Page 2

Scarlett

“ A -alpha? Who said this has anything to do with Elijah?” I ask, trying to remain calm, although the fear of being caught grows quickly.

Grandma Amelia cocks a brow, scoffing. “What do you take me for? A fool? At first I didn’t think much of it until you both went to get the desserts at dinner and, well… it doesn’t take that long to bring a tray of brownies into the room, now does it? Not to mention you smelled strongly of the boy when you returned. I’m surprised Jackson, the idiot, hasn’t realised, or Jessica.”

Fuck.

She’s watching me as I sit there, trying not to react as she continues. “But I think with their own bond finally being completed, and with Elijah and Jackson not on the best of terms thanks to their tempers, they have missed what is right beneath their noses! I’m still angry they didn’t even inform me of marking one another at the dinner! I’m old, not a fool, girl. Now speak up. I want the full story!”

I stare at her, stunned. I can feel my cheeks now flaming up. How do I deny what she knows? Well… there’s no point in pretending now.

“I, uh, it wasn’t planned… I just, somehow…” I really don’t know what to say.

“Oh, come on, if you’ve jumped that thing, no point in getting all shy. If you can do the dirty deed, you can talk about it. Now, from what I can tell you surely have. I was thinking you were glowing.” Grandma Amelia mulls over her words as she nods to herself. “I’m not asking for a report on the fool’s bedroom performance; I just want to know exactly what is going on between you both.”

Fiona… the scene from the club claws at my heart.

“I know for a fact the idiot has been setting off a lot of rumours lately about not being interested in his usual playboy ways. So do tell me, is my favourite girl the reason behind it?”

I can’t help but smile at that. She isn’t judging me. There’s no anger or disgust. This is why I love her. “I’m glad I’m your favourite. I couldn’t have hoped for anyone else,” I say quietly, trying to control my emotions. Since Grandma Amelia already knows everything, there’s nothing I can do any longer. I begin wiping my face, removing all the makeup as I buy myself a little time.

With everything that happened, I feel a mess.

“But I don’t know if I really mean more or not. He said he cared, that he wants to make me his Luna, but it was all a lie…” I look up at Amelia, tears filling my eyes.

“And why do you think it’s a lie?”

“I know it was,” I whisper, remembering Fiona again.

“For the boy to say that much, it must surely mean something. He has many flaws, but I know he speaks his mind. You tell me, have you ever heard of him giving any other girl that sort of promise?”

“No, he hasn’t, but I saw him at the club today with Fiona. First, she was all over him and he didn’t bother telling her to move away, and then I caught them hugging intimately and… she wasn’t wearing anything. He saw me and then panicked. He was perfectly fine holding her before that,” I say bitterly, now clutching my mug of tea tightly. The pain of his betrayal hurts. Amelia nods.

“So, you decided to run off like a fool? You should have asked exactly what was happening. It’s clear you love the idiot, and if you do then you should fight for him. Men are horny dogs; we need to keep them on a leash! And he is a young alpha who is probably extremely sexually active. I don’t doubt his integrity, but perhaps the girl came on to him?”

“Then why did he hug her?” I ask, my eyes flashing.

“Well now, if you stayed and asked him, we would know the answer to that. You shouldn’t have run, dear.” Her words are blunt and to the point and I stare at her. I’m about to reply when I feel a burning spasm rush through me once again, making me scream out and knock the hot tea over as I bend over in agony.

Grandma Amelia jumps up and hurries over to me, touching my skin that is burning up.

“I think I’m sick,” I mumble.

But the way her eyes widen, I know she knows exactly what is happening to me. “Oh my… you’re in heat, child,” she says.

My blood runs cold at her words.

“In heat…”

… This is sickening, but I know what’s happening. Yes, Elijah and I have had sex, but after being marked, if you aren’t intimate with the person who marked you, your body goes into heat. However, once in heat, you don’t need the one who marked you to satiate the burning heat that is tearing your body apart. Fucking anyone can fix this.

I just wish things hadn’t gotten so messy with Elijah. If we fucked now, this agony would go away, but I’m not allowing him anywhere near me. He hurt me and I will not forgive him. I know my heat might manipulate my feelings for him and allow him back in.

“Please don’t tell anyone about this. Can I just stay here until it’s over?”

She looks at me sympathetically. “Yes, of course, dear. But I should tell Jessica, Goddess forbid if this gets too rough, you know it could.”

“Don’t let anyone come here. I don’t want anyone to know,” I whimper as another jarring stab runs through me, making my body spasm and I feel the throbbing intensify in my core. “Oh fuck!”

“Yes, that’s exactly what you need, a good fuck. Are you sure you don’t want the Alpha here?” Grandma Amelia asks sceptically. I nod, whimpering at the pain that is wracking my body, not to mention the now obvious throbbing in my lower region. “Are you sure? Because if you say no, you know I’ll stick to it.” Grandma Amelia helps me to my feet with a grunt. “Oh, you are heavy…”

“I’m sure I am,” I whisper weakly, the image of Elijah pulling his top off fresh in my mind. Tears of mental and physical pain trickle out of my eyes as Amelia leads me to the bathroom.

