Hazel’s POV
I stared at the man in front of , my mind struggling to process what my eyes were seeing. The resemblance was so uncanny it was almost frightening. If not for his grayish-brown eyes, I would have sworn one of my mates had found .
Sa dark brown hair, sa sharp jawline, sa tall, imposing fra. Even the way he moved reminded of Lucas—precise and predatory. My heart leaped with hope before crashing back down when I realized this wasn’t my salvation, but another part of my nightmare.
Annie whimpered as he tightened his grip on her hair.
“Please,” she begged, tears streaming down her face. “I didn’t an to—”
“Didn’t an to what?” he asked, his voice deceptively soft. “Disobey a direct order? Or get caught doing it?”
He twisted his hand, making Annie cry out in pain. Despite everything she’d done to , watching her being tornted made my stomach turn.
“I’m sorry,” she sobbed, mascara running down her cheeks. “It won’t happen again.”
The man smirked, letting her dangle for a mont longer before releasing her with a shove that sent her stumbling against the wall.
“You’re right about that,” he said coolly. “Because if it does, I won’t be so gentle next ti.”
Annie rubbed her scalp, her blue eyes filled with hatred as she glanced my way. Even in her fear, she couldn’t hide her contempt for .
“Don’t look at her,” the man snapped, stepping between us. “In fact, don’t even breathe in her direction. Get out.”
Cassandra, who had been silently watching from the stairs, finally spoke up. “Leo, we should stick to the plan. Annie’s impulsive, but she’s still useful.”
Leo. So that was his na.
He turned to look at Cassandra, his expression softening slightly. “Fine. But get her out of here before I change my mind.”
Cassandra nodded and beckoned to Annie. “Co on.”
Annie shot one last venomous glare before stumbling toward the stairs. As she passed Cassandra, the platinum blonde caught her arm firmly.
“And Annie? If you try anything like this again,” Cassandra whispered, loud enough for to hear, “I won’t stop him next ti.”
The door slamd behind them, leaving alone with the man who wore the face of my mates but was clearly not them. He stood looking at for a long mont, his eyes traveling over my bound form with an intensity that made my skin crawl.
Finally, he crouched down to my level. I flinched away as his hand moved toward my face, but all he did was grasp the edge of the duct tape across my mouth.
“This might hurt,” he warned, then ripped it off in one swift motion.
I gasped, the sting bringing tears to my eyes.
“Who are you?” I demanded as soon as I could speak, my voice hoarse from disuse.
He settled back on his heels, studying with those unsettling eyes.
“My na is Leo,” he said simply. “But I suspect that’s not really what you want to know.”
I swallowed hard, tasting blood and fear. “What do you want with ? Where am I?”
Leo’s lips curved into a smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Straight to the point. I like that about you, Hazel.”
The way he said my na was so intimate that it sent a chill down my spine.
“You’re wondering why I look like them, aren’t you?” he continued, tilting his head slightly.
I remained silent, but my expression must have betrayed my thoughts because he chuckled.
“Family resemblance is a powerful thing,” he said cryptically. “But that’s a conversation for another ti.”
Family resemblance? My mind whirled. Did Lucas, Liam, and Levi have a long-lost brother roaming the streets as a rogue?
“What am I doing here then?” I asked again, pulling against my silver chains despite the burning pain. “What do you want?”
Leo stood up slowly, towering over . “You don’t need to know so much, sweetheart. Let’s just say you’re valuable to in ways you can’t begin to understand.”
“My mates will find ,” I said with as much conviction as I could muster. “They won’t stop looking.”
Or at least, I hope they didn’t. I could only pray that they rembered what I told them; that if I disappeared, I didn’t leave willingly.
My heart clenched painfully at the thought of them. We didn’t even part on good terms. The last ti I spoke with them, we fought.
Sothing dark flashed in Leo’s eyes. “Your mates can look all they want. They won’t find you here.”
He walked to the stairs and let out a sharp whistle. The door opened, and a stooped figure shuffled down with a tray in hand.
“Dinner ti,” Leo announced, taking the tray and dismissing the servant with a nod.
He placed it on the floor in front of and removed the cover. The sll hit instantly—rancid and putrid, like at left in the sun for days. On the plate was a grayish lump that might have once been food, surrounded by congealed brown liquid.
My stomach lurched violently. This looked more like expired cat food than anything else.
“Eat up,” Leo said, pushing the tray closer to . “This is all you’re getting.”
I turned my head away. “I’m not eating that.”
His expression hardened. “You’ll eat what you’re given, or you’ll starve. Your choice.”
My stomach let out a rumble, betraying my words. Instantly, my face flushed red as a cold smirk drove the corner of Leo’s lips up. He clicked his tongue, pushing the plate a little closer to , and I withdrew just as quickly.
“Your body is honest,” Leo comnted.
Instantly, my stomach coiled and gurgled in disgust. The sll was revolting. I had slled better scented garbage cans than this, even after it had been fernting out in the hot sumr heat. What’s more, I couldn’t be sure this food wasn’t poisoned.
I felt my body jerk as my stomach heaved. Instantly, I clamped my lips tightly together, trying to hold my puke down. But it didn’t work too well. Another heave was what it took before I could no longer control it.
Bile poured from my mouth and out onto the concrete floor. Leo jerked back instinctively, the vomit missing him by a few short inches. The sll quickly filled the room, and his nose wrinkled.
He watched as I threw up the remaining contents of my stomach, trembling. I was cold, drained, and every inch of my body was in pain, from the burn of my wrists to the scorching of my throat. I had never felt so miserable before.
“Get the doctor,” Leo said in the background to soone I couldn’t see. My eyes were glazed over with unshed tears as I continued to retch.
“She’s not in,” soone replied. “She’s still in—”
“Then get soone to clean up this ss,” Leo snapped.
He rose to his feet, his footsteps echoing after him, along with his final instructions.
“Prepare the room downstairs. She needs to be in good health for her blood extraction tomorrow.”
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