Scarlett
I’d been stuck in this damn cell for an entire day by this point. It was proving more difficult than I’d originally boasted to wrangle myself free from the confines of the unmovable bars, but that didn’t mean I was throwing the towel in.
Logan was right on a few counts, but I was well accustomed to using my brain when sheer force proved ineffective due to my smaller size. Clarissa had brought food once already, and I knew she would be back tomorrow.
I waited and watched my surroundings, learning what I needed in order to get us out of here. The plan was to flee tomorrow when my former best friend arrived to take me to Hunter as she had taunted today when she brought the wolfsbane-tainted food.
I didn’t let myself consider why they were trying to poison me, instead I diverted all my focus to strategizing.
I felt a gnawing ache in my gut from the hunger, but Logan was thankfully doing a little better with the ext
Reese I wasn’t thrilled with the idea of repeating the arduous trip with only Jace as company, but I couldn’t argue with his logic. A large group invading the bear’s land was sure to draw attention, and we simply couldn’t afford to lose that many men. I couldn’t stop turning Jax’s words over in my mind while I laid restlessly in bed. I hadn’t come across another wolf shifter until I neared the Northern Province, but it didn’t make sense that she-wolves were disappearing left and right. The information drove home the point that I needed to return to my own territory as soon as possible, but I felt confident Oliver was doing the best he could, given the situation. I didn’t dare check in with him for the transitory time I was in range, rather I chose to keep my concentration solely on saving my true mate. I was usually the one to approach cautiously, but I lost all reason where my other half was concerned. Hence, I had to admit S
Scarlett I don’t know how we made it to the cabin without being detected. The only thing I could think of is that Luna must have been watching over us. I know bear shifters didn’t have the same belief in the Moon Goddess, but that didn’t mean it wasn’t the truth. It wasn’t easy getting Kyle and Logan through the yew trees. It required a lot of finagling on my part, and they both were a little worse for the wear by the time they emerged from the toxic flora. In any case, we were safe for the moment. Kyle warned that the others would find this location before long. It wouldn’t be hard to follow my scent trail after all, but the lethal trees should keep them at bay for a while. I worried about what would happen when Reese returned, but I pushed it aside for another time, knowing my plate was full for the moment. I eyed my father where he was reclining on the bed, and I took in his gaunt cheeks and the protruding ribs I could see
Scarlett I made sure the she-wolves were all settled to the best of my ability with what I had at my disposal, and Jace and Reese figured out a workable plan to relay to Jax in the meantime to get the ball rolling on getting us all out of here. I was aware there were several conversations that needed to take place, but I also knew the teeming cabin we were currently holed up inside wasn’t the ideal location for any of them. Jace and Reese apparently arranged to have Jax bring an incursion of males into the bears’ land, so I felt a little better with the knowledge help was on the way. It would be dangerous when we left the safety of the four walls currently protecting us all from the bitter winter wind, but the only thing we could do at the moment was rest while we waited for the opportune moment to depart. I freely admitted that I was exhausted after the events of the last twenty-four hours, but the insistent tug of my mating
Reese Without warning, I was startled out of my deep slumber, but it didn’t take me long to figure out it was Jace gently shaking me back into consciousness. He backed off when I showed the first signs of life, and I cautiously eased myself away from Scarlett’s gorgeous, red-colored wolf in the ensuing silence reigning throughout the small cabin. I shot a glance around the room, noticing more than one pair of curious eyes peering at me before I pushed my wolf’s presence down with a great deal of effort and transformed shapes. The ache hung around as I shrugged some clothes on and followed Jace outside so we could talk with a little privacy without disturbing the others. I was pleased to see Scarlett remained asleep as I stepped out into the nippy air, but my buoyant mood didn’t last as I remembered the state I’d found her in when Jace and I had intervened during her brawl with the bears earlier this afternoon. My conte
Reese I couldn’t speak in my wolf shape, but I thankfully didn’t need to. Jace was already on his feet when I blazed inside hot on Kyle’s heels after he’d dashed in without uttering another peep in explanation. Jace asked the questions I couldn’t voice while I ran my eyes over the fresh injuries visible on the bear shifter’s naked skin, concurrently seeking out Scarlett with my searching gaze in the room beyond him as my ears took in their discussion. “What’s going on?” He asked in a measured tone, but his calm demeanor had no effect on the younger male who was wound tighter than an eight-day clock after what he had observed. “We have to go. Get everyone up.” Kyle didn’t wait for Jace’s response, rather he started to rouse the wolves himself as he loudly stomped around the room in between the numerous bodies sprawled about, breathing heavy as he struggled to catch his breath. “Stop.” Jace yanked the bear shifter back b
Reese It was a feat in and of itself to keep my brain from dwelling on Aaron’s untimely death. He was one of Jace’s males, and I knew he was beating himself up over what happened. Hell, I was doing the same thing, but no matter how many times I ran all the data through my head, there was nothing we could have done differently. We took down the bear with ease between the both of us, but it was too late for the brown wolf I’d tried to save by then. This was the exact reason Jace and I had not wanted to risk an invasion attempt before, but things changed after my mate led us to the group of she-wolves when we found her. There wasn’t any way we could leave them, so Jace had pulled some of his males to bolster Jax’s numbers to help get everyone safely home. Alas, Aaron’s sacrifice aided us in achieving our goal, but I was aware our escape was only one small battle in the war Scarlett’s ex had chosen to wage with our species alongsi
Scarlett I indulged myself with my mate’s drugging kiss for an indetermined amount of time. I never wanted our embrace to end, but my exhaustion was near impossible to ignore as I battled to stay on my feet. The temporary surge of energy I’d felt from my righteous anger had kept me going up until now, but I knew my time was limited before sleep welcomed me like an old friend again. Reese was supporting the bulk of my weight by this point. Still, I knew he had to be bushed himself. My legs gave out in the midst of our tangling tongues and roving hands, but I persisted to languidly enjoy his delectable aroma straight from the source. I didn’t know if my jelly legs were as a result of my tired state, or from the pure pleasure streaming through my system, but either way, his wiry arms were there to catch me when I began my collision course with the ground. “Sweetheart, are you okay?” I took a few deep breaths to steady mys
Scarlett Reese’s soft snore gave me my answer on whether he was awake or not. I briefly wondered what time it was, but I decided I didn’t care when I felt my mate’s morning wood pressing into my ass from where he had me ensconced by his side. He made me feel cherished, and I was damn proud I had marked him with my claiming bite last night. My wolf howled her joy within my head, causing me to wince with the thunderous noise, but I was able to coax her to the background after promising to shift for a run soon to let off some steam. The current course of my mind might have had something to do with her easy reception also, but only Luna knew for sure. I carefully extricated myself from Reese’s burly arms and breathed a sigh of relief when I didn’t wake him as I sat up to take in all of his form. The blankets were riding low on his waist, showcasing the irresistible v that I was dying to run my tongue over. I volleyed my ey