Page 29

Scarlett awoke sometime later from a soft knock against her door. “Scarlett?” It was Mateo.

Scarlett buried herself deeper into her bed, forcing her eyes to stay shut. “Yeah?”

“It’s almost noon and we were worried.”

Scarlett groaned, carefully peering out of the blanket—and into nothing but darkness. The sun strained to peek through the blackout curtains. “It is?”

“Yes, love. But you don’t have to get up. We just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

Mateo left, his footsteps echoing down the hallway.

She closed her eyes again, not ready to face anyone—not even herself. Surprisingly, she must have dozed off again because when she opened her eyes, it was to a very angry stomach. Not bothering to change her clothes, she went downstairs with the intention of raiding the kitchen for food.

To her relief, there was no one to be seen, and she immediately felt horrible for the thought.

They were her mates. She wasn’t supposed to be relieved by their absence.

There was a basket full of treats she’d never heard of in the pantry.

After selecting a few that looked rather enticing, she retreated back into her room and threw the curtains open.

Pillows and blankets from the bed made for a lovely nest, and she took her spot in front of the window.

It was a gorgeous day, with the bright sun glittering off the lake like diamonds.

Scarlett was desperate to be near the water and even though she’d slept the day away, she couldn’t bring herself to do anything.

The lack of energy was something she wasn’t used to.

Or maybe she’d simply never been allowed to feel this way.

Appearances were everything for an alpha’s child, and her father never accepted anything less than her best.

With her head against the warm glass, she soaked in the sun and gazed over her new home. She stayed that way until the sun disappeared behind the trees, letting the moon illuminate the water.

Eventually, footsteps came down the hallway and stopped by her door.

“You may only enter if you have food.”

The steps repeated themselves, only to reappear. The door swung open, revealing Vince with a full plate in his hands. Scarlett reached out for the food, and Vince took that as his permission to enter. “May I sit with you?”

“Yes.”

Vince retrieved his own plate and returned with two bottles of water. He sat opposite her on the floor and started eating. As always, he stayed silent, and Scarlett was grateful that she didn’t have to force conversation.

She barely finished half her food before she set her plate aside and leaned her temple against the window again. Now that the sun was gone, the glass was cool against her skin.

“Would you be open to answering some questions?” she asked once Vince indicated that he was finished.

“Of course.”

“What did Ezra mean when he said you never wanted to take a woman?”

Vince took some time to find his words, resting his back against the window.

“My father was abusive. The older I got the clearer it became. I told myself I would never treat a woman as he treated her. The decision only solidified itself when I saw my brother repeat my father’s behaviour with his wife.

But then I raised my hand against my girlfriend in anger and knew that I needed to do something else in order to break the curse.

I set her free and promised myself never to put another woman in that position. ”

Since mates were created for each other and were linked to each other’s minds constantly, domestic violence was not very common. Actually, Scarlett had never heard of it in her own pack.

“I didn’t hurt her, not physically. But any time I made a sudden movement, she would flinch. Especially when she could sense that I was in a bad mood. I couldn’t do that to her and let her go.”

“Is that the reason why you’ve been so quiet around me?”

He shook his head as his chest rose with a deep inhale. “My father used to say that words meant nothing. Children had to be seen and not heard—even that was a stretch at times. He didn’t care about what we said, only what we did.”

“I’m sorry.”

“There is no need for your apology, Scarlett. It wasn’t your fault.”

“Would you like me to try and ease your mind?”

He tilted his head towards her, hesitating before giving a slight nudge of his head, barely visible in the dim light.

“Violence against one’s mate is rather uncommon for us,” Scarlett explained.

“Because you’re a perfect match.”

“That’s it.”

“But we aren’t.”

“Perfect people? Maybe not, but a perfect match doesn’t always mean that you fit together seamlessly. Isis created us to compliment each other, to grow together.”

“You are too kind.”

“I’ve been hearing that a lot lately.”

“And you don’t like it.”

She sighed. “I’m not sure anymore. I used to find pride in the attributes that my parents wanted to see within me.

Now I can’t help but look back and ask if I would’ve turned out differently if they had let me grow up like everyone else.

I’m not blind, you know? I understand that I’m sheltered.

That most of what you find normal in your day-to-day life is a whole new world for me. ”

“Like driving a car.”

“Even leaving the house for a walk around the lake.”

“Is that something you’ve wanted to do today?”

“No. I feel exhausted,” she confessed, “and I don’t even know why.”

“Grieving is exhausting. So is adjusting to a new life.”

“I know, I just feel like I’ve wasted the day.”

“Taking care of yourself is never a waste.”

Vince’s words finally brought a smile to her face. They were much more relieving than he might ever know. Looking back outside she lost herself in the countless stars shining above her new home.

“Scarlett?”

“Yes, Vince?”

“What comforts you?”

“Would you like me to show you?”

“I’d love that.”

Scarlett spread the blanket out on the floor and beckoned him closer. “Lay your head in my lap.”

Vince slid across the floor, lying back against her. Instantly, her fingers began to comb through his hair. He closed his eyes and his features softened almost immediately. Maybe he’d been struggling more than she thought, keeping his distance to protect her.

“Does this comfort you? Or would it be better if we did it for you?” he asked.

“I like both.”

“I can see why.”

“Has anyone been upset because I’ve spent my day up here?”

“No and if we gave that impression, we are sorry. Mateo and I only came up here because we wanted to make sure you were okay. We know this is a lot for you and taking space to process it is normal.”

“I liked him holding me the other night.”

“He enjoyed it very much too.”

A horrifying thought crossed her mind, and she froze on the spot. “You felt us, didn’t you? I mean him… you knew what—”

“I did.” He sat up, knelt before her, and took her hands. “We didn’t mean to spy. But yes, we can feel everything the others do.”

She stared at him feeling rather faint as the blood drained from her face. “I’m so sorry.”

“You don’t have to be.”

“But…”

“Scarlett, please don’t feel like you have to apologise.”

“I wasn’t thinking.”

“Did you enjoy yourself?”

Ashamed, she could only nod.

“That’s all we care about. We know this will be an adjustment for all of us. We have never been interested in the same woman let alone shared one. But one thing we do know and have known from the day we found you is that we want you happy.”

“I chose one over the others.”

“We don’t see it that way. You can’t be with all three of us at the same time day in and out. That would be overwhelming and frankly, impossible. It is not what we expect of you.”

“I don’t want anyone to feel left out.”

“You have done wonderful. None of us have felt left out at all.”

“Will you tell me if that changes?”

“Yes, and I promise it will be in a respectful manner.”

“Are you sure you want to take on that promise for all three of you? Ezra seems to have a hard time doing anything involving the word ‘respectful.’”

“We can gag him and speak for him. After all, we’re well aware of his emotions.”

Now that Scarlett had seen the inside of his bedroom, she had a strong feeling that Ezra would like that—maybe too much.

Before she even knew it, she was curled up in Vince’s lap. He tightened his arms around her, getting to his feet. “I think the bed would be more comfortable.”

“You might be right.”

Vince laid Scarlett down, then climbed into bed behind her. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Coming for me and bringing me home.” He nuzzled closer, lips brushing against her ear. “I realised that I never thanked you for letting Ezra and Mateo know that I was taken. They wouldn’t have known for hours and without you, they wouldn’t have been able to get me out without anyone getting hurt.”

“I couldn’t stand by while my family hurt you.”

“I didn’t mean to force your hand—or rush your decision.”

“I know. Please don’t think I blame you.”

Vince held her tightly, her feet pushed between his legs to keep her warm and his arms around her like a protective comforting shield.