Chapter 17

“Here comes the rain again, falling from the stars. Drenched in my pain again, becoming who we are.”

- Wake Me Up When September Ends by Green Day

The door closed behind her, and then the door opened again. He came in with tired eyes and crumpled clothes. His hair was all messy. To put it easily, he looked like shit. "Scarlett. Where did you go?" He whispered, walking towards me and dropping down on the floor next to the bed. I had to act strong, even though all I wanted to do was hug him and tell him that it's fine.

"Oh. You know, I watched a cute movie, jumped out of the window, and went for a walk in the woods for four days." I said dismissively. He seemed to deflate.

"What movie and why did you jump out the window?" I laughed.

"Oh. I watched a very interesting movie. It was life. The name was, 'My-mate-is-kissing-my-sister-in-front-of-my-face.'" I said sarcastically.

"I'm sorry. I just—" I cut him off before he could finish.

"Oh, I know you're sorry for having sex with my sister. Totally sorry, I understand." I smiled at him.

"Listen to me!" He raised his voice.

"You don't raise your voice at me! Okay? Do you know how much pain I had to go through just because of you and your stupid hormones? I even got a tattoo from up above because of your stupid hormones! I almost died because of your stupid hormones! I can't even walk now because of your stupid hormones!" I shouted at him, forgetting that Sean was in the room. He gurgled and went back to sleep.

"I'm sorry. She forced herself on me." I laughed again.

"I find that highly lame. You had sex with her because she forced herself on you?" I stood up and limped out of the room, walking downstairs and into Lindsay's room. I forced open the door and saw Lindsay with another guy. "Get off and get out," I said and the guy put on his clothes and ran out of the room. Lindsay glared at me and covered herself with the blankets.

"What do you want?" She sneered at me. She angled her neck and winked at Caleb. That was when I saw it. A mark with a shadow that was distorted and that had like glass cracks on it. I breathed in and tried not to cry. It was his decision.

"Well, I just wanted to send him here so you can have him," I smirked. She smiled slyly and winked at Caleb.

"Thank you, Scarlett." She spat out. I walked towards the door and turned around before I went out.

"Oh. You're very welcome." I said and closed the door behind me. I limped back upstairs and saw that Sean was awake now. I limped over to him and picked him up.

"Hey, baby. I guess it's just you and me huh? Come on, let's go take a bath huh?" I said as he giggled and played with my messy hair. I carried him, limped into the bathroom with him, and gave him a bath. I slowly washed him, and then changed him. I was carrying Sean back to the bed when the door opened and Caleb came barging into the room. He slammed and locked the door behind him. I nodded my head at him like I was asking what’s up.

"Oh. Why did you do that to me? Leave me in the room with that thing!" He panted.

"Did you have fun?" I said as Sean wrapped his hands around my neck and giggled into my neck.

"NO! I had a hard time getting out." He nodded at Sean. "Whose baby is that?"

"Strangers. I don't know." He sighed and walked over to me. He tried to hug me but I flinched and walked away from him. "So, how was the sex?" I asked casually.

"Scarlett. Stop being like this, please. It's like you're pushing the pain away and trying to be strong." He said, and that was what made me explode. Those words made me angry. I put Sean down on the bed and turned to Caleb.

"Me? Trying to be strong and pushing the pain away? THAT IS WHAT I'M TRYING TO DO! I'M TRYING TO BE! I'M TRYING TO PUSH THE PAIN AWAY! I DON'T WANT TO FEEL THE PAIN ANYMORE. I'M DONE. I'M DONE LETTING PEOPLE LIE TO ME! I'M DONE LETTING PEOPLE HURT ME! I'M DONE FEELING THE PAIN! I'M DONE BEING CHEATED ON AND LIED TO! OH WAIT, WE NEVER EVEN HAD A RELATIONSHIP! HOW STUPID AM I?" I said and laughed at the end.

"WHY NOT JUST TAKE THE PAIN AND SUCK IT UP? YOU'RE MY MATE, OKAY?! IT WAS MATING SEASON AND I DIDN'T WANT TO SCARE YOU BY JUMPING ON YOU—" I cut him off.

