Page 72

Scarlett

When Scarlett woke up again, the sun was already peeking over the horizon. Mateo had his hand over her thigh, gently rubbing his thumb over her skin. “We are about to take a break and pick up some breakfast.”

“Are you going to switch now?”

He yawned and nodded. “Ezra and Vince stopped a few hours ago, and are just a few minutes behind us now.”

“Why didn’t you stop?”

Mateo shrugged, veering off on the next exit. “I still had a few hours in me, but I knew if I stopped I wouldn’t want to start up again.”

Scarlett leaned over in her seat and kissed her cheek. “You say that but I have a feeling you also didn’t want to wake me.”

He grinned and stole a tired look at her. “That may or may not have been part of my decision.”

Scarlett offered a grateful smile. “Thank you.”

They parked and as promised, Ezra and Vince pulled up a few minutes later. Ezra was nearest to her, so she pulled him into a hug and planted her lips on his cheek. “Are you driving with me next?”

“Vince is.” Scarlett bristled. Something about his tone was off, he was hard and edgy—even more so than usual.

“Did you two have a fight?”

“No.”

“You’re upset. Are you nervous about being back at the—” She paused, looking around them before lowering her voice, “—witch village.”

Ezra only grunted. “Fucking hate that place.”

She took his face in her hands and tugged him down for another kiss. “I’m sorry.”

“It needs to be done.” And with that Ezra pulled away and headed into the diner. They ordered four large breakfasts to-go, got back on the road, and Scarlett hand fed Vince his sausage and pancakes.

“He’s not upset with you,” Vince assured her between bites.

“I know. I hope he knows that too. I understand that this is something that makes him very uncomfortable and when he’s ready, I’ll be right by his side. Do you think I should’ve told him that?”

“I believe he knows.”

“I’m a little excited to see it actually,” she admitted sipping on her chocolate milkshake. “I wonder what it looks like.”

“Most of them are powerless to say the least. Ezra might say his magic doesn’t run strong, but he is one of the strongest I know.”

“Oh, don’t tell him that—his ego is big enough.”

Vince grinned at her and stole another pancake. “It’s his family’s heritage. Their bloodline has been kept pure for generations.”

“Pure as in no non-magical heirs and such?”

“That’s right.”

“I wonder what will happen when our magic mixes. I mean I don’t have his kind of magic, but…” she trailed off.

“It might enhance his magic, actually. Especially because you have alpha blood.”

“Do you know if that has ever happened before?”

“It probably has, which is why certain families have retained their magic blood, but I don’t believe Ezra’s families agrees with mixing outside magic with theirs.”

“So, they might reject him because of me.”

“He has rejected them, Scarlett. He couldn’t care less for what they think of your union with him.”

Scarlett sighed, chomping another bite out of her sandwich. “I know.”

“We care about you. That is all that matters to us: you and your wellbeing.”

“Would you be willing to meet my family if they allow it?”

“I would and I will keep the peace too.”

Instead of a verbal answer, Scarlett offered Vince an appreciative smile and they fell silent again, cruising after Ezra as he led them off the highway and into the mountains.

After a while, they drove onto a private and gravel road, passing a gate that Ezra opened by adding a drop of blood to the lock.

Once they passed, he closed the gate, then walked over and opened Scarlett’s door.

While he warned Vince that the road could get rather treacherous, Scarlett ran her fingers through his hair. Before he returned to his own vehicle, Ezra pulled her into a kiss seemingly needing it to deal with his emotions.

As Ezra promised, the road ahead was rather frightening. The edges of the cliffs were too close for her liking, so Scarlett tried to focus on anything but the drive, keeping her eyes closed.

After what felt like hours, they passed through an opening in the mountain, a dark tunnel stretching out ahead of them.

Vince drove slowly as he waited for the curve that Ezra had warned him about.

When Ezra’s truck disappeared around it, Scarlett held her breath until they saw them again at the end of the tunnel.

She only relaxed, releasing the breath she’d been holding when a small, woodsy village came into view.

They parked next to the other truck and the second the engine was off, Ezra had the door opened and took her hand to help her out.

“Stay with me,” he demanded sternly as he leaned down to kiss her temple. “You’re not leaving our side.”

Scarlett had no arguments there. “I won’t.”

Ezra hadn’t talked much about the village, but Vince had said that he distrusted many witches here.

“Ezra, what a pleasure to see you here again.” Scarlett turned, seeing an elderly woman with long, chocolate brown hair approach. Her silver jewellery glistened in the sunlight, shimmering over her hands, wrists, and neck. “It has been too long.”

