37

"Please slow down," Scarlett begged her angered stepbrother. With her wrist trapped firmly in his grip, she was helpless, dragged along beside him at his insane pace. A pace that emptied her lungs and made her legs burn. "Please!"

"If we slow, we might miss it, and you do not want to miss this," Adrian insisted. He didn't turn as he spoke, but she could see the outline of his chin, twisted in an angry frown. "Let's see how much you love him after you've seen this."

He led her past Riley's house, towards the nicer end of the village. The houses were bigger, though they had the same dilapidated look about them.

"Shush," he warned, lowering into a crouch as they approached the large, red-brick cottage.

"Heh." Adrian shoved her into the window so forcefully she almost kissed the cold glass. "Did he eat you like that?"

Scarlett squinted, searching the room. A woman sat on the sofa, head splayed back and legs akimbo. Nestled between her thighs was a guy, and it didn't take her brain long to identify him, though her heart didn't want to believe it. Her hand moved to his hair as she moaned in pleasure, and at that moment Scarlett felt sick. Physically sick.

She veered away from the window and heaved toward the bushes. Very little came up, just the sour-tasting bile.

When she turned and saw the smug look on her stepsibling's face, she wished she had the strength to slap him and actually hurt him. She wanted to kick Riley in the balls, but mostly, she wanted to rip that other woman's face off.

"I know what you're thinking," Adrian sneered. "But that woman is the Luna of our pack—my beloved mother."

"B—but why? Why is she... w—with... with Riley?" she stammered

"Because her former partner is currently too busy with your mother to fulfil her sexual needs I suppose." Adrian shrugged. "Or maybe they are in love. Who knows?"

The thought of him in love with that woman broke her. She couldn't bear to be there for another second. Her chest felt like it was about to burst, and she couldn't quite fill her lungs enough to stop the pain.

"W—what's wrong with me?" she panicked.

"It's fine." Adrian placed a hand on her back. "Your body is changing. It's normal. It means you're getting close."

'Close.' Scarlett was confused for a moment.

'Oh... close.'

Turning. Getting her wolf. It had been on her mind for the last two years. Now, the second she was focused on something else it decided to rear its head.

"It won't be long now," he assured her, stroking her back with a tenderness she had yet to see from him. Maybe he wasn't the sadistic monster she'd accused him of being. Perhaps Riley really was a womanising user and not worthy of her affections.

Sitting in the dirt, she wiped the dust from her hands on her jeans and looked up at Adrian, whose face was screwed up in disgust.

"Ugh," he uttered. "Get a load of his. He's eating her ass now. What a little bitch."

Not wanting to picture it or hear any more, she got up from the floor and stomped away, no longer caring if she got caught.

The anger boiled in her chest—not at Riley as it should be—but at that disgusting woman.

"She's a grown adult! Old enough to be his mother!" She's a disgusting pervert who needs to find someone her own age," Scarlett seethed, not caring if the woman overheard.

"She's the leader of the pack until I take over." Adrian shrugged. "I can't say I'm keen on her but I'm also not a match for her yet."

"You aren't?" Scarlett frowned.

"I'm not fully grown yet," he said with a hint of defensiveness. "But I'm sure I'll surpass that witch eventually. I don't like the way she runs things and I know I can do better."

Scarlett nodded despite having doubts about his claim. This pack wasn't perfect, but they had managed to maintain a decent relationship with their rivals and avoid detection. You couldn't really ask a leader for much more.

She worried Adrian would start fights recklessly or hound the smaller packs into submission without hesitation or mercy.

"Anyway... If Riley is such an amazing guy and your soulmate... why is he currently making mother dearest scream his name?" Adrian tilted his head and raised his eyebrows. "Come on. Say it. 'You were right, Adrian.'"

Scarlett refused. She pressed her lips together tightly and turned away, not wanting to think about it anymore. It hurt too much.

"Is... is she the only one?" Scarlett asked, despite not wanting to know. "Are there... other women?"

"Yeah." Adrian frowned and scoffed. "His girlfriend, for one. Plus any random girl he can pull in the club on a Friday night."

Her heart fell from her chest at that point. The most shocking thing about that was the fact it hadn't already shrivelled up and withered away at the sight of her love with one other woman. That revelation was enough to destroy her on its own.

It left her feeling cold.

"Can we... just... go home now... please?" She uttered as she hugged herself, barely able to push the words from her mouth.

"Hmm." Adrian nodded.