Chapter 1 Chapter 1: "Mummy, will I ever have a mate?"

Scarlett's pov "Mummy?" It's nine in the evening and time for dinner when Maya looks up at me from her bowl of porridge. My heart melts at the way she says that word, like it means the world to her. It makes me feel she sees me as her source of knowledge, so when I look down at my daughter, with her light brown hair and deep blue eyes, a smile lights up my face and I pinch her cheek lightly. "Yes, darling?""Will I ever have a mate?" I blink as a slightly amused look spreads across my face. "Why are you asking about that? You're still so young.""But let's say hypothetically." My eyes widen and I chuckle. "Hypothetically? Who taught you that word, Maya? it's a big word for a six-year-old." She shrugs. "Mr. Marcus said it when he was asking Miss Sara a question in class today, he said hypothetically speaking..?" Another chuckle bubbles up from within me because I know the teachers she's talking about. They handle the grade one class at her school and Marcus is always making jokes to Sara because he wants to go out with her but can't summon the courage to ask her out. I have a lot of free time sometimes and my daughter is my life. I always make sure to check up on her. "But why would you ask if you'll get a mate? Everyone gets a mate when they come of age, and that's going to be twelve years from now for you at least, you're still six, you should be worried about your fine arts class. That donkey you drew looked like a table.""I don't want a mate mummy." My hand pauses at the tip of Maya's hair and I look down at her. Her porridge has not been touched and she's staring up at me, her gaze, serious. She's peering up at me with emotion in her eyes and I'm confused. "Why do you say you don't want a mate?" Maya turns away and hesitates before speaking. "Daddy's your mate isn't he?" My blood runs colder than the treat we're consuming but I nod and my daughter looks away. "I don't want a mate if my mate is going to act the way Daddy does to you. He always makes you cry and scream and I don't like that. I don't want a mate." Every word my daughter says is like an arrow to my heart and I feel tears prick the back of my eyes as I listen to her. I always hoped this would never happen. "Daddy loves us in his own way, Maya." With the way my voice cracks and my throat closes up, even I can tell I'm lying. Maya snuggles in closer to me and goes back to eating her porridge. '"I still don't want a mate." I have to pull her in closer and let her settle against me before I let my tears slip out. I use my other hand to cover my mouth at intervals when I feel a sob trying to force its way up. I clean my tears the moment they come out so they don't drop and my daughter doesn't notice but Maya still turns to touch a bruise on my forehead. "Does it still hurt?" I shake my head and pull her in for a hug, finally allowing some silent sobs to come out. In all my years of having her, I've always hoped that she doesn't notice any of my struggles. I've always wished for her to have a happy childhood, to not see that her dad beats her mum and to not be affected by it. To live like a happy child, from a happy home, not scarred by her parent's issues. It hurts me deep into my soul that she's noticed and that it's even affected her mindset on mates. Mates are sacred. Her mate will love her and care for her. We were happy once, Hunter loved me before he married me and we had a grand wedding. He was a handsome young Alpha, the heir to the Nightshade pack, and the most charming person I had ever been chanced to come across. He had come to my parent’s pack to discuss with the Alpha there about a treaty. My father had been on the Alpha’s inner council, and the moment Hunter laid his eyes on me as I accompanied my father to the Alpha’s home, I knew we were meant to be. The pack  I am from is a small one, I was happy to leave with my mate so I could become the Luna of his pack. Hunter was caring and faithful, but that was before I gave birth and the child wasn't male. He changed like the tides after that. His family already has a history of having more females than males, he has three sisters himself, and as the only male, if he doesn't provide an heir......... Hunter's scent wafts into my nose and I stop crying, moving my head up instead to smell better. I mentally prepare to take Maya to her room, and when the faint pulse of his presence across the mate bond reaches me, I stand up with Maya cradled against me