Hope

"Brandon?" Hazel said in disbelief.

Hey, rebel," he replied with a grin.

Hazel froze for a second.

From what she had heard from the guards, he was wanted for rebelling. So why would he put himself at risk by appearing here?

"What are you doing here?" Hazel asked, but Brandon didn't reply. Instead, he moved closer to the cell gate before asking in a caring tone, "Are you alright?"

Hazel's mouth opened and closed as she couldn't think of anything to say. 'Did he seriously come here to ask me that?' It didn't really make sense to Hazel, but whatever his intention was, she chose not to worry too much about it. She was sure she would eventually find out the reason, so she chose to accommodate him and answer his question.

"No, I'm not alright. How could I possibly be? When I could be sentenced to death for killing Levi."

"No, you will be sentenced to death," Brandon corrected, making Hazel's muscles tighten. 'What did he mean by that?' Hazel thought, giving him an inquisitive look.

"Is it true that you killed Levi?" he asked.

"Do you really think I could do it with a seal on my neck?" Hazel replied.

"I believe you're capable of doing anything, seeing the way you spoke so casually to me," Brandon said.

"At that time, I had nothing to lose but my dignity, so I wasn't scared. I was so angry and terrified, and that was enough to give me the strength to move past my fear and be so brazen. Brazen enough to imagine I could actually kill Levi... but in the end, I couldn't. Someone else did. Is that so hard to believe?"

"I believe you. Everything you said. Levi is just too powerful, and someone of your strength, without a blessing, cannot stand a chance."

"Youre telling me. It make the accusations really sound stupid doesn't it...tcch."

Everyone knew Levi was a blessed one but they still believed she was the one who killed him... ridiculous.

"Well, the rumor is that you caught him off-guard while he was lost in pleasure," Brandon said.

Hazel scoffed, finding the statement ludicrous. Even with pleasure, someone of her strength wasn't sneak attacking the alpha of a pack. Everyone was underestimating the strength Levi possessed, and it was quite insulting. There was also the power of the cursed seal, which had crippled Hazel, making her totally helpless against Levi, so what's the nonsense about pleasure.

"Levi didn't do anything to me. I passed out, and when I woke up, he was dead."

"I know that's not the case, especially because it's impossible for others to understand the pain and torment a cursed seal holder faces, unless they experience it themselves," Brandon said, gripping a fistful of his shirt at chest level.

"I got a Blessing after killing a three-headed hellhound. It's the ability to conjure ice, quite opposite to Levi's ability to manipulate fire. After I found out he killed my father, I lost it and challenged him to a fight, but I was defeated. Levi didn't kill me because I was a blessed one and my ability was indispensable. So Levi decided to put a cursed seal on me to keep me under him, obeying his commands."

"You also had a seal?" Hazel said, her eyes bulging.

"I did. It was not quite different from the ones put on omegas but also not the same. You could say it was worse. If I tried to harm Levi, or anyone from the Nightshade pack, my heart stopped immediately and I die on the spot. Not only that, there was the burning, torturous pain I had to endure every day. It was truly hell..." Brandon said, choking out the last words.

Hazel caressed him with soft eyes, a pained look on her face. She didn't know he was going through such pain. No one would, due to how well he was able to hide it.

"The moment Levi died, the cursed seal disappeared, and I was finally free. And for the second time in years, I let out a genuine smile. But I didn't even get the chance to savor my freedom when Malcolm appeared. He knew I was going to be trouble, so he attempted to deal with me quickly but failed. Now I'm here."

"Why? For what reason? With your blessing, you should be able to escape. Why come here and risk losing the chance you've been given to be free?"

"To set you free. You showed will and defiance despite your situation. Heck, you even attempted to kill the alpha, something I could never do. I blamed it on my seal, hid like a coward, doing Levi's bidding like a fool. But now he's gone, and for some reason, I feel brave. Confidence to do something right, and it starts with you."

"I wasn't brave. I was scared, terrified even."

"And that's what makes you admirable," Brandon said in a warm tone with a smile that reached his eyes.

Hazel felt a tug in her heart, and tears threatened to drop from her eyes. It was the most caring words she had ever heard in years, and it felt like a breath of life, which made her feel like she was alive.

