Chapter 5 Scarlett

05

This was the second town that I had stopped in since I started my life on the run. I was tired, hungry, and extremely irritable. I knew the last part was because of my wolf. She was pissed at me for not waiting around for David to come and pick me up. It didn't matter how many times I told her that he had rejected us and had mated someone else, she wouldn't give it up. I guess that was how a mate bond worked. Even with a rejection, it could never be completely severed unless one of us died or we both completely bonded to other people, which David would never let happen if I stayed under his thumb.

I sighed as I jumped out of my cousin's beat-up truck, slamming the door behind me. A clean break from David and the pack was exactly what I needed if I wanted a shot at happiness. Perhaps, I could find another pack to take me in as a prospective member, or maybe travel the world and see all that it had to offer. Whatever I decided to do would be fine as long as it kept me out of David's reach.

I walked towards a small diner, the idea of sinking my teeth into some delicious food compelling me forward and pushing unfavorable thoughts of David to the back of my mind. I pushed the door open and entered the cool air-conditioned space. The familiar smell of grease and the sound of a tiny bell announcing my arrival brought a wave of nostalgia and homesickness.

The girl behind the counter looked up and greeted me with a friendly smile. "Just take a seat wherever you like, and I'll be right with you." I gave her a small smile in return before walking over and taking a seat in an empty booth. I scanned the room out of habit, noting where all the exits and people were in case I needed a quick getaway.

The diner was practically empty minus an old man at the counter reading the paper and enjoying his coffee. A single mom sat at a table trying to keep her two kids from jumping around like a pair of crazy monkeys. There were dark bags under her eyes, and her lips were pulled into a tight line. I didn't envy her position, but my wolf let out a small whine. She wanted to have pups. She wanted to carry her mate's future inside of her, but that was never going to happen. Not after everything.

I let my head fall back against the seat and released a heavy sigh when I knew, for the time being, I was safe. I closed my eyes, giving myself a moment to relax for the first time in seventy-two hours. I had pushed myself to the limit trying to put as much distance behind me as possible. I had made sure to cover my trail, doing my best to avoid any pack territories.

Most packs weren't keen on unannounced visitors, especially when the constant threat of rogues continued to increase over the years. Most Alpha's now required visitors to carry official pack papers with them, stating what pack they belonged to, their reason for the visit, and how long they would be staying. I remembered having to fill out all the paperwork when I left for the college in the city. I wasn't even going to be on their lands, but because the possibility of crossing over a boundary line had existed, I had been forced to follow the guidelines to avoid accidentally starting any pack wars.

"What can I get for you?" a sugary voice danced over me. I opened my eyes slowly and turned my head towards the direction of the voice. The waitress had bright blue eyes and cornflower colored hair pulled back into a bun at the nape of her neck. She reminded me a lot of a small town girl on one of those Lifetime channel movies.

"Could I just get a cup of earl grey tea to start," I asked with a faint smile as my eyes looked at her name tag, "Brittany?"

Her body seemed to bloom with happiness. "Coming right up." She turned from me with a bounce in her step. I frowned as I watched her walk away, thinking she was way too happy to be working in this place.

The sound of a roaring engine had me turning my attention to the large window beside me. I watched a sleek black car pull into the parking lot, and I immediately got an anxious feeling in the pit of my stomach. From the looks of the other cars in the parking lot, this car was way too fancy to be normal.

I watched as a group of bulky guys exited the vehicle that seemed much too small to hold all of them. The way they carried themselves set me on edge. Their gazes seemed predatory as they scanned the parking lot, making their way toward the front door.

The one near the head of the group had his dark hair buzzed short, a long scar curving from his right ear to his temple. He was shorter and bulkier than the male on his left-hand side. The taller one had a boyish look to his face, and his lips were lifted up in the corners like he was on the verge of smiling. Out of the bunch, he seemed to be the most approachable, but from the movements of his body, I figured he could carry his own in a fight.

I studied the two bringing up the end, twins. They were talking back and forth with excitement. The taller male was turning his head slightly back towards them and made a comment that had the twin on the right grimacing and shoving him hard from behind while his brother laughed at his expense. I must have been watching them for too long because the scarred one turned his face in my direction with a deep frown.