immediately. "Honey, Daddy's back home now so I'll need you to stay in your room" I'm already making my way there as I speak, almost running so I can get my daughter to safety even though she protests. "But I haven't finished my ice cream.""I'll buy you a big tub tomorrow if you go straight to bed. Love you, honey." I drop her at the entrance, close her door, and turn the key in before bringing it out. I wait to hear her footsteps and the ruffle of the sheets as she gets into bed before I go back to the living room. Hunter is waiting when I get there. The way his suit hugs his body makes me wonder if I can look that good in a dress. Hunter is the Alpha of the Nightshade pack, a pack that has me as its Luna but in which I suffer a worse fate. He stumbles and I run to catch him, the scent of alcohol and other women already coming off him in waves. I remember my shortcomings all at once and I hold back tears. "Stay away from me, you bitch!" His slurred words hold all the venom I can imagine he has in him and as tears fall down my face, I wonder why he doesn't let me do that, stay away from him. I've asked for a divorce but he's refused, keeping me with him instead so he can hit me and beat me up. "I only wanted to help you. I'm sorry Hunter.." Hunter stumbles over and grabs my hair, yanking it before I can crawl away. "If you really want to help, then you're going to let me fuck you, right here and right now. Maybe this time your barren womb will bring forth my heir." His breath reeks of alcohol and as he starts pulling at my clothes, a sob forces its way out of me. "Hunter wait, p..please stop." I say the words over and over again but he doesn't listen. Tears are streaming down my face and my sobs leave me shaking, but he doesn't listen and he's still grabbing at my clothes, determined to have his way with me no matter if I want it or not. I'm pulling the parts he's pulled off back on when my eyes catch on something. My breath stills. "Hunter, stop." Maya's in the hallway to her room, tears streaming down her face and shattering my heart the minute I see them but putting a stop to mine. Hunter rips the strap of my dress and drags my panties off my bottom. "Hunter, I said stop! Our daughter is watching!" My husband's eyes rise to meet that of his sobbing daughter and the lethal anger I see in them makes my heart stop. I should not have said that.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2: "Take the car."

"Maya RUN!" Maya screams and goes bolting off the way she came but Hunter follows her, stumbling on his feet but still going after my daughter. No. I'd rather be dead before I allow him to lay his hands on her. I scramble off the floor and run as fast as I can to intercept him. He's still drunk so his steps are slow but he's almost at the door to her room. I beat him to it and slam it shut. "Hunter, leave Maya out of this! She's never done anything to you, it's me you want to hurt." My husband grabs me by the neck before I can even realize it and hauls me up, choking me as he does so. "You'll get your turn, stupid cunt. You think I don't see the way you dote on her, your precious daughter, while I'm made a mockery of by everyone around me. I'll kill her today, and then fuck your brains out, maybe the death of one child will get your body to bring out another, and if you still refuse, I'll kill you too." Hunter throws me with the strength of an Alpha and I crash against the wall, my body screaming out in pain as something pops out of place. Horror blinds my vision as he opens the door to Maya's room and steps in and immediately, all I can hear is the sound of Maya screaming. "Mummy!""Mummy help me!""Mummy help me!" She screams again and this time she's crying heavily. I hear something crash and Hunter's grunt is mixed into the fray of all that sound. Maya screams again and as she screams, cold rage fills my bones. I pick myself up despite the pain in my ribs and I walk into the room. Hunter has our daughter by the hem of her dress and even though he's swaying on his feet I can tell he's going to do it. He's going to kill her. I grab the lamp on the drawer by the door and advance bravely. He catches my movement and his eyes narrow at me. Menacingly. "You wouldn't dare." I burst into a run and slam the lamp right down on his head. Hunter goes down cold and Maya runs to me, sobbing and hiding her face in the folds of my yellow dress. I'm heaving and looking at my husband on the floor but my daughter's sobbing is what catches my attention the