharply. "These two need the gentlest, kindest bath possible."

    Aurora nodded briskly and hurried out.

    "What happened?" Anna demanded, her voiceced with fury. "Who caused this? Damn it, the enemies can’t stand to see this pack at peace for even a moment. Somebody must have done this."

    The door opened again and Caspian walked in. us immediately rushed to him.

    "Son, are you alright?"

    "Yes, yes, I’m fine," Caspian replied, though his tone was wary.

    Cayden turned toward him. "Brother... it didn’t just happen to you. It happened to Hazel and the twins as well."

    "What?" Caspian’s voice was sharp. "What could have caused this?"

    "It could be Cyrius," Anna said quickly. "Cyrius must have found them—"

    My heart skipped a beat at the name.

    But Cayden’s re cut her short. "It can’t be Cyrius. He’s daggered in a coffin."

    "Has he been released?" I asked, my voice low.

    "No," Cayden said firmly. "He’s still where we left him—daggered. And if it were him, it would’ve happened to Aurora as well."

    us interjected, "It was both Caspian and Aurora who went to retrieve them."

    I was still trying to piece together us’s words when Aurora returned with the maids. They took the twins from me with gentle hands and disappeared to bathe them.

    "Who could have done this?" Christian asked, his voice rough. "Who could’ve gotten to Hazel... and the babies? It could be a witch feeding off their energy. Maybe one of those witches Aurora brought into the pack—"

    "No," Aurora interrupted sharply. "I monitor their powers constantly."

    "But what if they’ve gone behind your back?" Christian pressed. "How would you know?"

    "They have no bad intentions," Aurora insisted. "They’re just two young girls. We can’t judge them without proof."

    "It could be Lilith," Leon said suddenly from the corner.

    Every head turned toward him. He met both Caspian’s and Cayden’s eyes.

    "I told you before—I had that suspicion," he said gravely. "Now... I think it’s justified. It’s her."

    "How could it be Lilith? Why would Lilith harm her own daughter, grandchild, and even her son-inw this way? us spoke.

    "Well, have you seen her around? She hasn’t been here," Leon replied.

    " We’ve talked about this, Leon. Shut up. Shut up." Cayden barked.

    It was about to speak again before the whole house started shaking. I immediately grabbed my bed to keep from falling, and everyone else clung to whatever they could. Anna fell, and us rushed to help her. It felt like an earthquake.

    "What is happening?" Ana screamed. "Oh my God!"

    "Okay, this is bad. Leon, get out of the packhouse! Get everybody to safety, now!" us shouted.

    Caspian and Leon shifted into their wolf forms, trying to move quickly despite the violent shaking.

    And then—day suddenly turned to night. The sun shifted into the moon, a full moon.

    "No... it can’t be the full moon today. It’s not supposed to be the full moon," I whispered.

    Dark clouds rolled in, and then the sky began pouring ck ink...thick, oozing liquid that seemed to seep out from me, Caspian, and my babies.

    "iOh my God... this is bad."/i