Chapter 135: The Question of Fate
“You sure about this, Hazel?” Lucas asked, his hand brushing against mine. His voice was calm, but I could sense the tension underneath.
The dim corridor leading to the pack cells felt longer than I remembered. Every step echoed against the concrete floor as I made my way toward Leo, the triplets following close behind me. My heart pounded against my ribcage, uncertainty gnawing at my insides.
I nodded, trying to ignore the trembling in my hands. “I need to talk to him.”
“We’ll be right beside you,” Liam assured me, his warm smile a contrast to the concern in his eyes.
Levi, uncharacteristically quiet, simply squeezed my shoulder.
The past few days had been a whirlwind—spending time with my mates, catching up with my grandfather before he returned to The Dark Hour, and hanging out with Sophia and Callum. It felt like I’d been living in a bubble of happiness, deliberately avoiding the conversation I needed to have with Leo.
The guard at the cell block nodded at Lucas and stepped aside, unlocking the heavy door for us. The familiar scent of dampness and disinfectant hit me as we entered.
“He’s in the last cell,” the guard informed us. “Been quiet. Barely touched his food.”
My stomach clenched. The guard’s words only intensified my guilt about leaving Leo here for days while I settled back into pack life. Yes, he’d deceived me, manipulated me—but he’d also protected me, in his own way.
Above all, he was still one of my fated mates. Leaving him here for so long seemed too cruel.
We reached his cell, and I peered through the bars. Leo sat in the corner, his back against the wall, staring blankly ahead. He’d always been lean, but days in confinement had sharpened the angles of his face. Only when he caught my scent did he turn, his grayish-brown eyes finding mine.
“Well, well,” he said, his voice hoarse from disuse. “Look who finally remembered I exist.”