THIRD PERSON POV
"You have to rescue the unifier first. Enzo has held her captive and if you do not get to her first, he will use her for the ritual, which will lead to her death." Hazel nodded at one of the witches' words. "We will help you with an illusion spell that will mask you in the eyes of the vampires, but you need to be quick. You will be able to sense her with the spell. While you are gone, we will be here setting up the spell for the release of Radolf Clawmark."
"Here." They tossed a globe to her. "When you get to the stone, rub on this, and we will be notified at once. Then we can activate the spell to make you hybrid, but you will need blood from the unifier."
"Come, child," one witch said, and Hazel stepped forward. Then they gathered around her, chanting a spell. Hazel was thrown into utter darkness in no time, and when she opened her eyes, she saw herself in the vampire den.
She saw two vampires headed towards her, which caused her heart to skip a beat, and she tried to run, but they walked through her like she wasn't there. This caused her to breathe a sigh of relief, but she knew she had to act quickly. The vampires had four hundred werewolves, and Bella would soon be dead if she didn't act fast.
Hazel moved swiftly through the den, following the scent trail the witches had made for her. She walked for a moment, making her way through many doors until she found herself descending to a hidden passage underground. After a moment, she came to a halt in front of a metallic door. She chanted a brief spell, breaking the locks. With a creak, the door swung open, revealing Bella chained to a wall.
"Bella!" Hazel called out, rushing towards her. Bella's head snapped up, her face pale and streaked with dirt. Her eyes widened at the sight of Hazel. She was relieved and in disbelief because she didn't expect anyone to find her where the vampires had locked her. "Hazel? What are you doing here?" Bella's voice was hoarse, as she hadn't had anything to eat or drink.
Hazel threw her arms around her briefly. "We're getting you out," Hazel said, kneeling to examine the chains binding Bella's wrists and ankles.
"It isn't magic, so I can easily break it," she said. Then she chanted a brief spell, and the chains fell.
"It is so dangerous here, Haze. How are we going to leave, and how did you even get in?"
"I'll explain later, but they killed Halle already, and she gave me directions." When Hazel said this, Bella glanced at her.
"And Alpha Fred too. They fooled us and made us believe they took Ryder captive, so he exchanged his life for his, and he turned out to be a vampire in disguise." Hazel had reached her breaking point at that moment. She felt bad about the news, but she knew there was nothing she could do.
"Come on, we need to leave right away," Hazel replied. "This fight isn't over until they draw the blood of the last of us." Bella nodded, taking Hazel's hands.
Hazel chanted a spell, and they both disappeared calmly like the sweep of a wind.
**
According to what the witches had asked, Hazel headed to the rock north of the Rune pack, hoping they were working on their spell.
"You know tonight is the ritual to release the dead vampires, and if Enzo doesn't see me, he will come after us?" Bella asked as they trailed through the forest, north of the Rune pack, in search of the rock.
"That is why we need to keep searching until we find the rock," Hazel said to Bella without looking back. She was already frustrated, and she didn't want to think of the things that could go wrong.
Bella sensed the edge in Hazel's voice, so she kept mute as they walked, leaving only the sound of crunchy, dead leaves to their ears. After a moment of walking, Hazel sighed deeply.
"I didn't mean to sound that way. I am just so frustrated. I have no idea where the guys are or what the hell they are doing, and it looks like we are losing," Hazel said, coming to a halt. "The worst part is, I cannot even tell if this is worth it. Like where the hell is the damn rock!" She groaned, kicking up the rubble.
Bella reached for her hand.
"I am really sorry you feel that way, and I understand. We have been through a lot, and we can only remain hopeful. The witches might be our last option, but I have so much faith," she said to her, then pulled her into a hug, shutting her eyes. "Come on, let's not be negative." She patted her back, then opened her eyes, spotting something in the distance.
"Is it just me, or does that look like a rock?" Bella asked, pulling away at once.
Hazel turned at once to see the said rock.
"Gosh! You found it!" she exclaimed, grabbing Bella's hand. "I think I was carried away, and we were headed south. Come on!" she exclaimed, and the two of them rushed towards the rock.
Haze was a bit relieved. They just needed to get to the rock. Then the witches would do their magic. As they neared the rock, Hazel felt the end coming positively. The vampires wouldn't know what hit them, she thought.
The rock stood tall in front of them, its surface rough and weathered, cracks running deep in it. The forest had fallen eerily silent, as if nature itself knew something important was about to happen, and the sky was growing darker by the second as the last traces of sunlight slipped away. A mix of emotions swirled in their chests.
"This is it," Bella said, sighing in relief.
Hazel placed her hands on the rock, feeling the cool surface beneath her hands. This was their ticket home, and it felt almost surreal. She let out a shaky breath and leaned forward, pressing her forehead against it. Without thinking, she spread her arms around the rock, hugging it as though it would come to life.
"We have to work now, and I trust you, rock." She kissed the rock in gratitude. Bella, on the other hand, couldn't believe Radolf Clawmark was asleep somewhere underneath the rock.
Without hesitating, Bella raised her hand, biting her wrist. Blood rushed out at once, and she beckoned to Hazel, who stepped closer. Hazel brought her lips to Bella's wrist, sucking in a good amount of blood. It tasted warm and metallic, sending shivers up Hazel's body. She couldn't believe she was about to be three things at once, but it was worth everything, although she hated the vampires.
Soon Bella pulled away, and Hazel kept the blood in her mouth, taking out the tiny globe from her bag. Gently, she rubbed it, and it began to glow under the darkening sky. Her heart thumped fast in her chest as she anticipated what was to come next.
At that moment, Hazel felt a lot of energy swell around her. Something shot up through her spine, causing her head to fall back involuntarily, allowing the blood on her lips to fall down her throat. The globe fell from her hand as a scream escaped her lips. She was in a lot of pain, and Bella watched in fear. She couldn't imagine the pain Hazel was going through.
"Hazel!" Bella stepped forward when Hazel wouldn't stop groaning in pain, but she felt a repulsion, causing her to realize there was a barrier.
Hazel dropped to her knees at once, her breathing quickening with her fingers clawing at the ground. Her nails elongated into sharp points, and her skin seemed to shimmer under the glow.
Her senses sharpened, every sound in the forest around them becoming deafeningly clear. Her body trembled as if fighting to contain the surge of power rushing through her.
Finally, the pain stopped, and her breathing returned to normal, causing her to fall completely to the ground. Bella rushed to her, and this time there was no barrier. Hazel stood up swiftly.
"How do you feel?" Bella asked her as she glared at her.
"Stronger, and faster, like nothing can stop me." Bella let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding.
"Good. Because we'll need every bit of that strength." "Let us get this over with, please," Hazel said, and Bella nodded.
They both walked towards the rock to coat it with their blood, but before they could get to it, they both sensed something from a distance.
"Can you hear that?" Bella asked, and Hazel turned at once, stretching out her hand, grabbing a vampire by their throat. They had found them.