Bonds and Betrayal.
Into the woods they walked, Scarlett pressing closer to Lucas now. Each footfall sent a spike up her arm and her shoulder on fire. The wrap Emily wound so tightly kept leaking red, slow but steady.
Soon we have to stop, Lucas murmured. Around her waist his arm held tight. Too much blood is leaving your body, he added.
"I'm okay," Scarlett said quietly. Still, it came out shaky, like a twig snapping underfoot. Trees swayed where they stood, their shapes smudging into gray.
Emily walked ahead, scanning every shadow. "There's an old hunter's cabin not far. We can hide there until you heal."
Fingers slack around her wrist, Alex trailed slightly behind. Silence hung over the curlyhaired girl, thick and sudden. Gone were the biting jokes. Only a colorless face, gaze fixed low.
Scarlett glanced back once. "Why, Rachel? I thought we were family."
Rachel lifted her head slowly. "You were always the strong one. The one with the bloodline. I got tired of living in your shadow. The Shadow Pack offered me real power."
Alex shook his head. "Power that's slipping away now."
A quiet stiffness moved into Lucas's face. Though silent, his body pressed close and grew rigid beside her. That heat from him slowed the shaking in her hands.
Up ahead, the little cabin came into view under the rising sun. Inside, dust coated every inch of the worn wood floor. In one corner, tattered blankets were stacked untidily. With swift moves, Emily made space before guiding Scarlett to rest there.
Emily spoke soft but firm. Tearing another strip of fabric, she reached for the wound. Lucas pressed down where she pointed, silent under her gaze
Falling to his knees by Scarlett, Lucas didn't pause. Over her injury went his large palms, gentle but firm. Her features stayed locked in his sharp blue gaze. He remained close, unmoving.
Close made the pain smaller, Scarlett said quietlike. The truth of it stung worse than she wanted to admit.
Lucas gave a small, sad smile. "That's the mate bond talking. It's always been there, Scarlett. Even when you hated me."
For a second, she shut her green eyes. Back came everything. Through pine trees she ran, slow summers stretching out. He gave her part of his meal once her father had skipped feeding her again. Then there was the evening he turned distant, sharp words cutting deep.
"I wanted to kill you," she whispered. "For five years, that was all I thought about."
"I know," he replied. His thumb brushed her freckled cheek lightly. "And I let you believe it because it kept you alive. My father and the council would have hunted you if they knew you carried the Luna blood."
Emily worked on cleaning the wound. "Our pack needs a Luna again. Mother's line died out. You're the last one, Scarlett. That's why your family was targeted."
Scarlett winced as the bandage tightened. "So the betrayal… it wasn't about tradition?"
Lucas shook his head. "It was fear. They knew if you stayed, you'd become stronger than any of us. I chose to break your heart to save your life. Worst decision I ever made."
From beyond the trees came howling, louder now. Near enough to feel. Up he rose, suddenly, skin tight beneath fabric split at the shoulder.
"Stay here," he told Scarlett. "Emily, guard the door."
Falling back wasn't an option, even as her body wavered. Though weak at the knees, something fierce woke beneath her skin. Not running now standing meant facing it side by side
Rachel sat in the corner, quiet. "They're coming for me too now. The Shadow Pack doesn't like loose ends."
Windows creaked under Alex's fingers as he tugged each one shut. For a change, his usual polish had slipped hair wild, collar crooked. Ethan's name came out low: that one was herding the others now, hunger sharp in his eyes for what Lucas held tight the lead
The wood shuddered under a sudden kick. From beyond came low snarls, close and sharp. Halfchanged, Lucas crouched forward, fingers split into jagged points. So did Scarlett, matching his stance. A hot spike shot through her upper arm she kept still anyway.
A flash of movement then glass exploded inward as the first wolf leapt through. Lucas didn't step back. Instead, he drove forward, meeting the animal midair. The impact slammed them both sideways, ending hard against the plaster.
Forward she sprang, Scarlett. Instinct guided her athlete's frame. A swift kick felled one assailant, then transformation began. Over her flesh surged dark brown fur. Fire lit her emerald gaze anew.
Side by side, Emily held the line. As if born to it, their rhythm snapped into place no thought needed. A jab here, a shift there kept them light on their feet. Sharp snaps of motion, never waiting.
Crashing into the wall, Ethan skidded sideways on his shoulder. His spiked hair caught dust midfall. A snarl ripped through the air Lucas stood trembling. Friendships like theirs once meant something, he muttered under gritted teeth.
Ethan laughed through bloodied lips. "Second best. Always second. Time for a change."
A shift came over Rachel. The moment she lunged, her hand found a splintered plank near the wall. Without pause, it arced through air meeting flesh with a crack. Shock rippled across faces, including hers. Though not deadly, the blow split the tension like stone on glass.
Out of breath, she muttered, "I won't die for their sake." For just an instant, her vivid blue eyes locked onto Scarlett's. A flicker of something, maybe guilt, passed through them.
Inside the cramped space, things got ugly fast. Wood cracked under sudden force. Splinters flew as furniture gave way. Even with blood draining away, Scarlett kept moving. Nearby, Lucas held his ground without stepping back. In the middle of it all, their wolves touched fur meeting fur. Heat spread across her skin every time they made contact.
A single powerful strike by Ethan made Lucas stagger backward. Without pausing to consider, Scarlett darted forward. Her teeth sank into his forearm. A cry tore from him as he pulled away.
Wild strands of black hair tumbled past her cheeks when Scarlett snapped back into human shape. "That's enough," she growled, voice sharp like cracked stone. Ownership of the pack? Lucas holds it. She made that clear without blinking once. Standing by his side wasn't a choice just fact
For a moment, the rest of them stopped moving. Between her and Lucas, the mate bond vibrated softly. Power ran through it. As if destiny had just settled where it always belonged.
Ethan spat on the floor. "You two deserve each other. Weak."
Yet the wolves began to retreat. Energy faded from their stance. Each took its turn vanishing into the shattered panes.
Quiet came back. The tight air held each breath, slow and loud.
Into his arms went Lucas, pulling Scarlett close a second time. Held she was as if vanishing could happen any moment. Against her hair came his voice, low "You stood your ground for what we are." Hurt or not, that fight remained
Leaning into him, she let her head settle against his wide chest. From deep within, a slow drumbeat pulsed his heart, reliable as morning light. "Revenge feels empty now," she said, voice low. "So does every night spent without someone near."
Emily smiled from across the room. "Then stay. Be our Luna. Help us rebuild."
Rachel stood slowly. Tears ran down her creamy cheeks. "I'm sorry, Scarlett. I got lost in my own bitterness."
Alex nodded once. "I'll help fix what I broke. If you'll let me."