Chapter 27
The shadow didn't move at first, just lingered at the edge of the pier, blending with the storm that whipped around them. Hazel's breath caught in her throat. Every instinct screamed at her to run, but her feet were rooted to the wet wood, her eyes fixed on the figure that had shattered the fragile calm she thought she'd found with Lucien.
Lucien tightened his grip on her hands, his jaw set, his eyes scanning every movement. "Stay close," he murmured. "I don't know who that is yet, but don't let them get between us."
The figure finally stepped forward, and the hood fell back. Hazel's stomach dropped. It was Mara — but not the Mara she remembered. Her eyes were hard, her lips pressed into a thin line, and there was a sharpness in her gaze that Hazel hadn't seen before.
"Mara…" Hazel breathed, her voice trembling. "What… what are you doing here?"
Mara's eyes flicked to Lucien, and a smirk curved her lips. "Oh, Hazel, always so naïve. You think you've finally caught him? You think everything is safe now?"
Hazel's heart pounded. "I… I don't understand."
Mara laughed, a cold, ringing sound that seemed to make the storm itself shiver. "Lucien doesn't belong to you. He never did. And you… you've been playing catch-up, thinking you could hold onto someone who's been running from everyone but himself."
Lucien stepped in front of Hazel, his body tense, protective. "Mara, what are you talking about? Step back."
Mara tilted her head, her gaze sharp as a blade. "Oh, I'm not here to hurt you, Lucien. Not yet. I'm here to remind Hazel that the man she thinks she knows… isn't the man she's loving. Not completely."
Hazel felt her knees weaken. "Lucien… what does she mean?"
Lucien exhaled slowly, running a hand down his face. "Hazel… there are things I haven't told you. Things I wanted to protect you from."
Mara laughed again. "Protect? From the truth? How noble of you."
Hazel's hands shook as she pulled back slightly. "Lucien… what truths?" Her voice was barely audible over the rain and wind, but there was a steel in it she hadn't known she had.
Lucien looked at her, pain and desperation flickering in his eyes. "I… I've been involved in things I shouldn't have. People I shouldn't have trusted. Mara isn't lying — some of it is… complicated. But Hazel, I swear, I never wanted to drag you into it. Not ever."
Mara's smirk widened. "Complicated? That's putting it lightly. You've been hiding from her, Lucien. And now you think a few words and a stormy night will fix it all?"
Hazel's chest ached. The Lucien she had believed in, the man who promised honesty, was standing there admitting he had secrets. And yet… there was a rawness in his voice, a vulnerability that reached her heart. She wanted to scream at him, to cry, to demand answers — and she did.
"Lucien!" she shouted, her voice cracking. "Why? Why didn't you tell me? We promised… we promised no more lies!"
Lucien's eyes burned. "I didn't want to lose you! I didn't want to scare you away! Every time I tried to tell you, something stopped me — Mara, my own mistakes, everything I thought I could handle alone. But I can't hide anymore, Hazel. I can't. I'm done running."
Mara rolled her eyes, stepping closer. "See? There it is — the real Lucien. Brave words, but will they matter when the truth comes out? When you find out who he really is, Hazel?"
Hazel's mind spun. Every step forward with Lucien suddenly felt like walking on thin ice over a frozen lake. She wanted to trust him, but Mara's presence was a constant reminder of the world outside their bubble — a world filled with shadows, secrets, and consequences.
Lucien took a deep breath, his hand still gripping hers. "Hazel, I can tell you everything. Now. No more secrets. I want you to decide with all the truth in front of you. I can't hide anymore."
Hazel's eyes narrowed. "Everything?"
"Everything," he confirmed. "But you have to promise me — no matter what, don't run. Don't shut me out. Not this time."
Hazel nodded slowly, a mixture of fear and resolve washing over her. "Okay… tell me."
Lucien's gaze went to Mara briefly, then back to Hazel. "A few months ago, I got involved with a group… people who deal in things I thought I could control. I never wanted Hazel to know because I knew it was dangerous. Mara knows because… well, she's part of that world. I thought I could keep it separate from us, but it's all connected now."
Hazel's head spun. "Connected… how?"
Before Lucien could answer, Mara stepped forward, her voice sharp. "Connected enough that your choice tonight will matter more than you think. Lucien, you've dragged her into your mess. Hazel, the man you love… isn't just hiding secrets. He's in real danger. And now, so are you."
Hazel's heart skipped, fear and adrenaline mixing into a sharp edge of clarity. The storm wasn't just outside anymore — it was inside her, and it was dangerous.
Lucien tightened his grip on her hands. "Hazel, listen to me. I can fix this, but I need you with me. Not behind me, not away from me. With me. You are my heart, Hazel. And if we survive this… we survive together."
Hazel's breath caught. Every fiber of her being screamed at her to run, but her eyes — open eyes, an open heart — locked onto his. She nodded slowly. "Then we face it. Together."
Mara watched them for a moment, her smirk fading into something unreadable. "So be it," she said finally. "But don't think the storm is over. It's only beginning."
Thunder roared overhead, rain lashing against the pier, and Hazel felt the truth in Mara's words. Whatever came next, there was no going back. And for the first time, Hazel realized that loving Lucien wasn't just about hearts and promises — it was about surviving the storms he'd brought into her life.
She looked up at him, through the rain, through the fear. "I'm not letting go. Not now, not ever."
Lucien pulled her close, their bodies drenched, the world around them chaos and water and lightning. "I promise… I won't let go either."
And in that moment, amidst the storm and secrets, Hazel understood something vital: sometimes, love wasn't safe. Sometimes, it was fire, and rain, and danger — but it was worth it.