Chapter 1

**SCARLET**

Later that night...

"Scar?" A familiar voice whispers my name, followed by a gentle tap on my right hand. I mumble groggily but I don't wake up. I don't want to.

"C'mon, baby, we have to talk," mom says and taps some more.

I shift to my back, murmuring in displeasure at being woken up in the middle of the night after the eventful day we had yesterday. "Mom, can't it wait till morning?" I grumble, sitting up.

She sighs and looks towards the window from where moonlight floods into my room. I know mom and know whatever made her come to my room by this time must be very important, particularly after yesterday. 

"I am getting married."

The last streak of sleep flies from my eyes, my brain becoming fully awake. "W-what did you just say?"

"I have been meaning to tell you, sweetheart, but you always hide away in your room all the time." I blink repeatedly, unable to believe her. She blames me for that? I am the one who is always seeking her attention while she runs off to New York City every Monday, not caring how I coped with these wicked people. 

"Mom,  I can't believe you will say that." I slide off the bed, and she grabs my nightdress sleeve before I will escape and hold me back.

"I'm sorry, Scar. I shouldn't have said that. I am so sorry, baby. Can we not fight now?"

I huff and relax back. Mom is my everything. My best friend, my world. I can't possibly stay mad at her for long. She knows it. "Fine, who is he and how is that even possible? You don't date."

Her face lights up at once as she scoots closer. "Alpha Brandon of the Newday pack. He is the best thing that has ever happened to me, baby. Well, apart from you." My smile falls. 

Alpha Brandon. The most influential and coldest Alpha in the whole world. That man is steel, it is impossible for him to love another besides himself. We heard his wife died giving birth to their pups and he didn't attend her funeral.

My mom hardly dates- or, so I thought. And now she wants to marry such a man. "Mom, that wicked Alpha? No," I disagree.

She keeps beaming. How can she be so calm about this? "I know what you are thinking, sweet. Everyone thinks Brandon is the devil's spawn. I used to think the same too until I met him. Trust me, you will love him."

 Hmm. "I am...surprised, mother." I take her hands. "I never thought a day like this would come."

"I know, right?"

"So, what now?"

"We are leaving," she deadpans.

"What! We can't." I snatch my hands away and clear my throat. "So, since we are confessing tonight, I might as well tell you something... Julius and I...are dating."

Her right hand flies to her open mouth as her eyes dilate. "No..."

"Yes, mom. I love him so much."

"He nearly killed you yesterday." She says, taking back my hands to squeeze as if to refresh my memory. "I don't know what made him do that to you yesterday, baby and I don't care to know. All, I need you to know is that as a woman, never go back to a man who doesn't know your worth. You have to learn to love yourself."

My eyes water. Mom is right. I am obviously held in this eternal bubble of stupidity that makes me think Julius is still mine after what occurred yesterday. 

He cheated. 

He confessed to never loving me. 

He insulted and nearly killed me. 

The list goes on and on, but, what am I going to do? I can't survive out there without a man, plus even if I meet my mate, he might not want me. I don't even want to try. "He didn't mean it, mom. I think he is mad at me for something." I try to defend him. 

She comes closer, her eyes hardening. "We are leaving this pack by dawn, baby." I was shaking my head, the tears starting to pour. I know mom too much to know this topic is  no longer up for discussion. "You will hate me now for this decision, baby, but I am your mother and I know what is best for you."

"I love him, mother."

"But, he doesn't love you and may never. I can't leave you here with such a monster. Over my dead body." She stands up and pats her sides elegantly as she gives the room a sweep with her eyes. "Pick anything you can lay your hands on, sweetie. Sunset must never meet us here."

"Why, mother?"

When she reaches the door, she pauses with her back to me, and says, "because I just committed an atrocity only punishable by death, baby. Unless you want me dead, we must leave here before sunset." 

She leaves.

🥀🥀

Three hours later, I watch from the side mirror of Mom's blue fiat convertible as the remnant of what used to be my comfort zone flits away in the dissipating darkness. 

I can't stop crying as flashes of my life in this pack replay in my head. I have never known pack acceptance since I was born. To everyone here, I have always been the rejected one, the never-do-well, the bastard, the girl born out of wedlock.

My mother is a well-recognized professor at the prestigious WOLFIE ACADEMY in New York City. She worked her ass off to get there and is a no-nonsense Hybrid she-wolf.

Compared to her, I am nothing but a wallflower. An unwanted attachment. The little attention I get is because of her fame and of course, everyone knows my mother comes from the bloodline of very powerful Hybrids. That is why they fear her and avoid her at all costs. 

Just because she gave birth to me outside wedlock and to date hasn't been claimed by any man, they see us as a pariah and vent all their anger on me since they didn't have the guts to talk trash at her. 

But I don't tell her. I know she will fight and even kill anyone she catches maltreating me, so, I lie to her when she asks me about the injuries she sees on my body. And when she complains about me always hiding away in my room and not having any friends, I pretend to be so occupied not to have that time when in reality, I was going through bouts of depression. 

Her hand reaches out to touch my arm and I shudder, turning away from looking at the passing trees to glance at her. 

"We are going to be fine, baby," she reassures me, grazing me one of her most charming smiles. "You will love New York."

I hardly think so. Not when Julius isn't with me. 

I sigh and nod depressingly. "Are we going to be living with him?"

"Of course, baby. Our wedding is next week, we have to make preparations and that means we have to be in his house now that we are homeless."

"You know we can always get a house if you want," I say, not emotionally ready to meet her new husband. 

She rolls her eyes at me and focuses ahead. "I know, but I want you to bond with your new family. And me too."

I didn't argue further. My Mom's words are law, arguing is a waste of time. 

As I stare blindly at the abating dews that usher in a new day, the image of Julius fucking Vanessa in that restroom returns to taunt me and at that moment, a deep feeling of hatred engulfs me. Thinking about how he treated me throughout the relationship and how I covered up for his excesses, makes me feel like a fool. 

I want nothing more than to make him pay. I don't ever want to feel this way for any man again. If ever I meet any other man, it will be on my terms and I will follow all the rulings my mother has been teaching me right from time. 

'Love yourself first'

And so shall it be. 

With that thought, my eyes flutter close. 

…