Page 27

Vince

Though Mateo did his best to hide it, arousal poured through Vince’s mind and he knew that Mateo was with Scarlett.

He sat on the ground of his workshop, leaning against the wall with his eyes closed and the bond wide open.

He usually tried to avoid such incidents, even leaving the house when they had someone over, but this was different.

Scarlett was his too. His mind painted endless scenarios of Mateo and Scarlett, wondering what was happening between the two of them.

Had she sought him out? Were they in his bed?

Had Mateo gone after her in search of her company?

Vince tried not to be jealous, nor let Ezra’s envy invade his mind.

Scarlett wasn’t his to claim for himself and she’d always seemed the most comfortable around Mateo.

It was only natural that she would want to spend more time with him out of the three of them.

After all, Mateo welcomed her with open arms while the other two tended to push her away.

Unlike Ezra, Vince didn’t feel the urge to intervene.

He ran the back of his palm over the painful bulge in his jeans and wondered what was happening.

Was she enjoying herself? What made her tick?

Was Mateo her first? She’d been so sheltered over the years that it was likely she’d never been with a man in any sense.

Vince waited and listened to the swirling emotions, only emerging from the workshop once everything had calmed.

He was surprised to find all three of them in the living room. Mateo was on the loveseat and Ezra was on the couch, intently watching his little princess curled up in Mateo’s lap.

Vince showered, dressed, and joined them in the living room just like the night before.

This felt oddly good and maybe her kind was truly right.

Isis did have plans and even though he hadn’t agreed with them, having Scarlett in his home felt right.

And yes, maybe it helped that he wasn’t going to be the only one who she would seek out.

He’d hardly begun to doze when movement caught his attention. In the dim light, he saw Scarlett stretch and look around the room, trying to gather her bearings.

“It’s okay,” Mateo hushed, running his nose along her jawline. “Would you like me to take you to bed?”

“I didn’t mean to fall asleep,” she said in place of an answer.

“It’s no bother, but you looked so peaceful.”

Scarlett sat up, noticing the other two men in the room. “Why are you two not in bed?”

“Why would I?” Ezra retorted.

Scarlett didn’t respond, instead worrying her bottom lip.

“Would you like me to reheat your heating pad before you go to bed?” Mateo asked, helping her with the decision she clearly struggled with.

She nodded, but Vince was the one to head to the kitchen.

A minute later, Vince returned Scarlett’s heating pad to her.

She clutched it tightly to her chest, rushing up to her room and shutting the door.

They all followed and just like the other two, Vince left his door open, in the hopes that she would take it as an invitation.

Early the next morning, Vince found Scarlett in the kitchen, cutting fruit into a bowl of yogurt.

When she looked up, fatigue still lingered in her face.

Judging by her damp hair, he assumed she must have been up for a while too.

Vince stepped around the counter, smiling softly to himself when the fluffy pink slippers came into view.

Maybe he could make her feel at home after all.

He started the coffee maker and waited for his cup to fill, noticing that Scarlett hadn’t gotten around to making hers yet. “How do you like yours?”

Confused, it took her a moment to realise what he was asking. “Oh. I’ll take juice.”

“Orange?” he asked, already walking to the fridge.

“Yes, thank you.”

He poured a glass for her, then joined her at the island with his coffee.

She ate slowly, as if she knew her body needed it, but her appetite had been lost. He’d never been a breakfast person but unlike Scarlett, he was typically ravenous by lunchtime.

Maybe they just didn’t have her favourite foods nailed down yet.

“Would you like me to show you how to drive?” Vince asked, breaking the silence.

Scarlett tilted her head, grinning softly at him. “Promise not to laugh at me?”

A smile teased the corner of Vincer’s mouth. “I promise.”

“Do you have an old car? I have a feeling I’ll dent it.”

“Do your worst with any of them.”

“You wouldn’t mind?”

“Cars can be replaced, Scarlett. You can’t.”

Scarlett’s eyes widened and her mouth fell open in surprise. Vince wanted to reach his hand out and run his thumb over her lips, to see if they were just as soft as they looked. Had Mateo kissed her the night before?

Mateo came down the stairs, pulling her out of her stupor. “Please tell me you don’t usually get up this early,” he muttered, beelining for the coffee maker.

“I don’t.”

“Thank god. I wouldn’t be able to keep up with you.” Mateo fell silent until the first sips of his morning fuel settled in his stomach. “Do you have any plans for the day?”

