Scarlett’s POV
I wanted to run. Every instinct in my body told to turn around and sprint back toward the safety of the packhouse, but I stood my ground. I forced myself to look away, staring at a patch of moss on a nearby tree, unable to look at his naked form. Even though nudity was common among us wolves—especially since we undress together and shift—seeing one of my mates standing before like this made my body react in a way I couldn’t control. My skin felt like it was humming, a magnetic pull trying to draw toward him.
"I felt you kissing Ethan."
His voice was low. Heavy. Angry. It vibrated through the air between us.
I swallowed hard, wondering why he hadn’t co to my room like his brothers. Liam had climbed my balcony, and Leo had begged at my door, but Leon had stayed away. I realized now that his absence hadn’t been because he didn’t care. It was because he was trying to keep his wolf from snapping.
"I swear to the Goddess, Scarlett, I was one second away from tearing your door down," he growled.
I didn’t say a word. I couldn’t. The air between us was so thick with tension that it felt like it might combust. I heard him let out a long, frustrated sigh, the sound of a man who was losing a fight with himself.
For a long mont, neither of us said a word. The only sound was the distant chirping of birds and the heavy thud of my own heart. Then, I felt him move. He took a slow, heavy step toward .
"Don’t co close to ," I snapped, my voice filled with panic.
I had to focus my eyes strictly on his face, ignoring everything else. His expression was full of pain. He looked as if he wanted to grab , to pull against his hot, sweaty skin, and never let go, but he held himself back. He stayed just a few feet away, his fists clenched at his sides so hard his forearms were shaking.
"What are you doing, Scarlett?" he asked.
It wasn’t a question about why I was in the woods. It was a different question. He was asking why I was choosing a stranger over the three n who were literally built for .
"I’m going for a run," I said, my voice trembling. "I need to breathe, Leon. I can’t breathe in that house anymore."
"You think I can breathe?" he scoffed, taking another half-step forward despite my warning. "I’ve been out here since midnight trying to control my wolf. Do you know what it did to ? Do you?" he spat.
"Well, it’s not my damn business!" I snapped back at him, forcing myself to hold his angry, pained gaze. "You rejected , rember? So live with the consequences of your decision."
Leon’s jaw tightened, a muscle leaping in his cheek. "Really? That’s how we’re doing this?"
He took a step closer, and this ti I didn’t back away, even though every nerve in my body was screaming.
"Rember, Scarlett, you’re the one who begged for three months before the rejection." he reminded , his voice sounding frustrated. "So until we officially sever this bond, you are not to do anything with him. Not a kiss. Not a touch. Nothing."
I wanted to argue. I wanted to scream that he had no right to dictate my life after discarding for two years, but I didn’t have the strength left for a shouting match. My soul was tired.
"Fine," I said shortly. I turned to walk away, needing to put distance between us.
But Leon was too quick. He reached out and grabbed my left wrist, his fingers circling the delicate bone. The impact of his skin against mine sent a sudden, traitorous wave of pleasure straight down to my core. Fuck. My breath hitched, and I saw his pupils dilate as he felt the spark too. But he didn’t pull closer. He stood his ground, his grip firm but not painful. I realized then that among the three of them, Leon was the one with the most self-control. If it had been Liam or Leo, they would have pulled into a kiss by now, desperate to drown out Ethan’s scent. But Leon just held , his thumb brushing against my pulse point.
"Why are you really here?" he asked, his voice softening just a little.
"I told you. I’m here to breathe," I said, trying to yank my arm back, but he didn’t let go. "I want to shift. I need to run, Leon."
He looked at with a sudden spark of curiosity, his brow furrowing. "You know... I haven’t seen your wolf, Scarlett. I don’t think anyone in the pack has."
He was right. Ever since my first shift, which happened shortly after my birthday a few days ago, I had kept Zoe hidden. I hadn’t shifted since then.
"There’s a reason for that," I whispered, finally managing to pull my wrist from his grasp.
Leon tilted his head, watching with an intensity that made feel exposed. "I want to see your wolf."
I frowned. "Hell no!"
"Why?" he asked, his voice hardening, challenging .
"Because I don’t want to!" I snapped, my heart racing. My shift was sothing private, sothing sacred that I had only shared with myself. Most wolves had a shifting ceremony, but I? I shifted alone in my room, and I wasn’t about to give him the privilege of seeing my wolf.
Leon didn’t back down. He took a slow step toward , his presence looming large and intimidating in the small clearing. "If you don’t shift now, then I promise you this—once we get back tomorrow for the training session, I will make you shift before everyone. You know I can do that, Scarlett. As your future Alpha, I can force that change."
I felt a cold shiver of dread run down my spine. The thought of being forced to shift in front of the entire pack, to have them all staring at Zoe while I was vulnerable and exposed, made my stomach churn.
I glared at him, my hands balling into fists. "Are you threatening ? You’re going to use your Alpha command on just to satisfy your curiosity?"
He didn’t blink. He just folded his massive, well-muscled arms across his chest, looking down at with a hard, unyielding expression. The morning light caught the sweat on his shoulders, making him look like a statue of so ancient, unforgiving god.
"Take it however you want," he said simply.
"But I’m not leaving this forest until I see her. I need to know how she looks... after all, she is mine too."
"We don’t belong to you," I hissed.
"The bond says otherwise," he countered, his gaze burning into mine. "Now, shift. Or we can wait until tomorrow morning in the middle of the training square. It’s your choice."
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