One

Scarlett

We exchanged names and a few other details before Reese retreated, giving me the space that he had promised, but I persisted to feel the whisper of his decadent lips on mine as I ghosted through the house on light feet.

I wasn’t surprised to find Mari wearing a reproachful look when I passed her in the living room, but I hurried by without pausing, irrespective.

She was a great friend, and an even better listener. Howbeit, I had never been able to share the trauma of my past with her or Ronnie over the years, and I wasn’t about to relive those memories again now.

I ignored the silent questions I felt her practically screaming at me as I recentered my mind on my goal upon entering my bedroom. My small bag filled up quickly in spite of me sticking to the essentials, so I was ready to go in less than ten minutes.

In any case, I was planning to be on four legs for the foreseeable future anyway, and I didn’t want to be weighed down by unnecessary baggage.

I dithered temporarily to say goodbye to Mari and Roxi before I set off, but I didn’t answer any of the queries the other she-wolf wasn’t brave enough to voice aloud, instead making her swear to pass on my apologies to Ronnie for not following through on my promises about the ball.

I wanted to wait for Ronnie to say goodbye and to thank her for everything in person, but I knew I didn’t have the time if I had any chance of escaping unnoticed at all.

I shifted into my red wolf after trekking further from town, resolutely steering my animal away from our mate, as much as it killed me to do so, while I made my getaway.

I didn’t have a destination in mind, other than as far from Reese as I could get. My wolf let out a mournful bay as I made the split-second decision to head east, in the opposite direction of the province I knew my mate ruled over.

I wouldn’t have long before he was hot on my heels, so I made every second count, using my wolf’s fury as fuel to spur me on.

I briefly considered returning to where I had grown up, missing my adoptive father and Clarissa, but I discarded the idea almost as rapidly as it had popped into my head, knowing it would be unwise for me to venture there alone.

I felt a deep yearning to return to Reese, and it only intensified the further I travelled from my intended mate.

I attempted to distract myself by thinking about how I had hopefully left Hunter’s face a scarred mess when I had ripped my beating heart from my chest by rejecting him. I hadn’t thought of him in a long time, but it seemed fitting he would flit through my mind tonight of all nights.

I couldn’t love Reese like he deserved with that vital organ still missing from the gaping wound that endured to this day.

I knew from experience it would get easier to handle the separation with the more distance I put between us, but I couldn’t get the sneaking suspicion that Reese would be a new challenge altogether out of my head as I found a good place to make camp for the night after running as far as I could.

I was satisfied with the miles I had covered, but I would be up and on my way before the first rays of sunlight filtered through the canopy of branches to the hard ground I rested on as my wolf tonight.

I laid my head on my bag, which I had carried with me for the last several hours, as I tried to forget the image of Reese that had already managed to glue itself to the inside of my eyelids.

The day was among one of the most stressful in my life, and I had pushed myself hard to make it out of the province before my mate figured out my plan.

The chill from crossing the river hours ago seemingly pervaded down to my very bones as I closed my eyes, but my evasive maneuver had evidently worked if Reese hadn’t found me by now.

It provided a pinprick of hope that maybe my efforts hadn’t all been in vain, and maybe I could continue deluding myself that I would never have to face my demons.

Therefore, it didn’t take me long to succumb to the exhaustion, but, for some strange reason, my mind conjured up memories of the recent past in which my friends were discussing the increasing dangers associated with wandering through the forest alone as I drifted off.

However, the sudden noise penetrating the low hum of insects chirping into the night air jerked me from my fitful slumber an indeterminate amount of time later, and I was on my feet in a flash, my hackles raised as my keen ears took in the noises that had awoken me.

Dread suffused my being as my brain homed in on the huge shapes rustling through the underbrush on all sides of my camp.

My wolf’s low snarls sounded in response to the clear danger I was in. I didn’t know how many rogues were out there, but I had pieced together enough to be aware I was severely outnumbered.

I was kicking myself for not being as attentive as usual with my mind so embroiled in battling the mating bond while I had sprinted in the opposite direction of its tugging, but it didn’t make an iota of difference now.

I tried not to panic as a massive shape broke free of the shadows, moving forward steadily. I readied for a fight while scanning my environs for the best escape route. I was all for dealing a few blows, but I wasn’t stupid enough to take on a fight I knew I couldn’t win.

I dodged the light-colored wolf’s initial charge, but I wasn’t so fortunate the second time around and yipped as a result of his razor-sharp claws slicing deep into the muscles of my flank.

Pivoting out of range of his second attack, I forgot about my injuries for the time being as adrenaline soared through my system. I managed to sink my teeth into one of his limbs, biting down until I heard the bone crunch, but chaos ensued around me.

I didn’t know how many assailants there were, but it didn’t matter. I continued tearing and slashing through anything that came within range of my claws and teeth. Crimson liquid was splattered everywhere within mere moments, and I knew some of it was my own.

The hasty egress I had hoped for was seeming far off in the distance. I redoubled my efforts and managed to take another wolf out by using his ally against him.

It took me several minutes to notice someone else was aiding me in dispelling the rogues, and another minute after that to recognize the tan-colored wolf as Jace. It didn’t take much to turn the tides after his advent, and any lingering threats were summarily shown the boot.

He transformed back into his strapping, 6’6” self once he was assured of our safety, showcasing a cocky smirk as he quipped, “Did you miss me so much you had to go and pick a fight with the rogues, baby?”

I shifted back into my human form so I would be able to communicate, feeling an echo of the normal pain that came part and parcel with the gift Luna had provided as the epinephrine departed my veins.

Be that as it may, discomfort radiated through me as the raven-haired male traced his eyes over my naked figure. Jace was no stranger to the intricacies of my body by any means.

I had spent many afternoons working up a sweat with him as I burned through the vestiges of ire leftover from rejecting my first true mate. But I didn’t reject Reese, and I no longer appreciated the way the other wolf’s eyes roved freely over my body.

I cleared my throat, poised to speak, but I realized his cobalt eyes had focused in on my right thigh when I followed his gaze before I put my foot in my mouth.

I glanced down as I shifted my stance, faltering when I put weight on my right leg to readjust my position, but Jace was there before I could fall, urging me lower to the ground.

My wolf collided with the barrier I had constructed in my mind as the rough skin of his hands came into contact with the smooth expanse of my side, enraged all over again with Jace’s sinewy arm wrapped around me as I acquiesced without a fight.

Strangely, I didn’t care for his hands on me anymore than my wolf did, but the extent of my injuries were beginning to take their toll. Still, I was thankful when he tossed me my bag after he spotted it lying next to the first wolf I had dispatched.

Wincing as I shrugged my shirt on over my head, I pulled the fabric over my middle, yanking it down as far as it would go. I felt the fabric absorb the blood coating my skin, it clung to me as I struggled to catch my breath, but there was nothing I could do about it.

I was trying to finagle my way into a pair of pants when Jace drew my notice, piping up, “Baby, that’s not going to work with your leg jacked up like it is.”

It was difficult to concentrate with the pain spiraling out from the wound on my thigh, though other aches competed to be recognized. I stopped moving then, just trying to take deep inhales as my vision tunneled.

I remained cognizant as long as I could, but the darkness relentlessly marched forward. The last thing I registered was Jace’s deep voice swearing, “Shit!”