Page 7

Scarlett

The next morning, Scarlett trudged down to the SUV with Kurt carrying her bags ahead of her. The celebrations weren’t for another two days, but she would take any chance to get out of the building a few days early.

Paul and Daniel, two of the pack’s warriors, were already waiting for her. They’d escort her to her pack’s property. Paul had been doing it for years, while Daniel was a new warrior who’d only shifted for the first time during the last Wolfmoon.

“I assume I won’t be allowed shotgun anymore?” she teased, already moving to the door behind the passenger seat.

“I would like to stay on your detail for just a little longer so no,” Kurt retorted with a chuckle.

Daniel sat next to her, and Paul took the seat in front of her.

“I’m so sorry, Daniel,” she said. “This might be the most boring task you’ll receive in your entire career.”

“You speak to your father with that potty mouth of yours?” Kurt chimed in, saving Daniel from formulating a polite response.

“I do like the little time I get on the outside, so I usually pretend to be the sweet innocent little girl he believes I am.”

“Yeah, such a badass you are,” Kurt deadpanned, rolling his eyes.

Scarlett used to take those comments as a joke, but now with her three hunter mates, she felt like she’d grown out of the juvenile image that everyone had of her.

Looking at Kurt, she knew how much she would hurt him once her mates were revealed.

He’d always had her back, but unveiling her mate bond would effectively stab him in his.

She couldn’t tell him. Yes, he was her friend, but his alliance was to his alpha.

Keeping this secret from her father was out of the question for him.

Scarlett hadn’t felt their presence since last night.

Throughout the entire drive to their land, she was grateful they’d kept their distance.

She always loved coming here because it never made her feel left out.

A few pack members lived here year-round, but most stayed in their Brighton residence.

The isolated land mostly consisted of new wolves who were learning to control themselves.

Warriors would typically spend weeks training here and she was always jealous of Kurt getting to leave when it was his turn.

Her father always kept her close by, so even though she’d requested to live out here, he’d denied it.

Scarlett was out of the SUV before Kurt even killed the engine.

The moment her feet hit the dirt, she took a deep breath of the fresh air and soaked in her land.

The sun’s rays glimmered off the lake and the surrounding forest rustled with a soft summer breeze.

Then Scarlett was hit with a soul-crushing realisation: once her secret was out, she would never see this place again.

It might very well be her last time here.

“Oh fuck,” Kurt sighed, tipping her head up with a finger under her chin. “What happened?”

She smiled up at him, letting the tears fall. She already missed Kurt and hated how much she would hurt him. “I just love coming here.”

“So, if these are happy tears why are you looking so sad?”

“Because it just makes me realise that I do live in a golden cage.”

Kurt wiped her tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s not your fault, remember?”

“I know, but I still feel bad.”

Scarlett closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in all the smells of the forest, the fresh water, and Kurt’s cologne. “Can we eat lunch together?”

“I would love to, just have to give a quick report.”

“I’ll start on it then.” She grabbed her bag and walked towards her family’s home, which overlooked the lake.

The houses were spread all over the property and though her pack used to live here, they’d outgrown its size.

Her grandfather had moved the Moonlight Wolves to the city once he’d become alpha, seeing an opportunity to start something new.

Though there had been lots of resistance from everyone, the pack loved their new way of life.

She left her bag at the bottom of the stairs and went right to the kitchen, finding that it was fully stocked with everything someone might need for a week. Deciding on an easy pasta dish, she got to work. Kurt joined her a little while later, pulling out the patio furniture and setting the table.

They ate lunch overlooking the lake, watching as Paul and Daniel shifted and jumped into the water, their wolves diving with their tails wagging.

“Want to go for a swim too?” Kurt asked as they cleared away their dishes.

“I would love to. Let me change.”

“I’ll wait by the shore.”

She grabbed her bag and hasted upstairs. When she was walking towards the lake a little later with towels and snacks, she saw that Kurt was one step ahead of her, sitting by a spread of his own.

“We both had the same idea,” she laughed, adding her things to his collection.

“The more the merrier.” He sighed, and his expression turned serious. “Maximilian told me about the article. He wanted me to make sure you’re okay. But that’s not why you were crying earlier, is it?”