“I’ll get some ice,” Grandma Amelia says, opening the cold tap. I whimper, it feels like my entire body is on fire and the ache between my legs is growing. My clothes suddenly feel too much. I strip my jeans off and get into the tub. It is barely even full at the bottom, but I need the reprieve from the heat that is licking my body. The need for me to get rid of the ache in my core is growing. Fuck, I hate this. Grandma Amelia returns with a bag of ice.

“I’m afraid this is all I have. I’ll go get some more, you’re going to need it,” she says, torn between leaving me alone and getting more ice. I only nod as Grandma Amelia dumps the ice into the bath. A whimper escapes me, and the white shirt clings to my burning skin. The thought of Elijah fills my mind, imagining his lips all over me, his fingers working their magic. I push the thought away, frustration filling me.

“Please go, I need ice, more ice,” I yelp, frustrated, scratching at the mark on my neck, which is burning painfully.

“I know… I just don’t want to leave you alone. My house is a little away, what if someone comes here?” she asks hesitatingly. “Elijah asked through the mind-link not long ago if I’ve seen you.”

“Don’t tell him! I don’t need him. I don’t need anyone!” I cry, sinking into the water now that the tub is almost full. Grandma Amelia sighs.

“Okay…” She stands at the door, hesitating again before she wrings her hands. “Alright fine, I won’t tell anyone. I’ll go to the packhouse and get some ice packs from the kitchens.”

She hurries from the room and I hear her shuffling around for a few moments before I hear her leave, and the key turns in the door.

I close my eyes, taking deep, steady breaths as the pain returns.

Elijah

I am going out of my mind. Scarlett just vanished, and I have no idea where she’s gone. I checked at home. Everyone is asleep. It is late, but she’s not here. I can’t even pick up her scent! Fuck!

Angela is also looking for her, and I know from her face she is telling the truth.

Alpha. Aaron mind-links me.

What is it? I snap back.

Fiona’s crying, the rogue’s gone. She’s scared. Want to comfort her?

What? I told Hank to deal with it! How did he get away? Where the fuck is Hank?

I want to know the same, El, I’m not sure. Maybe he’s gone after the rogue? But it’s fucking weird because I can’t reach him through the mind-link.

Something about that makes my stomach twist with unease. I don’t think he’s gone after the rogue. I know what he knows.

My panic and concern for Red just became tenfold worse. She’s fucking out there, angry and upset and although she hasn’t said it, I am fucking sure that Hank was one of the men who had hurt her back then. I swear if he so much as touches a hair on her head...

Worry grows within me, eating up at me. I should never have let her out of my sight. I mind-link everyone I can reach, asking where Hank or Scarlett are, commanding some of my warriors and the pack’s best trackers to find them both.

I don’t care if I am being irrational. I need her found and I need her now and everyone can tell I fucking mean it. My emotions are driving me crazy; I’ve never felt anything like this. Fuck, I wish I never comforted Fiona. Heck, I have no fucking feelings for her.

“Kitten don’t do this,” I whisper, wishing I could mind-link her.

Does she really think I would cheat on her? Why would I when I have a goddess in my arms? Have I not expressed my feelings for her clearly enough? It fucking hurts, too. I really did think I was conveying what I felt for her well. Heck, I didn’t hold back.

I run towards the woods. Amelia’s! I should check there; she goes there often! Fuck!

Feeling a sliver of hope, I speed up coming to a stop when I see Amelia lugging a large bag towards her cottage. If the situation wasn’t so dire, I’d say it’s a body.

I turn and run down the hill, stopping the elderly woman in her tracks.

“Boy! You scared me!” she shouts, placing a hand on her heart.

Grandma, have you seen Scarlett? She may not be safe, I say through the mind-link, my large wolf staring down at her. She hesitates, observing me calculatingly, almost as if she’s debating something.

“What danger?” she asks, making her way towards her cottage and I trot long.

I can’t tell you right now, but please tell me. Have you seen her?

“Not at all. I haven’t seen her,” she replies dismissively. We are nearing her cottage when I catch a hint of Scarlett’s scent on her.

You’re lying! I snarl, anger tearing through me. I break into a run, heading to her cottage. The wind rushes through my fur as I run as fast as I can. With every passing second, the unease within me is growing.

I can sense my wolf screaming at me to speed up. There is no place for doubting what I feel for her when not only me, but my wolf is also worried for her. We both want her.

“Elijah! She does not want to see you!” Amelia shouts, huffing under the weight of the large bag of ice, although she’s keeping up pretty well. “You need to understand you can’t be around her!”

I don’t care. I need to see her! I just need to make sure she’s safe! My reply is ice cold, my Alpha aura rolling off me. But before she replies, the cottage comes into sight, and I slow down.

The most intoxicating smell hits my nose. Although it’s faint, I know what it is and who it belongs to. I feel myself throb. Hard.

Fuck, she’s in heat.

I round the front and my heart plummets.

“She is perfectly safe. She said she doesn’t want you near her! Now get…” Amelia’s words die on her lips when she, like me, stares at the entrance of her cottage.

The door hangs wide open, hanging on one hinge.

“Oh my…”

She doesn’t need to tell me that she didn’t leave it like that.

Red, fuck! Please be ok!

I rush inside, my heart in my throat…