I looked away quickly from the window and sunk lower in my seat, not wanting to draw attention to myself. When I heard the bell on the door chime, I stiffened in my seat. The scent of shifters wafted toward me as the air circulated around the room. This was definitely not what I needed right now. I didn't know a lot of the packs this far from my own, but I could tell by this group that there must be one very close by. That, or I was already on their lands. Which could've gone badly for me because I didn't have permission to be there.

My wolf stirred at the presence of the other shifters, a small rumble echoing through my mind. She was very territorial. It didn't matter if the space belonged to her or not. If she was in it, she saw it as hers. It was a quirk that made things quite difficult for me at times. Perhaps not answering to an alpha or pecking order had gone to her head.

The lovely Brittany greeted them as sweetly as she had with me and invited them to find their own seats. I knew immediately they were going to go for the large corner booth which just so happened to be a booth behind mine. I immediately cursed myself for picking this seat. Okay, Scarlett, you know how to mask your scent for short periods of times. It will be fine, I thought to myself as I forced my wolf deeper within. It wasn't an easy thing to do, and she fought me as I pushed her. It took most of my concentration and will to get her to submit to me.

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, trying to look as relaxed as I had earlier. I sensed them as they passed by, and it was hard to keep my wolf locked within. I was taking in shallow, short breaths to keep their scents from overwhelming her. When I felt certain all of them were behind me, I opened my eyes. I needed to get out of here, quickly.

I started to rise up out of my seat just as Brittany decided to return with my tea. She shot me her smile. "Here you are."

I bit my lip as I stared down at the steaming mug in her hand. I didn't want to be that customer, but I couldn't risk staying. "You know what, I actually just realized that I'm late for an appointment."

Brittany's smile never wavered. "Oh, don't be silly. If it's a money thing, don't worry about it. It's on the house." She gave me a friendly wink as she set the cup down in front of me. Great! She thought I was some kind of pauper or something. I tried not to roll my eyes as I readjusted in my booth, knowing I couldn't leave now. It would seem odd.

"Thanks," I said solemnly.

"No problem!" She smiled brightly before she turned and walked toward the shifters behind me.

I stared down into my tea, secretly wishing that the ground would open up and swallow me whole. It would solve all of my problems. My wolf began to stir in me, and I knew that I couldn't hold her back for much longer.

The door chimed, and I looked up toward the door to see another male coming through... one more shifter, one that I hadn't seen coming. His eyes roamed the room, and our gazes met. I saw his eyes widen in surprise and I felt my stomach drop. The secret was out, he knew.

A charming smile spread over his lips as he casually strolled toward my table, ignoring his friends, who I was sure were the ones sitting behind me. I tried to keep my face impassive as he eased himself down into the seat across from me. My wolf growled deeply in my head at another shifter entering her space without invitation. I clenched my hands into tight fists under the table as his friends started making noises and comments at his behavior. They obviously didn't realize what he had about me and thought he was making a move on a random out-of-towner.

He wasn't a bad looking guy. His brown hair was a little shaggy, and his eyes were the color of dark chocolate. "I didn't know we had anyone coming through the territory today. Noah never mentioned anything to me. I'm Dane." He introduced himself like I should be pleased to be meeting him.

I kept my face expressionless as I pushed myself up from the table. "Well, I'd like to say it was a pleasure, Dane," I commented, getting ready to make my great escape.

He reached out and grabbed my wrist in his strong grip. "Where are you running off to so quickly? Afraid I might bite?" He wiggled his eyebrows playfully.

I tried my hardest not to growl at him as I pulled my arm free from his hold. "No, but perhaps you should be afraid that I might," I said dryly. Amusement ran through his eyes as he pushed himself up to stand in front of me. I swallowed hard when I realized exactly how much bigger he was than me. I regretted sassing him immediately.

"Ryder!" he called out, never taking his eyes off of me. "Did Noah say anything to you about a visitor coming through today? 'Cause he seems to have failed to mention it to me."

