Page 13 of Fated to the Hunters
Scarlett
The next morning, Scarlett trudged down to the SUV with Kurt carrying her bags ahead of her. The celebrations weren’t for another two days, but she would take any chance to get out of the building a few days early.
Paul and Daniel, two of the pack’s warriors, were already waiting for her. They’d escort her to her pack’s property. Paul had been doing it for years, while Daniel was a new warrior who’d only shifted for the first time during the last Wolfmoon.
“I assume I won’t be allowed shotgun anymore?” she teased, already moving to the door behind the passenger seat.
“I would like to stay on your detail for just a little longer so no,” Kurt retorted with a chuckle.
Daniel sat next to her, and Paul took the seat in front of her.
“I’m so sorry, Daniel,” she said. “This might be the most boring task you’ll receive in your entire career.”
“You speak to your father with that potty mouth of yours?” Kurt chimed in, saving Daniel from formulating a polite response.
“Idolike the little time I get on the outside, so I usually pretend to be the sweet innocent little girl he believes I am.”
“Yeah, such a badass you are,” Kurt deadpanned, rolling his eyes.
Scarlett used to take those comments as a joke, but now with her three hunter mates, she felt like she’d grown out of the juvenile image that everyone had of her. Looking at Kurt, she knew how much she would hurt him once her mates were revealed. He’d always had her back, but unveiling her mate bond would effectively stab him in his. She couldn’t tell him. Yes, he was her friend, but his alliance was to his alpha. Keeping this secret from her father was out of the question for him.
Scarlett hadn’t felt their presence since last night. Throughout the entire drive to their land, she was grateful they’d kept their distance. She always loved coming here because it never made her feel left out. A few pack members lived here year-round, but most stayed in their Brighton residence. The isolated land mostly consisted of new wolves who were learning to control themselves. Warriors would typically spend weeks training here and she was always jealous of Kurt getting to leave when it was his turn. Her father always kept her close by, so even though she’d requested to live out here, he’d denied it.
Scarlett was out of the SUV before Kurt even killed the engine. The moment her feet hit the dirt, she took a deep breath of the fresh air and soaked in her land. The sun’s rays glimmered off the lake and the surrounding forest rustled with a soft summer breeze. Then Scarlett was hit with a soul-crushing realisation: once her secret was out, she would never see this place again. It might very well be her last time here.
“Oh fuck,” Kurt sighed, tipping her head up with a finger under her chin. “What happened?”
She smiled up at him, letting the tears fall. She already missed Kurt and hated how much she would hurt him. “I just love coming here.”
“So, if these are happy tears why are you looking so sad?”
“Because it just makes me realise that Idolive in a golden cage.”
Kurt wiped her tears away with the sleeve of his shirt. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, remember?”
“I know, but I still feel bad.”
Scarlett closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in all the smells of the forest, the fresh water, and Kurt’s cologne. “Can we eat lunch together?”
“I would love to, just have to give a quick report.”
“I’ll start on it then.” She grabbed her bag and walked towards her family’s home, which overlooked the lake. The houses were spread all over the property and though her pack used to live here, they’d outgrown its size. Her grandfather had moved the Moonlight Wolves to the city once he’d become alpha, seeing an opportunity to start something new. Though there had been lots of resistance from everyone, the pack loved their new way of life.
She left her bag at the bottom of the stairs and went right to the kitchen, finding that it was fully stocked with everything someone might need for a week. Deciding on an easy pasta dish, she got to work. Kurt joined her a little while later, pulling out the patio furniture and setting the table.
They ate lunch overlooking the lake, watching as Paul and Daniel shifted and jumped into the water, their wolves diving with their tails wagging.
“Want to go for a swim too?” Kurt asked as they cleared away their dishes.
“I would love to. Let me change.”
“I’ll wait by the shore.”
She grabbed her bag and hasted upstairs. When she was walking towards the lake a little later with towels and snacks, she saw that Kurt was one step ahead of her, sitting by a spread of his own.
“We both had the same idea,” she laughed, adding her things to his collection.
