Chapter 187: Babies are here!
*~Hazel’s POV~*
I almost burst out laughing right there in the middle of a river—with Caspian holding on for dear life. He somehow managed to swim us back to the riverbank, and once we got out, he coughed out water while I? I completely lost it.
I started laughing uncontrollably.
He glared at me.
"I’m sorry—I can’t!" I wheezed, holding my stomach as the laughter bubbled up even more.
My entire body was drenched. My hair was plastered to my face so much that I couldn’t even see. I fell back, lying on my back, still clutching my stomach as I laughed out loud.
Then he turned toward me. "What’s so funny? We’re lost. We’re in the middle of nowhere!"
That only made me laugh harder.
"I’m sorry! I’m sorry!" I said between breaths. "Isn’t it just funny? I risked our lives... twice!"
"You’re saying that’s funny?"
I burst out laughing again, stomach now aching. "Hopefully, oh my God—stop, Caspian, my stomach hurts!"
He stood up, completely drenched. His white shirt clung to his body, making his entire masculine physique clearly visible.
"How do we get out of here?" he asked, exasperated. "I’m definitely not trusting your spells again."
I stood up too and walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders.
"Oh, I guess my spell did something right—because you look hot as balls right now, with both of us drenched."
He rolled his eyes, removed my hands from his shoulders, and pulled me to face him directly.
"This is not funny. You need to get us out of here."
"I know, I know," I said, still trying to stop giggling. "But you clearly said we can’t trust my spells again—so how are we supposed to get out of here?"
"Find something. Figure something out."
"Where’s the husband who doesn’t want me doing anything?" I teased. "The one who says he’ll do everything for me? Is he magically gone?"
He turned back to me. "Well, you said it’s you and you together. So... it better be me and you."
"Well," I said, rubbing my hands together. "We have no other options. Let’s do it again."
"No. Maybe this time, we’ll teleport right in front of a volcano that’s about to erupt."
I burst into another fit of laughter.
"I’m sorry," I said, catching my breath. "But come on. Your face when we landed in the water—your reaction—that’s what’s funny."
"We could have died!" he snapped.
"Exactly why I’m laughing."
He groaned. "I despise whatever is wrong with you, right now?"
"Oh, please," I said, clutching my head. "Ugh... my head is starting to hurt a little. Just, don’t worry. Trust me this time."
"No. Hazel, please."
"Caspian, I promise. I’ll focus. I’ll actually envision where we’re going this time."
"So you’re saying you weren’t even thinking of a location before?"
"I wasn’t envisioning anything. The spell just... malfunctioned."
He narrowed his eyes.
I grinned and stretched out my hand toward him. "Shall we?"
"You’d better teleport us back to the High House," he warned, taking my hand reluctantly. "Or I swear, I’ll pluck your teeth out one by one and watch how you manage to laugh without them."
I grabbed Caspian’s hand and blew him a kiss.
"Versa," I whispered, clearly envisioning the High House in my mind.
But just as the teleportation began, a sudden glitch pierced my thoughts. Images of my babies flashed through my head so vividly, so raw, and whatever joy I’d been feeling disappeared instantly.
And then, we arrived... smack in the middle of a forest.
Caspian turned to me, anger gnawing at his features. His jaw was clenched, his face hot with frustration.
"This isn’t a joke, Hazel," he snapped. "Where are we?"
I gasped, clutching my chest. My breasts already felt heavy, and I was struggling to breathe.
"Hazel, what’s wrong with you?"
"Caspian... I think we’re where my babies are."
"What?"
"My babies... they’re here. I was trying to envision the High House, but then... my mind... my heart shifted. I saw them. And my spell took us here. My babies must be here! My spell worked!"
"Hazel, calm down," he said, stepping closer to steady me. "Breathe. Breathe, okay? If you saw them and we landed here—then yes, maybe. But if Cyrius is here too, he’s not alone. And you and I certainly can’t take them down by ourselves."
"I heard something," I whispered, cutting him off.
I placed a finger on my lips to silence him, then pressed my other hand to my ear.
That’s when we both heard it, chokers of laughter, faint but echoing from miles away.
We looked at each other, wide-eyed. I nodded quickly. "You see? My babies are here."
"Hazel," he said again, slower this time, "we need a plan. If your babies really are here, this might not be the right moment. We should go back...call for backup. Cayden, someone. We can’t just—"
"No!" I yelled. "I finally know where my babies are. They’re just miles away from me and you want me to go back and call Cayden? What if they move them again? What if this is our only chance?"
"But you still have your magic. If they move, you could just envision them again, and we’ll go wherever they take them."
"No, Caspian. I don’t trust my powers anymore. Look at what just happened! What if it didn’t work next time? What if I sent us somewhere worse?"
He exhaled, jaw tight. "Hazel, this is reckless. You told me not to fight an entire pack alone. We are not some super wolves."
"Or maybe... we are," I said, eyes narrowing. "I’m a Crescent. A natural-born. And you are the Beta of an entire pack. You and you together? That’s more than enough to take down whatever’s holding my babies."
I clenched my fists.
But Caspian shook his head. "That whatever you’re referring to is Cyrius. That monster. You’ve fought him. You know what he’s capable of. He had you so pinned, you had to turn to the babies for help."
His voice cracked with memory. "I won’t let that happen again."
"Then what?" I asked. "We just stand here?"
He looked away for a long second, then whispered, "I’m going to call Cayden. If anyone can take down Cyrius... It’s him."