scarlett Particles of dust float through the air, illuminated by the sun breaking through the stained glass windows. This of all places is where that lying, manipulative stepmom of mine decided to have the burial ceremony of my dad. My eyes cut to the woman in question, lips twisting at the sight. Her copper hair is curled into a perfect coiffure, with a black veil draped over her face, hiding the perfect, elegant makeup beneath. She holds a lace handkerchief to her face, sobbing into the soft material. Her daughter, Ria, is tucked against her side, her shoulders shaking lightly. Despite the fact that we’re family, I sit as far away from them as physically possible without outwardly snubbing them. Her crocodile tears are too much to handle at this moment. I avert my gaze, my stomach twisting at the mockery, and anger rises in my throat, choking me with her every sob. How anyone could believe her lies is beyond me. My eyes bore into the pews. I swear the heat from my gaze could burn a
“I...I know,” she finally relents. For a moment there she looks as though she is about to argue some more. The lawyer breathes a sigh of relief behind me. “Now, on to the other details.” The lawyer hefts his briefcase up onto the desk, pulling out a thick stack of papers. “As we know, Scarlet has been left the right and title to the estate and the family fortune in her new role as the new Alpha of the pack.” I nod, having already read the paperwork in full. I glance over at my stepsister, who dips her head in a curt nod. “your dad has stipulated that your step mom and stepsister are to have monitored access to a private trust, through monthly allowance, and are allowed to continue to live in the manor.” My true feelings are well hidden beneath my mask.Thanks Dad, you not only left me in charge of a pack I have no clue how to run. You’ve also stuck me with a family I don’t want or need.Ria may be my half-sister, but I never spent any real time with her, having been at boarding schoo
My sobs finally subsided, and I curled into my parents’ warm, comforting embrace. The three of us sat there for a moment before the acrid smell of the burning pancakes wafted through the large kitchen. The screeching of the fire alarm pierces my ears, and I slap my hands over them.Blinking in shock, I’m pulled from my memories with my hands still clasped over my ears, the sound not a figment of my imagination. No a large raven perches in the tree above me. Its caws ring out through the cool air like the piercing alarm from my memories. The ferocity of the wind through the trees marks the beginning sign of a storm finally showing itself, as the raven lets loose another caw. Its black plumage ruffles as it spreads its wings, preparing to fly. Wings flapping, it leaps from the branch to take flight. I expect the bird to fly off into the sky to find shelter, but its feathers flutter until it perches on top of the carved stone. Its eyes meet mine for a moment, and a sense of ancient all-kno
My sobs finally subsided, and I curled into my parents’ warm, comforting embrace. The three of us sat there for a moment before the acrid smell of the burning pancakes wafted through the large kitchen. The screeching of the fire alarm pierces my ears, and I slap my hands over them.Blinking in shock, I’m pulled from my memories with my hands still clasped over my ears, the sound not a figment of my imagination. No a large raven perches in the tree above me. Its caws ring out through the cool air like the piercing alarm from my memories. The ferocity of the wind through the trees marks the beginning sign of a storm finally showing itself, as the raven lets loose another caw. Its black plumage ruffles as it spreads its wings, preparing to fly. Wings flapping, it leaps from the branch to take flight. I expect the bird to fly off into the sky to find shelter, but its feathers flutter until it perches on top of the carved stone. Its eyes meet mine for a moment, and a sense of ancient all-kno
Soon we will have another adventure,I promise her. But neither of us believe it. My life is about to become a whole hell of a lot more complicated. I just hope I don’t have anything too daunting waiting for me ahead. And with that thought, the ray of sun blinks out of sight, dark shadows replacing it as the storm clouds catch up with me. A branch cracks beneath my foot as I shift my weight, and I pause mid step. A flash of white a few trees over catches my eye and I shift my direction, heading towards the swath of fabric flapping in the increasingly violent winds. My fingers wrap around it, taking care to pull it gently from the branch it’s been tethered to, and a smile plays on my lips. Ryan must have left this for me, saving me from walking through the front door completely nude. Although it isn’t an uncommon occurrence in our world, I’m grateful for the consideration after living outside of the shifter community for so many years. I slip the airy fabric over my head, glad for any
How many times had we imagined this when we were younger? Dreamt of growing older together, working by my father’s side until he eventually handed over the reins to me. Not like this though, never like this. And it would never be like we planned, not after the crash, not after my mother no, I can’t let those emotions overwhelm me, not now. I throw up walls around my feelings, trapping them in an impenetrable fortress.“I begged him, you know?” Ryan breathes, his voice barely audible. I turn to him, and his eyes bore into mine, showing me the broken, vulnerable man lying beneath the surface. “I begged him to bring you back or to at least let me see you.”He doesn’t need to finish. We both know what my father had said, what his decision had always been.“It was too hard for him to see my faceher face. Not when I’m the reason she ”“No,” Ryan interrupts, stepping forward in one long lunge to clasp my shoulders. “Don’t ever think that for a second, Scarlet , your father loved you and want
“Yes, this all happened shortly after you left.” His teeth grind, seeming to hold back painful memories along with his aggression. “The alpha’s son took over at eighteen, and with both the Lions and the second wolf pack, we’ve struggled to keep our stronghold, Scarlet. We’re still at the top, but barely.”This all started just after my mother died, while my father was attempting to cope with the loss of his mate. No wonder the Weavers pack had time to grow. My father was in a state of shock for years, and had even married my stepmom while still in that catatonic state. And I had seen the disgust and disdain he held for her and himself once he regained some of his clarity.I wish I could’ve hated him for it. I wish I could have revolted against him long ago. But I couldn’t, not when I too went through the same thing, using alcohol and sex to mask the pain. Not when I was the reason his mate was taken from him too soon.“So my father saw this and struck an agreement with the Weavers pac
Would it really be such a bad thing? Ryan was my childhood friend before we ever took things to the next level. We had been teens, entrenched in our feelings and hormones when I left. Young love seemed impossible to lose at that point. Neither of us had imagined a reality where we weren’t together. But too soon that had been ripped away from us because of me and my immature decisions.“I’m not the same girl that left Enders twelve years ago. I’m not the same girl you loved then,” I tell him, a sad smile lifting my lips, and I use his momentary shock to pull my hand from his and stand. I need some time to think this over, to sleep and digest all of this information threatening to cause my barricaded emotions to rupture the tenuous wall holding them back.I focus squarely on the door and take a step towards it, about to escape to find some peace and let the lies and betrayals settle in, when he bolts from his seat. Before I know what’s happening, his warm hands clasp my shoulders, turni