SCARLET'S POVAs I raced across the hallway, pausing every second to catch my breath, my eyes darted around in search of Brad. I needed to speak to him and most importantly, find out the truth.I was conflicted but I wasn’t angry with him anymore. At least not like I was earlier. I couldn’t get what he told me in the morning out of my head. And after Valerie’s confrontation, I realized he told me the truth. He dumped Valerie for me. He broke up with his long time girlfriend, the most beautiful she-wolf in the pack because of me. And I couldn’t think of it as anything but an act of love. Or why else would he break up with Valerie, whom he had been with for a very long time?I had a few answers in my head but I considered the most logical ones. Either he realized our bond was stronger than he imagined. Or he actually wanted me as his mate. I felt my heart thumping at the possibility that he was in love with me. That he had somehow given up everything he used to care about because of m
SCARLET'S POVI was disgusted by Brad but he was the only person who could save me. And judging from the way he was glaring at Valerie, I could tell he was still in character. He was still playing his game and believed I was oblivious about it. He walked up to Valerie with a thick frown laced across his face. She shuddered as she hid her hands behind her back. I could see the uneasiness in her eyes, the fear coursing through her body as she tapped her feet anxiously. “What is wrong with you?” Brad fired immediately he got to us. Zoey released me and staggered back, unable to meet Brad’s eyes. They were terrified of him and at that moment, it was a good thing for me.“I-I can…” Valerie stammered and I almost exploded with laughter. “I-I can…” Brad imitated her, scrunching up his face in disgust. “Why are you suddenly unable to talk? Weren’t you all mouthy before I got here?”I chuckled faintly within myself, watching the drama unfold between them. For once, it felt nice to be the su
**SCARLET'S POV**I nearly choked on my food when the question reached my ears. “What?” I inquired, delicately wiping my mouth.“You heard me,” he responded, lowering his cup to the table. “Or are you still doubting my affection for you?” That had been his intent from the beginning, but fortunately, I was aware of it. There was no genuine affection, only calculated schemes and manipulation.My heart throbbed heavily against my chest, as if it might burst in seconds. I took a deep breath, my hand clenching into a fist. I opened my mouth to speak when my hand inadvertently landed on the table. The contents gracefully flew out of the plate, descending to the ground. I didn’t know how that happened but I couldn't have been more grateful that it transpired at that moment.His countenance shifted as he observed the food at his feet. "My goodness. I am sorry this happened," he murmured as he rose to his feet.I managed a faint smile as I looked down at the mess, twiddling with my hands. My
SCARLET'S POVI gasped as my eyes opened, and then I found myself in a bus. I exhaled when I realized it was the same bus that was supposed to bring me home. Nothing I saw was real, it was just a nightmare.It made no sense why I was being hunted in my dreams by Brad. Why I couldn’t close my eyes without seeing him trying to hurt me. It was all scary, too scary for me to understand. My heart was thumping heavily against my chest as I sank back to my seat. I paused the song that was playing on my phone as I stared into oblivion. I didn’t know why life wanted till I was eighteen to dump all these on me. Every day was a struggle, a fight to be happy and sane. I swallowed heavily as I considered the solution to my problems. Accepting Elias as my mate was the simple solution to my problem. Beads of sweat formed across my forehead, my mind imagining Alpha Thomas’ reaction to the news. He would lose his mind, could even try to go after my family. But that was why I needed to fill Elias in
SCARLET'S POVIt was impossible! I couldn't let her do what she wanted to do. It was too dangerous, especially with the kind of Alpha that we had in the pack. I could bet my ass he wouldn't hesitate to lock her behind bars. I didn't want that for her and neither did I want any harm to befall her."Mom! You shouldn't be doing this. It isn't the right thing to do. You know how cruel Alpha Thomas can be. You are the only parent I've got left and I cannot imagine anything happening to you," I begged. Tears had gathered in my eyes and it took everything in me to stop them from spilling.She stared long and hard at me and then shook her head. I recognized the look on her face and I knew she wasn’t going to change her mind. "What do you want me to do? Huh?” She asked me, throwing her hands in the air. “Do you think I should sit back and watch them mate you to that beast? You would lose your freedom, happiness and even your sanity as his mate. Do you suggest I turn a blind eye to that?”"Mom
BRAD'S POVONE HOUR AGO My skin tingled as I took another sip from the bottle of wine I had. I wanted to drown myself in alcohol, it was the only way to escape the thoughts in my head. The thoughts in my head were nearly driving me crazy and I needed peace. The peace that only alcohol could provide because I had no one else. I had dumped my girlfriend in my elaborate plan to deal with Elias. And Scarlet could never fill that void. Two bottles down and I still couldn’t get drunk. It was such a shame that alcohol worked differently for wolves. It would take nearly six bottles to get me drunk and to stop the voices in my head. I sighed and tried to focus my thoughts on something else, perhaps something more positive. But all I could think of was Scarlet, all I could see was her red hair, falling carelessly across her shoulders. I used to hate her hair because I thought it was weird. But I was fascinated by its qualities now. “Damn it, Brad!” I shook my head and snapped myself out o
