Chapter 2 Scarlett

02

The next couple of days turned into a blurred routine of waking up, going to school, going to work at the diner, and coming home. I tried everything I could to keep myself distracted from thoughts of my mate, and at first, it seemed to work. Slowly, though, the thoughts became too numerous to block out, and I had the image of him holding Eva's hand constantly flashing in my mind.

Eva... I had found myself coming to hate that name. I couldn't help myself, no matter how much I knew she wasn't to blame for my current predicament. It was not as if she knew that I even existed. Yet, knowing what she was to David, what she was going to be to him, only fueled the hatred I felt.

I found myself wondering how they had met. What had been going through their minds when they got together? Had they both simply gotten tired of waiting for their mates and said "screw it"? Or had they loved each other so much that none of that even mattered? Perhaps, she had a mate out there somewhere that she had disregarded as well. Though recalling the kind smile she had given me, I didn't think her the type to do something like that.

I was content, at the moment, to remain on the sidelines, because I really didn't have any other plan on how to handle the situation. They had seemed so happy together that a part of me wanted to let him go his own way and pretend that we had never met. However, there was another part of me that wanted to approach him and ask him to give me a chance. I was his true mate, after all, and she could never be what I could be to him.

It didn't help that my wolf and I weren't on the same page. Her constant whimpering and urging for me to go to him were only making me more frustrated. It was different having something else constantly in my mind with its own wants and needs. Her instincts were telling her to go be with her mate, but she didn't understand all the other factors revolving around the matter and that it wasn't that simple. It was exhausting, to say the least.

If I had known that this was what was in store for me when I reached maturity, I might have spent my nights praying to remain as I had been. I would have happily remained completely oblivious to the fact that I even had a mate who was planning a mating ceremony with the impeccable Eva while I was walking around like a kicked puppy.

I let out another heavy sigh as I continued to wipe down the counter, finishing up my closing duties before I head home for the night. Darlene leaned against the counter next to me, crossing her arms over her chest. "Alright, Red..." she started to say, using the name she had called me the first few weeks I worked at the diner. Apparently, she had trouble remembering my name in the beginning, and Red was close enough in her mind. "What gives? You've been walking around here for the past week like someone stole your best friend."

"It's nothing." I found myself sighing again.

Darlene rolled her eyes. "Yes because you normally walk around sighing like a lovesick teenager. Is that it? Do I need to beat up some boy for breaking your heart? Cause I'll do it." I couldn't stop the small smile that lifted my gloomy expression. The thought of Darlene beating up my mate was a funny one.

"I appreciate that, Darlene, but you don't need to beat anyone up. I'm just stressed about the fact that I haven't heard back from any of the colleges I applied to." It wasn't necessarily a lie because it was true I was stressed about college. There was no reason to try to explain to her how I went from no love life to having an over-complicated one practically overnight.

She gave me a pat on the shoulder. "I don't know why you're stressed. You're the smartest one out of all of us here at the diner. Those colleges would be stupid not to accept you."

I took a step back. "Thank you, Darlene. I appreciate the confidence, but it's not like it takes much to be the smartest around here. There's no competition."

Her eyes narrowed into a playful glare as she reached out and snatched the towel from my hand. She wound it up and snapped it toward me, and I let out a laugh as I dodged her attack. "Why don't you go ahead and clock out, smartass? I'll finish up here. Just lock the front door on your way out."I didn't need to be told twice. I had been working a lot of shifts at the diner over the past couple of weeks in hopes of saving up money I might need for college. That was, if I ever got a response. I gathered my things and blew Darlene a playful goodbye kiss as I headed out.

I pushed the key into the front door, twisted it, then grabbed the door and gave it a good couple of pulls to make sure the lock had settled right.

I turned back around after checking to make sure the door was locked. And as I did so, I found David waiting there. I gave a small scream of surprise, hand rushing to cover my heart that I thought might explode out of my chest. "What are you doing here?" I asked in a breathless voice as I tried to calm myself down.

He looked a little apologetic for having scared me as he took a step in my direction. I found myself taking a step back away from him, suspicious of his reasons for suddenly appearing before me. "I came to see you," he stated with uncertainty.

I shifted the strap of my purse. "How did you know I work here?" I looked around the parking lot, noticing that there was a black Mercedes parked next to my cousin's beat-up truck. I hoped that Darlene was busy in the kitchen and didn't see me out here with him, or else, she would be waiting to interrogate me on Monday.

He gave me a look as if it should be obvious to me. "I asked Wyatt." I internally facepalmed myself. Of course, he had, and my cousin had certainly obliged him without a moment's hesitation.

