Chapter 3 Scarlett

03

Two Years Later

I stood behind the counter tapping my finger against the hard, polished surface impatiently as the woman tried to decide whether or not she wanted to order her coffee decaf or not. I was seriously one mocha frappucino away from blowing my own brains out. I sighed softly as I continued to watch the woman as she mumbled through her options. I knew I was just being irritable from my lack of sleep, and my wolf was antsy to go for a run because It had been at least a week since I had let her out to roam.

The problem was there was no sufficient space for me to do so in the city safely and getting out to the woods was a good hour's drive. It was hard to find the time between school and work to make that drive. In my more frantic moments, when I had first moved here, I briefly considered going to the dog park a couple blocks from my apartment building, but I doubted that would go over well with the humans or my wolf.

"You know what, on second thought," the woman began, and I felt my teeth clench together a bit harder, "I'll just have a tall chai tea latte."

I gave her my best-practiced customer service smile while inside I was visualizing myself jumping over the counter and strangling her with my bare hands. There was a rumble of agreement from my wolf at the thought. I quickly tapped the corrected order into the electronic screen. "Will that be all, ma'am?" I asked in an overly sweetened voice as I lifted my gaze. She smiled and nodded her head as I gave her the total, completely unaware of how close she had come to physical danger. I let out a sigh of relief when she gave me the exact change before she turned and walked away.

I sagged away from the register, wiping my hand across my forehead. My eyes drifted to the clock on the wall. There were only three hours left until my shift was over. I was going to have to make the drive out to the wildlife preserve, despite the mountain of homework I had sitting at home waiting for me. If I didn't, I was likely to go berserk on some helpless bystander for looking at me the wrong way.

"Scarlett?" I heard the manager, Frankie, call out my name. I bit into the side of my cheek as I reminded myself to keep my attitude in check. I needed this job to keep paying for the awful apartment I was renting. I had ditched the apartment the pack had provided for me a week after moving to the city. I didn't want any connection to the place and people that had so brutally destroyed my heart.

I turned toward his office door to find him standing there with a firm look on his pudgy face. "Can I talk to you for a moment, please?" I nodded my head, but internally, I was groaning. When someone asked you if they could talk to you, it was never a good thing, at least in my experience.

"Carter, watch the register for me. I'll be right back," I said to the new girl while she was mixing up some fresh coffee. She smiled and gave me a thumbs up, and I did my best not to roll my eyes. I frowned as I made my way into the cramped office space and took a seat in the hard chair across my manager. He eyed me in a way that I'm sure wasn't work appropriate, but he was harmless in the fact that he had never tried to touch me. If he had, he would have been met with quite the surprise, and a swift bite on the ass from my wolf.

He leaned back in his chair. "So I got a call." I tensed up at his words. I felt my heart clench at the thought. I had a strong feeling I already knew where this is going. "It was from a detective David..."

I almost laughed at this, almost. A detective? He couldn't have thought of anything more original?

Frankie continued, "He gave me his direct number and asked me to have you call him back when I saw you again. He said it was an urgent matter that requires your immediate attention."

I tried to keep myself from grimacing. The moment I had been dreading since I was given permission to leave pack territory was happening. I had done everything in my power to cover my trail, hoping that I would be forgotten, but it couldn't be that simple.

"Is there something going on that I should know about, Scarlett? Problems at home or school?" he questioned, raising a brow. Humans were so nosey. They seemed to thrive on drama. I weighed the answer to his question in my mind. Now that you mention it, Frankie... Why yes, there is. My ex-mate won't let me go, even though he rejected me and mated someone else. Oh, what? You didn't know werewolves existed? Well, this is awkward.

I put on a tight-lipped smile. "Not at all. I had problems with a boyfriend a while back. Must be about that. Restraining orders aren't what they used to be," I replied shortly.

He gave me an awkward nod and cleared his throat. "Well then, I'll give you a moment in here to call him back. For the future, you should really consider getting a cell phone, Scarlett. The work phone isn't meant for private matters," he added with a hint of judgment as he got up from behind his desk and slid a piece of paper with a phone number scribbled across it in barely legible handwriting.

I glared down at the number, waiting until he was out of the room and the door was closed before I reached for the phone. The phone rang a couple times before I heard the subtle click of the line turning over.

"Hello? Wyatt speaking..."

A wave of nostalgia rushed through me at the sound of the familiar voice. It took me a moment to register the fact that he was answering David's personal phone.

