*~ Hazel’s POV~*
"She really looks like you," Marcus said softly behind , his voice almost trembling. "She takes after you and your mother—beautiful, imnsely beautiful."
I paused at the doorway and turned just enough to glance at him. He stood there with his hands clasped, like a man who knew he was walking on shards of glass. I gave him a quick smile, more out of politeness than warmth—and began to leave, but his voice cut through again.
"She has her father’s eyes," he added, his tone lower now, wistful. "That’s... interesting. She’s just as pretty as you and your mother. I wish I’d spent more ti with you when you were her age."
I froze for a heartbeat. I knew exactly what he was doing—digging, trying to worm his way into my emotions. "We are not bonding over this," I snapped, spinning back to him.
"Can’t I just spend enough ti with my daughter and granddaughter?" he asked, a pleading edge slipping into his voice.
"Your daughter and granddaughter? Where are they?" I shot back, scanning the room deliberately. "Because I’m certainly not your daughter, and she’s not your granddaughter."
His face fell, and for a mont, he looked like a man being gutted alive by his own past. "You know what," I said, shaking my head, "I’m not doing this again." And with that, I left the room—my heart hamring even as I reminded myself not to soften.
But as fate would have it, I bumped straight into Klaus and Aurora in the hall. Aurora’s sharp eyes flicked to imdiately. She must have heard my raised voice because her gaze narrowed, suspicious, then darted past toward Marcus. Without a word, she brushed past us and into the room.
"Did you do anything?" Klaus growled under his breath beside .
"No," I replied, softer this ti. My heart, traitorous as always, softened a little as I caught sight of Marcus again over my shoulder. Gods, he reminded so much of Cayden in that mont—broken yet stubborn.
Aurora turned to Marcus. "Is it true?" she asked, her voice steady, commanding. "I heard you want to bind your life to mine."
Marcus straightened. "At least to you, yes," he said without hesitation. "As long as you won’t take advantage of my life being in your hands."
Aurora studied him, her expression unreadable. "Are you sure?"
He nodded once, firmly.
She turned to . "Hazel, get these babies out of this place. This is going to be a grueso sight for them."
I hesitated. I wanted to see the process, watch it unfold, and ensure Marcus wasn’t scheming sothing behind our backs. But Aurora was right. My babies shouldn’t witness sothing like this.
So I gathered Heather and Christian into my arms. "Co on, little ones," I murmured, feeling their tiny fingers curl into my clothes. I walked out of the room, but not too far. Just far enough that they wouldn’t see, but close enough that my superhearing could pick up everything.
Even though I couldn’t see, I could feel. Aurora’s heartbeat—controlled but heavy. Marcus’s—fast, uneven. Klaus’s—steady, like stone. I adjusted Heather on my hip as her tiny fists tugged at my hair.
I hadn’t even gotten far when Aurora’s voice echoed through the walls. "Versa!" she commanded.
Marcus’s heartbeat spiked like a drum, thundering in my ears. Then ca the screaming—raw, unrestrained—as Aurora’s chanting layered over his pain. Klaus remained silent and calm, his heartbeat steady as stone, while Aurora and Marcus’s pulses intertwined like a violent storm.
Heather started crying, her fists yanking my hair so hard my scalp burned. I hissed under my breath and started walking farther away. Gods, I’d forgotten—my babies didn’t just have superhearing.
I walked from the room, rocking Heather against my chest while trying to get Ida to stop crying. My nerves were a ss. Every few seconds, I peeked back toward the door, expecting soone—anyone—to step outside, but no one did.
"Where are they?" I muttered under my breath, pacing. The thought struck hard—what if Marcus had done sothing? What if turning him into a vampire had been a trap? My stomach clenched. As a Crescent, he was already strong. With vampire blood, he could easily take Aurora and Klaus down.
I shook my head violently. No. He needed my babies’ blood to complete the transformation. He couldn’t have done anything without them... right? And besides, Aurora is a witch. Klaus is an Alpha. They’re both strong. But Klaus is also an old man, my thoughts whispered.
I tapped my forehead to shut myself up. Stop it, Hazel. The motion made Ida giggle, her little teeth glinting as she stared at , waiting for to do it again. I sighed and tapped my head a second ti, and she erupted into laughter.
"How can you derive joy from seeing your mother in pain, you silly girl?" I teased, walking closer and tickling her belly. She squealed and kicked at , little hands shooting for my hair again. I stayed just far enough back—her grip was stronger than anything I’d ever seen in a baby.
And then Aurora’s voice cut through the hall. "Hazel!"
I snapped my head up.
"It’s ready. We need the babies now."
I scooped up both twins, my heart hamring. Showti. Whatever ca next would decide everything.
When I walked back upstairs, Aurora was already waiting at the door. We entered together. The room was thick with power, like the air before a storm. Marcus was on the floor, weak and trembling, his skin pale as chalk.
Klaus stood over him, eyes like fire. "Stand up, you lazy fool," he barked, his voice a whip crack in the room. Marcus flinched but didn’t rise.
Klaus sneered. "What have you gone through, hm?" Then he turned to Aurora, his tone shifting, lower, heavier. "Make him a vampire.
"Yes sir." she looked at and then my babies as I imdiately understood. I dropped my babies next to her and she smiled.
Let’s hope all will be well.
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