I frowned as I chanced another peek back towards the diner. "You shouldn't have come here." I really hoped that Darlene couldn't see us.

"I just wanted to talk, that's all." He lifted his hands up in surrender, palms out towards me to show he meant no harm. There was a sad smirk playing on his lips as if he found some kind of humor in our current situation.

I had to ignore the way my body seemed to be drawn to him like a moth to the flame. I had already been burned once, and I was not looking to get burned again. "Okay." I lifted my chin a bit as I assessed him. "Talk. I'm all ears."

I noticed the way his lips twitched at my response as he lowered his hands to his sides. "A little demanding, aren't we?"

Inside, I felt like I had the right to be. He could have come to me sooner, but he hadn't. Still, my cheeks flamed regardless of what I felt as I registered the fact that I had spoken to the future alpha in such a disrespectful manner.

"Sorry," I apologized, dropping my gaze to the ground and internally reprimanding myself for talking to him like I had. He could have me punished for something like that, mate or not.

I heard the sound of his sneakers against the pavement as he took another step towards me. "It's fine, Scarlett. I was just teasing you. I deserve that and more, I'm sure."

I peered up at him, his dark gaze holding me captive. "I should have come to you sooner, Scarlett. I know that. And I wanted to come to you. I was just confused about everything. I needed time to think about this thing between us. It was unexpected... You were unexpected."

I had to resist the urge to roll my eyes. He was almost as bad as Wyatt when it came to putting his foot in his mouth. "Sorry to have sprung myself on you so unexpectedly," I remarked dryly as I shoved the diner keys into my purse, searching for the keys to Wyatt's truck.

"That's not what I meant," he replied quickly. "You're my mate. Of course, meeting you was the happiest moment of my life. Though it was unexpected, I wouldn't have changed it."

I lifted a brow but kept my mouth closed up tight, allowing him more time to explain himself. He must have understood that because more words came spilling out of his lips.

"I need you to know that my reason for staying away had nothing to do with not wanting you. I do want you, Scarlett. How could I not want you? You are perfect." His words made my wolf happy, smoothing over any hurt feelings she had about the fact he had disregarded us for the past week after finding out we were mates.

I was happy he was here and that he was saying he wanted me, but there was still one factor that I could not forget, a factor that he had failed to mention in all of his talking. "What about Eva? How does she fit into all of this? Where does this leave her?" I questioned him. I needed to know the truth.

He let out a heavy breath, lifting a hand to his head. His hand rubbed anxiously at the short stubble that covered it. "I don't know, Scarlett. I don't want to talk about her right now. I can't think of her when I'm standing in front of you."

I clenched my teeth together at his words. "So when should we talk about her then? Before or after the mating ceremony?" My anger had me snapping at him. I noticed the immediate regret of his in his gaze, and he took a step towards me, leaving not much distance left between our bodies. I pulled the truck keys from my purse, ready to take off at a moment's notice.

He must have sensed that, "Scarlett, it's complicated..."

"No, it really isn't, David. Either you want to be with her, or you want to be with me, your mate." I tacked on at the end, "Until you make up your mind about that, I think you should stay away from me. It isn't fair to Eva, and it's certainly not fair to me."

He looked a little shocked at the words coming from my mouth, but he didn't argue their validity. "I don't know if I can stay away from you. My wolf doesn't want to let you out of our sight. I feel more at ease with you near," he admitted in a tone of defeat.

The truth was that my wolf didn't want him to stay away from us, and neither did I, but I knew that was the influence of the bond. The longer we were in each other's presence, the harder it would be to remain clear-headed. I shook my head, trying to sort out my thoughts. "I need you to respect my wishes, David. I don't want to be the second choice when it comes to my mate. So until you can choose, this is the way things will be." I felt a lump building in my throat, but I held myself together in front of him.

His expression looked grave, but he nodded his head. "I understand."

We stood there staring at each other, both of us lost in the heavy silence. What more was there to say? He hadn't made a decision about anything. He said he wanted me, but he still had Eva waiting for him at home. He had said he needed time to think. Maybe with time, he would realize that no one else could compare to your mate no matter how wonderful they might be. Or at least, I had to believe there was still a chance.

"Can I at least walk you to your car?" he asked with a soft voice that could have almost been a whisper. My fingers tightened around the keys in my hand, and my stomach twisted up in painful knots as I gave him a small nod. I should have told him no, but I wanted to be in his presence a little longer.