I peered over my shoulder toward the booth, eyes meeting the hardened face of the scarred shifter. I watched his eyes narrow as he looked me over. "Noah isn't expecting anyone." I felt my heart rate skyrocket as the diner seemed to grow very still and silent. The amusement on Dane's face began to fade as they all began to realize that I didn't have permission to be on their territory. Ryder pushed up from his spot, followed by one of the twins.

I shifted on my feet, anxiously. "Well, like I said... it was such a pleasure, Dane." I turned and made a quick break for the door. I didn't try to hide the fact that I was running. They already knew that I didn't belong, what more could've been done at that point other than running away?

My heart was thundering in my chest as my feet hit the pavement, the chime on the door echoing behind me. If I could just get to my truck, and hit the gas until I was off their territory, then I would be safe.

"Rogue!" a deep voice shouted behind me, and I pumped my legs harder. I wasn't a rogue, but it wasn't like I was going to sit down and try to explain that to them. I was an outsider with no identification other than a human ID in my wallet. It was necessary to blend in with them.

I rounded the back end of a black SUV parked next to my truck, pulling the keys from my pocket, only to come to a sudden halt at the sight of a large man leisurely leaning against the car as if he hadn't a care in the world. His scent pulled at my senses and had me backing up quickly. I needed to find another way to escape. This was an alpha male, and the one person I should want to avoid at all costs.

"Headed somewhere?" The voice that came out of this male made me want to shout 'there is a god, and he's spoken to me.' It had my knees on the edge of turning to putty.

He turned his gaze in my direction, nailing me in place with a pair of bright blue eyes that had my wolf pulling towards the surface. His pupils dilated, and his brows furrowed in slight confusion as if he had been expecting something or someone else. I felt my body begin to tremble, my chest tightening as if I couldn't catch my breath.

He pushed himself away from the car and started walking towards me slowly. I was unable to run, move, think, or breathe. It was as if he was my whole world at that moment. He was the only thing I could see, and the only thing keeping me planted to the ground. I've felt this feeling before... When was that? I thought to myself as I continued to stand in shock. The feeling was so familiar yet unnamable. "Alpha," a deep voice rumbled from behind me. That had me shifting slightly, regaining control of myself as the fog of shock evaporated. I threw a look back over my shoulder to find that I was surrounded. Dane and the man I had heard them call Ryder were at my back. The other shifters slowly crept in around the edges, blocking all possible routes of escape.

"What should we do about this rogue?" Ryder questioned with a dark look in his eyes that sent a shiver of fear through me.

I gritted my teeth as I turned back to the alpha. "I'm not a rogue."

He was staring me down as if contemplating the truth of my words before looking to the males behind me, "Take her, quietly. You've already drawn enough attention to us chasing her in human territory." His words had me tensing up, and my wolf growled loud in my head as the males moved a step closer.

"But I'm not a rogue." I hissed in frustration, "Listen, I'm not trying to cause any trouble. If you just let me go, I'll be on my way, and I promise I won't come back." I was practically ready to beg them to let me go quietly.

He held my gaze. "I know you're not a rogue. If you were, you would have been the stupidest one to date to come willingly into my territory."

I felt my mouth fall open at his simple response. If he knew I wasn't a rogue, why didn't he simply have his men escort me to the boundary line of his territory and be done with? There was no reason for anyone to be harmed. While I was distracted by his overwhelming presence, one of his men snuck up behind me.

I heard the sound of loose pavement shifting to my left. It had me turning quickly around, only to be met with fingers pressing in on the pressure point on my neck. I stared into a familiar pair of dark-chocolate eyes as my body went limp and my world faded to black.

It was the sound of voices arguing back and forth that pulled me back into consciousness. I groaned as I felt the ache in my neck and tried to lift my hand to touch it, only to find that I couldn't move my arms. My eyes slid open, and I found my wrists tied to the safety bar on the back of a passenger seat. I turned my head to find trees whizzing by outside, sending my pulse skyrocketing as I realized the situation I was in.

