Chapter 3
The darkness of my room felt suffocating as I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling. Night had fallen hours ago, but sleep eluded me. My body still ached from Dean's Alpha aura, the memory of being forced to my knees burned like acid in my veins.
A sharp pain lanced through my mind, making me wince.
*Scarlett.* Dean's voice invaded my thoughts, cold and commanding through our mind-link.
I pressed my fingers against my temples. *What do you want, Dean?*
*Ada needs fresh mangoes.* His tone left no room for discussion. *The baby is craving them.*
I sat up slowly, glancing at the clock on my nightstand. 11:45 PM. The market was twenty minutes away by car, and it closed at midnight.
"Now?" I whispered aloud, knowing he could hear me through our link. "It's almost midnight."
*Her cravings are getting worse.* Dean continued, his mental voice tinged with impatience. *She says the baby won't settle until she has them.*
Luna stirred within me, her presence warm but wary. *Be careful,* she cautioned. *Something feels wrong.*
I slipped out of bed, my bare feet silent against the wooden floor. Through our mate bond, I could feel Dean's irritation pulsing like a second heartbeat.
"The market might be closed," I tried again, hoping for some flexibility.
*Then wake them up.* His response was immediate, dismissive. *Tell them it's for the Alpha's chosen mate. They'll open.*
I moved to my closet, pulling out a light sweater against the night chill. The moonstone pendant around my neck—my grandmother's heirloom—seemed to pulse with a soft glow as I touched it for courage.
"I don't think—" I began, but Dean's mind-voice cut me off.
*Mangoes. Fresh ones. Within the hour.*
The command slammed into my consciousness with such force that I stumbled against my dresser.
"Dean, it's dangerous," I whispered, fighting against the pressure of his will. "The rogues have been getting closer to our territory. Marcus said—"
*Are you disobeying me?*
The question hung in the air, heavy with implication. Through our bond, I could feel his anger building, hot and volatile.
"No, I just—"
*If you don't bring those mangoes within an hour, you'll sleep outside tonight.*
The threat froze me in place.
*Ada's needs come first,* he continued, his mental voice hardening. *And if you can't understand that, you don't deserve to be here.*
The mind-link severed abruptly, leaving me alone with his words echoing in my skull.
Luna growled softly. *He has no right to treat us this way.*
"He has every right," I whispered back, tears burning behind my eyes. "He's the Alpha."
I grabbed my keys and a small purse, slipping the pendant beneath my shirt so it rested against my skin. The stone felt warm to the touch, as if responding to my distress.
The pack house was eerily quiet as I made my way through the darkened corridors. Most members were already asleep, their breathing deep and even. Only the night guards remained alert, their eyes tracking my movement with curiosity.
"Luna Scarlett?" One of them stepped forward as I reached the main entrance. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Just to the market," I replied, forcing a smile that felt brittle on my face. "Ada has a craving."
His brow furrowed with concern. "At this hour? The Alpha hasn't authorized any trips outside the territory tonight."
"I'm sure it will be fine," I said quickly, not wanting to admit that Dean was sending me out alone. "I'll be back before you know it."
The night air hit me like a wall as I stepped outside, cool and heavy with the scent of pine and distant rain. My car sat in the driveway, a lonely silhouette against the star-scattered sky.
As I slid behind the wheel, my pendant began to glow more brightly, casting a soft blue light across my hands.
"Grandmother," I whispered, clutching the stone. "Please watch over me tonight."
The engine roared to life, headlights cutting through the darkness as I pulled away from the pack house. The road stretched before me, empty and forbidding in the late hour.
I didn't notice the shadowy figures moving at the edge of the forest, their yellow eyes gleaming in the darkness as they tracked my progress away from the safety of pack territory.
I didn't see them signal to each other, or the way they melted into the shadows to follow me.
All I could think about was Dean's threat and the mangoes I needed to buy before the market closed.
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