"Wyatt, why are you answering David's phone?" I couldn't help asking the question. My reason for calling was suddenly lost in my curiosity.

"Scarlett? Is that you?" He sounded surprised to hear my voice. Probably because in covering my trail, I had cut my ties to everyone. They would have been forced to betray me, and I didn't want to put them in that position. Obey their alpha, or protect their friend. It was an impossible choice.

I leaned forward. "It's me, you big idiot. Have I been gone so long that you forgot me already?" I teased him, wanting to cut through the emotions of the moment.

There was a heavy silence followed by a long exhale. "Scarlett, I'm so glad you're alive." I could hear the relief in his voice. "I thought you might be dead. I've missed you. You have no idea how good it is to hear your voice." I bit down hard on the urge to explain why I did what I did because I knew deep down he already understood my reasons.

"Where are you? Are you safe?" These were the questions I had expected.

"I'm safe. I'm going to school and working hard to pay for a terrible studio apartment. Oh, and by the way, the truck you loaned me is a real piece of shit. So thanks for that."

He let out a soft laugh, and I found myself smiling a real smile for the first time all day. My wolf seemed less stressed out. That part of all shifters was always happier with companionship. Our wolves weren't meant for lives of solitude.

Talking to Wyatt reminded me of home, my real home. I missed the mountains I grew up in. I missed the house I grew up in. I missed the familiar things that brought me comfort. The longing in my heart surged to a crescendo. It was a mistake to return David's call. I should have left things alone, but my impulsive nature had led me astray as usual.

He let out another long sigh of relief. "That's good to hear. Real good."

I closed my eyes tight. "How are things for you?"

"They're good. I am going to receive the title of beta soon. The ceremony is being held this weekend." I always suspected that he would be the one to succeed the position. My father had trained him well, after all.

"That's great, Wyatt. The pack will be better for it," I replied honestly.

"Thanks. It'll be hard work, but I love it." I could hear the pride in his voice. "David has been doing well since he stepped into his father's shoes." The moment of connection was lost at the mention of his name. The reason for my calling in the first place sucked all the life out of me.

"Speaking of David, could you put him on the phone, Wyatt?" I asked in a calm voice. I'm too calm, and I know it.

He paused as if calculating what his response should be. "He's busy with Eva, at the moment."

The sound of her name sent a sharp pang through my chest. I tried to fight off the last images I had of them together at the announcement ceremony, but they flooded my brain. My wolf growled loud in my head. She didn't quite understand that we had been rejected and that there would be no happy ending for us.

I clenched my hand tightly around the receiver. "I don't have time for this game, Wyatt. He called me, and I'm returning his call. Either he talks to me now, or he never talks to me again. You've got ten seconds to put him on, or I'm hanging up." I snapped, no longer in the mood to chat. I would have never spoken to any of them like that before, but I had been on my own for two years. The fact that I didn't have to answer to anyone changed my perspective on everything. It gave me the opportunity to mature and make my own mistakes without someone breathing down my neck.

They thought I was going to come back after college was over. That was the only reason I had been allowed to go in the first place. That, and the fact that they, David's parents, were afraid that I would ruin their plans to make our pack great again. They couldn't trust that the connection between their son and I had been severed enough to keep him focused on the female of their choosing. The moment I left, I had promised myself that I was never going back to that place if I had anything to say about it. I would live in hiding if I had to, but I was never going back.

Wyatt was silent for a moment, lost in surprise once again. "Uh... Yeah, hold on real quick." My heart began to race as I realized I was about to talk to my mate. Scratch that, my ex-mate, and I hadn't done so since he rejected me. I felt my palms start to sweat.

"Scarlett," his voice rang through the phone, and the ache in my chest grew as though the rejection had happened yesterday.

I clenched my teeth together for a moment before speaking. "How did you find me?" I needed to know. I didn't care if I came off as disrespectful. My anger towards the situation wouldn't allow me to act any other way. Respect was earned, and he had done nothing for me to respect him.

There was a pause. "I contacted a nearby pack, they did some looking into the matter of our missing she-wolf," he replied, not giving away much in the way of information.

"I have permission to be here, David," I snapped at him, reminding him that his father had helped me arrange things to be the way they were.

"It's been two years." The tone of his voice became sharper. "You haven't checked in once. That was not part of the arrangement, and you know it." His tone was clipped, even slightly angry. I knew he would be angry that I hadn't stayed in contact as I had promised his parents, but then again, no one tried that hard to get in contact with me until now. I had hoped that was a sign that they were letting me go my own way.

