Chapter 12: Chapter 12

SCARLET

I feel Ray’s hands paw at my exposed flesh, and I let out a whimper as I try to muster any strength I have left.

I claw at the ground, trying to reach some sort of weapon, some way out of this. His body climbs onto me, pinning me to the ground. His meaty hand wraps around my throat, and I struggle to breathe.

I barely register the pounding of footsteps as Ray goes flying backward and blood sprays everywhere.

It happened so fast that it takes a moment for my eyes to adjust and understand.

“What the hell, Scarlet.” Ethan is standing over me, his eyes black from his wolf that is clearly raging inside of him.

He’s breathing heavily as he tries to calm himself, and his fists are clenched tightly at his sides. About half a dozen men are surrounding him. Ray’s body lies on the ground, and his head is a few feet away, the crimson of his blood splattered around us.

“Scarlet!” I hear Will’s voice behind me before he’s helping me up and pulling me into his arms. I squeeze him tightly and bury my face in his shoulder, vaguely registering the low growling sound coming from my mate. Will’s hands run soothingly up and down my back.

“Drake, Leo, clean up this mess,” Ethan barks. “The rest of you follow that man’s scent and see what you can find. Just don’t go too far, and don’t go anywhere alone.”

I’m too shaken up to bother looking back at him. Not to mention I’m not ready to face whatever his reaction might be. He’s probably furious with me for running off and putting myself in danger.

And then he finds me with the man he was looking for. What if he throws me in the dungeons again? I don’t know if I can handle that. Not now. Not after everything I’ve been through.

“Why are you here?” I ask Will softly.

“Your mate tracked your scent back to the shelter. With so many packless going in and out of that place, your scent got masked, and he insisted someone tell him where you went.”

My protective side comes out. “Did you hurt him?” I ask Ethan firmly.

“No,” both Ethan and Will say at the same time.

“He didn’t hurt me. And quite frankly, Scar, it was a little reckless to come out here on your own. I figured it wouldn’t hurt for you to have some help.”

I’m a little mad, but also grateful. I don’t know what I would have done without them.

“Will you come back to the pack house with me now?” Ethan asks.

Not letting go of Will, I turn to look over my shoulder. Ethan’s whole body is tense, and his eyes are black with anger. Turning back to Will, he kisses me lightly on the forehead. “You don’t have to go with him if you don’t want to,” he whispers softly to me.

My gaze travels to Ethan once more as I internally debate. There’s a reason the Moon Goddess paired me with this man, even if I don’t know why yet. I’m torn by her wishes, the duty to the packless, and self-preservation. My mate did throw me in the dungeons after all.

Ethan clearly heard Will’s words because he somehow looks even more enraged now. His body seems to be vibrating with the effort of trying to stay calm.

I let out a sigh as my focus returns to Will. “It’s okay. I’ll be fine,” I assure him. “Tell the packless I’m safe and that I’ll check in soon.”

He nods. “I’m going to hold you to that.”

I finally let go of Will and pull the tattered remains of my shirt closed as I walk over to Ethan. He takes off his black leather jacket and throws it over my shoulders. Then, his hands gently cup my face, sending a tingling sensation everywhere his fingers touch as he examines my injuries.

I know my face must be black and blue, and I definitely have a split lip. He gently pushes my hair back from my face as he looks into my eyes, his gaze softening.

I hate how he treated me when I was first brought to Crescent City. However, the new and unexpected tenderness he’s now showing me fills me with warmth. Where was this side of him before?

This is how a man should treat his mate.

The other men Ethan is with have reassembled near us and one of them calls Ethan over.

They talk quietly, but I can still hear them.

“We found that guy’s house or hideout. It reeked of his scent. The place was ransacked and, Alpha, her scent was all over it, too.” The man nods in my direction. “We didn’t find anything useful in there.”

Ethan’s fists clench. I start scanning the street for the leather scrap.

My heart races. If I don’t find it, Ethan might not believe I was the one who tore up the place. The ground is littered with debris, and I search through it frantically.

Ethan’s gaze burns into my back, his tension palpable. “Scarlet, what were you doing there?” His voice is a low growl, barely restrained.

“I was trying to find proof that Ray killed those wolves before any more packless got hurt.” My fingers graze something rough. I pull it free—the scrap of leather.

Holding it up, I meet Ethan’s eyes. “This. This was in his house. See the crescent moon? He had to have stolen this from the men he killed.”

He examines the leather scrap, his eyes narrowing. “Why were you in his house in the first place?”

“I was the one who ransacked it,” I admit, my voice steady. “I went through his stuff, looking for evidence to prove he was the killer.”

Ethan’s fists unclench, his shoulders relaxing slightly. “You should have told me,” he says, frustration clear in his voice. “Going there alone put you in danger.”

“I know,” I whisper, my gaze dropping to the ground. “But I had to protect my people. Just like you claimed you were protecting yours by torturing me.”

He winced. It’s a low blow, but I have to make him understand.

Ethan nods, taking the leather scrap from my hand. He turns to the gathered wolves. “Listen up! The killer is dead. Scarlet found the evidence we needed.” He holds up the scrap for everyone to see. “This belonged to one of our brethren. This, combined with the scent that our ill wolves attested to proves he was the one who murdered those wolves.”

A murmur spreads through the group, and relief washes over me as my mate finally believes me.

“Let’s head back,” Ethan commands. “We need to get out of the Scourge and back to Crescent City.”

I say my goodbyes to Will and join the others on their walk to their SUV.

As we walk, Ethan’s hand brushes against mine, a touch that surprises me with its warmth, hinting at his relief that I’m safe.