most. I kneel to wrap her in my arms and let her cry into my hair. We need to get out of here. Looking at Hunter's form on the floor reminds me we don't have much time. He'll never allow us leave when he wakes up and he's only going to continue from where he stopped. I can't allow that to happen. "Mummy?" Maya sniffles and I turn to her, wiping her tears off her cheek and trying not to cry myself. "Yes, darling.""I'm scared." I nod at that and hug my daughter once more, she starts crying again and her tears hurt me more than any pain I've ever felt. She isn't meant to go through this. It isn't her fault she was born a girl. "I need you to be strong Maya, okay? We'll leave this place tonight and go somewhere else." She nods and sniffles again, wiping at her tears. "Okay." I get up the minute she says that and take my daughter out of the room. The key is still in my pocket and I lock the door when we go out. Breaking it down won't take him two minutes but it will give us some warning. There's a first aid box in the kitchen and I bring it down, taking care of a bruise Maya has on her leg and applying some lotion around her neck. Hunter wanted to strangle his daughter. It makes me work faster and soon I've tended to both of our injuries. It's well past eleven on the clock when we slip out of the house with nothing but the clothes on our backs and Maya is trembling as she holds my hand. I look down at her and smile. "We'll be okay, my love." She nods and I lead her to the back of the house. No one should be wandering around the pack by this time except for some of the warriors going on patrol. Their patrol routine is one I have observed and we pass the first batch of them easily enough. When we get to the next stop we pass by more carefully. Maya is as silent as I am and I can see the pack entrance. I can see our escape when a hand grabs me and pulls me into the woods around us. Panic flares and I want to shout but there's a hand over my mouth. "Shhhhhh, it's me, Aria." Aria lets go of me and when I turn she's standing there, her dark hair identical to her brother's, and the fact that she's Hunter's younger sister sends a chill down my spine. She directs a leveled stare at me. "What are you both doing outside by this time of the night?" A lie pops into my head and I make the mistake of blurting it out. "Maya couldn't sleep, so I'm taking her for a walk." My chest is tight with emotion and I watch as Aria Tyson cocks an unbelieving eyebrow up at me before her look softens. She moves closer and touches the new cut on my cheek. "He's hurt you again hasn't he?" Maya sobs lightly against my skirt and tears slide down my face. I sniffle and wipe them off. "It's nothing serious. It's the same way he's always been. We'll go back now." Aria grabs my arm and stops me, her eyes darting around. "The entrance is guarded by Hunter's head warrior. He's very watchful and he's much more on guard than the others." She drops something into my hand and I see it's a car key. "Take my car. The windows are tinted so they won't see you, but they won't stop you either. I'm famous for late-night outings." The sob that escapes my body is sudden and I hug her "Thank you, Aria. Thank you." She hugs me back and pulls away before kneeling to hug Maya. "Be a good girl, okay?" Maya nods and Aria stands up to look at me. "You should have run the minute he started hitting you, but there's no time like the present so go. The car is parked just behind that house you passed." I nod and carry Maya, taking off with her and being careful not to make any noise. We don't encounter any warriors on patrol as we go to the car, and by the time we're inside, I can see Maya yawning. I place her in the back and start the car, hoping in my heart that this isn't some cruel joke Aria Tyson is playing on me for the sake of her brother. My heart hammers in my chest as we get to the pack gates and as I drive the car past, I don't see anyone coming out to stop me. I keep a steady pace for a few more minutes until I turn a bend. The car jolts forward as I hit the accelerator and wind down the windows. The night air makes me laugh through my tears and the free roads make me cry even more. I look at the back seat to see my daughter sleeping and emotion swells in my heart. I should have done this a long time ago. But as I've heard there's no time like the present. And I can smell it now, the smell of freedom.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3: "Hey beautiful, can i know your name?"

