Chapter 4 No.4

Scarlett POV

The steady, rhythmic beep of the heart monitor was the only sound in the room, a mechanical lullaby that defied the heavy silence of death that had choked us moments ago.

"Impossible," the Pack doctor muttered, his stethoscope pressed against Genevieve's chest. He looked at me with wide, bewildered eyes. "Her vitals... they're stabilizing. It's a miracle."

I leaned heavily against the nightstand, my legs trembling like jelly. The White Wolf's energy had receded, leaving me hollowed out and aching. I quickly swept the obsidian needles back into their velvet pouch, hiding the evidence of my power.

"It's not a miracle," Chastity hissed, stepping out from behind Duncan. Her face was twisted in a snarl, her perfectly manicured nails digging into her palms. "It's witchcraft! I told you, Duncan! That Omega is practicing dark arts! She's probably cursed Genevieve to make herself look like a savior!"

"She's right," Duncan growled, his eyes narrowing at me. "No trained Healer uses rocks and needles. This is sorcery, Kaelen. She needs to be executed before she infects the whole Pack."

"It's an old remedy," I lied, my voice raspy but firm. I forced myself to meet Kaelen's intense, burning gaze. "From the Monroe Pack. The Omegas... we keep the old ways. Herbs, pressure points, energy flow. It's not magic. It's just... forgotten science."

It was a flimsy lie, but it was all I had.

Kaelen stared at me. The pitch-black darkness in his eyes had faded to a stormy gray, swirling with conflict. He looked at his grandmother, whose chest was now rising and falling rhythmically, and then back at me. His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek.

"Enough," Kaelen's voice was low, but it carried the weight of an Alpha's finality. He didn't look at his brother or sister-in-law. "She saved her. That is all that matters."

"But Kaelen-" Chastity started.

"I said enough!" Kaelen roared, his aura flaring out and forcing everyone in the room to bow their heads. "Get out. All of you. Let the doctors work."

Duncan shot me one last look of pure venom before dragging a protesting Chastity out of the room. Ellison gave me a thoughtful, lingering glance before following them.

Soon, the room was empty, save for the unconscious woman, the Alpha, and me.

The silence stretched, thick with tension. Kaelen took a step toward me. The air around him smelled of rain and ozone-a scent that, despite my fear, made my inner wolf perk up in interest. He reached out, his large hand hovering near my face as if to brush a stray lock of hair from my sweaty forehead.

I flinched, stumbling back until my hips hit the dresser. "Don't."

Kaelen's hand froze. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes, quickly masked by his usual cold indifference. He dropped his hand.

"You saved her," he said, his voice devoid of the hatred that had been there an hour ago. "Why? After everything I did to you today."

"I didn't do it for you," I said, straightening my spine. "I did it for her. She didn't deserve to die because of your family's incompetence." I took a breath, seizing the moment. "I need my phone back. And we need to talk."

Kaelen studied me for a long moment, his gaze piercing. It felt like he was trying to solve a puzzle with missing pieces. Finally, he reached into his pocket and pulled out my cracked smartphone.

"You are to remain in the guest wing," he said, handing it to me. His fingers brushed mine, and a jolt of electricity-hot and undeniable-shot up my arm. We both jerked back as if burned.

He cleared his throat, stepping away. "Guards will escort you. Don't try to run, Fiona. The storm outside is nothing compared to what I will do if you leave these grounds."

The guest room was beautiful, a gilded cage of velvet and silk, but the windows were reinforced, and the door locked from the outside.

As soon as I was alone, I collapsed onto the bed and clutched the phone to my chest. I didn't dial. I didn't need to. I closed my eyes and reached out with my mind, pushing past the exhaustion, searching for the one tether I had left.

Burke?

The connection snapped into place instantly, frantic and overwhelming.

Scarlett! Oh, thank the Goddess! Burke's voice flooded my mind, thick with panic. Where are you? I've been trying to reach you for hours! I went to your apartment, but it was empty... I thought... I thought you were dead.

Tears pricked my eyes. I'm safe, Burke. Physically, at least.

I quickly explained everything-the kidnapping, the mistaken identity, the forced marriage to the Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. I left out the confusing sparks and the strange pull I felt toward Kaelen. That was just biology. It meant nothing.

Married? Burke's mental voice went cold with shock. He... did he touch you?

No, I reassured him quickly. It's just a piece of paper, Burke. A mistake. I'm going to fix it. I'm going to make him annul it.

Scarlett, listen to me, Burke urged. Meet me tomorrow. The cafe near the old train station. Noon. I'll get you out of there. We'll run away together, just like we planned.

I promise, I vowed, clutching the sheets. I'll get the annulment, and I'll come to you. I love you, Burke.

I love you too, Scarlett.

I severed the link, holding onto his promise like a lifeline. I would get my freedom back. I just had to survive Kaelen Blackwell for one more day.

Kaelen POV

The War Room was dark, lit only by the dying embers in the fireplace. I stood by the window, watching the storm rage outside, the rain lashing against the glass like bullets.

The door creaked open. Gideon, my Gamma, walked in. He looked like a man marching to his execution. He was soaked to the bone, mud splattered on his boots, and he held a thin file in his shaking hands.

"Report," I commanded, not turning around.

"Alpha..." Gideon's voice cracked. He swallowed hard and dropped to one knee. "We... we made a mistake."

I turned slowly. "What kind of mistake?"

"The woman," Gideon whispered, staring at the floor. "The one we took from the apartment. The one you... married."

"Speak, Gideon!"

"She is not Fiona Lawrence."

The world seemed to stop. The roar of the thunder faded into a dull buzz. I walked over to the desk and snatched the file from his hands. I flipped it open.

There was a photo clipped to the top. It was her. The same defiant green eyes, the same delicate features. But the name printed next to it wasn't Fiona Lawrence.

Name: Scarlett Monroe.

Rank: Omega.

Pack: Monroe Pack.

"She has a twin sister," Gideon explained hurriedly, his voice trembling. "Fiona Lawrence was adopted out at birth. Scarlett was kept by the Monroes. They look identical, but... we grabbed the wrong one."

I stared at the file, my blood running cold.

I had kidnapped an innocent woman. I had threatened her, choked her, and forced her into a marriage to pay for sins she didn't commit.

And yet... she had saved my grandmother. She had looked me in the eye and defied an Alpha Command. And when I touched her, my wolf had roared Mine.

I looked down at the marriage license sitting on my desk. The ink was still fresh.

"Leave me," I ordered, my voice dangerously quiet.

Gideon scrambled out of the room, closing the door behind him.

I traced the name on the file. Scarlett.

I had married the wrong woman. But as the memory of her scent-rain and wild lilies-filled my senses, I realized with a terrifying certainty that the Moon Goddess didn't make mistakes.

I had the wrong bride, but I might have just found my mate.