BRAD'S POVValerie stared back at me with defiance and I realized she was trying to cause a scene. I pulled her up from the bed aggressively and pushed her into a corner. I couldn't let anyone see us together anymore, especially since the news that I had found my mate spread amongst the pack members. "Why do you look so tense, Brad?" She asked. “It’s just someone out there. You don’t have to act like we are under attack.” I shot her a demeaning look and a hiss escaped my lips. I picked up her clothes and threw them at home. "Get dressed immediately and don’t say another word. Do you really think I don’t know what you’re trying to do?" I asked her almost in a whisper, hoping the person at the door couldn’t hear us. She stared hard at me without uttering another word and if looks could kill, I would be dead. She was hurt and I could see it in her eyes. However, I couldn’t afford to lose to Elias. Never. “Brad, what is going on in there?” I heard a knock again and hurriedly adjusted
SCARLET'S POVPRESENT TIMEThe moment my gaze fell on the Alpha, fear gripped me and my heart raced with a loud echo. The look on his face sent chills down my spine and my breath came quick and shallow, as if the air in the room had turned hostile. Every part of me wanted to turn back and leave but my mother's mind was already made up. And it would be so disrespectful to interrupt the Alpha’s schedule without any good reason. Alpha Thomas’ gaze bore into me like daggers, and resentment grew from within me. Every glance between us felt like a challenge and I lowered my head when I could not take it any longer. "We would like to speak to you about something important,” my mother said, yanking me from the depths of my thoughts. “We are only asking for a little bit of your time.”He smirked softly and sat on a chair. He motioned to us to stand before him and we obeyed swiftly. “I don’t have all day. If you have something important to discuss, I’m listening.”“I’m sure you’re aware that
SCARLET'S POV. Egg after egg dropped, filling the space, and I couldn't help the feeling of raw panic eating me up. I had ever seen such a monster with different traits. It has pincers like scorpions and made loud noises. It buzzed like a bee, and was so solid even though it was made of ants. It was laying eggs which was really unbelievable, but what scared me was that I didn't know what would happen if the eggs happened to hatch. What creature would we see there, and how would they eat us up?I took in deep breaths, as me and Elias were pushed together. I couldn't help myself. It felt like I would suddenly scream, and go out. The eggs fell against us, and it was then I knew I couldn't help myself. “Elias!” I called out, as my hand closed over his shirt tightly. My mouth opened wide, and I fought for breath, but couldn't find it. “Scarlet, Scarlet, breathe!” Elias said, looking at me intently, as I hit my chest, trying to breathe. My eyes filled up with tears, and it felt like I w
RALPH'S POVEstelle looked at us all, enjoying the looks of shock on the faces of the men. Then she walked over to me, and bent, placing a hand on the table, and the other behind my chair. I wouldn't deny the ice in her eyes. Everything about her seemed cold, and although I hated her being that close to me, I did not budge. I stared at her right in the eye, without fear. “You must be having a hard time, right?” She spoke softly. “Well, I've had a harder time.” She said, then straightened up, without taking her eyes off me for a second. She seemed to built for revenge, and in her eyes were the echoes of pain, and cold. She took a few steps backwards, before giving a smile that didn't reach her eyes, then she turned away, walking out of the hall. The elders all looked like they had been holding their breaths, and they let it out quickly, looking at each other. “I believe we've discussed all we need to discuss.” I said, getting to my feet. Sitting around, doing nothing was something
RALPH’S POVI dressed in my room, trying hard so time wouldn't run out on me. There was a council meeting scheduled for the day, and I had to attend instead of Elias. The council elders had sent in multiple envelopes, all demanding to see Elias. ‘Where is the Alpha?’‘What is the Alpha planning on doing?’‘Is Alpha Elias aware that things are becoming even worse?’They had sent in all kinds of questions, and I understood their impatience. It was all stemming from the fear Estelle had woven into their hearts. A knock came on my door. “Come in.” I said, brushing my hair. If I didn't look my best, they would assume Elias didn't know what he was doing, and that he had just put some random person on his throne. I really hoped he and Scarlet would make it back alive, and quickly because I was in no way fit for an Alpha. A maid walked in with toast on a tray. “No, no, I'm fine. I didn't ask for breakfast.” I said, but she didn't retreat. “Before leaving, Alpha Elias gave me strict ord
