HAZEL

I sigh and run my hands through my hair, struggling with my doubts.

My argument with Ronan was stupid. Insignificant.

I pace back and forth in front of a tall window overlooking the empty courtyard. This vast, beautiful estate promises us a future, but it has also homed our past. Ronan's past. I must accept every inch of this estate along with him. Because it's a part of him. And the women from his past are long gone.

One thing is for certain—Our future nursery won't be in the bedroom where he entertained his mistresses. But this isn't worth fighting over. Not a hill worth dying on.

Ronan has granted me power, and I'll use it wisely. Perhaps there are some things I don't need to consult him about. Maybe I need to be braver and become more comfortable making changes in the estate.

IWhy am I getting frustrated? Is it because of fear? Fear of how badly I want the future I envision?

It's too early for me to want motherhood, and Ronan's DNA is so altered that there's no telling how his offspring would be affected. I've never asked details about what those scientists pumped into him, but it definitely changed his biology. So many things are uncertain, but after watching him get shot and nearly die, I just want to get closer to him. To strengthen our bond within love.

Hearing footsteps approach, I spin and find Janice approaching me.

I lost track of time.

"Hey, Janice. Is Ronan beating his chest yet?" I smile. "I was just about to head back. Hopefully he's not too upset."

She gives me a rare smile. She usually seems so intimidated, but I know that she has served Ronan long enough to trust him.

"He's actually chirpier than usual."

I laugh at this. "Ronan? Chirpy? Did you put something in his food?"

She chuckles. "He has requested that you join him."

"Sure," I reply and smoothe my skirt.

I'm sure the big guy has suffered enough already. If there's one thing I know about Ronan, it's that he can't stay away for too long. It's one of the reasons he's so lovable. He makes me feel wanted. Offers me a tenderness I didn't think possible as I lived my repetitive life as a maid.

I am more now. I'm his.

I'm confused when Janice leads me outside, but I maintain a smile as I walk past servants. They don't meet my eyes.

I will never get used to their distance. It's lonely being put on a pedestal. Even Gwen walks on eggshells around me, although she's my dearest friend.

I'm not a blue-blooded princess even with all the freedoms Ronan grants me. I'm a servant that cleaned these halls thousands of times. Everyone seems to have forgotten this.

Janice leads me outside, and my shoulders unexpectedly tense. Last time I got this close to the gates, Ronan got shot and I was ripped away from him.

My eyes shift left to the wall, and my feet come to a halt when I spot Ronan sitting on a blanket. His hulking figure looks comical, so large that his outstretched legs don't fit on the blanket. He's wearing his hoodie and facing away from me. A basket and a bouquet of flowers lies beside him.

I approach and thank Janice for her time.

I find Ronan fussing with something on his lap.

I look over his shoulder and find his hands tangled in string and three bandaids on his fingers. A first aid kit lies open beside him.

He grumbles as he struggles with a needle.

"Need some help?"

"How the fuck did you sew me an entire hoodie?" He grunts.

I kneel beside him. "Years of practice. What are you making?"

"Either a hair tie, bracelet, or a very small handkerchief. Whatever comes out of this knot."

I set my head on his shoulder, smiling so hard my face hurts. "I think you'll run out of band aids long before then."

His shoulders slump. "Forgive me, my love. I was trying to do something nice for you. You deserve it."

"Thank you, Ronan." I kiss his cheek and help him untangle his fingers.

I'm sure he has no experience with romance so it took him plenty of effort to sit out here, where anyone could watch us through a window.

"I'm sorry about earlier," he says, setting a hand on my thigh.

"I'm sorry too. But let's move on. It was just a small blip."

I peek into the basket and find sandwiches.

"Did you make these?"

"No. I know I'm a deplorable cook. The only reasonI enter kitchens is to eat and fuck—"

"Ronan!"

He grins. His handsome, scarred face lighting up. "I'm glad you're back. I missed you." He gestures to the wall. "Do you remember skipping this wall?"

"Of course I do."

"That's why I set this picnic here. Because although we were attacked last time we stepped outside, it was this wall that brought us together."

I embrace him. "Skipping that wall and going to town was the best decision I made in my life."

"And chasing you was my best decision. I love you, Hazel. You are my most beloved treasure."

—— ——

I am practically on cloud nine after our make-up. Ronan showers me with affection, taking the day off from work to hang out with me. We stay in bed as I read out loud.