"You know, it wasn't very nice of you to run off like that without even telling me your name," a familiar voice spoke to me. I turned my head to see Dane sitting casually in the seat next to me. His lips were bent upward at the corners as if he found the situation humorous.

I glared at him. "How about you go to hell? But first, before you do that untie me and let me go." I growled as I yanked at the fabric holding me prisoner. Dane gave me a sheepish smirk, a challenging light reflecting back at me in his murky eyes. "I don't know how they did things in whatever place you came from, but I do what my alpha tells me. He says I'm supposed to keep an eye on you, and that's what I mean to do." He waited for me to challenge him, maybe even wanted me to.

I sneered in his direction as I continued to work at my bindings. "That's the problem with most of you. You never question what you're told. You just follow blindly like sheep instead of wolves. You get lazy, you get fat, and you get dumb." My wolf pushed toward the surface as my anger and stress levels rose.

He eased himself back into the seat, completely relaxed. "Maybe your problem is that you've never had the guidance of a true alpha. There are lots of wolves out there that like to play at the title these days. You seem like someone who needs a real leader." His words poked at the feelings I had kept buried for a long time, feelings I had about my previous alpha and my ex-mate.

My lips turned downward into a deep frown. "I don't need anyone else to lead me. I can lead myself just fine."

He chuckled, "So it would seem." His eyes moved over me with amusement. I growled in frustration, frantically pulling at the fabric, jerking the seat back and forth like a maniac.

"Chill out, would you?" One of the twins snapped from the front seat. "This car is my baby. If you break anything in it, I will break you!" I glared at the back of the rounded head in front of me, purposefully tugging harder at my bindings. The twin in the passenger seat twisted around with a harsh snarl, eyes narrowed into dangerous slits. "Don't test me." I pressed my lips together in a tight line, contemplating whether or not I should test him.

"I wouldn't suggest it, he's not as nice as I am," Dane remarked coolly from his seat beside me.

I looked at him with a huff. "Where's your alpha? I want to speak to him right now! This kind of treatment has to be against the law." I growled.

"You'll see him soon enough, but I would be careful about that attitude of yours. I might like my women feisty, but I think you'll find that he doesn't," Dane replied. I bit my tongue, visualizing how satisfying it was going to be when I strangled their alpha to death with my bare hands for having them kidnap me without a true reason. Maybe I would let my wolf chew on the leftovers after I was done with him. She rumbled her agreement at the thought, the closest she could come to laughter.

"Now, how about we start over? I'm Dane, and you are?" he asked, leaning forward in a manner that was slightly condescending as if I was some child to be talked down to.

I gave a small growl before spitting toward him in anger. "Screw you, asshole!" I shouted, pulling frantically again at the fabric.

I watched a glob of saliva run down his cheek for a moment before he reached up and wiped it away. He inspected his hand for a moment before flipping those dark eyes in my direction. "Well, that was uncalled for. I was trying to be nice."

"Nice?" I sneered. "You tied me up and kidnapped me, which is illegal by the way!" I yelled loudly for everyone in the car to hear. I had hoped to leave their ears bleeding.

"Did anyone see us kidnap you?" he questioned with a lifted eyebrow.

My sneer dropped into a deep frown. I had no idea if anyone had seen them take me. Certainly, the people have seen me run out of the diner, and my truck was probably still sitting untouched in the parking lot. This unfamiliar pack of shifters probably would have thought about all of this and came up with some logical story to tell the humans. Humans were more than happy to explain away things, even things they had seen with their own eyes.

"I'm a bit curious, though, to know why a female is running around out here on her own. A little dangerous, don't you think? You got family expecting you? Maybe a mate running around out here somewhere? Should we be expecting him?" he questioned me. I knew this was some kind of interrogation. They still must have believed I was a rogue, or at the very least working with them. His question caused a familiar ache to bloom in my chest at the thought of David, which only made me angrier.

"For both our sakes, I hope not," I replied dryly, taking him by surprise. I hadn't noticed until the silence that the car had stopped moving and was parked outside a large house... or maybe mansion was the correct word for it. My old pack house couldn't even measure up to this one. I didn't even try to hide the fact that I was surprised.

