She headed to her ensuite bathroom, washing away the evidence of the ice cream she’d forced down on their walk back. A knock on the door made her flinch. When she stepped into her bedroom, Maximilian stood in her doorway.
“Feeling better?” He’d been the one to suggest that their father let her grab some ice cream around the corner. Just like Kurt, he understood the struggle to obey their father’s wishes.
“A little, thank you. Are you excited to visit the Night Star territory?” she asked, sitting on her bed and steering the conversation in another direction. Anything to keep him from getting suspicious.
“I am.”
“So, Dad is trying to talk them into allowing him to buy more property?”
“Essentially, but he and Alpha Brian have always gotten along well. I think he’s testing me since this is my development. He wants me to take the lead on everything that it concerns.”
Their father was preparing to give the pack to Maximilian, but not without making sure he could take on the outside businesses too. They had a few, such as nightclubs and a construction company. That one came in handy, considering they owned a lot of property around Brighton.
Generations ago, werewolves had been at war. Packs had fought for territories, then to avenge their dead when those fights had turned to massacres. At some point, the alphas had acknowledged that their kind was dying out. They’d banded together and signed a peace agreement. Now, if a pack wanted to buy land, they needed the majority of the alphas to agree. It was often just a formality anyway, since most packs lived peacefully by each other’s sides.
“How are you feeling about taking over?” she asked.
“Fucking terrified,” her brother said with a nervous laugh. “But still excited.”
“Do you think you’re prepared?”
“As prepared as I can be. Dad has brought us great success. I just hope I can match it.”
“I don’t think he would just leave.”
“You sure about that?” he joked. “Maybe we should check his browser history for retirement vacation homes he’s failed to mention to us.”
That made her grin, the sun peeking through the storm clouding her mind. “I think you’re going to do wonderfully.”
“Well, thank you, little sister.” Then he tilted his head and studied her. “You know he’s just worried about you, right?”
“I know,andI know he loves me. It’s just starting to suffocate me.”
“I think he still sees you as his sweet little girl.”
Scarlett put on a mock pout, batting her lashes. “I’m not?”
“You’re still sweet, just not his little girl anymore. He just needs time to catch up to reality and see you as the beautiful young woman you’ve become.”
“Look at you, throwing out compliments left and right.”
He stood up with a cocky grin. “Don’t tell anyone, they might revoke my big brother card.” Then he leaned down and kissed her hair, leaving her with a warm, fuzzy feeling.
Scarlett knew that her family loved her, but part of her was well aware that they saw her as a fragile little girl. She didn’t want to be, but her father doubled down. He’d restricted her training, not wanting her figure to become too masculine. He insisted that she be kept busy by “womanly tasks” as he liked to call them. Cooking, housework, minding the pack’s children and elders was what had filled her days for many years now, especially after graduating high school. She’d wanted to continue to university and while her father didn’t outright condemn the idea, he only agreed to online courses. Scarlett hated them, and felt they’d been useless.
She sighed and closed her eyes only now realising she couldn’t feel her mates’ presence anymore. She recalled the way the dark one had spoken to her, and the storm returned in her mind. It was as if he’denjoyedhurting her. She went to her closetin search of comfortable clothes, hoping a self-care night would ease the pain. When her eyes fell on the sweater the gentle one had given her, she sighed and reached for it without even thinking. She pulled it over her head, sending a waft of his cologne spiralling into the air. With a deep breath, she filled her lungs with his scent, and she almost felt her heart start to mend. Almost possessed, she reached for the phone.
Scarlett looked at the saved numbers, worrying her bottom lip. Finally, she dialled one, hoping she made the right choice.
“Scarlett?”
She thanked Isis;it was the gentle one. “Yeah,” she whispered.
“Oh, Scarlett. I’m so sorry. He shouldn’t have spoken to you that way. He shouldn’t have approached you at all with one of your pack standing right there.”
She didn’t know what to say. Hearing his voice soothed the sting the other’s had left behind. During the silence, she heard rustling on the other end of the line. That sent her mind in a spiral. Where was he? What was he doing? Was he in bed? Before her mind could wander into a place she didn’t care for, she decided to sit down. Hidden in the closet, she dropped to the floor and leaned against her dresser.
“Did you get in trouble for being out?”