SCARLET’S POVWe fell mercilessly, hitting the rough edges, getting bruises all over. I landed on the ground with my head in an awkward position, before straightening up, and looking at Elias, who was sprawled on the ground, breathing hard, as he looked up at the sky. I looked around. Apparently, we had fallen in some kind of hole. Due to taking quick hasty breaths, the dust managed to get into my nose, and I sneezed hard. We heard the strange buzzing sound, and I covered my mouth, only for another sneeze to come true. I sneezed again, and Elias scrambled to his fist to cover my mouth. I held his hand there, willing myself not to sneeze. Eventually, I let out a tiny one, and with my eyes watering, I looked around, taking Elias' hands off my mouth. Everywhere was dusty. It was probably because we had fallen through it. All the dust seemed to be settling. “What do we do now?” I whispered, giving a little cough, as I tried to swipe the dust away from settling on my face.“I think w
THIRD PERSONIt wasn't just Elias who felt the tendrils of fear squeezing his heart. Scarlet felt it too, and it felt like her chest was on fire, just from wondering what would happen. The mere terror that the clanging sound generated made her heart beat faster at every clang. It was too much for her to handle. She looked around repeatedly, and the soft wind whipped her hair into her face, which she brushed back with both hands. Already, her palms were cold and sweaty, and the anxiety was just too much. She needed the suspense to be over. “What do you think that is?” She asked Elias, still looking around, trying to guess what could be the reason for the weird sound. “I have no idea.” Elias replied, as the sound grew louder. “We should… I think we should move on.” Scarlet suggested, wanting to make a move. It was so obvious that whatever was approaching them with the weird sound wasn't single. It wasn't two, nor was it three. It was definitely a lot.“I say we wait.” Elias replied,
ELIAS’ POVI couldn't understand the fear and anxiety filling me up. It wasn't the first time Scarlet and I had been on a journey, or been faced with dangerous creatures, and people, but still there was that nervousness. That whispering voice that told me my fears were not twisting lies in my head, but trying to bore the truth into me. Something really awful could happen, and I might be unable to escape it with Scarlet by my side. Either way, I hated the feeling. The whole place spoke, and gave an aura of power, dark power, and it boasted too easily of how we could get killed. It was the main reason for my fears. The man looked at us, and even without the features on his face, I was somehow able to tell that he had a smile on. Then, I looked at Scarlet. She also seemed lost in thoughts, and it would be the best time to try to convince her, but she would despise me for it. It was better I carried out her wish, than to let my fear get the best of me. “We are willing to try. After
Scarlet and Elias couldn’t help but admit within themselves that they were overwhelmed by fear. Elias knew how dangerous the journey was, and this made him even more scared. “Well, hello.” The man spoke, in an eerie tone. “Who the hell are you?” Elias managed to question him, as they were both wary of him. “A question which actually isn’t the major concern. But I’ll tell you one thing. If you dare try to escape, because it’s only expected of you to want to run from me, you won’t be able to get to the world beyond.” “Uhn!” Elias exclaimed softly, not knowing whether to believe the man or not. “Yeah. To make things more understandable for you, I am the passage to the world beyond, which only means without me, you can’t go into the world beyond. So, now, I hope you know that it is only unwise of you to run from me. And if you have enough time to waste, you can actually run from me, and when you realize you’ve been wasting your time, you’ll come back, and definitely meet me here.” Bo
SCARLET’S POV It was dawn already, and was time for us to set out for her journey. If it was an outing, I would have been so excited about it, but then, it was a dangerous journey which we are just going on for the sake of a friend which we have taken as a family. Even from the name, the world beyond, one would have known that it isn’t a place one can take lightly. For Elias to have been so adamant on us not going there, it was evident that it wasn’t like other dangerous places that we have gotten ourselves into. “Are you certain you are ready?” Elias asked me as we headed towards the woods. “I am more than ready.” I responded to him, not wanting to sound discouraging. Even if I wanted to sound discouraging, it shouldn’t be from here when he could easily turn back and by then, whatever I do, might not make him change his mind, anymore. We didn’t have to walk too much before we got to the woods, and that only made me feel a little anxious. But then, I had to stop myself from getti
SCARLET'S POV “I know, and I feel quite bad for going down that lane, but you know we’ve got to do all it takes to ensure Ashley is back to good health. Who knows? She might be able to help us with an information. You know she was captured by Estelle. She must have seen a lot which would be very helpful for us.” “I understand. Just look for better ways to convince him regarding something than hurting yourself. Well, let me leave you to go over to meet him. I’m sure he’s so annoyed with both you, and himself. You’ve got to make him feel he isn’t making the wrong decision.” “Alright! I’m on it.” “He’s in the garden, by the way.” Ralph informed me, and I smiled lightly. “Thanks.” I appreciated him, then I stepped out of the room and walked towards the garden. On getting to the garden, I saw him standing and gazing at the sky with both hands in his pockets. I knew he was going through a lot, and had a lot of responsibilities burdening him. So, all he needed was things to go a bit eas