Scarlett’s POVI opened my eyes.Sunlight blinded me. No – not sunlight. My own light, golden and magical, surrounded me. Held limp in its grip, it lifted me into the air.But I – I’d been dead. Hadn’t I?I remembered the feel of my life leaving me. I remembered losing my energy, my strength, feeling my body wilt beneath the weight of the magic tearing through my veins and rushing out through my palms. But now the wind was here, holding me, healing me, and I felt it dance across my skin, through my hair, as it pulled my arms out and pointed my legs down towards the ground. I remembered dying.But that wasn’t all I remembered. Vague, fuzzy shapes filtered into my mind, taking form as the light raised me higher and higher. I saw humans, knew their names, saw Adelaide, saw a city and a death and a chase, saw Bennett and a library and Enzo – My beautiful Enzo. How could I ever have forgotten all that we had shared?The memories poured in as my brain healed, the light coming from within
Bennett’s POVThings had taken a while to fall back into place after the battle. With the pack house left in ruins, Scarlett and Enzo had worked with his parents to rehome everyone that lived inside it while it was rebuilt. His mother and father had stayed close, lending their expertise as they got to grips with navigating life post-Ryker.They hadn’t been the only ones to stay, though. I’d asked to remain in Moose Creek. Enzo had accepted my cagey reasoning with narrowed eyes, but he would’ve said yes to just about anything with his mate’s hand on his arm. In truth, I didn’t know where else to go now. Everything in my life had been building up to this. Crafting prophecies for people to find, leaving breadcrumb trails, making messages, telling everyone just the right thing at exactly the right time – I’d never known a moment to myself. Now that was all I had. And I couldn’t See my way forward. Not anymore. I’d told nobody that Scarlett hadn’t been the only one to lose her powers t
Scarlett’s POVI ran my hands down the front of my dress. Nerves made my stomach sway from side to side and bile rise in my throat. I swallowed hard, keeping my eyes fixed firmly ahead – and firmly away from Alpha Ryker.“Come on, Omega.” His raspy voice was too close to my ear as he grabbed my elbow and dragged me forwards, forcing me towards the swelling crowd under the marquee. My palms started to sweat, but he’d punish me if I tried to wipe my hands now. He’d bought me this gown, after all – every inch of its gauzy, flowing silk belonged to him. Just like I did. “Hurry up.” He shoved me again; I stumbled. “Would you prefer to return to the pack house, Omega?” Alpha Ryker’s voice dipped into a growl, and it took everything in me to keep from shuddering. “No, Alpha.” I ducked my head, my cheeks flushing. But I’d say or do anything it took to attend the Mating Ball tonight.“Say sorry.”My face burned. “I’m sorry,” I mumbled.“Say: ‘I’m sorry, Alpha.’”I curled my hands into fists
Enzo’s POVI looked down at my watch. I rocked back on my heels. I sighed. “Are you ready yet?” There was a tremble in my mate’s voice – Scarlett’s voice, I corrected, though even thinking the word mate sent a flush of heat roaring through me – as she replied. “Nearly, Alpha Enzo. I’m sorry.”“Don’t be sorry,” I said, my eyebrows pinching together. Why would she be sorry? What did she have to be sorry for?I frowned at the closed door. She’d not let me follow her into her room, though she’d given me no explanation as to why – but her pretty face had reddened and her upturned, blue-green eyes had glittered. She’d turned away quickly, her auburn hair whipping through the space between us, creating a physical barrier that had made me wonder if she truly wanted me to claim her.She was mine, after all. Despite my impatience, a smile pushed at my lips. I’d waited four years for this and, though I knew nothing about her, about my Scarlett, I knew that she was perfect for me. I scrubbed a h
Scarlett’s POV“It’s not a trick,” I snapped – only to immediately feel the hot rush of blood warming my cheeks and neck. My gaze dipped to the floor again, and I waited for my punishment to come. What would it be today? A kick? A smack? A punch?“I don’t know what’s happening here,” said Enzo, his tone so cold I almost shivered. His hand wrapped tightly around my bicep – too tightly, hard enough to bruise – and he yanked me a step away from Alpha Ryker. “But I don’t want a mate that can’t shift.” He scoffed. “I’ve never heard of anything like that before. Are you sure you aren’t lying, Ryker? Do you want to keep her for yourself?”He tugged me further back. I wanted to squirm free, but I let him manhandle me where he pleased. I’d been Ryker’s servant long enough to know that fighting back only hurt more in the long run.“I’m not lying.” Ryker’s lips curled up into a sadistic grin. “Go on, Omega,” he purred, “shift for him. Prove me wrong.”“I – I can’t,” I whispered, shame crawling u
Enzo’s POVI was going to kill him. My hand tightened on Scarlett’s as we stepped through the portal. The cold hit us almost instantly. I barely felt it; my rage burned so hot that I could’ve sworn the snowflakes melted before they even touched my skin.Alpha Ryker had hurt her. She wouldn’t admit it, but she didn’t have to. It was clear as day in the quiver of her lower lip and the distant look in those beautiful blue-green eyes.“It’s amazing,” she breathed, as we stepped out into a meadow, teeming with wildflowers and scraggy, dry grasses. The Canadian Rockies reached above the heads of the pines and firs in the distance, capped with snow, imposing against a blue sky that was crisp in a way it only ever seemed to be in autumn. Fat grey clouds drifted above, scattering snowflakes on the wind.My lips hooked up into a smile. “Yeah, I suppose it is.” “I know about the time difference, of course, but,” she paused, her lips parting as she spun on the spot, twisting as far around as sh
Scarlett’s POVMy throat closed up. I’d tried to make light of it, knowing that I was pushing Alpha Enzo away every time I refused to talk or dropped his gaze and wanting to do better, to please him, but inside my heart pounded and my breath caught in my lungs. Fuck, I thought, over and over and over again. I’d failed Enzo. I’d failed myself.I’d just escaped being the pack outcast. I’d wanted so badly to be accepted here, to find a way to hide my dirty little secret – and I’d ruined it less than two hours after I’d arrived in Moose Creek. Fuck.“Maybe they didn’t hear,” he murmured, catching my chin and holding my gaze. I shivered. “This whole top floor is mine. I thought they were drunk, stumbling around, lost after the ball…”I felt like I couldn’t breathe. “What if they weren’t? What if they wanted to catch a glimpse of your new mate?” His brow pulled taut. “They wouldn’t. We’ll all meet tomorrow – we always do. I give my wolves the morning off, and we have a lunch to welcome the
Enzo’s POVI chewed on the inside of my cheek as I stared down at the book. Simply Elemental, it was called: a battered old paperback that looked as though it had been passed around a lot, the spine bent out of shape, the corners dog-eared. I picked up the scrap of paper that had fallen from it and went to tuck it back inside the cover.I paused, the paper curling in my palm. I could look at it. Just quickly. Nobody would ever know…With a sigh, I tucked it away. I would know, and that was enough. Scarlett needed to trust me – I couldn’t break it so soon. My heart swelled at the thought of her, panging at the memory of the fear and pain in her eyes before she’d all but sprinted from the room. Something bad had happened to her, I could guess that much. And, as much as I wanted to rush things with her, sometimes wanting to bend her over the bed and others wanting to ask for her hand in God-damned marriage, I knew we’d have to take this slow. Like, snail’s pace slow.I’d only known her a