Page 128 of Fated to the Hunters
Scarlett dialled and put the phone on speaker, watching through the camera as her brother answered the call.
“Yes?”
“It’s Scarlett.”
“Where are you?”
“We took a little trip and will be gone for a while.”
Maximilian looked around, found the camera, and stared directly at them.
“Everything okay?” she asked, her voice shaking.
“Just needed to be sure that you’re still alive.”
“You don’t have to worry about me.” She paused, and finally Vince saw that sparkle return to her eyes. “We are spending the summer in a mountain cabin and it’s really gorgeous. The hikes are amazing, and the village is breathtakingly beautiful.”
“Scarlett…” He pulled her name out in a long sigh and scrubbed a hand over his face. “You must hate us.”
“I don’t hate you. I just wish you could be here with me. That you could’ve been the one to show me the world.”
“We did it to protect you.”
“I don’t blame you.”
Maximilian nodded and returned to the SUV. “Be sure to call when you’re back.” And with that, the line went dead.
Scarlett stared at the screen, and Vince swiped to the gate’s camera so she could watch the SUV leave their property.
Dinner was a quiet affair, and Scarlett retreated to her bedroom shortly after. He didn’t follow, sensing that she might need some space. Maybe she’d tried to forget losing her family but the visual reminder had dampened her mood again. Or maybe it had brought her hope that she would be able to keep contact with her family after all, but she was clever enough to know that hope was also dangerous.
Vince busied himself with actually cleaning his rifle, only setting it aside once she reappeared a few hours later.
“Do you mind sleeping with me tonight? You can say no. I wasn’t sure how you felt about it. You always let Mateo and Ezra come to bed with me at night.”
“It would be my pleasure.”
“Thank you.” Scarlett turned back towards the bedroom, but looked over her shoulder at the last second. “You don’t have to come right away—whenever you feel ready to go to sleep.”
But Vince was snuggled up to her before either of them knew it. Her small body pressed up against his, and he couldn’t help but admire how good she felt in his arms. With Scarlett on his chest, he drifted off much easier than he ever had before.
It took two more days for Ezra and Mateo to update them, and it seemed to be a great relief for Scarlett. She had tears in her eyes as she held the phone to her ear and listened to their voices for the first time in forty-eight hours.
“We’ve been hiking, and down to the village. I’ve been drawing a lot too.” There was a pause in which she smiled and wiped her tears away. “Yes, but only because I’m so glad you’re okay.”
She chuckled before handing Vince the phone. “You have a map?” Mateo asked.
He pulled it closer and grabbed a pen. “Yes.”
Following Mateo’s coordinates, he marked the area they’d covered with one colour, and various landmarks and traces of large wildlife with another. They weren’t sure if the marks were left by lycans, but he thought they should mark anything at this stage.
“The terrain is getting wilder and the paths we’ve taken are fading out.”
“That will make recovery harder.”
“And our ambush,” Mateo added, with slight annoyance in his voice. “The only positive is that no one will disturb us.”
He didn’t say it out loud, but Vince knew that getting rid of potential innocent bystanders was also easier. They didn’twantto hurt humans, but if it were to go wrong and they couldn’t kill the lycans as planned, anyone nearby would potentially end up dead anyway.
