Scarlett’s POV
His claws dug into the mossy rock, tearing chunks of earth away as he struggled to keep the shift from taking over. He wanted to claim . He wanted to mark right there on the mountain, and his wolf didn’t care about "waiting a few weeks" or being a gentleman. It wanted its mate.
The sound of his struggling breath was the only thing filling the silence of the ridge. I stayed still, my heart hamring against my ribs, watching the man I loved battle the beast inside him just to protect from his own intensity.
Slowly, the tension began to fade. His shoulders dropped, and the growling stopped. He stayed there for a long minute, his forehead resting against the stone, his skin still steaming in the cold mountain air.
Finally, he turned around. His eyes were back to their deep sea-blue, though a ring of gold still lingered around the pupils. He looked exhausted, like he had just fought a war.
He crawled back toward on the stone and pulled onto his lap, wrapping his arms around so tight I could barely breathe. He buried his face in the crook of my neck, his heart racing against my back. He stayed like that for a mont, just holding , before he pulled back and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to my lips. It tasted like love and raw hunger.
"I’m sorry," he whispered, his voice a gravelly wreck as he pulled away completely. "I have to stop, Scarlett. If I don’t stop now... I won’t be able to let you go. And you deserve more than a frantic mating on a pile of rocks."
I looked at him, my own body still aching, my skin cold where his hands had been. I wanted to tell him I didn’t care about the rocks, but the look in his eyes stopped . He was choosing to honor . He was choosing to be the man he should have been for the last two years.
"I know," I whispered, reaching out to touch his cheek.
He caught my hand, kissing my palm and helping to my feet.
I reached for my pants, my skin feeling agonizingly sensitive against the rough denim. My lace undies were damp and ruined, so I shoved them into my pocket, my face heating up with a mix of sha and lingering lust.
Leo watched , his gaze dark and heavy as I struggled with my bra. He stepped forward, his bare chest still heaving, and helped pull the leather jacket back over my shoulders. He didn’t just put it on ; he tucked into it, his hands lingering on my neck.
He leaned down, his nose brushing against the spot he had been sucking earlier.
"You sll like , Scarlett," he whispered, his voice dark and possessive. "Every wolf in that house is going to know exactly whose scent is buried in your skin."
My heart raced.
He grabbed my hand, his fingers interlacing with mine, and led back toward the SUV.
As we got into the car, the silence was different from before. It wasn’t the silence of strangers; it was the silence of conspirators.
"We can’t hide this for long, Leo," I said as he started the engine.
"I don’t intend to hide you at all," he replied, shifting the car into gear. "But just hold on, Scarlett. A few more weeks, and I’ll make sure everyone knows you are mine."
I swallowed hard, not knowing what to feel about it.
The drive back was quiet, the only sound being the low hum of the engine. As the familiar lights of the packhouse flickered through the trees, my anxiety spiked. I couldn’t walk in there with him—not yet.
"Leo, please stop here," I said, my voice tight. "I’ll walk the rest of the way in."
He gripped the steering wheel, his jaw tightening as he slowed the SUV to a crawl. He didn’t seem happy about it, the Alpha in him clearly wanting to escort right through the front doors, but he finally nodded and pulled over into the shadows of the oaks.
We sat in silence for a long mont, the tension from the mountain still humming between us.
"Can I co to your room tonight?" he asked suddenly. His voice wasn’t demanding; it was soft, almost vulnerable. "Not for... anything. I just want to spend the night with you. I just want to hold you."
My heart hamred against my ribs. I wanted that more than anything, but the image of the other two brothers flashed in my mind. It’s too dangerous. What if his brothers or Ethan co by?
"No."
He looked hurt, a flash of pain crossing his sea-blue eyes, but I didn’t give myself ti to reconsider. I unbuckled my seatbelt, slipped his heavy leather jacket off my shoulders, and dropped it onto the passenger seat. The loss of his warmth was imdiate.
"Goodnight, Leo," I murmured.
I closed the door and stepped into the cool night air. I waited a beat, watching the red glow of his taillights as he hesitated before finally driving off toward the packhouse.
I began the walk to the back entrance, my skin still tingling where he had touched . As I passed the sentries at the gate, I saw the guards’ nostrils flare. They slled him. They slled the raw, dominant scent of the second triplet all over , but they kept their faces stony and didn’t say a word.
I hurried through the side door and raced up the back stairs, my only goal being to get behind the safety of my door. I reached my room and swung the door open, but as I moved to shut it, a heavy hand slamd against the wood.
The door was forced back, and Ethan stepped into the small space.
He didn’t say a word at first. He just stood there, his chest heaving slightly, his eyes dark and searching. Then, his head tilted back, and I watched his nose wrinkle as he drew in a deep, sharp breath.
The scent of Leo—the cedarwood and the mountain air—was radiating off in waves. Ethan’s entire deanor shifted. The look I had seen on him earlier was gone, replaced by a cold, scary fury.
"You sll like my cousin," he rasped, his voice vibrating with a low, angry growl. "Why the hell do you sll like Leo, Scarlett?"
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