Chapter 1

Scarlett felt her heart race as she set foot again in a country once familiar and yet foreign to that of her old pack. And it had been five years since she'd last set foot in this place, and even now the memories have started. Towering pines, a howling of wolves in the distance it was like a nightmare from which she just couldn't wake up. But she hadn't come here for nostalgia. She was here to settle a score.

The moon was low in the sky, throwing its weird light upon the woodland floor as Scarlett moved noiselessly, her footfalls measured. She had been training for just this moment, to be able to make Lucas pay for his sins. Her fists clenched at the thought of Lucas, the future Alpha, the boy she once trusted. Now he was a man she loathed.

The pack was gathered at the edge of the clearing, partying over something she didn't give a damn about. Her eyes scoured the crowd for him, her heart hardening with each second that passed. Then she saw him.

In the center stood Lucas, surrounded by his followers. Commanding was the word to best describe it: light brown, wind-tossed, tousled hair; sharp blue eyes roving over the crowd; looking every inch the leader he was born to be, and it made Scarlett's blood boil.

How can a person like that, so heartless, so cold, hold all this power?

Scarlett listened to Lucas's dad as he talked to the entire pack. His voice was deep and commanding, though the words barely registered with Scarlett. Her focus was on Lucas, on how he stood so tall and confident, so unaware his entire world was about to be shattered.

Scarlett took a deep, steeled breath and stepped out from the shadows, her heart racing as she approached the border of the clearing. She was ready to make her presence known, to begin everything that would put Lucas onto a path of losing power.

But then, as she came closer, something out of the ordinary took place. Her heart almost skipped a beat, for now Lucas's vision had locked onto her with wide eyes full of recognition. For a moment, everything froze. Scarlett saw the boy she used to know, the one who betrayed her.

Lucas advanced a step toward her, his expression inscrutable. Scarlett's breath caught in her throat as memories flooded her mind, laughter, trust, a bond once unbreakable.

But those memories were a lie, just like everything else. Scarlett's resolve hardened. She wasn't here for the past. She was here for revenge.

As Lucas opened his mouth to say something, Scarlett wheeled around on her heels and vanished into the undergrowth, her heart pounding with a mixture of anger and something else she refused to acknowledge. This was just the beginning.

Lucas would pay no matter the cost. Scarlett's heart thudded in her chest as she rushed through the forest, thoughts racing. The moment she'd locked eyes with Lucas, it had been as if old wounds had opened back up, but she had pushed them away. There was a mission to be had.

In the depths of the woods, she found the private location where Rachel and Alex had both been waiting. Rachel's wild eyes were brilliant with excitement, while Alex's seemed sly, calculating.

They had been planning for months, and now it was time to act.

"Did you see him?" Rachel, only just managing to keep her eagerness from boiling over, asked boisterously.

Scarlett's jaw tightened as she nodded. He's as he ever was: arrogant, assured he doesn't know what's coming.

Alex stepped forward, his brown eyes razor-sharp. "What's the plan?"

Scarlett drew a deep breath. "Tonight, we strike. We will hit one of their supply runs. Lucas has been preparing his pack for an upcoming conflict with the Shadow Pack, so they will be most vulnerable."

Rachel frowned. "But wouldn't that make him more vigilant? We want to take him off guard, not set off alarm bells."

"Exactly," Scarlett said, a cold smile spreading across her face. "He'll be so focused on the Shadow Pack, he won't see us as a real threat. Not yet."

Alex nodded in agreement. "We need to move fast. The longer we hesitate, the greater the danger."

Scarlett's eyes flicked up to the sky, where now the moon stood full. "Then let's get started."

---

The night air was crisp as Scarlett, Rachel, and Alex crouched in the shadowy area alongside the pack's supply route. They could hear the sound of a truck rumbling closer; no doubt it had supplies for Lucas's pack. Scarlett felt her heart pound with anticipation.

"Get ready," she whispered, her eyes narrowing on the oncoming truck.

When it rounded the curve, Scarlett gave the signal. Rachel and Alex jumped out, and with a massive fallen tree they had prepared earlier, blocked the road. The truck stopped suddenly, and the driver got out, yelling. Scarlett quickly moved in and took control. One blow and he was clean out. She gestured to Alex, who began to unload while Rachel acted as lookout, her eyes narrow, watching for the first sign of trouble.

"Move fast," Scarlett urged in a low, urgent voice. "We need to be out of here before they realize what's happened."

They worked with all haste, stripping the truck of its valuable cargo: food, weapons, medical supplies. Scarlett's mind flew to the ways this would cripple the pack Lucas led, leaving him scrambling to replace what was lost.

Just as they had finished placing the stolen goods into their own vehicle, Scarlett froze at the sudden noise. Heavy and rapid, steps came in from the direction of the territory of the pack.

"Someone's coming!" Rachel hissed, her eyes wide with alarm.

Scarlett's heart leaped into her throat. "Go! Now!"

They jumped into the vehicle, slamming the doors shut just as the first figure burst through the trees. Scarlett's breath caught as she recognized him, Lucas.

He glared at them, shock and anger crossing his features for a moment before Alex flooded the gas, and they drove off, screaming through the night and speeding away, leaving Lucas standing in their dust.

Scarlett's heart raced as they drove away. The raid had been successful: the thrill of having struck the first blow and Lucas being powerless to stop her pumped adrenaline through her veins.

But the deeper they went into the forest, the more this aspect couldn't get out of the back of Scarlett's mind. It was just the beginning, and she knew Lucas wouldn't take this lying down.

This had only been the opening salvo.