Ronan lays with his heavily bandaged fingers entwined over his flat abdomen.

"Why are you laughing?" He asks.

I snap my book shut and grab his hand. I kiss his knuckles. "Just can't believe you pricked your fingers so many times."

"I—" he frowns and shoots out of bed, looking out the window.

Then I hear it. The sound of the gate opening. That gate never opens.

"It's Walker," Ronan says, his voice clipped.

He reaches for his shirt and pulls it over his head.

"Come on, Hazel. I need you in the office with me. The conversation will involve you."

Me?

I slide out of bed and straighten my dress, dread making me feel light-headed. I have a feeling that I won't like this conversation.

I follow Ronan down the hall to his office. We both remain standing to greet Walker, and don't have to wait much.

The man knocks before entering the office, pushing a hoodie off his head and revealing messy curly hair. It's striking how familiar his figure is to Ronan. Tall, broad, and sculpted.

The Lords exchange a handshake but I can tell Ronan's guard remains up.

"Can I offer you a glass?" Ronan asks, pointing to the cart of alcohol.

"No, thank you."

Ronan and I are both surprised by this. Walker isn't one to reject a drink.

The men settle on the desk and I stand by the door, feeling out of place and wanting to go unnoticed.

"Your telegram said that you found the spy. Who is it?"

Walker takes a second to answer.

"It was her."

Ronan seems to understand the vague answer. The two men seem to have a unique communication.

"Her? The maid you were infatuated with?"

Walker nods, his silence radiating a hatred that makes me step backward.

"Fuck. I'm sorry, brother."

I hear wood creaking and realize Walker has gripped the armrest so tightly that he splintered it.

"She ran away, but there is more to the mystery. I saw a female that is identical to her. A maid in your estate. I must have her."

My mind races. What maid could that be?!

Ronan's eyes find mine before he mutters, "Gwen."

"No!" I shout. "Absolutely not!"

—

GWEN — DAYS LATER

I stir in bed, awaking to darkness.

"Hazel?" I mutter, before remembering that Hazel has moved out of our bedroom and into the Lord's.

I haven't adjusted to living alone yet.

I sit up and rub my eyes, reaching for my lantern to see who is prowling outside at this hour. It must be someone of extremely high status because it's past curfew.

No one would dare to break the rules.

I hear a shift again. My blood runs cold when I realize that the presence is not outside, but already in here.

"So, I hear your name is Gwen," comes an impossibly male voice.

I open my mouth to scream, but he pounces long before I even part my lips.

A/N: Gwen will have a 4 part mini story that will come exclusively to Patreon this summer. In the meantime, enjoy other exclusives like The Captain's Slave, Swapped Luna, and other Patreon exclusives.

The Captain's Slave:
SEVEN thought it was bad enough being owned by a cruel slaver. But then their landlord returns to reclaim his territory and brings a fresh hell. This alien landlord is all muscles, mean scowls, scars, and a rumbling, deep voice. When her slaver sells her to the landlord to sate his anger, Seven is sure she won't make it through the night. Especially when his heated glare seems locked on her.

MALIK thought his life would quiet down after retiring from the military. But upon returning to his land, he finds his home occupied by a slaver. Desperate to bargain for his life, the slaver thrusts a brown-eyed human girl into Malik's arms in exchange for his life. A girl who stirs confusing feelings in him he had never felt before.

Swapped Luna:
Alpha Thorne despises his mate. He met her a month ago, and she has already shown her greed, unfaithfulness, and cruelty. He will never love the evil woman but keeps her by his side because she cannot be denied her goddess-given title of Luna.

When she gets in an accident, he wishes her dead. Little does he know that the moon goddess heard his prayers and made them come true.

VICTORIA is a human dying of terminal cancer. As she draws her final breath, she expects to find peaceful darkness. Instead, she lands in a healthy werewolf's body. But not just any werewolf. She's a pack Luna.

Victoria has been given a new chance at life. A healthy body and a wealthy position. But she takes one glance at her leering Alpha and mate, who looks ready to tear her apart, and wonders if she was better off dying from cancer.

She wants to escape the cold man but is on an entirely new continent. With no knowledge of the werewolf world, she's forced to live with a mate who despises her for unknown reasons.

Her only option is to try and melt the ice in his heart, but this is proven a challenge because he thinks she's still the evil woman who once owned Victoria's body.

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