183

183
Scarlett
“Are you ready?” he asked, strong arms pulling me against the solid warmth of his chest.
“Yes,” I sighed, a small moan escaping as Finn pressed his lips to the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder. Desire flickered through me, hot and insistent. “Not now, honey. We have important things to do.”
“I know," he murmured, his breath hot against my skin. “Everything can wait until we are back. Tonight, I will claim what is mine.” The husky promise in his voice sent electricity racing down my spine.
For one breathless moment, I considered surrendering to him—letting passion consume the darkness inside me. But the intoxicating vision of my father crawling, begging before me was stronger than any physical desire.
“Let’s go bathe,” Finn suggested, leading me toward the bathroom.
Finn’s touch lingered as we entered the steaming bathroom, his fingers tracing patterns on my skin that left fire in their wake.
The tension between us crackled like lightning before a storm, but my mind was already elsewhere—consumed by darker fantasies of retribution.
Today, finally, I would make my father pay for every tear, every sleepless night, every moment of worthlessness he had made me feel.
After washing away the night, we returned to our room to dress. I chose black pants and a matching top—funeral colors for what would be a day of death.
I twisted my hair into a severe bun, exposing the sharp angles of my face.
“Are you ready?” I asked, watching Finn button his shirt.
“Almost.” I sat on the edge of the bed, drinking at the sight of him. His knowing smirk told me he’d noticed my appreciative gaze. “Do you like what you see?”
My cheeks flushed with heat as I tried to appear casual. “No,” I lied, the word sounding unconvincing even to myself.
“Really?” His eyes darkened with promise. “I’ll make you repeat that tonight.”
“Hmmm. I look forward to it,” I admitted.
Hand in hand, we left our room to find Mother and Diana waiting, both dressed in black as if synchronized with my own thoughts.
“Good morning, Mother,” Finn and I greeted in unison, bowing our heads in respect.
“Raise,” she ordered gently.
We were still exchanging last-minute details when Beta David arrived with his mate.
“Alpha, Luna,” he greeted formally, bowing before turning to acknowledge my mother and Diana. “Good morning, Ma’am.”
My attention caught on the unexpected presence beside him. “Alisha, why are you here?” I asked, surprise coloring my tone. “Don’t tell me you wanted to join us?”
“No,” she assured me, the child in her arms shifting sleepily. “I’m here to send you off and to offer my blessings.”
“Thank you.” I moved closer, taking a quick look at the child before heading out.
“It’s time,” I whispered. “Time to punish the sinners.”
We got into the waiting vehicles, with Finn taking the passenger seat and Beta David driving. The tension in the car was palpable as we headed toward my mother’s former pack, and ultimately, my father.
The atmosphere alternated between tense silence and forced laughter, as we all knew that there would be bloodshed ahead.
At the border, we abandoned the cars, shifting into our wolf forms in a chorus of cracking bones and stretching skin.
Finn’s wolf was magnificent, massive, and radiating power, but even his impressive form was overshadowed by mine.
My wolf was an anomaly, a fusion of two beings that made me larger, stronger, and more lethal than any normal shifter.
“Hide your scent,” Mother instructed before leading us through a hidden path—a secret way into the pack that bypassed the guarded borders.
“Wow," I whispered as we stepped out of the tunnel and into a secluded meadow. “The atmosphere here is different.”
“Yes, it is,” Mother replied with pride in her voice. “Do you remember this place, Diana?”
“Yes, this is the place we spent most of our time creating beautiful memories together,” Diana responded. “It’s a beautiful place.”
I gazed in awe at the hidden sanctuary, where sunlight danced through old trees and wildflowers swayed in the breeze. I had never imagined such a calm spot could exist within the confines of a pack that had treated me so harshly.
We slipped into the pack without triggering a single alarm—too easy, and fast.
Mother headed straight to where she knew Alaric’s bedroom could be. None of us interfered. She deserved to release her buried rage.
Standing before the imposing building that housed my father, I felt the past pressing down on me.
The air here still carried the same oppressive nature I remembered—still made my skin crawl with remembered humiliation and pain.
“Ah!” Someone screamed, pulling me away from my thoughts.
My wolf snarled in anticipation. The hunt had begun.