(Scarlett's POV)The only sound in the hallway was the sound of my shoes hitting the tile floor. When I saw Thomas leave Alex's room, I stopped short. His face was red and stressed, like he had just come from a fight instead of a meeting. He barely looked at me and brushed past me without saying anything or even giving me the silly grin he always had.He didn’t ask for a phone number. Didn’t say anything silly or flirty.Something happened.I frowned and turned my head to see him leave. His shoulders were stiff, like they were carrying an unseen weight. What did Alex do to him?Suddenly, I could smell a familiar scent: a rich, woodsy smell with the clear musk of an alpha wolf. It made my neck stiffen. I knew who it was right away, without even having to look.Alex.I could feel his presence around me like a shadow. My heart was beating faster, which showed that I wasn't as calm as I wanted to be."What makes you look at him that way?" His deep voice was quiet, but it was sharp enough
Scarlett’s POVAs I walked down the hall to my office, I was still trying to cool down from all the chaos in my mind. My heart was heavy, and I think my face showed too much of how I felt. I was still tense from my fight with Alex, and every step made me think of the kiss that was still burning on my lips.Sienna was there when I walked out of the office. My twin sister, the perfect, favorite person of everyone. The way she stood and smiled while waiting outside my office made me feel even more out of place.As soon as she saw me, her eyes got narrow. "Scarlett? Is something wrong?" she asked with her head tilted. "You look like you've been crying."I tensed up and naturally ran my fingers over my face. "I'm fine." I lied, "I was just tired.Alex gave me a mountain of work to do, and it’s wearing me out."Unconvinced, Sienna arched her perfectly shaped brow. "Are you sure it's only work?You don't usually look this... stressed out." Her voice was soft, but I didn't like how it had a hint
Sienna’s POVAs soon as we walked into the restaurant, Scarlett's back straightened up. It looked like she was trying to figure out why I brought her to this restaurant with her sharp eyes. I kept a calm face and smiled in the same silly way that always threw her off. At least not yet, she didn't need to know my real plan.The air was full of talk. I heard laughter from a close table, which led me to them right away. Faces I knew from high school. Old school friends. Like they always did, most of them were dressed to impress and try to shine brighter than the others. Wonderful.Scarlet's frown got worse when she saw them too. "Wait a minute... Is this some kind of school got-together?" Her voice was tense with doubt.I pretended to be innocent by laughing softly. "No, not really." I heard that some people were hanging out here, so I thought it would be fun to join them. It's not dangerous.”Her face turned darker. "Fun? I don't believe that. I'm leaving."I grabbed her arm before she
Scarlett's Point of ViewI stomped off, leaving Sienna and Damien behind. Forgive him? Not yet. Maybe never. Even if someone said sorry, the hurt they caused was still there. I kept hearing Damien's voice and hearing him beg for a second chance. But those memories—his mean laugh and how he humiliated me— it felt like a second skin. Could people really change? Could he change? As I walked away, my heart and mind were at war in silence. Each step felt heavier than the last.Lost in my thoughts, I ran into someone as I was walking in rage. Someone. My breath hitched as I took a step back and said, "Sorry,".The man and his friends didn't brush it off, though. Instead, they came closer, and their eyes locked on mine. I got a chill up my spine. My legs felt like they were frozen when I tried to move away.One of them sneered, his eyes staying where they shouldn't during the whole thing. On my breast. "Hey sweetheart, why don't you stay the night with us?"Fear rushed through me and mad
Alex’s POVI meant to call Scarlet to my office to finish the talk we started, but she didn't answer when I called her. That's strange. Scarlet was very careful with her work, and she could always reach her phone. I went to her desk because I thought it would be faster to check in person. Empty."Where’s Scarlet?" I asked a nearby interns."She left with her sister, sir," Sarah, one of the intern, said nervously as she looked at my face.Sienna? In the middle of the day, what could they be doing? The unease that was building up in my chest made me try to shake it off. Scarlet didn't usually skip work without a good reason, but the thought of her going so quickly made me sad. I need to talk to Sienna.The second ring caught her attention. "Alex, wait until you hear me out before you get angry—""Where are you guys while working hours?" My tone was cut off. She shouldn't have thought that my relationship with Scarlett was a secret."Alex!" I didn't like how Sienna's voice was always so
Scarlet POV"Please, Alex, don't do this," I begged as I looked at the leather straps that were connected to the bedposts. My voice was shaking. The thought of being tied down hurt my wrists, but what scared me more was the fire in Alex's eyes—a wild, unquenchable storm I had never seen before. I couldn't find the Alex I knew—the one who held me so carefully.It wasn't an answer. It was worse for me to hear him than to hear him shout. As he grabbed my wrists, his hold was strong but not painful. My heart was racing. I got a chill when the cold cuffs hit my wrists and held me in place. The click was like a hammer hitting a rock, and it made my breath catch."You let that bastard touch you." He leaned close to me and his low growl shook the air. His hot breath was against my ear. "You let him kiss you."The accusation cut me like a knife. My eyes filled with tears as shame and fear mixed. "It wasn't my choice, Alex," I sobbed, my voice breaking. I was grabbed by Damian.He took a quick
Scarlet's Point of View“How did I come here?” I groaned in pain.Every part of my body hurt when I woke up, and my skin felt raw and damaged, like it had been through something I couldn't quite understand. When I finally opened my eyes, I was in the safety of my own room, but it didn't make me feel better. Everything came back to them like a weight.Alex. Last night.The flashes came on quickly and sharply, like a painful electric shock going through my mind. Yes, he did bring me home. But not the way I had hoped or wanted. I missed the chance to say what I meant. I missed the chance to tell him I didn't want any of it and that I just needed him to hear me.“He is not the man I wanted as mate. Did I do wrong to accept him as mate?” I questioned myself.His punishment terrifies me.That's what he took. I had no choice but to let him. That's when I realized how protective he really was. The thought made my chest tighten, and I felt angry and sad at the same time.I should have known. I