Scarlett smiled wide. “Vince is going to show me how to drive.”

“Perfect.”

An hour later, Vince stood nearby and watched Scarlett tie her shoes.

He’d decided that starting with the truck might be too big, so he took the old Jeep instead.

He led her outside and opened the driver’s door.

Her legs were much shorter, so he showed her how to adjust the seat to where she’d be comfortable.

He then proceeded to show her all the important functions, teaching her what each button and lever was for.

“It always looked so easy,” she said, seeming rather defeated.

“With practice, it will be.”

Slowly, Scarlett repeated everything back to Vince. It took a few tries for some of the functions, but she did it until she remembered the most important ones.

“Okay. I think I got it,” she announced.

“You’re doing well.”

With the engine still off, he explained the part that would probably be the most problematic: the clutch. “Don’t be afraid to stall the engine. You can’t break it. It’ll be easier with time.”

“So, when I release the clutch, I’ll feel when it’s time to accelerate?”

“Yes. I think it would be best for you to test the clutch and intentionally stall the engine a few times so you know what it feels like.”

Scarlett nodded hesitantly, watching him through the windshield as he rounded the hood.

“Start the engine and keep your foot on the clutch.” Scarlett did, the engine roaring to life. “Now shift it into first gear.” Again, she followed his instructions. “Slowly let go of the clutch and don’t worry when it stalls, just feel it.”

The car jumped and fell silent, making Scarlett flinch. “Sorry.”

“The car isn’t going anywhere; the hand breaks are still on. Did you feel what I was talking about?”

She nodded, trying a few more times until she felt comfortable removing the handbrake. As he’d expected, she needed a few tries but then she drove her first meters. She was so surprised with herself that she stopped the car, hitting the breaks but stalling again after forgetting the clutch.

“Oops,” she laughed, restarting the engine and repeating her successful attempt. “I’m driving!” she cheered, coming to a stop without stalling the car.

When she felt confident enough, Vince guided her out of the driveway and up their small dirt road, teaching her to shift gears. Then he let her reverse and turn the car around to go back down the dirt road. Once she’d gone back and forth a few times, she parked the car and turned off the engine.

“You did well,” he praised.

The sparkle in Scarlett’s eyes made his heart skip a beat. “I did?”

“Yes, as I expected.”

The compliment sent a gorgeous blush washing up her cheeks.

Back in the house, Scarlett grabbed a water bottle and proceeded to go to her room only to halt halfway up the stairs. “Are drinks and food allowed upstairs?”

He nodded and with his all clear, she was gone. Vince joined the others in the kitchen, where they were studying a diary he hadn’t gotten to yet.

“I think we’ve narrowed it down,” Mateo explained. “The Black Ridge Mountains northwest of the Howlers Pack.”

Vince looked down at the scribbled handwriting that had taken him ages to get used to, reading a passage that Mateo had highlighted. It confirmed no more than a handful of lycans housing in the caves.

“What do you think?” Mateo asked. “Is five too much of a risk?”

Vince’s immediate answer was no, but then he remembered the very special princess that had made herself at home in their lives.

He’d never cared about risk, because there were very few consequences.

And even death wasn’t something he’d ever been afraid of.

With Scarlett depending on them to return, he hesitated.

Mateo sighed and looked back down at the map. “Yeah, having her here does make a difference, doesn’t it?”

It did, and there was a part of Vince that feared the change she would bring to their hunting habits.

Their phones chimed simultaneously, redirecting their attention.

Something had activated the cameras on the dirt road.

More often than not it was nothing more than a large animal, but judging by the look on Ezra’s face, this was more than the local wildlife.

While Ezra and Mateo grabbed their guns, Vince retreated to his workshop.

Ezra enjoyed confrontation, so he was the one to confront his prey head on.

Vince, however, preferred to strike when they least expected it.

An SUV rolled up with tinted windows so dark that Vince couldn’t see inside.

Ezra and Mateo stood on the porch; their guns visible.

The engine cut off and a moment later, the alpha heir stepped out onto the dirt.

He studied Ezra and Mateo, then scanned his surroundings until he found Vince standing by the barn doors.

“Oh, sweet little rogue,” Ezra chirped, breaking the silence. “Come here, princess.”