We drive for three hours before any thoughts start running through my mind. The first one that hits me makes fear race through my heart. Where will we go? I can't take us to my parent's pack. Hunter's pack is really strong and it'll only be a matter of time before he comes for me. He'll charge me with attempted murder and take Maya away from me before he kills me. My parents won't be able to stop him, and Hunter's pack will stand behind him. So maybe I should take us elsewhere. I have a distant cousin who lives a few cities away. My atm and one of my credit cards are in my pocket, and luckily it's the one Hunter doesn't have access to. I've been saving some money for Maya's education in case Hunter decides not to sponsor her schooling anymore, I'll have to use some of it to get us far away from him. Tears prick the back of my eyes and I blink them back, keeping my eyes on the road and  watching as the clouds roll by, thick and heavy in the night. I've been living in so much fear for my daughter, always preparing myself to cope with whatever is thrown our way and always preparing to step in if Hunter decides he doesn't want to take care of her anymore. I know I should resent him. I should resent him for hating Maya, his own daughter. He even wanted to kill her, and I should wish he burns in hell for that. Yet I can't help but feel I understand him. My tears break free from my eyes as a sob racks my body and I let myself cry. It's all my fault. My hands grip the wheel tighter and I sob silently. Hunter needs a male child if he's going to keep the Alpha title in his family's bloodline. His father and his father before him all had male kids. He's the only one who doesn't and if he fails to produce one, the pack will have to choose another Alpha and he loses his title. It would be a shame on him, a disgrace to his name and his family's, all because his fated mate couldn't give him a male heir. I clean my tears and sniffle before laughing. I'm being silly! He should have never resorted to beating me. No matter what! The harm he inflicted on me didn't make me love him more, the pain, the hours of beatings and assault, didn't make me produce another child for him. I'm much more than my body and he's never seen me as anything more than that. I hate him now. Heir or no heir, he can rot in hell for all I care! "Mummy?" Maya's sleepy voice brings me out of my thoughts and I'm surprised to see the sun already rising. The clouds are now fluffy lumps of light and color and though it's not fully dawn, it will soon be. "Yes, Maya?""Are we going to see Grandma and Grandpa?" I chuckle and clean my face more with the back of my hand before shaking my head. '"No, not yet. One day we'll come back to see them, but first, we need to get as far away from Dad as we can." I look at my daughter's reaction through the head lens of the car and what I see shatters my heart. Maya's face takes on a crestfallen look, like she's dejected and she remembers what almost happened to her, but all at once she hides all that and a resilient look enters her eyes, she stiffens her chin and nods. She understands. No child should ever have to go through this. Some more hours of driving pass by and soon we're passing through a more populated area. The town has a picturesque effect and I see Maya climbing onto the chair so she can get a better look at the fountains and people. There's a grumble not less than a minute later and she turns to me. "I'm hungry." My eyes flit to the time being displayed in the car and I frown. It's nine in the morning already. She should have had breakfast by now. I keep a lookout for a hotel and when I see one I take us there. "Come on, let's freshen up before we get something to eat." Maya waits for me to fully park before getting out of the car but the minute I do, I snatch her hand and pull her to me. Wolves! The air is thick and heavy with the scent of them. I shield my face with my hands slightly while telling my wolf to calm down. I‘m fiercely protective of my cub and wolves from another pack could mean trouble. "Is anything wrong mummy?" I shake my head and pull my daughter closer to me. "Stay close Maya, and if anything dangerous looks like it's about to happen, hide." She nods and lowers her head. Seeing that gives me all the courage I need and we walk bravely to the reception. The lady there is human, and she checks us in with polite efficiency. We have no bags so we go straight up to the room and all the while I'm on the lookout for any sign of danger. The space I've booked is a single room and parlor and considering the cost isn't that much, the thought strikes me that we could hide out here for a few days. If I smelled other wolves just now that means there must be a pack nearby. This could be part of their territory. If Hunter somehow succeeds in tracking us down here then there's no doubt he'll be in a rage. He's going to be confronted by the other wolves around and before he gets to