SCARLETT’S POVI don't know how long I stood there and looked at Sienna, but it seemed like forever. Every word she spoke hit me like a slap in the face, and I got more and more angry as time went on. As I tried to stay calm, my hands curled into fists at my sides. It was getting harder as the minute went on.“Are you really so shameless?” I shot back in anger. I could feel Sienna's anger coming from her, like she was about to pounce on me at any moment. Her eyes were red with rage. She looked at me with a glare that said it all: her arms crossed over her chest."Oh, please stop your shit. And tell me what's going on between you and Alex?" She snapped. Her voice was full of irritation. "Why did he leave with you? Are you playing a new game?"The bile was rising in my throat. What a jerk she was. I was the one who set me up in the most embarrassing way, but she was the one who thought I needed to explain myself. It wasn't funny.I tried to stay cool by taking a deep breath, but all I
Scarlet’s POVThe pressure was unbearable. The water surrounding me was cold, dark, and thick. I couldn’t breathe. It pressed against my chest, pulling me deeper, suffocating me. My limbs were heavy, useless, and I kicked and fought with everything I had, but it only seemed to drag me under further. I opened my mouth to scream, but all that came out was a bubble, disappearing into the murky depths. My heart pounded as panic set in. I’m going to drown.Just as I thought I could no longer take it, I felt the weight of the water shift. My body jolted, my lungs screaming for air. Desperately, I pushed against the darkness, feeling something, someone, pulling me up. Then—nothing.I gasped, my chest heaving, my eyes snapping open.I was no longer underwater.I blinked rapidly as the bright white light overhead seared into my vision, my head throbbing with confusion. I tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness hit me, and I collapsed back into the soft, unfamiliar bed beneath me. My mind was f
Scarlet's POVWhen I woke up, I had a terrible headache and my arms and legs hurt from being in one place for what seemed like hours. The smell of mold filled the air, and in the distance, you could just barely make out the sound of water dripping. I had my hands behind my back, and the rough rope hurt my skin. As I tried to figure out what was going on around me while blinking quickly, I realized I was in an empty building.I felt scared and my breathing got shallow as I looked around. The faces of the three guys in the room were hidden by masks. I didn't know who they were or why I was here."Who are you? What do you need from me?" Even though I tried to sound strong, my voice was shaking."Shut up if you want to stay alive," one of them growled in a cold and dangerous voice.My throat was dry, so I swallowed hard. As one of them took out a phone and called a number, they didn't bother to look at me again. It hurt when my heart hit my chest. It couldn't be good that they were callin
Scarlet’s POVThe slap came out of nowhere, and as I fell back, the sharp pain lit up my cheek. My hand went to my face right away, and I stared at Sienna in shock. My chest hurt, and each beat was louder than the last. "What the hell?" I asked Sienna, even though my voice was shaking because I was trying hard not to cry.Her ugly sneer turned into a face. "Shameless,bitch. You know exactly what this is about," she snarled, her voice full of anger.When I blinked, I was hit hard. "I don't," I replied, raising my voice. "What are you talking about?What's wrong with you?""What's wrong with me?" she asked again and again, then laughed. "Scarlet, you're the trouble!You're trying to take something that is mine, and I will not let that happen. Never, never."I felt sick to my gut when she spoke, but I still didn't understand what she meant. "What are you talking about?I didn't take anything from you!" I kept insisting, but her charge made my voice break. "Everything I have is mine and h
39 TRUTH REVEALEDScarlet’s POVAs I ran up the stairs to my house, my heart was beating fast. Alex was right behind me. Just having him there was a small relief in the middle of my fear. One thing I wasn't used to hearing from my brother was a worried tone in his voice over the phone. It made my nerves tense.I stopped moving when I opened the front door. The living room looked like something else. The cushions were cut open, and the stuffing came out like guts. The coffee table fell over, and glass pieces were all over the floor. Some frames were completely broken, and pictures were hung on the walls upside down."How the hell did this happen?" Alex said something and stepped in front of me.Ryan, my brother, came out of the kitchen with a pale face. He didn't look like he had slept in days. His shirt was rumpled and his hair was a mess. He would never normally let himself look so messy."What's going on, Ryan?" I begged, and my voice shook.He was clearly upset as he ran his hand th
Scarlet’s POVAs I ran up the stairs to my house, my heart was beating fast. Alex was right behind me. Just having him there was a small relief in the middle of my fear. One thing I wasn't used to hearing from my brother was a worried tone in his voice over the phone. It made my nerves tense.I stopped moving when I opened the front door. The living room looked like something else. The cushions were cut open, and the stuffing came out like guts. The coffee table fell over, and glass pieces were all over the floor. Some frames were completely broken, and pictures were hung on the walls upside down."Where the hell did this happen?" Alex said something and stepped in front of me.Ryan, my brother, came out of the kitchen with a pale face. He didn't look like he had slept in days. His shirt was rumpled and his hair was a mess. He would never normally let himself look so messy."What's going on, Ryan?" I begged, and my voice shook.He was clearly upset as he ran his hand through his hair.