Vince could feel the instant regret, Ezra had only meant to taunt her brother. Ezra loved poking the bear—or wolf, rather.

Mateo groaned. “One day she’s going to fucking kill you if you keep calling her that and I’ll stand proudly by her side and praise her for a job well done.”

“Mates don’t kill each other.”

“She has two others to help her grieve. Rest assured, Vince and I will love every fucking minute of it.”

Vince could see very little, but what he could see was that the heir was unable to mask the shock on his face. Clearly, he’d only just put the pieces together: his sister was mated to three hunters.

Scarlett appeared on the porch, freezing like a deer in the headlights. She floundered, seeming unable to find words for what she found.

“I ran the license plates,” her brother said, answering her unspoken question. “I have your stuff.” Though he tried to sound cold, the rigidity in his tone didn’t quite reach his eyes.

“You do?” she asked, voice quivering.

“Yes. He wanted to burn it…” The heir trailed off, allowing their imagination to fill in the pieces. Vince wondered if there had been a family fight over this. After all, he was about to take over the pack. Her brother must have some say in things.

“Thank you.”

The heir turned and opened the trunk, revealing it to be full of boxes. Vince and Mateo moved to grab them while Ezra stayed behind, weary to turn his own back in case the wolf turned on them.

With his gaze back on his sister, Vince could see the warring emotions behind the heir’s eyes. “You should’ve told us.”

Scarlett stayed close to Ezra while Vince and Mateo carried the first of her boxes into the house. “I wasn’t ready.”

“ Weeks , Scarlett. You hid this from us for weeks.”

“It wouldn’t have changed your reaction.”

“But telling us sooner could have lessened the consequence.”

“We both know he accepts humans, but a hunter he would have never accepted. Let alone two of them—and a warlock.”

Ezra’s mind swelled with pride as the heir’s focus shifted to him. Scarlett had recognised him as who he was. He wasn’t just a hunter but a warlock, born with magic blood. No matter how thinned the magic was, Ezra took great pride in that.

“The timing wouldn’t have mattered, Maximilian.”

Maximilian’s face fell, realising his sister was right. He leaned against the side of the car as Vince and Mateo unloaded the boxes, looking around at his sister’s new home. “You broke him. He blames himself for how miserable you were.”

At first Vince assumed he was talking about their father. Then Scarlett spoke. “I couldn’t tell him. He would have been punished for knowing and I didn’t want him hurt. He was my only friend, and I couldn’t lose him. I needed him.”

She meant Kurt.

“Fuck, Scarlett.”

“Tell him I’m fine.” Then her face lit up. “I drove a car today.”

Vince stood next to her as Mateo set the last box inside and joined them on the porch.

Her brother shook his head as if in disbelief and walked around to the driver’s side. Without another word, Maximilian climbed inside and drove off. Scarlett stared after him down the dirt road, long after he’d disappeared out of sight.

No one spoke until Scarlett turned to walk inside and Mateo softly asked, “Would you like us to bring your things upstairs?”

“Yes, please.”

Ezra helped this time and one by one, they carried the boxes up to Scarlett’s room. Once the last box was placed in front of her bed, they moved to leave—only to be stopped in their tracks.

“You can stay.”

Vince stood by her window, looking out over the lake wondering if they should encourage her to go out for a walk later. Ezra made himself comfortable in her reading chair while Mateo knelt beside her on the floor.

“You can change the room around as you wish,” Mateo offered. “We kept it simple for now, but we can renovate it from top to bottom.”

“Did you make the bed?”

Vince turned to face her again and nodded.

“I want to keep it.”

“The dresser is Vince’s too,” Mateo encouraged.

“Anything you made stays,” she demanded.

Ezra grunted. “Kiss-ass.”

“And Ezra may leave now,” she added with a stern tone.

Ezra stared at her, but she paid him no mind and went about unpacking her boxes. She sifted through the first, then moved to the second, repeating herself without looking up.

“You may leave now.”

For a moment, Vince thought Ezra would fight her, but he only stormed off, the sound of his door slamming echoing through the house.

“Why did you send him away?” Mateo asked, watching her take out a framed picture of her and Kurt.

“He was rude.”

Vince watched as she slowly unpacked, taking her time to decide where she wanted everything to go. She spent more time with her memorabilia than her clothes, finding the right spot. With every photo or souvenir that found a new home, Vince’s heart ached for what Scarlett may have lost.