The driver got out of the car as another man approached the car. His blond hair was shaved short like Ryder's. Perhaps, that was simply how all their warriors were made to look. His gaze shifted to where I was sitting in the backseat as the rest of the group started to talk heatedly to each other. I looked away from them toward Dane, who was watching me silently with a thoughtful expression on his face.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I snapped at him, pulling him out of whatever thoughts he had been thinking. He didn't say anything to me. Instead, he just opened the car door and got out, slamming it shut behind himself.

Once I was certain that I was alone, I started to work frantically at the fabric holding me prisoner. I leaned forward and started biting on it, trying to use my canines to loosen the knots. I froze when I heard the voices come closer to the car for a moment, lifting my face. I stared out the window watching as they huddled together, probably discussing what they planned to do with me.

I kept my gaze fixed on them as I continued to tug at my bindings, listening as the fabric stretched little by little under my assault. There were a couple minutes of adrenaline-fueled frenzy as I worked quickly to free myself. The sound of tearing fabric was muffled by the car, and my forceful tugging had me falling back hard against the seat. I was free.

I smiled to myself victoriously as I rubbed at the skin around my wrists. I didn't waste a moment, reaching out for the handle on the door. I was actually surprised to find it unlocked. Either they had to be the worst kidnappers in all of history or extremely overconfident. I ripped the door open and jumped out of the car. I didn't look back as I started running towards, what I had hoped, was the direction to my freedom.

I was stripping out of my clothes as I ran across the front lawn, getting ready to give control to my wolf. Clothes would only impede my wolf if she got tangled up in them as I shifted. A loud growl that reminded me more of a lion than a wolf brought my body to a complete stop. I turned around slowly, unable to resist the urge to look at the beast at my back.

My eyes widened at the sight of the familiar man behind me. I should have guessed it was the alpha. His blue eyes were growing darker by the second. "Are you trying to run from me?" His voice sent a shiver of fear up my spine, and I quickly pulled my arms up around myself in hopes of covering myself, feeling vulnerable in my current condition.

"I asked you a question!" He growled as he started moving towards me. His long, powerful strides were quickly eating up the space between us.

I snapped back into myself, standing up a little straighter. "No, you yelled a question at me, and I made a choice not to answer you. I think you're smart enough to deduce that one for yourself, Alpha." I was caught in the act of escaping. I knew there was no way I could get away safely now.

I turned my trajectory and started making my way towards him feeling less concerned about my state of undress. I felt safer with him at my front than at my back. My wolf rumbled her agreement. She wanted to keep the alpha where she could see him. It was safer that way for both of us.

He watched me with a predatory gaze as I approached him. "You really must be the stupidest wolf I've ever met," he commented.

I felt my wolf rush toward the surface at his insult. She was ready to show him who the truly stupid one between us was. I stopped in front of him, glaring up at him. "So, is this normally how you handle things around here? Forget diplomacy! You just have trespassers tied up and kidnapped without provocation? I'm sure there has to be rules against this kind of treatment."

"Yes, but not for rogues," he supplied.

My lips twisted up in frustration. "You know that I'm not a rogue." He had made it clear to me that he did.

"Do I?" I watched him cross his arms over his chest.

I narrowed my eyes. Before I could question my own actions, my hand was cutting through the air toward him and catching up speed. I slapped him hard across his face. The force of my strike had his head snapping quickly to the side. I could feel the sting on my palm as well as shock waves of something else. I gasped as I pulled back my hand toward myself in surprise.

His body started to quake as he turned his face back toward me. His eyes were completely black as his wolf battled for control. I swallowed hard at the sight, shifting back a step as he reached out with both hands and gripped my arms. His touch sent my senses into overdrive. Part of me wanted him to pull me closer, and another part of me wanted to run screaming for the hills.

"This isn't possible," I said aloud. "I already found my mate."

He lifted me off the ground by a few inches, drawing his face closer to mine. His lips parted, showing the tips of his pointed canines. "So have I, but this is still happening. You are mine whether you want it to be or not," he said through his teeth, acknowledging our unspoken connection. His words sounded oddly pronounced by the fullness of his mouth. I knew I had made a mistake attacking an alpha as I had. His wolf certainly wasn't happy.

