Chapter 4:Burning Bridges

(Scarlett's POV) I re-entered the courtyard of the Pack House, the crowd had thinned out a bit, but the rest of them were in a tight circle, their attention focused on someone in the center. As I approached, the wolves parted, sensing my presence. The scene that greeted me was so theatrical. Alexander was half-kneeling on the ground, cradling Grace in his arms. Her body was slumped dramatically against his chest, her platinum blonde hair artfully arranged around her pale face. She clutched at his shirt with one hand while the other pressed against her stomach. Jason, Alexander's beta, was shouting at the onlookers. "Back to work, all of you! This isn't a spectacle!" His voice carried the authority of his position, sending the lower-ranking pack members scurrying away. Grace's eyes, those pale blue pools of calculated innocence, locked onto mine the moment I came into view. In an instant, her expression transformed from pained to desperate. She reached out with trembling fingers, grasping the hem of my skirt. "Scarlett," she whispered, her voice paper-thin. "Please... I know you're upset, but I'm not trying to come between you and Alexander." The audacity of her words made my blood boil. "I promise I won't interfere with your relationship," Grace continued, a single perfect tear sliding down her cheek. "I just need his help while I recover." Before I could respond to her ridiculous performance, Grace let out a sharp gasp. Her body convulsed, and she clutched her abdomen tightly, her face contorting in apparent agony. "It hurts," she whimpered, eyes wide with faux fear. "Your energy... it's attacking me..." I hadn't moved a muscle. Hadn't spoken a word. Yet somehow, according to Grace, I was magically assaulting her from two feet away. Alexander reacted instantly, scooping Grace into his arms in a princess carry that made my stomach lurch with disgust. Her head rested against his chest, her eyes closed in pretend suffering. "Get her out of here," Alexander barked at Jason, who rushed forward. But Grace, despite her supposed agony, managed to cling to Alexander with surprising strength. "No, Alex, please," she murmured. "I need you." Alexander hesitated, torn between his duties as Alpha and his obvious concern for Grace. The look of helpless devotion on his face was the final confirmation I needed. He had never looked at me that way—not once in our two-year engagement. I turned away from the nauseating display. "I'm going to get my bag," I announced to no one in particular, heading back toward the building. "Scarlett, stand still!" Alexander commanded, his Alpha ability swirling through the air like a physical force. I felt it wash over me, completely ineffective. Without breaking stride, I continued walking. "I said STOP!" His voice boomed louder this time, the full weight of his Alpha command pressing down. Several nearby wolves dropped to their knees instinctively, but I simply kept walking. I heard Alexander's growl of frustration and the sound of his footsteps as he rushed after me, presumably after handing Grace to Jason. He caught up just as I reached the building entrance, his hand shooting out to grab my arm. I stepped neatly aside, avoiding his grasp. When I turned to face him, he flinched at whatever he saw in my eyes. "Don't touch me," I said quietly, each word clear and precise. "I reject any possibility of you becoming my mate." Shock registered on Alexander's face. Among wolves, formal rejection of a potential mate was rare and significant—it severed not just emotional bonds but mystical ones as well. Pack customs dictated that once a formal rejection was issued, no further mating ceremony could ever take place between those individuals. "You can't do that," he sputtered, disbelief coloring his tone. "Our packs—" "We are completely finished, Alexander," I interrupted calmly. "Find another political solution." The finality in my voice seemed to freeze him in place. For perhaps the first time since I'd known him, Alexander Amber was speechless. I stepped around him and strode into the building, heading straight for my office. Behind me, I could hear Alexander calling my name, but I didn't look back. Five minutes later, I drove away from the Amber Pack house, my few personal belongings tossed in the back seat of my car. Through my rearview mirror, I caught a glimpse of Alexander standing in the driveway, watching me leave. Good riddance. --- "That was quite the exit," Cora purred inside my head as I drove, clearly amused by our behavior. "Did you see his face when you formally rejected him?" I couldn't help the smile that tugged at my lips. "He looked like someone had slapped him with a frozen fish." My wolf laughed, the sound warm and comforting in my mind. "He deserves worse. Years of disrespect, and then cheating with that snake Grace." I nodded, feeling Cora's power surging through my muscles, making me feel stronger, more certain of my decision. "He's trying to track us through the pack bond," Cora observed, amusement coloring her thoughts. "Look how frustrated he is." Another gift of Cora's—the ability to completely mask our location within the pack bond when needed. Alexander could search all he wanted; he wouldn't be able to sense where I was going. I tapped my fingers on the steering wheel." Grace must be making a big deal about all that 'damage' right now. She thinks she needs an excuse to postpone our marking ceremony, but she doesn't realize that I press Alexander for this stupidity." Cora smiled broadly, "Let her make herself anxious." The memory of Grace's innocent act made my hands tighten on the wheel. When we first met, I had a crush on her, but I didn't realize that underneath her friendly, naive exterior hid a vicious wolf. My trust allowed her to almost kill me three years ago. Instead of punishment, the pack had sent her to Europe "to recover" while I spent months in the hospital fighting for my life. "At least now we're free of both of them," I said aloud, trying to focus on the positive. Before I could catch my breath, Luna Sarah's voice invaded my mind through our pack link. "Come home immediately," my birth mother ordered, her tone brooking no argument. "We need to discuss your behavior." I grimaced at the intrusion. I should have expected this. "There's nothing to discuss," I replied curtly. "Don't be ridiculous, Scarlett," Sarah continued, her voice softening in that manipulative way I'd come to recognize. "Alexander and Grace have history, emotional attachments that can't be erased overnight. You need to understand—" I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh even to my own ears. "Understand what? How you protected her after she sent rogues to kill me?" The memories came flooding back—lying in the sanitarium for two months, the searing pain of my wounds, the deeper agony of betrayal as my own family chose Grace over me yet again. Sarah's tone softened further, aiming for maternal concern but missing by a mile. "Grace was poisoned with silver in Europe. She's suffered, which atones for her past mistakes. The marking ceremony can wait—" My anger exploded all at once. "Of course," I growled through the link, my mental voice sharp enough to cause feedback. "Postponing my marking, undermining my status, all for precious Grace. The same Grace who tried to get me killed, who isn't even your daughter, Luna." I could feel Sarah's shock at my bluntness. "I'll say it again," I continued before she could respond. "I'm not going to mate with Alexander. Ever. The rejection is formal and final." Without waiting for her response, I snapped the connection, having Cora completely block all mind links. The sudden silence in my head was blissful. I pulled over at the border of Winters territory, needing a moment to collect myself. The adrenaline from the confrontations was beginning to wear off, leaving me tired and oddly empty. A cold clarity enveloped me as I stared out at the landscape. I didn't want to be a pawn in their games anymore. I didn't want to fight for Sarah's motherly affection—affection that had never been mine and never would be, no matter what I did. Sarah doesn't love me. She never did. Even after learning I was her biological daughter, she had continued to favor Grace. The admission hurt, but there was also liberation in finally accepting the truth. I reached for my phone and dialed Emma's number. She answered on the first ring, concern evident in her voice. "Scarlett? Are you okay? I heard there was a scene at the Amber Pack house." I snorted. "News travels fast." "Are you all right?" she pressed. "I formally rejected Alexander as my mate," I said, the words still feeling strange on my tongue. There was a brief silence, then Emma whispered, "Holy shit. You actually did it?" "I did. And now I need a drink. Want to meet me at The Silver Moon?" Emma didn't hesitate. "I'll be there in twenty. First round's on me." I smiled for what felt like the first time that day. "Make it a double." I started the car again and headed toward the neutral zone.