Page 16

Ezra

The three men were finishing up dinner when Mateo’s phone rang. Mateo reached for it, but Ezra was faster.

“We were starting to worry, sweet little princess.”

“I was busy.”

“Clearly too busy to come and see us. It’s been over a week.”

“I told you I’d call for you.”

“Are you calling for us tonight?”

“Dad is out for dinner with Mom, and Maximilian is going to the club.”

Well, that wasn’t a “no.” “We’ll be with you shortly.”

“Ask her if she wants us to bring anything. She hasn’t left the house in a while,” Mateo suggested.

“Mateo is offering to bring you anything your little heart desires.”

Scarlett paused, seeming to think over all the possibilities. “That ice cream café you saw me at. It has this vanilla cup with melted chocolate sauce. I’m not sure if they’re still open.”

“I would break in and steal it for you if necessary.”

“Please don’t.”

“We’ll see, little princess.” Ezra ended the call before she could even think to protest. Whatever his princess wanted, she was going to get.

“What did she want?” Mateo asked, already slipping into his shoes.

“Ice cream from the café in the park.”

As usual, Vince drove while Mateo checked the hours for the café. They were in luck. With barely any traffic they made it to the café thirty minutes before closing.

Armed with four ice creams, they made their way to Scarlett. She was already waiting for them, slipping her arms into a fluffy cardigan. As she did, her t-shirt sleeve slipped up and Ezra’s gaze caught on a darkening bruise.

The moment she saw the ice cream Mateo offered, her eyes sparkled. “You made it.”

“Of course we did.”

Ezra, however, stepped up behind her and now that she didn’t pull away, his body hummed. He tugged the sleeve of her cardigan up, revealing her bruise to the others. “Tell me, princess, who do I have to hurt for damaging what is mine?”

“I’m not your property.”

“And yet I will kill your whole fucking pack if you don’t tell me.”

“No one.”

Mateo stepped up to her, brushing his thumb around her darkened skin. “What happened?”

“I fell into a cabinet.”

“And why would you do such thing, little princess?”

“I lost my balance. I’m clumsy.”

“Do tell more,” he pressed further, confident that there was more to the story.

“Let her be,” Mateo scolded. “She doesn’t have to tell us anything she doesn’t want to.”

“She is hurt—again. Her pack is clearly incapable of taking care of her.”

She sighed and shovelled some ice cream into her mouth. “You would just make fun of me anyway.”

Ezra perked up at that. “Oh, sweet little toy, tell me what you have been up to all week that kept you from us.”

Scarlett stayed quiet… for way too long. The guys waited while she finished off her ice cream, holding her hand out for Ezra’s. “I’ll share if you do.”

“Of course.” Ezra handed over his dessert so fast he almost dropped it.

“I felt horrible when I was taken, useless and weak. So, I asked if I could train again.”

“And your father agreed?” Mateo asked, surrendering his ice cream.

Scarlett finished off Ezra’s, happily taking Mateo’s as well. “Yes.”

“So, was it a cabinet that hurt you?” Ezra pushed again.

“Yes. Maximilian was showing me something and when I tried to imitate him, I tripped, and he wasn’t fast enough to catch me.”

“Do you feel safer now that you’ve been training?” Mateo asked softly.

“I still won’t be able to hold much ground, but I put my foot down and it worked.”

“You don’t have to hold your own ground. We’ll always be there for you,” Ezra promised, pressing a kiss to the bruise and replacing her cardigan.

While Vince stood to the side, silently listening to the conversation, Mateo collected the empty cups. “Has he allowed you to spend more time with your friends?”

“He hasn’t said anything, but he doesn’t have to. Everyone knows how he feels about it.”

“I’m sorry.”

She shrugged and stuffed her hands into her pockets.

“Our little princess is turning into a frustrated rebel,” Ezra teased. “Enough to turn your back and walk to the car with us?” He masked it as gentle chiding, but he was tired of waiting for her.

“Not even close.”

“Oh, sweet toy, don’t lie to us now.”

“I’m not your toy, Ezra. And if you keep degrading me like that I will leave.”

The sound of his name rolling off her lips vibrated through his body and sent a jolt right to his dick. Damn, he loved her bossy side. He loved a strong woman and always knew there was more to Scarlett than the innocent facade. “As you wish, my princess.”

Vince chuckled, stepped closer, and reached out to run the back of his fingers over her cheek. “You just made him very happy.”

Scarlett leaned into Vince’s touch. “Great, that means he’ll be back soon.” The sarcasm was dripping from her tone.

“You’re stuck with us,” Mateo laughed.