"SO IT WAS MATING SEASON AND YOU HAD SEX WITH MY SISTER BECAUSE SHE SMELLS LIKE ME OR SOME SHIT?! YOU DID THAT TO ME AND YOU HAVE THE GUTS TO TELL ME THAT I HAVE TO TAKE THIS PAIN AND SUCK IT UP?! YOU MAY BE MY MATE BUT I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU! YOU KNOW WHAT?! I'LL TAKE THIS PAIN AND SUCK IT UP BECAUSE I WANT TO!" I shouted at him and my hands curled into fists.

"I HAD SEX WITH HER BECAUSE SHE WAS THE ONLY THING THAT WAS LIKE YOU!" He shouted at me, and that was what made me want to kill him.

"YOU EVEN MARKED HER! I HAD TO LIMP THE WHOLE WAY BECAUSE YOU MARKED HER! LOOK AT IT! I GOT A TATTOO IMPRINTED INTO ME AND IT WAS FREAKING BLEEDING FOR A LONG TIME BECAUSE OF YOU! NOW I DON'T EVEN THINK I CAN WALK NOW WITHOUT LIMPING! YOU KNOW WHAT?! JUST GET OUT. I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU OR TALK TO YOU ANYMORE." I shouted at him, limped up to him, and pushed him out of the room.

"I got enough of your bullshit," I said, closed the door and locked it. Sean was still oblivious to his surroundings, sucking his thumb like the baby he is. I limped up to him, smiled, and picked him up. He was in one of my old baby onesies that my parents had dumped into my room. He looked so cute.

"Hello, Sean," I said, rubbing my nose lightly against his as he giggled. His eyes were big and brown and he was just a happy baby.

"Mama." He said, and touched my nose. I laughed and hugged him closer to me.

"I'm not your Mama, but I'll be your sister," I said and kissed his nose. I sat down on the bed and groaned as a spasm of pain ran up my left ankle. I played with Sean for a while, until he started crying. "Are you hungry? Okay. Um. Let's go get some food?" I said and limped downstairs with him. We reached the bottom, and there was an elder standing there, making some tea. I went up to her and smiled. "Sorry for disturbing your peace, but can you please help me with Sean? I think he's hungry." I said with a smile, not making eye contact while trying to calm a crying Sean.

"Sure my dear. Let me just make a bottle of milk for him." She said gently and it shocked me. I didn’t expect her to agree with me. She then proceeded to take a milk bottle from the shelves and started making the milk. I cuddled Sean closer to me and kissed his cheek. "Sean. Hey, stop crying." I cooed.

"You look young to have a child." She said in a slightly judgemental tone as she gave me the bottle of milk. I put it to Sean's lips and he started drinking hungrily.

"Uh, he's not mine—I found him alone in the forest.” I stuttered, still not making eye contact. I heard a gentle hum from her as she continued to sip her tea.

"Scarlett, can I have a look at your ankle?" The elder said to me out of the blue, cutting through the awkward silence. I looked at her in surprise and heaved myself up on to the counter.

"How did you know about my ankle?" I asked and pulled my pant leg up with one hand while holding Sean in the other. She examined my mark and winced.

"I've never seen this mark before, but I'll try to do some research for you, Scarlett." She said and smiled warmly at me.

"Why are you helping me? What is your name?" I asked curiously as I put down the milk bottle and tried to burp Sean.

"My name is Nina, and I want to help you. I’ve seen what you go through in this pack, and it breaks my heart, I just want to do something for you." She said with a motherly smile. Sean burped and nuzzled his face into my neck, falling asleep.

"Nina, thank you for helping," I said with a smile as I slid off the counter slowly and stood there, carrying Sean.

"Since Sean is asleep, let's go to the library and maybe take a look at your mark?" I nodded and we both went up to the library together. We looked through many books when suddenly Nina shouted at me.

"Scarlett, I found it!" She said and I limped over to her. She was scanning the page quickly and I started reading it with her.

'The crossed-out half moon, also known as The Ex-Luna.

The mark comes when her mate mates with a girl that shares the same DNA as her, and when he also marks her. The Ex-Luna will have this sign etched into her left ankle. It will firstly be an L that is crossed out when her mate mates with any girl who shares the same DNA as her, then it will change from an L into a half moon after he marks her. It will all be crossed out with a red X.

The tattoo won't fade until her mate mates and marks her. She will never find another mate, and she won't feel much love until her mate mates and marks her. Her wolf will never rest and she will be very tired.

She will die if her mate doesn't mark or mate her within one month of her tattoo.'

The last line scared me the most.