Chapter 35 36
Zane's POV
I could feel her.
Scarlett’s presence moved through me like adrenaline, pulling me closer with every step I took through the forest. I urged my wolf, Dalton, who was restless, his instincts driving me forward faster.
“Go!” I urged, his growl vibrating through my mind. “She is in danger.”
He ran faster, I could feel his paws burning as he sprinted through the dense forest. The bond between Scarlett and me had grown stronger than I expected, and I couldn’t ignore the gnawing sense of fear that gripped me. She was at the heart of the curse alone, and whatever awaited her, there was not something good.
As I neared the path, I felt it, a surge of dark power that made the hairs on my neck stand on edge. The air was thick with magic, and I could sense the danger surrounding her.
“Scarlett!” I called, my voice echoing through the trees.
I broke through the final line of trees just in time to see her standing before the ancient tree, her body tense, her eyes locked on a tall, shadowed figure. My heart pounded in my chest as I recognized the darkness swirling around the figure, the same darkness that had plagued my family for generations.
“Zane, stop!” Scarlett’s voice was sharp, and I froze in place, my eyes glazed as I took in the scene before me.
The man turned toward me, his expression unreadable. “The alpha arrives.”
“Who are you?” I demanded, stepping forward, my body filled with the need to protect Scarlett. “What do you want with her?”
The man smiled, cold and dangerous. “I want nothing. It is the curse that wants her.”
I felt a snarl rise in my throat, but Scarlett’s voice cut through the tension. “Zane, don’t. He’s... he’s tied to the curse. He knows things.”
I turned to her, my eyes searching hers. “What has he told you?”
Her jaw clenched. “That I’m more connected to this curse than we thought. And that I have to make some kind of choice.”
The man stepped back, his form beginning to blur with the shadows. “The time will come soon enough. Until then, Alpha, keep your mate close. You may find her slipping away.”
With those parting words, he vanished into the darkness, leaving us alone in the forest. The dark energy surrounding the tree was still beating, but the immediate danger had passed.
I turned to Scarlett, my chest tight with both relief and frustration. “What the hell was that?”
She let out a long breath, her gaze hard as steel. “I don’t know, but whatever this is... it’s bigger than just your pack, Zane. It’s bigger than us, I don't think I can do this.”
I could feel Dalton pacing restlessly in my mind, but I pushed him back, my focus solely on her. “You’re not facing this alone. Whatever this curse is, whatever choice you have to make. We’ll face it together.”
She snorted, though there was no humor in it. “Yeah, because having a brooding alpha breathing down my neck is exactly what I need right now.”
I stepped closer, my voice low and firm. “You don’t have a choice. We’re bound, Scarlett. Whether you like it or not, this is as much my fight as it is yours. And we made a deal”
Her eyes met mine, fierce and unyielding. “Just don’t get in my way, Zane. I’ve got enough enemies as it is.”
Before I could respond, the ground under us trembled again, the dark energy around the tree increasing Scarlett tensed beside me, her hand instinctively going to the stone in her palm.
“Let’s get out of here,” she muttered, her voice tight with fear.
I nodded, though my mind was still spinning with unanswered questions. Whatever had just happened, it was only the beginning.
As we turned to leave, I caught a glimpse of movement in the distance, someone watching from the shadows, but I didn't have the time to check who or what it was.
I needed to make sure Scarlett and I left here alive.
Rhylie Pov
My heart filled with something far darker than jealousy. Something dangerous, as I saw Zane holding the woman who had come to ruin my plans.
The curse had awoken. And I wasn’t about to let Scarlett claim its power.