Hazel’s POV

I didn’t breathe until the door to the Alpha’s room shut behind me.

My hands shook so badly I nearly dropped the silver tray. “You’re dismissed.” His voice still scraped against my skin like claws.

I’d pushed him. Gods, I’d pushed the most ruthless Alpha on the continent. Vincent used to say Alaric killed omegas for looking at him wrong. And I’d stood in his bedroom, touched his blood, and told him Aurella would hate him.

I should be dead.

Instead, I was walking to the nursery, my heart pounding for a different reason.

Because for three seconds, when I covered his fist with my hand, his eyes...