"I don't have much time, so I'll tell you this. Behind the hot spring where the slaves bathe is a hidden cave," Brandon said, and Hazel gave him a dazed look. An escape route and so close to home. She bathed almost everyday day in that hot spring, cursing her role as a slave, yet freedom was right under her nose and she didn't know.

"I know what you're thinking, but even if you knew of its existence, you wouldn't have been able to escape. The only way to access the cave is to use the blood of the alpha to open the entrance."

Brandon then took off the necklace he was wearing and gave it to Hazel. Hazel collected it and saw attached to it was a tiny vial made out of ice, holding what looked like red liquid.

"It's Levi's blood. During my battle with him, I stole a little of his blood and froze it."

"On the rocks, you'll see runic symbols; all you need to do is pour Levi's blood onto it, and the entrance will activate and open."

"Tomorrow you will be put on trial, and no matter what you say or do, you will be made guilty. Malcolm needs you to be guilty to hide the fact that rogues have invaded the pack and were responsible for Levi's death. He would be blamed for letting it happen, and that would affect his goal of becoming the alpha. Also, the cursed seal on Helen's neck wasn't Levi's but Malcolm's."

"What?" Hazel said in shock.

"The seal on Helen was newly put on her by Malcolm, both of them were in on it. If Malcolm becomes the alpha, he could easily raise her status, and that's all the woman wants, is it not? She's willing to sacrifice you to achieve that, even if it means serving Brandon."

Hazel froze as she felt a cold expand in her core. She remembered Helen acting all dramatic and revealing her seal, all to frame her for a crime she didn't commit.

"That old witch," Hazel cursed, her entire being filled with an urge to kill. She wondered how Helen could be so cruel and greedy.

"We can't escape now as it has the less chance of success. So we'll do it tomorrow, during the trial. Such a time will be perfect for me to aid your escape as I've got info that the rogue will be attacking that time."

"Wouldn't that be even more dangerous?"

"Not really, we will be using the chaos as a distraction. Though the plan isn't foolproof, it's the best I've got."

Hazel shook her head. "No, it's too risky. Why are you willing to take such a risk for me when you can just leave and escape without any burden?"

"I told you I don't want to be a coward. And there's also the fact that I and my wolf find you attractive and we don't tend to agree much about anything," he said with a hearty grin, and Hazel froze at the confession.

Hazel didn't know how to feel about it. Sure, Brandon was attractive, but she wasn't thinking about romance at this point in her life. She just couldn't afford it.

Also, Brandon's words gave her a roiling stomach ache, like she didn't have enough to deal with already.

Hazel then heard footsteps approaching and hurriedly turned in that direction.

"I have to go," Brandon hurriedly said, and for some reason, that made Hazel feel disappointed.

"No matter what happens, do not despair or lose hope. Trust that I will appear no matter what, alright?"

"Alright," Hazel nodded.

"Also, just so you know, the first time I smiled genuinely was when I first spoke to you."

Hazel felt warmth expanding through her chest and broke eye contact.

'Geez... what's with all these words stirring my heart?'

"See you, rebel," Brandon grinned and ran off, Hazel following after him. She really didn't want him to leave.

A couple of seconds after he left, three guards appeared. They saw that two guards had been knocked unconscious.

"What happened here?" One of the guards asked Hazel, but she raised both hands, gesturing she didn't know.

The guards gritted their teeth and ran towards the direction Brandon went along with another. The last one of them stayed behind to tend to the fallen guards.

The night was filled with noises as guards ran about trying to find the invader. No prisoner was missing, and nothing was gone, so what was the intruder after?

No one knew, but Brandon's presence had made the security tighter.

Hazel spent the night in her thoughts as she sat leaning on the prison wall. Brandon's words were supposed to give her hope, yet she felt anything but relief as she tried to picture the best-case scenario.

She was scared of what would happen if she kept her hopes high and Brandon ended up letting her down. She didn't think she would be able to recover from how betrayed and horrible it would make her feel.

It terrified her, but weirdly, it wasn't as scary as facing the injustice she was about to be subjected to.

The cell gate clanged open, and an enforcer walked into her cell room along with some guards, commanding Hazel to rise.

It was time for the trial.