CHAPTER 99: CHAPTER 99: HAZEL’S TRAIL

Hazel!

Her sweet, unmistakable fragrance cut through the manufactured scent blockers of the dingy bar.

The scent hit Levi like a physical blow. He felt his knees buckle slightly and his heart skip a beat.

‘Levi?’ Liam’s voice echoed in his head. ‘You there?’

‘What’s wrong?’ Lucas asked.

His wolf surged forward, nearly taking control as Levi’s eyes darted frantically around the crowded space. Every muscle in his body tensed, ready to sprint toward the source of that scent.

“Hazel!” he called out, not caring who heard him. The connection with Lucas and Liam was instantly cut off due to his distraction.

Patrons turned to stare as he pushed through the crowd and followed the trail. His heart hammered against his ribs.

The scent grew stronger as he approached the back of the bar. Levi shoved past a group of rogues, ignoring their growls of protest. Nothing mattered except finding her.

But as he rounded the corner toward the restrooms, the trail led him to a hooded figure who was about to head out the back door. Judging by the physique, it was a man, a hood casting a shadow on the upper half of his face, and a mask covering the lower half.

Levi gritted his teeth. It was faint, but it was there. She had interacted with this man recently, enough for her scent to cling onto his clothes.

“Hey!” Levi grabbed the man’s hoodie, yanking him backward. “Where is she? Where’s Hazel?”

Cold eyes stared back at him through the shadows of the hood. The stranger remained silent, his gaze unsettlingly familiar in a way Levi couldn’t place.

“I said, where is she?” Levi growled, his voice dropping to a dangerous timbre. “If you’ve hurt her—”

The hooded man finally spoke, his voice muffled by the mask. “You Sullivans really are predictable.”

Something about the man sent warning signals through Levi’s brain. His wolf bristled, sensing danger. This wasn’t just some random guy. Something about the look in this man’s eyes made Levi’s skin crawl.

Before Levi could respond, a flash of blonde hair caught his peripheral vision. Even if it had just been for a split second, Levi could recognize it was Annie.

She didn’t turn back. She hadn’t seen Levi, and instead, walked straight out of the main entrance of the bar.

“Shit,” Levi muttered, his attention momentarily diverted.

That split-second was all the stranger needed. When Levi turned back, the man had shrugged off his hold and vanished as if he’d never been there.

Levi cursed again, torn between pursuing the mysterious man and chasing Annie. But Annie was someone who definitely had information about Hazel’s whereabouts.

Levi bolted after her, pushing through the crowd and back out onto the street. It was raining outside. The downpour immediately soaked through his clothes as he spotted Annie’s retreating figure turning the corner.

“Annie!” he shouted, breaking into a run.

She glanced back, her expression changing from confusion to shock. Her eyes widened before she turned back and bolted.

Levi cursed, clicking his tongue before hurrying after her. He rounded the corner cautiously, finding himself in a narrow street between two abandoned buildings.

Something wasn’t right. Levi slowed down his pace, his eyes narrowing. The rain made it difficult to pick up scents, but there was just something about the situation that felt unsettling.

True enough, when he walked forward, Annie stood in the middle of the street. She had her back faced to him, standing completely still instead of running. Levi immediately frowned.

Annie slowly turned around. A small smirk stretched across her lips.

“Took you long enough,” she called over the drumming rain. “I was starting to think you weren’t coming.”

Levi approached her slowly. “Where is she, Annie? Where’s Hazel?”

Annie laughed, the sound unnaturally shrill against the backdrop of the storm. “This was exactly what I told Melanie and Kira the other time. That bitch will be the end of you three. You’ve turned so predictable.”

As she spoke, there came movement in the shadows. Levi clenched his fists as three figures stepped out, surrounding him in a triangle. Their sickly pale skins, paired with the fangs that poked past their lips told Levi enough. He didn’t need his sense of smell to recognize a vampire.

“You led me into a trap,” Levi stated flatly, keeping his eyes on Annie while tracking the vampires in his peripheral vision.

Annie’s smile widened. “Smart boy. Not smart enough, though.”

The first vampire attacked without warning, launching himself at Levi’s back. Levi spun, catching the attacker by the throat and hurling him into the brick wall with enough force to crack the mortar.

The other two moved simultaneously. One swung a knife that gleamed silver in the dim light while the other aimed a kick at Levi’s knee. When the knife flew close to Levi, he could catch the strong whiff of wolfsbane clinging onto the blade.

Levi dodged the knife, catching the second vampire’s leg and using the momentum to flip him onto his back. The impact sent water splashing around them.

“Is this really all you’ve got?” Levi taunted, despite the danger. His wolf was fully alert now, reveling in the fight. “I expected better from the Vox Solis.”

The first vampire had recovered, circling back with inhuman speed. Levi barely had time to block the punch aimed at his face. The impact sent jarring pain up his arm. Vampires weren’t as strong, but their insane speed made up for it.

Levi countered with a series of strikes, driving the vampire back.

“Where is she?” he demanded between blows. “What have you done with Hazel?”

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” the vampire hissed, fangs gleaming.

From the corner of his eye, Levi saw Annie edging away, trying to escape while he was occupied. Not today.

He faked a left, then dropped low, sweeping the legs out from under the vampire in front of him. As the creature fell, Levi delivered a crushing blow to its chest, feeling ribs shatter beneath his fist.

The vampire with the knife lunged again. Levi twisted, the blade missing his throat by inches. He grabbed the attacker’s wrist, snapping it with a vicious twist. The knife clattered to the ground as the vampire shrieked in pain.

“Last chance,” Levi growled at the remaining vampire who was backing away. “Where’s Hazel?”

Instead of answering, the vampire turned to flee. Levi was on him in three strides, tackling him to the wet pavement. He flipped the creature onto its back, pinning it with a knee to the chest.

“Tell me!” he roared, his face inches from the vampire’s.

“It’s too late,” the vampire whispered, then started laughing. “She’s already gone.”