I crossed the distance between us, coming to stand near him but making sure to keep space between our bodies. I itched to reach out and touch him. His gaze roamed over me from the top of my head to the tips of the dirty sneakers that stuck out from under my baggy jeans. I felt my cheeks burn, wishing I could have worn something a little nicer today.

"Shall we?" he questioned, motioning for me to make the first move. This was so awkward. Was this how all mates felt when they met each other or was our situation out of the ordinary? I forced my legs to move my body forward toward my truck.

We walked next to each other in heavy silence. I tried to search for something to say to him that would take away the edge that had been created, but my ability to form words was failing me. By the time I thought of anything mildly interesting to say, we were already standing at the driver-side door of my cousin's truck.

"Well, this is me," I remarked, internally facepalming.

His lips curved upward with amusement. "It was good to see you again, Scarlett." His body inclined forward toward mine. I remained rooted in place as his lips brushed against the skin of my cheek. I felt the surge of pleasurable tingles race across the spot he had touched. He lingered for a moment as if caught off guard by the sensation as well.

As he pulled back, his lips hovered centimeters above my own, dark eyes meeting mine. I had to force myself to step back even though everything in me was screaming at me to steal a kiss. "Goodnight, David," I said, slightly out of breath.

"Goodnight," he said, giving me a small smile that didn't quite reach his eyes before I turned away and unlocked my door, scrambling up into the cab of the truck to put some safe space between us.

When I had gotten home, I dragged myself up the stairs to my bedroom and happily sunk into a much-needed sleep. So when I was awoken by a harsh pounding on my bedroom door, I was more than a little keyed up. I turned my head into my pillow, catching sight of the red numbers on my alarm clock blinking nine in the morning.

It was Saturday. Saturdays were the only days that I didn't have school or work and the only day I got to sleep in. I didn't like to be disturbed on Saturdays, and Wyatt knew that better than anyone. Only when the knocking became more persistent did I peel myself up out of bed. I stomped my way to my door, wrenching it open. "What the hell, Wyatt? You better be bleeding to death!"

My wolf was just as grumbly about being disturbed. I snapped my mouth shut when I noticed that Wyatt was standing with two warriors flanking him on either side. The one on the right met my shocked gaze. "Alpha Aaron has requested your presence."

A part of me felt extremely anxious over the fact that he had sent warriors as personal escorts. What did he want, and what did he think I was going to do? I shifted back. "Just let me get changed," I said before closing the door on all of them. I scrambled around my room with shaky movements, trying to make myself as presentable as possible.

The ride to the pack house was beyond tense. Wyatt and I were sandwiched together in his truck while we drove in between two large SUV's. I didn't know what to say to him about what was happening, and he didn't try to ask me. He kept his eyes focused on the road in front of us, fingers clasped tightly around the steering wheel.

The two warriors escorted us into the house, keeping us pressed closely together between them. Alpha Aaron sat behind his desk with a serious expression, his gaze fixed on the two of us as we were let into the room. Behind him, Luna Victoria stood dutifully, her elegant fingers wrapped around the top of his leather office chair. I held her gaze for a moment before I felt the need to look away.

The air in his office was heavy and suffocating the deeper I moved into it. Wyatt was pressed in at my back. I could feel his anxiety as well. He had no idea what was going on, but in the back of my mind, I had a horrible inkling this had to do with David and me.

The door closed behind us, and I jolted. I didn't like being enclosed in a small space, and neither did my wolf. I tried to keep my breathing as even as I could, hoping it would help me to keep myself under control. Shifting right now would not be a good thing to do.

Wyatt cleared his throat. "Do you mind me asking what all of this is about?"

Alpha Aaron leaned forward in his chair, the leather creaking under the sudden movement. His elbows graced the top of the fine cherry wood desk, fingers laced together. "Of course not, son. This is about your cousin and my son," his deep voice rumbled, "and their connection to one another."

I felt the urge to sink to the ground as he turned his dark eyes in my direction. Wyatt glanced in my direction with raised brows, questioning me silently about what I had been keeping from him. I hadn't told him about David and me, mostly because, like David, I needed time to think about what it meant and what I was supposed to do.

"Did you think that it would escape my notice?" he questioned in a calm tone, but I could feel the way the room vibrated with the dominant aura he was throwing out. My wolf gnashed her teeth together in my mind, she didn't like this male. I stiffened as I fought her urges to snap and snarl at him for trying to make us submit.

I bit the inside of my cheek. "I wasn't trying to hide anything, I swear, Alpha Aaron. I just thought that with the way things were..." I looked around the room. "I was pretty certain it didn't matter all that much. He already has someone beside him, and I had no plans to come between that." The words tasted sour on my tongue. They cut at my heart, reminding me that I was taking second place to my mate.