I could only assume this was his way of giving me space after everything that had transpired between us. The guilt of the rejection had probably kept him at bay for a while before he could no longer ignore the need of his wolf to search for me. It didn't matter that he had his chosen female. She would never be what I was to him. "You gave up the apartment that my father rented for you, and you didn't leave a number for anyone to reach you at or a change of address. Nothing. You vanished into thin air without a single word. I spent a lot of time and money tracking you down, Scarlett." His words sent a shiver through me. This wasn't healthy, and it certainly wasn't right. He had bound himself to another female, but still, our connection lingered like a broken radio signal.

"Yeah, there was a reason for that, David. I didn't want you to reach me. I didn't want to be found. I wanted to be left alone. The only reason I'm calling you now is to tell you to not to look for me anymore. Be satisfied knowing that I'm alive," I said dryly, knowing that I was pushing him closer to the edge with my attitude.

He let out a warning growl through the phone, but it didn't have the same effect it would in person. "You are still a part of this pack. I'm your alpha now, and you will respect me. You have been allowed more freedoms and leeway than anyone else. Perhaps more than you should have, by the ways things have gone." "I didn't ask for the special treatment, Alpha!" I snapped back at him, using his title to mock him.

"I didn't have to let you go, Scarlett. I could have stopped you from leaving." He pushed it in my face. Reminding me that, as Alpha, he had the power to control my life as long as I remained connected to the pack.

"Yeah, but you did let me go, didn't you? You had a choice, and you chose," I said harshly. We both knew I wasn't talking about my little sabbatical anymore. I heard his breath hitch a bit, and I could tell my words had an effect on him because a faint familiar sting bloomed in my chest. I pushed the pain down.

"Scarlett, I'm-"

"Save it," I interrupted. I could tell he was going to apologize, but I was so exhausted by all the apologies he had given me. They didn't take away what had happened. They were only pathetic attempts to soothe away the pain he caused.

I rolled my eyes at him through the phone. "Look, is there a reason for this call, David? Other than to remind me of my position in life?" I said, feigning boredom as I tried to ignore the need to apologize for my behavior. The wolf part of me only knew the order of things; the alpha sat above everyone and required our complete obedience. Disrupting that order was often met with punishment, that was, at times, severe.

I could tell that I was getting under his skin, but he reigned in his anger. "Yes. There is a reason." He was all business now. "We are having a pack meeting this weekend. There are important matters and changes happening that the whole pack needs to discuss and hear about. You are still a part of this pack, so I expect you to be there."

"No," I said without hesitation. I wasn't going to go back there. I knew if I did, I would never be allowed to leave again. He wouldn't allow that. His wolf wouldn't allow that. I would be forced to spend the rest of my days watching as he shared, what was supposed to be our, future with someone else.

"Excuse me?" His voice rumbled a little.

"You heard me. I said no, David. I won't come home this weekend, next weekend, or ever again. Consider this my resignation from the pack." And from you, my mind added. I could feel my body shaking as I came to terms with what I had just said to him. David let out a loud growl that made my wolf whimper inwardly. She wanted to submit, but my pride would not allow it.

"If you don't come home, then I'll come to you. I'll drag you back kicking and screaming if I have to, Scarlett. That's a promise." His voice was shaking with rage at my disrespect.

I smiled, feeling a sick kind of satisfaction at causing him such distress. I looked at it as karma for breaking my fragile, young heart before it even had time to dream of a future with him. "Best of luck trying to find me. Goodbye, David."

"Don't you dare hang-"

I hung up the phone on him. The phone rang again in the span of a few seconds. I knew it was him, but I ignored it, pushed up out of the chair, and strode toward the door. I only had an hour, maybe a few hours at most, to get ahead of David and the goons he was going to send to fetch me. I needed to get home, pack up what I could, and disappear.

As I exited the small office, I was bombarded with the elevator tunes and the sound of customers chatting. The noise did nothing to calm my racing heart. I was still high on the adrenaline rush of telling David off. I spotted Frankie leaning against the back counter, ogling poor, unaware Carter and her ass as she took care of the customers.

He must have seen me as I exited his room because he straightened up and turned towards me. "Is everything okay?" he asked. I nodded my head before I reached behind me and started undoing my apron.

He watched the movement with raised brow. I unwrapped it from my body and put it down the counter with a tight-lipped smile. "I quit."