6 Chapter 6

Scarlet's POV

I go back to the closet and grab a leather jacket off a hanger and put it on before zipping it up. With how cold it is, I would love to put on a scarf and gloves too, but I'm worried that would hinder my ability to scale across the exterior of the very tall building I'm in. Goddess, I must be crazy. I inhale slow and deep before nodding with determination. I lock my bedroom door just in case and head to the small balcony. "Okay... okay.... You can do this." I mumble as I try to psych myself up.

Holding onto the railing, I hoist one leg over and then the other. I take another deep breath and force myself to not look down. Werewolves heal fast, but a fall like this would crush me beyond repair. "This is ridiculous. Go back inside before you kill yourself," my wolf scolds.

"Shut up. Don't distract me."

"Don't be stupid and then you don't have to worry about it. You should just tell our mate what you know."

"No way! He'll go in there guns blazing like last time," I argue.

"You mean claws drawn?"

"Shut up! You know what I mean! What if next time Jo or Will are the ones that get in the way? Then what?" I insist. My wolf finally quiets. She cares about Jo and Will too and has finally realized there is no talking me out of my decision.

Before taking the first step onto the ledge, I reach up and make sure my grip on the ridge above me is secure. After that, I move my feet one at a time and get myself positioned so that my nose is practically touching the exterior stone wall. The wind is strong this high up, stronger than I had originally anticipated. My grip tightens as I think of what would happen if a random gust of air was the cause of my demise. Slowly, I inhale deeply before blowing it softly from my lips. Once I've calmed my nerves, I begin to inch my way toward the fire escape cautiously. I can feel my palms getting sweaty and my heart rate accelerating. My anxiety is through the roof right now... well, figuratively speaking.

When I finally reach the fire escape, I hastily clamor over the rail and sink into a crouching position in the corner as I try to catch my breath. Oh my Goddess. That was terrifying. Once I've managed to get my bearings, I begin the long trek down the stairs. Despite being in pretty good shape, I have to stop multiple times. Meanwhile, I keep looking over my shoulder and keep my head on a swivel. I don't want anyone to see me. I'm not sure who all knows who I am so being caught in the city could be potentially dangerous. Not to mention, Ethan is going to be furious about this. Luckily, the escape isn't close to the windows and is somewhat hidden from the other buildings around it. Hopefully, my luck will hold up and I'll make it pass the borders and back to packless territory.

I try my best to remain hidden in shadows and dark alleys as I make my way toward The Scourge. Whenever another wolf gets too close I quickly hide and wait until they are gone. It seems to take forever, but eventually I make it back and enter the familiar path to the shelter. Blood stains the stone walls of the buildings on either side of me and the same goes for the gravel path. "Scarlet! Oh my Goddess! You're alive!" Rebecca, Annie's mom, says as she runs up to me and throws her arms around my neck, pulling me in for a tight embrace.

I pat her back soothingly. "Yeah, I am. How is everyone?"

She lets me go and links an arm around mine as she leads me towards the entrance. "They'll be much better when they see you. We heard from one of the others that they saw you get stabbed! But when we were collecting our lost members you weren't there. We didn't know what to think."

"To be honest, I'm not sure either. I'm still trying to wrap my head around it all." She quirks an eyebrow at me, clearly trying to figure out exactly what I mean. Luckily, she can tell that it's not a topic currently up for discussion and she chooses not to pry. "Who all did we lose?"

Rebecca sighs sadly and casts her gaze down. "Old Sam, Cody, Mr. Luckett, Bernie, and Mr. Garber." Tears prickle my eyes. I knew all of them. Cody was my age and was always making people laugh. Old Sam was a grandfatherly figure to all of us packless. Bernie had a mate and two pups to take care of. Mr. Luckett and Mr. Garber had both been warriors when they had been part of a pack and were always teaching some of the younger wolves. I hurry to wipe away a loose tear before anyone can notice and Rebecca continues. "I'm afraid you already missed their send off." I nod sadly. I guess I'll have to find my own way to say goodbye to them. Werewolves do a ceremony, much like a human funeral except we do ours under the moon and ask the Moon Goddess to bless their souls and return them as wolves so that they may guide the next generation.

