Chapter 88: Chapter 88: The Devil’s NameHazel’s POV

    I stared at the man in front of me, 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 me.

    Same dark brown hair, same sharp jawline, same tall, imposing frame. Even the way he moved reminded me 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 mean to—”

    “Didn’t mean 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 me, watching her being tormented 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 moment 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 time.”

    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 me.

    “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 name.

    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. “Come on.”

    Annie shot me 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 me to hear, “I won’t stop him next time.”

    The door slammed behind them, leaving me alone with the man who wore the face of my mates but was clearly not them. He stood looking at me for a long moment, 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 me with those unsettling eyes.

    “My name 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 me? 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 name 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 time.”

    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 me. “You don’t need to know so much, sweetheart. Let’s just say you’re valuable to me in ways you can’t begin to understand.”

    “My mates will find me,” 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 remembered 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 time I spoke with them, we fought.

    Something 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 time,” Leo announced, taking the tray and dismissing the servant with a nod.

    He placed it on the floor in front of me and removed the cover. The smell hit me instantly—rancid and putrid, like meat 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 me. “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 me, and I withdrew just as quickly.

    “Your body is honest,” Leo commented.

    Instantly, my stomach coiled and gurgled in disgust. The smell was revolting. I had smelled better scented garbage cans than this, even after it had been fermenting out in the hot summer heat. What’s more, I couldn’t be sure this food wasn’t poisoned. sea??h thё novel(F~)ire.net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    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 smell 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 someone I couldn’t see. My eyes were glazed over with unshed tears as I continued to retch.

    “She’s not in,” someone replied. “She’s still in—”

    “Then get someone to clean up this mess,” 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.”