38 PROTECTED MEScarlet's Point of ViewThe werewolves were going around us, and my heart was beating fast and steady with fear. I saw evil in their eyes, and I didn't miss the way they looked at each other in silence, like hunters getting ready to attack their prey."Scarlet," Alex's voice came through the fog of my growing fear. He stood between me and the guys and spoke in a strong, almost bossy, voice. "Don't move.Stay closer to me. I can handle this."I took a deep breath and nodded quietly. I didn't want to feel like a woman in trouble, but I was too scared to fight.How did we get here in the first place? These werewolves surrounded us in the next second as we walked back to the pack house. It felt wrong to have them there, like a storm was about to hit."Who sent you ?" Alex posed the question, his voice tense with power. "What do you want?"As he spoke, one of the guys stepped forward with a smirk on his face. His speech was smooth but full of danger as he said, "We brought
Scarlett’s pov What Sienna had said kept going through my mind. It broke my heart that Sienna had been with Alex. Her messed up hair, smudge lipstick, braless, these things only made me doubt about their relationship was more than I knew. I don't know how to explain it. I had to ask him, but the thought of it made my blood boil.I wanted to ignore it and act like it didn't hurt. It did, though. It felt like my heart was slowly being torn apart all the way through. Alex was meant to be. Even when things were hard, I had always thought that. But after hearing that and seeing how my sister looked at me when she told me, I couldn't get rid of the doubt and jealousy that was eating away at me.Was Sienna telling me truth?"Was he two timing with me?" I said something to myself. I didn't want to ask him, though. Not yet. I wasn't when I was so mad.The day went on and on, and I didn't want to go see him at work. I told myself I didn't need to see him, but I really did. I really wanted to t
SIENNA’S POVI was unable to rest. Scarlet's words kept playing over and over in my head, making it impossible for me to think clearly. She stayed with Alex all night. When I thought about her smug tone, my chest got tight. Was it a joke? A confession? Alex, did you even try to fight her?I felt like the questions were acid in my head. What made him want me to leave the car that day? Why did he choose Scarlet instead? How come she was always there, hanging out, happy, and going where she didn't belong?Being betrayed made me feel more than just angry. It made me feel suffocated with jealousy, doubt, and sadness. Alex was supposed to be mine, not just my boyfriend. My chosen Mate. But now, everything felt like a joke, and every reason was a way to break the trust we had built.I was done with the pain of not being able to sleep by the time the first rays of dawn broke through my blinds. I had to know the answers right away.My heart was racing as I drove to Alex's apartment in a nightd
SCARLETT’S POVI don't know how long I stood there and looked at Sienna, but it seemed like forever. Every word she spoke hit me like a slap in the face, and I got more and more angry as time went on. As I tried to stay calm, my hands curled into fists at my sides. It was getting harder as the minute went on.“Are you really so shameless?” I shot back in anger. I could feel Sienna's anger coming from her, like she was about to pounce on me at any moment. Her eyes were red with rage. She looked at me with a glare that said it all: her arms crossed over her chest."Oh, please stop your shit. And tell me what's going on between you and Alex?" She snapped. Her voice was full of irritation. "Why did he leave with you? Are you playing a new game?"The bile was rising in my throat. What a jerk she was. I was the one who set me up in the most embarrassing way, but she was the one who thought I needed to explain myself. It wasn't funny.I tried to stay cool by taking a deep breath, but all I