Scarlett only shook her head. The article was the least of her worries, even if it did mean her father came down on her even harder.

“I don’t really care. I mean, it did make me feel stupid because they made it seem as if I had a choice of just leaving.

But you’re right: it’s not why I cried earlier. ”

“Well, they can fuck off.” Bringing an end to the discussion, Kurt grabbed her wrist and pulled her towards the water.

Scarlett dove in and Kurt shifted, letting her hold onto him and pull her through the water.

She loved this feeling, loved being free and without restraints.

Kurt pulled her around for hours, only encouraging her out once her skin began to prune.

She situated herself on the blanket, bundling herself up with towels and picking out her favourite snacks.

Kurt, Paul, and Daniel were joined by a few other wolves and played like pups in the water with their tails twitching and wagging.

After a quick dinner back at the house, Kurt let her be and retreated to the warrior house—aka, the bachelor pad.

Not that Scarlett minded. She loved having the house to herself, curling up on the couch to watch a movie before dragging herself up to her room, nearly feeling drunk with exhaustion.

Though when she crawled into bed, all she could do was toss and turn.

She knew what she was missing, and she hated to admit it.

She wanted her mates.

Scarlett reached under the bed, rummaging through her bag for the phone. She couldn’t remember which number belonged to the gentle one, so she trusted her gut.

“Scarlett,” he greeted. His smile was evident, even through the phone. “Have you arrived on your pack’s land?”

“Yes,” she whispered. She was alone, but one should never underestimate a wolf’s hearing.

“I’m sure you’re loving it.”

Scarlett was buzzing to tell him about her day, how she’d spent hours swimming in the lake, but then she remembered how the dark one ridiculed her for going out with Kurt, how horribly she’d cried herself to sleep for days after the incident.

“We know we’re farther away than usual, but if you need us, we’re just a call away.”

“Okay.”

The gentle one sighed, and Scarlett could feel his frustration. “I’m really sorry for last night. I don’t know why he keeps acting that way.”

“Something tells me it’s because he’s a dick.”

He chuckled lightly. “Yes. Yes, he is.”

“I don’t like it.”

“I know and I’m sorry. We talked to him and if he pulls any stunts like that again, we’ll be the ones to keep him away from you.”

She stayed silent, afraid to say too much. Even though they were her mates, what stopped them from using anything she revealed to them to hurt her pack—her family ? There was no guarantee that any information would stay between the four of them.

“Is that her?” she heard the scary one ask in the background.

“You don’t get to talk to her,” her gentle mate snapped. “Piss off.”

His laugh made her skin crawl. “I’m sure our little princess called because she misses us. Didn’t you, little toy?”

Somewhere nearby, glass broke and shattered. “Shithead.”

But the dark one’s taunts continued. “Maybe if she weren’t locked up in a golden cage, she would be more resilient.”

“Did you know about that article?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“No, love. We only read it today.”

“I’m not weak,” she said, feeling a sudden need to defend herself.

“We know you aren’t.” She loved how his words and voice soothed her so easily. It was so different from her other mate.

“I have no choice.”

“You do, princess,” the scary one chimed in. “Live with us and be as free as a bird.” And for the first time, he wasn’t teasing her. His voice was even somewhat… endearing.

“I would lose my family.”

“We are your family, little toy.”

“I don’t like when you call me that.”

He chuckled, but it wasn’t the dark, sinister laugh she’d heard before. “No, you don’t, but you would still come if I called you.”

“We know that we’re not who you expected, and you don’t have to give up your family if you’re not ready yet.”

“We can be very patient, little princess.” Suddenly, his words sounded like a threat again.

She wondered if the silent one was around too, being his usual quiet self.

“Do you go out to your pack’s land often?” the gentle one asked.

“No.” She inhaled, shuffled, and shoved a pillow between her thighs to get more comfortable. “I wanted to live here, but he wants me close.”

“Your father?”

“Yes. He likes our family to be role models.”

“What do you do? Everyone has a job within the pack, right?”

Did she really want to tell them about her boring, unsatisfying life? “You’ll just think I’m a spoiled brat.”

“Oh, princess. What do you think will happen once you’re with us?” the mean one chuckled, though it had returned to that soft rumble like before. “We’re going to spoil you rotten.”