"But David did come to see you, didn't he?"

I didn't quite appreciate the interrogation. I couldn't figure out why he cared if his son had come to see me or not. We were mates, after all. Did he expect we would be able to ignore the bond?

I felt my gaze narrow slightly in suspicion. "It seems you already know the answer to that question, Alpha. Or else, I doubt I would be standing here." My tongue got carried away.

Alpha Aaron flashed me his teeth in a sneer, a growl rumbling from deep in his throat that had me regretting my tone immediately. Wyatt stepped forward, head bowed, and neck stretched in submission. "I apologize, Alpha. She is still a pup in a lot of ways. She doesn't understand how things work just yet." I turned my face toward my cousin in silence mortification at his humbled display.

"But she will learn," he snapped, losing that bit of calm he had before.

"Aaron," Luna Victoria spoke his name in a tone that urged him to control his temper. I watched his muscles flex for a moment before he forced himself to relax. They seemed completely different than they had a couple of days ago at the pack meeting. They had greeted me with kind eyes and friendly smiles, but now they were treating me like a problem to be solved.

"You know, Scarlett, when I was a young man, a neighboring pack was attacked by rogues. They came through in the night and decimated their numbers. By the time we arrived to help, it was too late. The dead were everywhere. I'd never seen anything like it."

I couldn't figure out why he was sharing this story with me, but I stood quietly and listened.

"We spent most of the day searching for survivors. By noon, the stench of death and decay was overwhelming. I had given up hope that we would find anyone alive, but about that time, I heard a gentle cry from a nearby house. I found a girl not much older than five hiding in a toy chest in her bedroom."

He shifted in his seat, a faraway look in his eyes for a moment. "She must have crawled in there not long after the attack broke out. She had these big brown eyes, I remember them to this day. She stared up at me like I was her savior. When I tried to move her, I noticed the way her stomach was bulging, unnaturally so. She had suffered some kind of trauma that was beyond repair. I knew that in the back of my mind, but still, I pulled her out of that chest and carried her out of that house. I wanted to save her.

"My father knew as soon as I brought her to him that she wouldn't survive. It came down to letting her suffer or putting her out of her misery. 'For the good of the pack, we sometimes have to make hard choices,' he told me before he snapped her little neck."

I flinched at the finality of his story. I wondered who I was being compared to in the tale, was I the little girl who would not survive? Had I been brought here to be put out of my misery?

"I cried as I buried her under a tree next to the rest of her pack. My father put his hand on my shoulder and told me something that I've never forgotten, 'Remember, it's the pack, then us."

He repeated the motto again, looking in my direction with a heavy gaze full of past torments, "The pack, then us."

"I want to hear you say it, Scarlett." Alpha Aaron commanded in a voice much too calm. I shifted uncomfortably where I stood. My tongue was thick in my mouth as he held my gaze, leaning forward in his chair. "Say it."

The eyes that had looked at me with kindness and warmth a few days ago were now as hard as steel. I straightened my back as my wolf pressed her will on me. It was strange to have a complete connection with her. Her thoughts were intermingling with my own. Right now, I understood that she didn't like being told what to do, but I also knew even if she had reached maturity, in terms of being able to mate, she was still a juvenile in her thinking. It would be years before she would even be capable of contemplating taking on a seasoned wolf like Alpha Aaron.

I licked my lips as I lowered my eyes to my hands that were clenched tightly together in front of me. "The pack, then us," I repeated the mantra back to him. The words tasted foul in my mouth.

"Do you understand what this means?" he questioned, satisfied for the moment with my obedience. I nodded my head. I wasn't quite sure what it meant to him, but I could make assumptions.

"This is what good leaders remember when they must make the hard decisions, Scarlett. This is what my father taught me, and a lesson I passed on to my son." He leaned back in his chair. It creaked loudly under the shifting of his weight. I lifted my face to meet his gaze again as his mate gave his shoulders a squeeze as if needing to show her solidarity with him. "It's always the pack first, then us. Everyone and everything must become our wants and needs."

"You want to be a good leader someday, don't you?" His question made me sick to my stomach, but I nodded my head finding it hard to find words. My head bobbed back and forth, feeling like a hundred pound weight on my shoulders.

"My son wants to be a good leader, too. But to be the leader this pack will need when I step down, the pack will need someone just as strong and capable to share the burden with him." I could deduce he did not believe I was up to par with what he believed were good leadership qualities. It was true that I couldn't imagine myself leading anyone, but if the Goddess had paired David and me together, there must have been a reason for it.