us, I'd have carted off with Maya and we'd be on our way out of here. I hear that grumble again, louder this time, and my chuckle is as sweet as the smile that lights up my face. "Let's get some food into that belly." Maya nods and after we brush our teeth, we head out. The receptionist tells us there's a diner not far from the hotel so we drive there. Joe's Diner is a small yet fashionable place painted in bright colors and fitted with crystal clear glass. The moment we get seated Maya is already reading through the menu and not a minute later she drops it on the table and taps on one of the dishes. "I want that one." I take the menu, turning it back to me and I am not surprised. "Eggs and bacon. You only ever eat eggs and bacon Maya, why not try something else for a change?" That stubborn jut to her chin surfaces again and I chuckle before raising my hands in surrender. "Okay, eggs and bacon it is." The waiter comes and takes our orders and soon Maya has a steaming hot plate of eggs and bacon in front of her. She doesn't even look at me before she starts wolfing it down and that makes me smile. She's a little wolf my Maya, and speaking of wolves... "Won't you eat your food mummy?" I am as still as a rock right now and I don't know what to do. "Maya," The scent of male werewolves is heavy in the air and I think they know we're here "Can you drop your fork right now and stand up?" The scent of one gets closer to me. "Hey beautiful, can I get your name?" The moment he speaks I know he's already at our table and when I turn, I see him. A rugged-looking male with a nasty scar down his chin but dressed in good clothes all the same. His golden brown hair lays flat on his head and even reaches his shoulders, but it doesn't diminish the danger I feel radiating off him. "Maya get up.""Hey, I asked a question.""We're out of towners" I don't stumble or search for words "We're only passing through and we don't want any trouble." He grabs me by the arm and pulls me to him, a violent light glinting in his eyes as he rasps. "I only want to know where you're from, honey." I yank my hand with as much force as I can and I'm surprised when it gives. I'm walking towards the door with Maya pulled close to me the next moment. I can feel the tension in the air. The silence that has engulfed the diner and the promise of violence that's creeping down my back makes me shiver. I move faster and I'm almost at the door, I'm almost at my escape, but the door comes open, and in walks a man who makes my heart stop. My footsteps halt, and soon I'm looking into eyes the color of a deep blue unlike any other. Fuck. He has an Alpha aura. There’s a frown on his face but our eyes lock, and the moment it does I gulp. Fuck.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4: "There's rogues at Joe's diner."

Roman's pov A few hours earlier..... "You're being silly Roman." My father paces behind his desk. "Think of the pack, the wolves you have to protect. Are you going to leave them without an heir!""I'll do what I want Father." My anger gets the best of me and I squeeze the pen in my grip, keeping a hold on the frustration I'm feeling right now and reining my emotions in once more. "I won't be forced to go on blind dates with someone I barely even know. I'll do what is best for me when I'm ready." My father is quiet and I know he's assessing me. We come from a long line of Alphas and even at sixty-two, I can still see evident traces of the man he once was. The man he forever is though the title he once held is now mine. He turns to look at me and I can see the stubbornness in his eyes. "This can't go on for much longer, Roman. A pack needs a Luna as much as it needs an Alpha and there's nothing holding onto the past will do for you except cause you more pain. The blind dates are being arranged because you don't look twice at any female who approaches you.""That's because I still love her father! I can't stop loving her! I don't care if she isn't here right now. I don't care if she's been missing for the past five years, five years is nothing compared to the amount of love I have for her!" Alpha Kai of the Ironclaw pack glares at me but I meet his stare with all the ferocity I can muster. His aura retreats immediately. I lead the Ironclaw pack now. I am the Alpha. I have been for seven years now and not once have we clashed like this. Elara was my life! She was my reason for living and even if she's gone now, I still can't get over her. Rogues took her from me. Filthy disgusting wolves who attacked us when we were at our weakest. They attacked my pack, killed my mother, and fled with my mate. It's been five years since the attack and I haven't forgotten her for a second. I have felt the mate bond weaken over these five years, I have felt hope slip from my fingers bit by bit and I have seen my pack rely even more on me as their Alpha since then. They need me. All of me. So maybe I should get another Luna then. Exhaustion