Scarlett’s POV
It was 8:00 a.m., and the pack house was buzzing with activity. Servants were rushing back and forth, arranging the garden which would serve as the venue for our late Luna Olivia’s morial.
As I assisted in carrying the heavy flower vases, hot tears gathered in my eyes, blurring my vision. Today was my twentieth birthday, but to the pack, it was a day of mourning. To , it was a day that never felt worth celebrating anymore. On this day years ago, I had lost everyone who mattered. I lost my parents; I lost Luna Olivia—who had been like a godmother to —and I lost the triplets, who used to be my best friends before they turned into my torntors.
Lost in the suffocating weight of my mories, I didn’t look where I was going. My foot caught on a stone, and I tumbled forward, crashing into a large flower vase. The ceramic didn’t break, but the water and blossoms scattered across the cold ground in a ssy heap.
The servants nearby all stopped, shooting dead glares filled with irritation. I ignored the sting of their judgnt, kneeling quickly to gather the wet stems and rearrange them back into the vase.
"Scarlett..."
I heard the voice of Lucy, the personal maid to Lana. I turned, and she gave a blank, unreadable look. "Miss Lana wants you in her room. Imdiately."
I nodded silently, finishing the flowers with trembling hands before standing up and making my way toward the high-ranking wing of the house.
When I entered Lana’s room, I froze. My heart skipped a beat in pure confusion. Lana was seated at her vanity, leaning into her makeup mirror, carefully applying a bold shade of lipstick. I looked stunned. This was her mother’s morial; she was supposed to be in mourning, draped in black and heavy with grief.
Instead, she was dressed in expensive, vibrant clothes, her face perfectly done up. She caught my eye in the reflection, turned around, and bead at .
"Happy birthday, Scarlett!" she chirped.
I stood there, paralyzed by a wave of confusion I couldn’t hide. "Lana? I... thank you, but the morial—"
She didn’t let finish. She stood up and pulled into a tight hug. Before I could pull away, the door swung open. Jason and Jane, the twins, entered the room carrying a beautifully decorated cake. They were singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of their lungs, their faces glowing with genuine smiles.
I was in total shock. These were Luna Olivia’s children. This was the day their mother died. I expected them to be shattered, just like the triplets were. But no. They looked truly happy.
"Blow out your candles, Scarlett! Make a wish!" Jason urged, holding the cake out.
I couldn’t speak. My throat felt like it was closing up. Jane stepped forward, nudging my shoulder playfully. "Co on, birthday girl! Don’t keep us waiting."
I looked at the flickering flas, my mind spinning. Slowly, I closed my eyes. I wish to be happy, I whispered in my mind. Just truly happy. I blew out the candles, the smoke swirling between us.
"There she is!" Lana clapped her hands. "Now, don’t go anywhere. Lyra wants to talk to you on a video call right now."
Lyra was currently staying at the pack of her mate. He was the Alpha of the Crimson Pack. A few months ago, when she and Lana had their eighteenth birthday party, Alpha Henry had attended as a guest. That was when they discovered they were fated. Although they weren’t officially married yet, she spent most of her ti at his side, visiting ho only once in a while.
Lana pulled out her tablet and dialed the number. A second later, Lyra’s face appeared on the screen, looking radiant and sun-kissed.
"Happy birthday, Scarlett!" Lyra’s voice bood through the speakers. "I’m so sorry I couldn’t be there to give you a hug in person!"
I stared at the screen, a small, fragile smile finally touching my lips. Despite the darkness of the night before—the rejections from Liam, Leo, and Leon—this mont felt like a strange, warm dream in the middle of a nightmare.
"Thank you, Lyra," I managed to say. "How is the Crimson Pack?"
"It’s amazing! But enough about ," Lyra said, her expression turning a bit more serious. "Have you felt it yet? Did your wolf co? Is there... a mate?"
My heart plumted into my stomach. The room felt suddenly very small. I looked at Lana, Jason, and Jane, who were all watching with curious, expectant eyes. None of them knew. None of them could ever know that their older brothers had all rejected in secret just hours ago.
"I... I got my wolf," I managed to whisper, my voice trembling. "Her na is Zoe."
Lana’s eyes lit up, and she leaned in, her scent of expensive perfu montarily masking the lingering traces of the triplets that still seed to haunt my skin. "I knew it! I can feel her, Scarlett. She’s quiet, but she’s there. She feels... strong."
Strong? If only she knew. Zoe was curled in a ball of agony deep inside , mourning the three bonds that were currently bleeding out.
"And?" Lyra leaned closer to the cara on the tablet, her eyes wide with anticipation. "What about a mate? Did you feel that spark? That pull?"
The room went deathly silent. Jason and Jane stopped fidgeting, their gaze boring into . I felt like a deer caught in headlights. If I told them the truth, the pack would implode. The triplets would kill .
"No," I lied, the word tasting like ash on my tongue. "No mate yet."
Lana pouted slightly, but then she shrugged, her upbeat attitude returning instantly. "No problem! Maybe he isn’t from this pack. Maybe he’s a high-ranking warrior from the north or even a future Alpha. You deserve the best, Scarlett."
She reached over to her bed and picked up a beautifully wrapped box, sliding it across the vanity toward . "Open it."
With shaking fingers, I pulled the ribbon and lifted the lid. Resting inside was a sleek, brand-new smartphone—the exact sa high-end model Lana used. My breath caught in my throat.
"Mine?" I asked, looking up at her in disbelief.
"Yes! You need a phone, Scarlett," Lana said firmly. "How else are you going to et people? You can’t stay cooped up in this pack house forever acting like a servant. You’re twenty now. It’s ti to start living."
I reached back into the box, my hand brushing against sothing soft and silky. I pulled it out, and a shimring, slick red gown unfurled, the fabric catching the morning light. It was daring, elegant, and scread of a life I never thought I’d have.
"You are wearing that tonight," Lana stated, her tone leaving no room for argunt. "Because after the morial, we are going to the club."
The air left my lungs. I stared at her, then at the twins, who were nodding in agreent. "The club?" I stamred. "Lana... today is your mother’s morial. The whole pack is mourning. The Alphas... your brothers... they’ll be devastated. This is not right."
User Comments
0 comments from readers