I stared up at him in shock for a breath. As I came back to my senses, I repeated his response over again in my head, and I started struggling. "If you already have a mate, then you can just reject me."

He raised his eyebrows at me, not at all put off by my struggling. "Reject you? What type of person rejects their mate? Even if I didn't want you, I would never reject you." I stopped moving immediately and went back to staring at him with wide eyes.

His eyes slowly faded back to blue. "Now... if I put you down, are you going to try to run away again or can I expect you to behave?" he asked me with a serious tone. Unable to process what had happened, and against what I actually wanted to say, I nodded my head blankly. He stared at me for a moment longer before he put me back down and took a step back.

Dane rushed toward us, having caught onto what had happened. "I apologize, Alpha Noah. I should have kept a better eye on her." He bowed his head and stretched out his neck in submission, looking for forgiveness.

Noah made a sound in the back of his throat as he looked away from me toward Dane. "It's fine. I can handle it from here. Take Murphy and check in with Ryder about the perimeter details. This morning's issue has set me back on schedule." Dane lifted his face, glancing in my direction with a dark look. I frowned when I realized I was the issue he was referring to.

When Dane's eyes roamed over my body, I remembered I was standing there in a state of undress. I growled at him as I covered myself the best I could with my arms. He smirked before he turned and walked back toward the blond warrior.

As if also realizing I had been standing there half naked, Noah lets out a long sigh of exasperation before he lifted his shirt up and over his head. I tried to keep myself from staring at his body, his wide chest dusted with dark hair that trailed down his lean stomach, disappearing out of sight. He held his shirt out toward me. "Here. I don't need every unmated male looking at you. It'll only complicate matters for me."

I accepted it begrudgingly with a mumbled thank you. As I pulled it on over my head, I immediately found myself overwhelmed by his scent. It was a mix of melted snow, pine needles, and masculine musk. I found myself inhaling a little deeper, unable to resist the urge. I peered up at him to find him watching me intently. I looked away from him quickly when I noticed the ghost of a smirk on his lips.

"Come. We can go somewhere a little more private to talk." He turned his back to me and started walking away, expecting me to follow. I rolled my eyes. It was just like an Alpha to act that way. Still, I followed him as he led me into the large house.

I stared at Noah's back as he led me down long hallways. I couldn't help but notice how his muscles flexed slightly everywhere my gaze trailed. It seemed he was very aware of my presence behind him, but he didn't say anything as we passed his pack and they bowed their heads. I tried to keep my head held high as to not look weak in front of them.

He turned and opened a door, leading me into a small office room and closing the door once I was inside. I looked around curiously. "So you have a pretty big house, don't you?" I questioned as he moved around me toward his desk.

"Yes. Well, my pack is quite large," he said in a no-nonsense voice. I looked at him, trying to figure out how it was possible that I had been given another mate. I had never heard of anything like this happening before. Perhaps, I was an abnormality in the system.

"How many people are in your pack?" I asked, trying to ease the tension between us. He looked at me with curiosity, probably wondering where I was headed with this line of questioning.

He turned his attention to some papers on his desk, fiddling with them. "I have roughly six hundred wolves under the protection of my name. The main pack, however, is about three hundred." He looked back at me, and I did my best to keep my mouth from falling open. This guy had to be a serious alpha if he had that many wolves in his pack. I mean, there had only been about a hundred wolves in my old pack, give or take a few.

"That must take up a lot of your time," was the only thing I could say in response to the information he had given me. It's not every day I met someone who had so many lives under their care.

"Yes, it does." He didn't really seem like the talkative type. His responses were often short and to the point. I stared at him blankly as I waited for him to say anything else, but when he remained silent, I ground my teeth together in irritation.

"So, where is your other mate?" I asked with a hint of attitude, "Because I have a feeling she won't be too happy about you bringing me here, and honestly, after the morning I've had, I really don't want to deal with a jealous wolf."

His eyes turned cold. "There's no need for you to concern yourself with that. She's dead."