and despair drape over me like a cloak and my shoulders slump as I look at the picture of my mate in my hands. Elara was prettier than a sunset. My father's hand is on my shoulder the moment I feel tears start to fog up my eyes and he lets out one of his sighs. The sorrow in that sound surprises me. "I know you loved her son, and I know she meant the world to you. You aren't the only one who lost a mate that day, I lost mine too. Your mother was the best thing that ever happened to me, was and still is even though she's not with us. I know if she was here, she would want you to be happy, and Elara would too. She would want you to keep her in your heart always, but also know that the memories you shared together will always mean something, no matter if you find someone else or not. She would want to see you smile again and she would want to see the pack stand strong. The pack needs a Luna Roman. We aren't a complete pack without one, and you need someone to love you again, the way Elara did." With those words, my father squeezes my shoulder lightly. It takes me some time to realize once more that this is my office. It was my desk my father had been pacing behind just now and he's been filling in for me now even more than ever. It's been five years but I'm still not over the loss of her. Elara was my mate. We promised to grow old together. She isn't with me anymore now and it has ruined me. "Alpha Roman, Beta Fen is on the phone for you." I raise my head to see my father's personal assistant waiting at the entrance to my office. I'm sure he told her we were not to be disturbed hence the fact that she's just informing me about this call now. I stretch to grab the landline on my table and the call picks up immediately. "What's up, Fen?""We have intruders." My hand stills and a frown crosses my face. "Be frank with me, what do you mean by intruders?" I can hear Fen hesitate, I can almost feel him wanting to not say the word, but he relents with a sigh and soon the word is tumbling out of his mouth. "Rogues, Alpha Roman. We have two rogue wolves here at Joe's diner. I'll make an attempt to approach but..." I cut the call before he can continue and get up from the seat with a start. The chair tumbles backward and falls but I'm already out of the office, making my way down the stairs and out of the mansion. My car is still warm and it starts up immediately. Rogues! In my pack! Joe's diner is only a few blocks away but I still drive like a madman on the peaceful streets. I get down, slam my car door shut, and march toward the small diner. The door is right in front of me when my wolf makes me halt. A scent wafts into my nose. My nostrils flare and my heart races, on instinct I close my eyes and when I take a big whiff of the air around me, my wolf howls loud and clear. She smells like honey and Jasmine. The scent is like candy on my tongue, like wine down my throat. It fills me with the urge to find her and protect her. Mark her and make her mine. The door to the diner is just in front of me and I open it, but someone bumps into me instead. A female with green eyes like jade and who bears the smell of honey and Jasmine. Fenrir howls in my head again and his declaration rings through my soul. "Mate! Mate!" She looks up at me and our eyes lock, an electric current passing between us. Are you sure of this Fenrir? I can barely ask the question because I'm so lost in the green of her eyes. My second chance mate. The only answer I get from my wolf is his frenzy declaration. "Mate! Mate!!" She takes a step back and my eyes catch the silver band around her finger. My second chance mate is already married. An ugly scowl settles on my face.

Chapter 5 Chapter 5: "Is this the Ironclaw pack?"

Scarlett's pov Why is he looking at me so much? I can barely pull my eyes away from his but if he had pulled his away from mine then we wouldn't be here, would we? What startles me the most about him is how huge he is. He's as large as Hunter, maybe even larger. I probably look like a younger sister next to him. "Who are you?" His voice sends a shiver down my spine and the pleasure that rocks through my brain is unexpected. I don't know what to say. "I... I... Actually...""If I wanted you to stutter I wouldn't have asked a question at all. What the hell are you doing in  my pack, Rogue?" The way his voice is dripping with disgust and hate snaps me out of my reverie. I take a step back before stealing a glance at everything around me and clearing my throat. "I am not a Rogue.""What are you then? I don't have too much patience and the little I have is already running out." Okay, who is this prick? Annoyance flares alive in my bones and I want to lash out at him. Ask him who the heck he thinks he is to be asking me such questions, and right out in the open too! I might be a werewolf but I am also a citizen of the state. I could get the police involved. Men like him are always fond of wanting to push everyone