Mated to the Triplet Alphas

Chapter 114: Chapter 114: Leo’s Fears

Hazel’s POV

A hand clamped over my mouth, jolting me awake. I thrashed against my attacker until my eyes adjusted to the darkness and I recognized Leo’s silhouette hovering over me.

My heart hammered in my chest as he removed his hand.

“Get up,” Leo whispered, his voice sharp with urgency. “We need to leave. Now.”

I blinked, still groggy from sleep. “What’s going on?”

“No questions. Just move.”

Something was off. Leo wasn’t making sarcastic remarks or calling me “sweetheart” or “babe.” His face was full of concentration, his jaw clenched tight. This wasn’t the Leo I’d come to know.

“Leo—”

“Hazel, please,” he hissed, grabbing my arm and pulling me from the bed. “We don’t have much time.”

I stumbled to my feet, barely managing to slip on my shoes before Leo dragged me toward the door. He pressed his ear against it, listening intently before cracking it open and peering into the hallway.

“Clear,” he muttered, more to himself than to me. “Stay close.”

We slipped into the dimly lit corridor. The facility was eerily quiet at this hour, with only the hum of distant machinery breaking the silence. I glanced at a wall clock as we passed—3:17 AM. The middle of the night.

Leo moved with purpose, his grip on my wrist firm as he guided me through the maze of hallways. We ducked into a supply closet as footsteps approached. I held my breath as two scientists walked by.

“What’s happening?” I whispered once they’d passed. “Why are we running?” Then, an idea shot through my head. My eyes widened with hope. “Did the triplets find us?”

Leo’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowed. “No. This has nothing to do with your mates.”

I studied his face. He wasn’t lying. If the triplets weren’t the reason for this midnight escape, then what was?

My heart immediately sunk to the pits of my stomach. “Then why—”

“Later,” Leo cut me off, checking the hallway again. “We need to reach the east exit. It’s the least guarded.”

The bad feeling in my gut intensified as we continued our escape. Leo seemed genuinely afraid. In a facility where he was nearly at the top of the food chain, that was a worrisome sight.

We rounded another corner and Leo froze, pushing me behind him. Ahead, the hallway opened into a wider area near what looked like an exit. But between us and freedom stood four guards. Their unnaturally pale skin and predatory postures marked them as vampires.

“Stay back,” Leo ordered, his voice barely audible. “If anything happens to me, run for the exit. Don’t look back.”

“What? No. What about you? Am I supposed to just leave you with the vampires?” I whispered, surprising myself with how much I meant it.

I didn’t even know why I said that. The words slipped out of my mouth before I could even control it. This was his home and those were his subordinates. Why would it matter if he was left behind?

But with how guarded Leo seemed against them, my anxiety only grew.

“Yes.” Leo’s jaw tightened. “And this isn’t a discussion. If you want the thing in your stomach to live, then you’ll do as you’re told.”

Before I could respond, he moved forward, his body tensing like a coiled spring. The first vampire spotted him immediately, but Leo was faster. He tackled the creature to the ground with inhuman speed, landing a crushing blow to its face.

The other vampires reacted instantly, pulling what looked like metal batons from their belts. Silver, I realized with horror as they gleamed under the fluorescent lights.

This wasn’t good. Just one hit could put Leo out of commission.

“Leo!” I cried out in warning. noveldrama

He ducked as one of the batons swung over his head, then delivered a powerful uppercut that sent the second vampire flying backward. But the third and fourth closed in, and I could see Leo was outnumbered.

Despite his warning, I couldn’t just stand there. I grabbed a fire extinguisher from the wall and ran forward, swinging it with all my strength at one of the vampires. It connected with a sickening crunch, buying Leo precious seconds.

“I told you to stay back!” he snarled, blocking another blow.

Two more vampires appeared from a side corridor, drawn by the commotion. Six against one. Leo fought like a demon, taking down another vampire with a series of brutal strikes, but I could see he was getting tired.

When a silver baton caught him across the shoulder, he howled in pain, his skin sizzling where the metal touched.

“Leo!” I screamed, trying to reach him.

One of the vampires grabbed me from behind, his cold hands like iron around my arms. I kicked and thrashed, slamming my head back with a grunt. The vampire hissed in pain, momentarily loosening his grip.

“Nice try, little lady,” he hissed. Before I could put distance between us, he pulled me back into his arms again. “But you’re not going anywhere.”

Leo’s eyes found mine and they widened in fear. Not for himself, I realized with a jolt, but for me. He lunged toward me, but two batons struck him simultaneously, one across his back and another at his knees.

He collapsed with a choked cry.

“Stop!” I begged as they continued to beat him. “Please stop!”

Leo’s eyes met mine one last time before he finally went still, his body slumping to the floor. My chest constricted with panic. I didn’t understand why I cared so much, but seeing him injured sent waves of distress crashing through me.

The vampires separated us, dragging me down a different corridor while others hauled Leo’s unconscious body away. I fought them every step, screaming his name until my throat was raw.

Why was I so worried about the man who had kidnapped me? It made no sense, but I couldn’t deny the fear gripping my heart.

They took me to a sterile room with a single chair in the center. Despite my struggles, they forced me into it, securing my wrists and ankles with silver-lined cuffs. The cold metal burned against my skin, preventing any chance of shifting or escaping.

A door opened, and a woman entered, her face hidden in shadow. She approached me with a syringe filled with a pale purple liquid.

“What is that?” I demanded, straining against my restraints. “What are you going to do to me?”

“Hold still,” she commanded.

“Who are you?” I asked, though she ignored me. “Get the hell away from me!”

I thrashed as she brought the needle to my arm, but the restraints held firm. I felt the sharp prick as the needle pierced my skin, followed by a burning sensation as the substance entered my bloodstream.

“What did you inject me with?” I gasped, feeling a strange weakness spreading through my body.

“It’s just a bit of wolfsbane,” the woman replied calmly.

My eyes widened in horror. “Wolfsbane?!”

I struggled harder against the restraints, panic consuming me.

“Relax,” she said, stepping closer. “The dosage is small enough to weaken you, but no harm will come to you.”

As she moved into the light, her features became clear. Middle-aged, with black hair streaked heavily with gray. She was standing so close that I could clearly see the brand on her neck.

I narrowed my eyes, her name on the tip of my tongue. She seemed familiar. I had definitely seen her before, but where—

Recognition dawned on me like a physical blow.

“Well,” she added with a cold smile, “I suppose I cannot guarantee the same for your baby.”

My blood turned to ice in my veins as I stared at the face I’d seen before in magazines and medical journals whenever I tidied the packhouse. The woman who was supposed to be my mother’s friend.

Esther Perez.