“Moura, the village elder, though not because of her age,” Ezra explained, approaching the woman with a tight grip on Scarlett’s hand. “Moura,” he said in a rather bored tone, gazing over the village. “Nothing has changed around here.”

“I will take that as a compliment.”

“As you wish.”

“To what do we owe the pleasure?”

Ezra came to a stop. She spread her arms wide and hugged him, though he didn’t return the embrace. When she noticed his intense glare, Moura didn’t even dare to try it with Scarlett. “We’ve been hunting.”

“And you are willing to share.”

“I don’t share, I sell.”

“Ah, yes—you’ve always been a man to use his words precisely. I’m sure we can make a deal.” Her curious gaze travelled over the others. “I don’t think I’ve been introduced to any of your travel companions.”

Still rather bored, Ezra indicated the other two men, who stepped closer. “Mateo and Vince will be leading the negotiations while Scarlett stays with me.”

“After you, Moura,” Mateo offered with his usual congeniality, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Before driving off, Ezra had advised them not to drink anything they were given. Mateo had confirmed that there had been hunters leaving with rather small sums for their prey after drinking tea with witches.

Scarlett held a tight grip on Ezra’s hand as she admired the village, the feeling of the mountains surrounding them rather intimidating.

Though the village was small, wooden cabins had enough space to spread unevenly.

Windchimes tinkled in the light breeze. When she took a closer look, she realised that the windchimes were made out of bones .

Skulls and salt circles also seemed very fashionable.

“What does the salt do?” she asked, leaning into Ezra.

“It keeps bad spirits away.” Scarlett turned to the new voice who had just spoken to them. The woman’s dark hair flowed past her hips and just like Moura, she was covered in silver. The witch looked familiar, but in a way that Scarlett couldn’t quite place.

“Meet my sister,” Ezra introduced in a voice so cold that it sent a shiver down Scarlett’s spine.

She tilted her head up, anger twisting Ezra’s face before he masked it with a grin she hadn’t seen for quite some time. “Your sister?”

She stepped forward, extending a hand to Scarlett. “Karena.”

“If you touch her, I will skin you alive,” Ezra growled.

Karena crooked a brow, but retracted her hand. “I’ve tried to reach out to you a few times, but the number was disconnected.”

“It was the first thing I got rid of.” As he spoke, Ezra reached into the holster on his hip, grabbing his gun and cocking it. Scarlett followed the direction to another witch who had stepped too close to the trucks for his liking. “One more step and I’ll paint the ground with your brain.”

“Oh, come on Ezra,” the woman chided with a flirtatious tone that Scarlett didn’t appreciate. “Just a peek.”

“Just because I let you fuck me once doesn’t mean I won’t kill you.”

“What will your new girlfriend think of you if you do?”

“She would be disappointed if I didn’t keep my word.”

“So feisty, but do tell. Are you the sweetest pup for her too? I remember like it was yesterday when you let me tie you up and do as I pleased with you.”

Scarlett tugged Ezra close, stretching up to whisper in his ear, “Don’t let her get under your skin. You’re mine but seeing someone’s brain splattered all over might give me nightmares again.”

He nodded, lowering his aim to the woman’s kneecap. “As you wish, princess.”

“Elena,” Karena scolded. “I’m sure Ezra and his friends will share their treasures with us soon enough.”

As if she hadn’t just had a gun aimed at her skull, Elena shrugged the whole situation off and took a step back. “Scarlett, right? Do you enjoy sharing? Because once Ezra is tied up, he could be all ours.”

Now Scarlett snarled. “If you ever call him yours again, I might allow him to splatter your brains over the pavement after all. The only reason he was ever with you is because I hadn’t come along yet.”

Ezra purred, pulling Scarlett close to his chest. One arm wrapped tightly around her, while the other still aimed his weapon at Elena’s kneecap.

“Sister and brother united again, how long has it been since you two have seen each other?” Moura approached them again, with Vince and Mateo warily watching the exchange.

“Too long,” Karena admitted with a longing gaze towards her brother. “I hope we can catch up soon.”

In the same moment, Elena stepped back and Ezra dropped the gun. “Maybe.”

Mateo tugged the tarp away from the truck bed, revealing the two lycans they’d decided to sell. “As promised.”

The blood drained from Moura’s face as she approached the bodies in awe. She held onto the truck as if she might faint.