around them but I won't have any more of that. "Mummy, calm down." Maya's voice is barely a whisper and I don't know how she figures it out. Maybe it's because I'm vibrating with anger right now and I'm trembling from the force of it. I feel so angry. I just escaped the confines of one man and now I'm being cornered by this one. Lashing out at him would relieve a bit of my anger, but it would also be the wrong choice to make. He isn't Hunter. He isn't the one who hurt me and my daughter. He isn't the enemy here. He said this was his pack so he's probably just trying to do his duty too. As head warrior or whatever he is to this pack. I sigh and look at him again before answering. "My name is Scarlett.""Who's the little pup behind you?" I move Maya closer to me and fix him with a fierce glare. "She's my daughter, Maya.""Where's her father, and your mate?""He's not here and he's not going to be. We're alone, we don't want trouble, we're just passing through and we came here to get some breakfast. We're not rogues and we don't mean any harm." The huge man stares down at me with his piercing blue eyes before he looks away. "I'll be the judge of that. For now, you'll have to come back with me for questioning." My eyes widen in shock. "But I just answered each of your questions." He peers down at me and there's a sneer on his face. "I'm sorry if I don't buy your half-baked explanations. It's either you come with us willingly or we take you forcefully. It's your choice." Anger rises in me again and I contemplate making a run for it. It would be foolish of me, stupid even considering there are four of them and one of me. Maya is also an added risk I can't afford to take. "Okay then. I'll come with you for further questioning." I keep my eyes on the floor and wish with all my heart that I'm not making a mistake right now. I don't know what he tells the rest of his men but I feel them back off. Soon he's walking back out the door and I sigh as I follow him. His car is a sleek scarlet red Lamborghini and my eyebrows rise when we get into it. A pack warrior having a car like this? His pack must have a shit ton of money. "Mummy, where are we going?" I turn back to Maya with a bright smile on my face. "Mummy has to answer some questions for Uncle here. We're just gonna pop into his place and pop back out in a flash.""How old is she?" I give Maya a knowing look while rolling my eyes and she giggles. "See what I mean, Maya. We'll be done in no time." I relax back into my seat and answer our interrogator's question. "Six.""Where are you both from?" I keep my mouth closed because I certainly can't tell him that. He glares at me and I soon open my mouth to give him a lie, but that's when my eyes catch the crest emblazoned into the huge iron gates we're driving towards. The deep gashes that are claw marks inspire fear in me, the same way I heard they have always inspired fear in anyone who sees them. Deep gashes in a slab of pure iron. The only pack known for such destructive power is..... The Ironclaw pack. Shit. Shit, shit, shit. "I asked a question, Scar...""Is this the Ironclaw pack?" I look at the huge man and he's looking at me strangely. I must have sounded panicked, but that panic only rises when he nods. '"You didn't know?" Fuck. I have to get out of here now. The male doesn't ask me any more questions and I can feel Maya watching me intently. The Ironclaw pack is a famous pack, one of the strongest packs, known for its ferocity and intense nature. What they've been more famous for recently though is their new Alpha, and his hatred for rogue wolves. Alpha Roman, who spares no trespassers. We drive in and I mutter a prayer under my breath. "Get down and follow me." I do so without hesitating and walk closely behind him, keeping my daughter near me. The compound is fairly empty so we don't encounter many people, but a few steps up the stairs we're joined by someone else. The blonde man from before. He smiles and winks at me. "Hey, beautiful." Maya kicks him in the legs before I can stop her and as horror floods me, I throw myself in between them in case he attacks her suddenly. He laughs. The blond-haired wolf from the savage Ironclaw pack laughs and hops on one leg like Maya actually hurt him. "That's a ferocious little pup you have there, beautiful." Maya advances on him again but I put a hand on her shoulder, and at the same time a command is spoken by our new guide. "Stop messing around Fen. I have to interrogate them." Blond-haired Fen smiles kindly and nods. "Of course Alpha Roman." My brain freezes and stutters until I'm able to regain composure. Still, I don't want to believe I just heard him well. The tall dark haired and blue-eyed man I've been following for the past few minutes now turns to me and I see it all at once. "Come on." The words are said in a low growl but fear just seeps even more into my bones. He's Alpha Roman of the Ironclaw pack!

Chapter 6 Chapter 6: "Stop saying that!"