As if on cue, the door to the small office burst open, and the person in question entered. David came into the room with his head hanging low, like a man with a death sentence. Alpha Aaron pushed up from his seat, motioning for his son to come closer. He peered in my direction for a second as he passed, unable to hold my gaze for long.

"David, you know that this is for the good of the pack as we already discussed this morning. It's not what is wanted, but it is what is needed." We both flinched at his father's words. I had already figured out the current trajectory of our path.

I wondered if this was the life that my parents had envisioned for me when they had prepared to bring me into the world. Rejection was not something that was done lightly. The act itself was painful for both parties and could result in deadly consequences. Didn't anyone care that this could possibly kill me?

"Please..." I couldn't help but plead for my own case. This is not what I wanted. I wanted to be given a choice in the matter. I wanted the chance to see if I could be the leader they doubted I could be.

David met my gaze with a pained expression of his own. "Father, perhaps..."

"What is our motto?" Alpha Aaron interrupted before he could finish.

"Father, I-"

Alpha Aaron let out a rumbling growl. "What is our motto, David?"

I watched David stiffen, his jaw clenching tightly. "The pack, then us," he repeated the horrible mantra, something I was certain I would never forget until the day I died.

"Then you know that this is about what is best for the pack." His father's tone demanded respect and obedience. Before this moment, I believed that the Alpha was an infallible force. Whatever he said was truth and law, but standing in this room, all I saw was a selfish man who used his power to do as he saw fit.

"David, you don't have to do this," I said with a shaky voice, attempting to reach through the training his father had indoctrinated him and into the heart of my mate underneath. He looked as though he was lost in an internal struggle. It was clear he was being torn in opposing directions.

"Put the poor girl out of her misery." Luna Victoria commented with a somber expression. She didn't look like she was enjoying any part of the situation she was in, unable to make eye contact with me.

David turned to me with regret burning in his gaze. "Forgive me, Scarlett." He offered it like a soft prayer as he sucked in a shuddering breath.

I shook my head in disbelief. "No, wait."

But he was already speaking the words, sealing our fate forever. "I, David Matthew, reject you, Scarlett Ramsey, as my mate and future luna of this pack. I free you from our bond and the ties that hold us together. You are free to do as you wish."

The fire spread through my chest, and my knees grew weak as I struggled to get air into my lungs. Wyatt reached out for me, but I pushed him away. My wolf was whimpering in my head, her pain only amplifying my own. My legs gave out, and I collapsed to the ground, trying to breathe through the endless ache. I felt like someone had hollowed me out, and I wasn't sure if any part of me remained.

I dug my fingers into the carpeted floor beneath me as I tried to remain tethered to something. I could only imagine how weak I looked prostrated before them. I slowly lifted my face to find David leaning against his father, hand pressed to his chest above his heart. It was the only sign that he was effected at all by the rejection.

Strong hands were gripping my shoulders and pulling me off the ground. "Come on, Scarlett," Wyatt's gentle voice whispered to me. My legs were weak as I tried to stand up, stumbling slightly. "Don't worry. I have you. I'm going to take you home."

I was in a complete daze as he ushered me away from my shattered future.

One week, that was how long I stayed locked away in my room. No one came to visit me. No one tried to contact me. No one tried to console me, not that they could have. It was simply me and the four walls of my bedroom... the four walls that had seen me through some of the toughest nights of my life. They were with me again through another loss, a loss that felt too great to recover from.

The first couple of nights, I had spent tossing and turning and waking up screaming in agony in sweat-soaked sheets. I passed through the worst of it into a state of emptiness. I would go through the motions of being alive, but I felt dead on the inside, full of the decayed remains of who I had been.

I knew that Wyatt was worried about me by the way he looked at me every time he brought me something to eat and took away the untouched plates of food he had brought me before. The days passed by the same: the sun would rise, and the sun would set. I would fall asleep only to be surprised that I was there to greet it again in the morning.

The pain became more manageable with every new day as I fell into a new state of being.

"This came in the mail for you," Wyatt greeted me as I came down the stairs one morning. I crossed the room to grab the sealed envelope he was holding in his hand. My eyes scanned it quickly, noting the insignia in the corner.

I feel my heart pulse in my chest for the first time in weeks as I tore open the letter with shaky fingers. A sigh of relief passed through my lips as I unfolded the paper hidden inside, reading words of acceptance.

In my hand was my ticket to freedom.