Chapter 101: missing

Hazel and Janet had been searching for Akeelah for several minutes, but there was still no sign of her. Akeelah had gone to get drinks for them, and since they were thirsty, Hazel and Janet decided to follow her to the shop. However, when they arrived, the shopkeeper told them that Akeelah had already left a long time ago.

"She left a long time ago?" Janet repeated, frowning as she looked around the shop. "Are you sure she didn’t say where she was going?"

The shopkeeper shook his head. "No, she only bought the drinks and left. I thought she was coming to meet you somewhere."

Hazel looked at Janet, who was already beginning to look worried. Akeelah wasn’t the kind of person who would leave them waiting without a good reason, especially when she knew they were exploring Basileia together. Something was clearly wrong, and Hazel couldn’t help thinking about the strange feeling that had been bothering her since they left the palace.

"Let’s look around. She might have taken another road," Hazel suggested, trying to remain calm.

Janet agreed, and they began checking the nearby corners and streets. They searched the places Akeelah might have passed, but there was no sign of her anywhere. Just when Hazel was about to suggest returning to the palace to inform Caius, Janet suddenly stopped walking.

"Wait a minute," Janet said, pointing toward the ground.

Hazel followed her gaze and noticed three cups lying on the floor, with drinks scattered around them. One of the cups had rolled near the wall, while the others were lying close together. Hazel’s heart began to beat faster as she looked at the mess.

"Those are the drinks Akeelah bought," she said, her voice filled with worry.

Janet bent down and examined the area before her expression changed. She closed her eyes and activated her wolf, allowing her sharp senses to pick up Akeelah’s scent. A moment later, she opened her eyes and turned toward a narrow road leading away from the busy streets.

"Follow me," she ordered.

Hazel didn’t waste time asking questions as she followed Janet. They moved through the quiet road until they reached a dark, unfinished building. The place looked abandoned, with broken windows, rough walls, and pieces of wood scattered around the entrance.

Janet stopped in front of the building, her eyes filled with anger. "No one is bold enough to kidnap a high-ranking wolf!" she said through clenched teeth before stepping inside.

Hazel followed her without hesitation, and the anger burning inside her grew stronger with every step. Whoever had taken Akeelah had made a terrible mistake. Akeelah wasn’t an ordinary wolf, and kidnapping her meant challenging someone who could tear an enemy apart with her bare hands.

They carefully searched the dark building, moving past piles of building materials until they finally saw someone sitting on the floor with her hands tied behind her back.

It was Akeelah.

A thick rope held her in place, but what caught Hazel’s attention was the fact that there wasn’t a single wound on Akeelah’s body. Her clothes were still neat, and there was no blood anywhere. It looked as though her captors had taken great care not to hurt her.

However, the moment Akeelah raised her head and saw Hazel, her eyes widened in shock.

"Damn you! What are you doing here, Hazel?" she shouted, struggling against the rope. "You’re the target! Run!"

Janet stared at her in confusion before pointing at Hazel. "Huh? The Luna is the target?"

Akeelah nodded quickly, her expression growing more serious. "They used strong sleeping drugs on me. The kind that can knock out even a powerful wolf. I couldn’t fight back because I lost control of my body before I could do anything. If they don’t find Hazel here, they might let me go, so both of you need to leave before they return!"

Hazel’s expression darkened as she looked around the building. She had been trying to understand why someone would kidnap Akeelah, but now everything was beginning to make sense.

"I don’t think I have any enemies apart from Scarlett, and she’s already been dealt with," Hazel said, looking at Janet. "Who else would dare to do something like this?"

Janet’s face changed as she considered the possibilities. She had been so focused on finding Akeelah that she hadn’t paid attention to anything else when they arrived in Basileia. Still, she couldn’t imagine anyone foolish enough to target Hazel when Caius had already made it clear that she belonged under his protection.

"I didn’t pay attention to the people around us before we came here," Janet admitted, her voice filled with regret. "But whoever did this must have been watching us. They knew we would be separated, and they waited for the right moment to take Akeelah away."

Hazel’s eyes narrowed as she glanced at the tied-up wolf. "Then it must be someone who knows about me and wants to use Akeelah to get to me."

"Exactly," Janet replied.

Hazel clenched her fists, anger rising in her chest. "How dare they think they can use my friends to get to me? Once I find out who is behind this, I’ll make sure they regret—"

"Hazel! Behind you!" Akeelah screamed.

Hazel immediately tried to turn around, but she was too late. Several people emerged from the shadows and threw white powder directly at her face. The powder entered her nose before she could hold her breath, and she stumbled backward, coughing as her vision became blurry.

"What the—"

Her knees suddenly weakened, and the strength drained from her body. Janet rushed toward her, but another cloud of powder filled the air between them.

Hazel tried to fight against the strange feeling taking over her body. She wanted to call Caius, but her mind was becoming too heavy to form the words. The last thing she saw was Janet reaching for her before darkness swallowed everything.

Hazel collapsed to the ground and lost consciousness.

The people hiding in the shadows finally stepped forward, and one of them looked down at her motionless body. "The target has been captured," the person announced.