Marry to Alpha or Vampire?

After finishing the cookies, Hazel left her house and inquired about Elmer’s address from Eloise. She needed to talk to him about the badge.

“Hazel, do you really believe it wasn’t Elmer?” Viola suddenly spoke up. She and Elmer weren’t friends, and she didn’t know Elmer well enough to completely trust him as Hazel did.

“My gut tells me it’s not him,” Hazel sighed. She was aware her words lacked persuasive power, but she couldn’t let others misunderstand her friend. Elmer was a kind-hearted person and wouldn’t attack members of the McGo Family, nor did he have any conflicts with them.

“If it turns out to be Elmer, what will you do?” Carlotta asked, her expression filled with concern, looking at Hazel.

Hazel fell silent, not having thought of this outcome. Maybe she wouldn’t have a choice if Elmer was really responsible. Cyril would undoubtedly seek out Elmer.

“We’re here,” Hazel said.

She stood at Elmer’s doorstep, with Carlotta and Viola exchanging glances and then positioning themselves out of sight.

Hazel knocked on Elmer’s door, not certain if he was home.

“May I ask who you are?” Selen, Elmer’s mother, opened the door. She looked at Hazel with a puzzled expression, wondering why a stranger was at her doorstep.

“Hello, I’m a friend of Elmer’s. You can call me Hazel,” Hazel politely introduced herself. “You must be Elmer’s mother.”

Selen nodded and opened the door, inviting Hazel inside, though her face didn’t display much happiness. This matter seemed unimportant to her.

“Elmer is in his room upstairs. You can go up and find him yourself,” Selen said as she walked into the house and sat on the sofa.

Hazel felt a hint of awkwardness and noticed Elmer’s father sitting silently at the dining table, holding a newspaper. He appeared to be oblivious to Hazel’s arrival.

“Okay, thank you,” Hazel replied before heading upstairs.

She felt suffocated, sensing no communication between Elmer’s parents. They didn’t look like a married couple but more like enemies. They avoided talking to each other and didn’t seem to care about what happened around them.

Hazel reminisced about the times her own parents had spent together. Even if her mother didn’t show much affection to her father, they occasionally communicated, and the house was filled with laughter. But Elmer’s parents seemed like foes, not exchanging a word or showing interest in their surroundings.

Hazel reached the upstairs area and carefully identified Elmer’s room. She lightly knocked on the door.

However, Elmer didn’t open the door. Hazel wondered if he was out.

“Elmer, it’s me, Hazel,” she called out his name from outside the door, hearing a sound like something falling inside the room.

Then, the door swung open.

“Hazel, how come you’re here?” Elmer looked shocked when he opened the door. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things in his room.

“What’s strange about friends coming over to chat?” Hazel smiled.

Elmer shook his head and then invited Hazel into his room.

“Eloise said you’ve been busy lately. I didn’t expect you to come to me,” Elmer said, a smile on his face.

“I just happened to have some free time. The two downstairs are your parents, right? They seem a bit… distant,” Hazel struggled to find the right words to describe Elmer’s parents, who appeared unfamiliar to her.

“Yes, they argue often. I’m used to it,” Elmer’s eyes conveyed a touch of sadness.

“Parents always love their children. Even if their relationship isn’t good, they still love you,” Hazel comforted Elmer. She didn’t understand Elmer’s family situation or his relationship with his parents.

“They don’t care about anything I do,” Elmer shook his head, emitting a helpless laugh.

Hazel paused, surprised by the poor relationship Elmer had with his parents. He had never mentioned the happenings at home, making her wonder if he sought a partner to escape from his family.

“Even if you found a partner, they wouldn’t be happy for you?” Hazel continued her inquiry.

“Not at all,” Elmer replied. When his parents saw Sheila, they treated her like a stranger, indifferent to her background. Despite Elmer introducing Sheila to them, they didn’t care. They were engulfed in never-ending disputes.

Even when Sheila was around, their arguments didn’t cease, which irritated Elmer.

“Sorry,” Hazel patted Elmer’s shoulder, unsure of how to console her friend.

Perhaps Sheila was Elmer’s redemption, bringing a ray of sunshine into his gloomy life.

“I’m used to it; it’s not a big deal,” Elmer quickly recovered his smile. He had learned to regulate his emotions as his parents’ disputes no longer affected him.

“I heard from Theo that you handed in the badge late. I thought something had happened to you,” Hazel said, observing Elmer’s return to his usual self.

Elmer waved his hand. “I thought the badge was lost, but it turned out Sheila accidentally took it.”

At the mere mention of Sheila, Elmer’s face lit up with happiness. It seemed being with Sheila was genuinely significant to him. Hazel closely watched every expression and movement as Elmer spoke.

“Didn’t you know about this?” Hazel asked.

“I took the badge out once to show Sheila, and then I forgot whether I put it back in its place,” Elmer pointed to a cabinet where the badge was kept, genuinely unable to recall.

“So, the last time you saw your badge was when Sheila returned it to you?” Hazel’s fingers tapped the table, contemplating Elmer’s words.

Elmer seemed genuinely clueless, unaware of the issue with his badge, with all signs pointing to Sheila. Hazel didn’t want to suspect her good friend’s partner, but indeed, Sheila’s motives in getting close to Elmer weren’t pure.

“Yes, Sheila returned the badge, and I took it straight to the backpack room to hand it in,” Elmer frowned, not understanding why Hazel suddenly questioned this. Was there a problem with the badge?

“Have you heard? A member of the McGo Family was attacked,” Hazel spoke, observing Elmer’s facial expressions.

“I don’t know what happened,” Elmer shook his head. This was undoubtedly a significant event, and yet he hadn’t heard anything about it. No one in town mentioned it, so why did Hazel know?

“I heard that a member of our Pack attacked a McGo Family member, and Kassandra is very angry,” Hazel deliberately disclosed some information. If Sheila truly intended to use Elmer, she wouldn’t miss any opportunity to gather information. If what Hazel told Elmer today reached Sheila’s ears, she would undoubtedly take action.

“What? A member of our Pack attacked a McGo Family member?” Elmer’s eyes widened in shock. He couldn’t believe it, given that Cyril, the Alpha of The Iron Star Pack, wouldn’t allow such actions unless someone acted covertly without his knowledge.

Hazel observed Elmer, and his expression didn’t seem fake. Maybe Elmer truly had no knowledge of these events.

“I just heard about it, doesn’t mean it’s true,” Hazel casually provided an excuse. “Elmer, what would you do if the attacker was me?”

Elmer furrowed his brows, seemingly puzzled by why Hazel asked this question.

“I would plead with the Alpha,” Elmer’s eyes showed a hint of conflict. He was loyal to his Pack. If his good friend made a mistake, he would help her admit her wrongdoing and assist her to the best of his ability, even if she might face the appropriate consequences.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Hazel nodded, having received the answer she wanted.

“Elmer, do you think Sheila is a good partner?” Hazel inquired.

She knew that Elmer really liked Sheila, but she wasn’t sure if he could accept Sheila’s deception and manipulation. Perhaps it would hurt Elmer.

“She’s the best,” Elmer nodded.

Ever since Sheila appeared in his life, everything had changed.

Hazel looked at the joy in Elmer’s eyes. She didn’t know how to proceed with the conversation. Perhaps Elmer should know about Sheila’s actions, but not now. It wasn’t a good time, and Hazel shouldn’t be the one to tell him. Elmer would never accept that his good friend’s partner had any issues. Elmer might not be able to accept this information.