She sighed and with that, something within her seemed to change. “I know. I also know you want to take me home, but I can’t leave yet.”

“You don’t have to,” Mateo assured.

“I won’t be able to come back once I do.”

“We know that.” As always, Mateo was the one to mend what Ezra tore apart. “Take your time, soak up every moment you can with your family and when you are ready, we’re here for you. This isn’t about us.”

“Maybe you’ll let us see you more often,” Ezra hummed, running his nose along her jaw and behind her ear. She shuddered in his arms, and he wondered if it was because she enjoyed it. She hadn’t before, but the idea of her being comfortable around him made his skin tingle.

“I can’t just disappear. I’m only here because they happened to leave me alone tonight.”

“Ezra is just impatient,” Mateo offered. “But he’ll wait his turn.”

Scarlett surprised them all with her next question. “Have you been on another hunt?”

“No, but we’re planning it,” Mateo explained, offering her a hand. She took her time, probably trying to convince herself not to take it. In the end, she slid her palm into his. “We’re trying to find a lycan hideout.”

“Not another vampire?”

“We have our eye on a few, but vampires are a waiting game.”

Craving her touch for himself, Ezra laid his hands on her waist and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of oranges.

“Have you hunted a lycan before?”

“No, we haven’t,” Mateo answered.

“Don’t worry about us, princess. We’ll be just fine.”

Scarlett ignored Ezra. “I didn’t even know they still existed.”

“They’re very rare,” Vince finally chimed in.

“So…” she drawled, her thumb circling over Mateo’s. “Rare means you can sell it easily?”

“Yes,” Vince confirmed, with Ezra and Mateo too drunk on her touch to continue speaking.

Scarlett tensed suddenly and pulled away from both of them. “I have to go.” She hastened to the door, slamming it shut behind her and putting an end to the intimate moment they’d been sharing.

The three men simply stood silent for a moment, each one of them staring at the spot she’d just abandoned before they accepted their fate and trudged back to the car.

They were all buzzing as they got in, Mateo with an extra bright grin on his face. “I think we just had our first date.”

“So easy to please,” Ezra chuckled, but at the same time, he felt pity for his little princess. He would lay the world to her feet—even her dead father if needed to show her how much they’d robbed her.

“Your thoughts are turning dark again.” And though it was a statement, Mateo’s words had a question behind them.

“I should rip her father’s heart out and serve it to her on a golden tray.”

“And why is that?”

“He’s fucking her up.”

“I hope the first thing she’ll do is wash your mouth out with soap.”

“Only if it’s the orange scented one she uses for her hair.”

“That’s why you were so distracted,” Mateo laughed. “Do you think she knows it’s your favourite?”

“She’ll switch it if she finds out,” Vince offered.

“Fuck you too, Vince.”

The man only snorted.

“You are the one who keeps messing with her,” Mateo countered. “Only fair that she returns that favour.”

Ezra spent his evening in his room, with a map of Brighton spread on his desk and his pendant circling over it, always returning to the same spot.

After her kidnapping, he was sure they wouldn’t let her leave anytime soon but knowing where she was at any given time brought Ezra a sense of peace.

He never asked for a mate bond, but not being able to have her was the worst feeling he’d ever experienced.

He let the pendant circle again, ignoring the knock on his door as it locked onto the same spot.

“Hey man,” Mateo said, stepping into the room. “We need to talk.”

“About what?”

“George’s death.”

“He deserved that and more.” He lifted the pendant.

“Well, you did go a little overboard.”

“He touched her. More than that, he injected her with silver and took her away from us.”

“Yeah, I know.” Mateo sighed, letting himself fall on his bed. “We got lucky that no one questioned their deaths. The wolves cleaned up the mess and every hunter believes it was their fault.”

“So what is there to talk about?”

“You can’t just slit the throat of everyone that looks at her the wrong way. And don’t argue with me, I know that’s what you’ll do.”

“She’s ours ,” Ezra growled.

“She won’t be if you continue to act like a maniac around her. Remember, she’s been sheltered her whole life. I’m sure her dreams are still haunted by what you and your temper left behind in that warehouse.”

Ezra paused, his gaze fixed on the pendant. The fact that his actions might scare her had crossed his mind, but the potential of trauma never occurred to him. Was she unable to sleep because of him? She had to have known it was their work by now.

“Look, I’m not saying you can’t be yourself around her, but maybe tone down the whole ‘touch her and die’ energy.” He turned to face Mateo, who toyed with one of the leather cuffs strapped to his headboard. “Got rid of the silver ones, huh?”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Ezra leaned against his desk. “What do you want me to do—become a fucking lovesick puppy like you?”