As we enter the dining hall, chatter seems to cease as everyone's gazes turn towards me. Before I have the chance to do or say anything I'm plowed into and lifted from the ground in a tight embrace. The smell of mint and clover surround me and I wrap my arms around him tightly. "Will," I murmur into the crook of his neck as he continues to hug me as though his life depends on it.

"Where the hell have you been baby girl? You had us worried sick!" he whispers next to my ear. He is holding me so close that I can feel his heart thudding against my chest. It feels so nice to see him again. I've missed him so much and my body seems to instantly relax as his familiar scent envelops me. Finally, I sigh and pull away from him. I can't get distracted. I still have a job to do and I need to finish it sooner rather than later.

Will holds my arms as his gaze roams over me, checking for injuries. He purses his lips together and I'm sure he has noticed how worn I look after my stay in the Crescent Moon's dungeons. When his eyes creep over my neck they suddenly widen. "Hey! Where's your necklace?"

My eyes bug out as I place a hand on my chest where the necklace should be. "Shit! It must still be at the hospital!" I realize and grimace.

"The hospital?..." he begins before I cut him off.

"Yeah, I have a lot to catch you up on. But first, where's Jo?"

He gestures behind me and I turn to see Jo coming up to me as she wipes her flour-covered hands off on her apron. "Well look what the Goddess dragged in," she remarks with a mischievous smile before holding her arms out to me.

I quickly rush up to her and give her a hug. "Oh Jo! It's so good to be back!"

"I'm sure it is. But where the hell did you go?"

"I'll explain everything. I promise. But is there somewhere that we can talk in private?" I ask her softly as I try to avoid prying ears. It's hard to do in a room full of werewolves with enhanced senses, but the dining hall is once again loud so hopefully no one is paying attention to us. Jo looks around, seeming to be hoping the same thing before she jerks her head over to the door. Will and I immediately follow her as she leads us through the kitchen and into one of the large pantries. She instantly shuts and locks the door before turning to me. With a huge sigh, I tell them everything.

*****

"The asshole that stabbed you is your mate?!" Will asks with a wide-eyed expression of utter disbelief. I simply nod. "Alpha Ethan fucking Kane is your mate..." he continues, seemingly to himself.

"Unfortunately," I agree with a shrug.

"So, what now?" Jo asks with her arms folded across her chest sternly. She doesn't seem too pleased, though I'm not sure if it's because of who my mate is or the fact that I am planning on going after Ray on my own. Technically speaking, there are no rules in The Scourge. People tend to do whatever they want. As long as they aren't hurting anyone, no one really cares. However, most of us tend to help out and take care of each other. Ray and his gang have never really included themselves in our little community though. They take advantage of our kindness and eat the food we provide and such, but they don't help out. They tend to cause more trouble than they are worth and this time it cost innocent lives. The Crescent Moon Pack will be seeking retribution against the wolves that killed some of their men. I can't let anymore innocent wolves get killed in the crossfire. So, I need to find out if what my gut is telling me about Ray is right.

"Well, I need to figure out what to do with Ray," I begin. "But before I confront him, I want to be sure it was him."

"Oh, I think it is probably safe to say that it was. You said they were cleaning fresh blood off their knives when you saw them right before the attack. And sounds like his scent matches the one they had followed back to The Scourge," Will says.

"I agree that it likely was him. But I want to find proof. I need it. Especially if I'm going to condemn him to death," I answer back sternly.

"And how do you plan on doing that?" Jo questions harshly.

I shrug. "I was hoping I could look around his place. See if there are any clues."

"Yeah, because that's safe..." Will groans sarcastically and rolls his eyes at me, causing me to glare at him.

"Well, when was the last time anyone has seen him?" I push, already sure of what their answer will be.

"As far as I know, not since the Crescent Moon Pack stormed the area," Jo replies.

I nod with a smile. "Exactly. He's probably in hiding. I'll just swing by his place and take a quick look around. In and out."

"It's not as simple as that and you know it Lettie," Jo scolds.

"Stop worrying. It will be fine."