"What is your name?""Scarlett Johansen.""What pack are you coming from?""The Greenwoods pack." The sound of his pen as he writes on the jotter in front of him, does nothing to quell my fear. "How old are you?""Forty-two." At this, he raises an eyebrow. Like I haven't been lying to him all along and he's just noticed that I have. "Is there any reason why you're in my territory?" I avert my eyes from his and look around. There's something strange that happens whenever he looks at me. Something in my stomach becomes liquid and my mind can't stop bringing up disturbing images. It's shameful. If I blush, I'm going to slap myself right here and right now. "Well...... we were driving, and Maya said she was hungry so I drove to the diner to get her something to eat. I didn't know this land belonged to the Ironclaw pack." Alpha Roman chuckles and stands up so he can walk out from behind his table. "Now that you know it belongs to the Ironclaw pack, and you know I am the Alpha of this pack, I wonder how you still have the guts to lie to me." I don't even take a second before he's in front of me. His hands are around my wrist and he's pulled me close, totally flush against him, like he has to be this close for me to see he isn't joking. His body is radiating heat, undeniably hot heat and his eyes....... they're glowing with such a harsh light that I know I'm done for. "I wonder how one woman can be so brave as to trespass onto my land, and then proceed to lie to me about the pack she's from.""I wasn't lying!" I look away,  "It's a very small pack.""Liar. You're a fucking liar!" The fear that grips me at the intensity of his growls is a living thing. I feel it standing behind me, breathing down my neck and dragging its fingers down the skin of my back. He's going to kill me. Maya asked to stay with his beta and I don't know why I let her, but now I see how that might be a ploy to make me comply with them. The pain in my wrist becomes sharper and I pull in a sharp breath. "You're hurting me, Alpha Roman." I sound so close to tears... maybe that's why he drops my hand so quickly. Like he's just been stung. I rub my wrist and contemplate my next course of action. He's angry, and he has the right to be. This is his pack and there's nothing an Alpha won't do to protect their pack. At least the good ones. There's nothing a good Alpha won't do to protect their pack, and so far he hasn't done anything too brutal. He's probably annoyed because I lied to him, which means he must have known I was lying all along. Shit. But can I tell him the truth? Can I admit that my marriage was a failure and now I'm on the run because I knocked my Alpha husband out and fled his pack with our daughter? "Scarlett......." The sound of him saying my name melts my heart "My pack matters to me more than anything else. The safety of everyone in this pack matters to me more than you can ever imagine. I don't give explanations like this, so please don't make things any harder for me than they already are." I can hear the silent plea in his voice. This is hard for him, being lied to and not resorting to the violence he has been famed for these past five years. "He hurt me." The words stick in my throat like glue but I force them out. "My name is Scarlett Tyson. My mate and husband is Hunter Tyson, Alpha of the Nightshade pack." Alpha Roman of the Ironclaw pack frowns and leans on his table with his hands behind his back. I don't want to believe he doesn't know what that does to his figure. His black shirt stretches taut over his body and I can clearly see the outline of the powerful body he's keeping underneath there. Fuck. "Why are you not headed to your parent's pack then?  That would have been safer, you have parents, no?""I do,..... but Hunter would turn their pack to rubble if he finds me there. He tried to hurt Maya, he's been hurting me for so long  now but I couldn't bear to see him lay a hand on her, so I knocked him out and we ran and.""Calm down, Scarlett." His voice does something to me.  The whispery comfort in them shakes me so hard that I let out the tears I've been keeping in all this while. Crying in front of an Alpha is never a good thing. They'll see you as weak and manipulative, especially when they're Alphas who are on guard. I clean my eyes and tuck all those emotions back where they came from. He's watching me like a hawk and I don't dare meet his eyes. I look down as I finish my explanation and let the fear of Hunter finding me ebb. It's scary what offending a powerful Alpha will do to your brain. The threat of them surfacing is always there. The threat of Hunter hunting me and Maya down is always there. Speaking about it has just made me realize how horrible it will be for us if he does. "I need to run as far away as I can. We only stopped here for food and a place to sleep for a few nights. We'll recharge, stock up on supplies, and get back on the road.""So you can go where?" My head snaps up to the Alpha now in front of me. He's still the same person that grabbed my hand a few minutes ago. My wrist still aches from where he squeezed, it's still slightly numb even, but the way his voice has roughened and his eyes are hot on me, scanning and seemingly seeing even my deepest secrets, it's unnerving. "I'll find somewhere for us to go. I might take us out of the country, or out of the continent. I'll go so far that Hunter can never get to me even if he is an Alpha.""No" The word comes out powerful and I watch as his eyes darken, his thick eyebrows banding together like the strands of a rope. I feel confused. Did I say something wrong? My heart sinks as a possibility comes to me. He wants us to leave as soon as possible. That would put me and Maya back on the road again, but the security I feel in this place is undeniable. Maybe we can stay for just one day. Alpha Roman looks dark and brooding but I try again. "I promise we won't bother you too long before we leave, we can leave tomorro-""I SAID NO!" The intensity of his growl and voice resonate through my heart and my chest feels hollow as I stare at the cold glow in his eyes. "You will go nowhere without my permission."