Scarlett

I gasped and filled my lungs with air. My chest hurt as the numbness in my body gave way to pain. I groaned. My throat was sore and it hurt to swallow.

"Scar," I heard someone whisper. Disorientated, I tried to figure out who the source of the voice was. My eyelids felt so heavy and I struggled to open them.

"Come on, Scar, open your eyes," the voice pleaded in a whisper. The voice was so close.

The sun blinded me for a moment as I opened one eye. Then I saw a face appear above me.

Cade. His eyes were filled with concern and I swear I saw moisture by his eyes. I wanted to reach out and brush it away but it hurt when I tried to lift my arms.

Everything rushed back in that moment: Curtis kidnapping and taking me to Victor, discovering Keri was a werewolf and Victor's daughter. One after another I relived them as they flitted through my mind.

I clutched at my chest when I remembered the pain and then the nothingness. I felt my heart pounding in my ears at the fear of what had happened.

Cade leaned closer.

"It's okay, Scar, I've got you," he soothed.

"Cade..." I said in a hoarse voice.

"You're okay," he assured me as he pressed a kiss to my forehead.

I remembered the syringe and Victor injecting me with air just before I killed him.

"What...happened?" I managed to ask.

Cade brushed my hair from my face gently.

"You died...your heart stopped beating...I panicked so I did the only thing I could think of, I started CPR," he explained. "Just when I didn't think you were going to pull through I heard a faint pulse. Somehow you came back."

Then I realized what the moisture by his eyes was. They were tears, tears he'd cried because he thought he'd lost me. I lifted a finger and brushed the tear from his face.

"We need to go," said one of the members of our pack.

I remembered Victor telling me about attacking our pack. I reached out and clutched Cade's shirt.

"The pack?" I gasped, feeling panicked.

"Everything is okay. The fight is over and we won," he told me with relief.

"We'll talk about everything later," he said. "We are still in enemy territory and we need to get out of here before someone sees us."

I wasn't sure what happened or who took over from Victor now that he was dead.

"I killed Victor," I whispered.

"You killed Victor?" Cade repeated in disbelief.

"He is in the basement of the building," I told him. His eyes pierced mine and for a moment an array of emotions passed through them. First fear, then anger and finally pride shone in his eyes.

"Go and get the body," he instructed one of the guys.

He looked back down to me, and his eyes softened.

"Let's get you home," he said. One of the guys stepped forward to pick me up but Cade shook his head.

"I've got her," he said and he lifted me as gently as he could into his arms. I bit on my lip to keep myself from crying out in pain when the small action jarred my aching body.

I clutched at his shirt and buried my face against his chest, savoring the smell of him. I felt safe. After going through everything that I had, I was finally safe.

I was light and effortless to carry for his arms. When we reached some cars I saw Keri and Curtis being put into the back of one of the vehicles. At that moment my eyes connected with Keri's. Her face was void of any emotion. I wanted to be angry with her and I wanted to hate her, but I couldn't.

If I'd grown up with a father like Victor I would have turned out the same. What I felt for her was sympathy. Victor had been a very cold and cruel man and to have been brought up with that must have been a never-ending nightmare.

Someone opened up the back door to the other car and Cade got in the back seat with me. I curled up against him and he put a protective arm around me. The car ride back was long but Cade held me the entire time, soothing me with words.

By the time I saw the familiar surroundings of his house I was in a lot of pain, but I felt relieved. Cade helped me out of the back seat, and then I was standing with his arm around me, supporting me, when Blake came rushing out the door.

"I'm so glad to see you," he said, sounding relieved as his eyes fixed on me.

"And I'm glad to see you," I replied, giving him a weak smile.

A sound from behind us pulled Blake's attention away.

The other car had parked behind ours and the fighters held Keri and Curtis.

My heart hurt a little when Blake's eyes narrowed and fixed on Keri. He smelled her werewolf scent. I didn't know if he'd been told before now about what or who she was.

His features changed from happiness and relief to betrayal and anger. He knew that she was a werewolf and must have guessed that she belonged to Victor's pack. Soon he would find out that she hadn't just betrayed him, but that she was also the daughter of their biggest enemy.

There were a few moments of strained silence.

"Lift your shirt," Blake ordered her softly, like no one else standing around them existed. For a moment I was confused at his request; then I realized what he wanted to see.

Was it possible? Not once had it ever crossed my mind that they might be mates.

Her gaze fell to the floor as her fingers reached for the hem of her shirt and she lifted the material slowly.

My eyes flickered to Blake, who had an unreadable expression on his face, but I saw his jaw tighten. The calmness on the outside hid the turbulent emotions in him.

My gaze went back to Keri.

Her birthmark was a half-moon-shaped birthmark. Blake's pack had been the silver moon pack. My eyes flickered from the birthmark to Blake's face.

He stared at the birthmark like someone had sucker-punched him, and then raised his eyes to hers. Keri's eyes remained on his as she anticipated his reaction.

He never said another word. Instead he gave her a look of disgust and revulsion before he turned and walked away. I looked back to see a tear slide down Keri's face.

There were no words to describe the scene I'd just witnessed. I couldn't help but feel sorry for both of them.

I looked to Cade and his eyes were fixed on the retreating back of his best friend. Cade swung his angry gaze to the fighters that held the prisoners.

"Take them to the cells," he commanded. The fighters steered the prisoners into the house and they disappeared inside.

This whole situation was so complicated and I didn't know if they would be able to work through it. I couldn't imagine what they were going through. I was glad that Cade and I didn't have the obstacles that they did.

"Scarlett," I heard someone say and I turned to see Kyle rush forward. Gary stood behind him, looking anxious.

"Easy there, she's injured." Cade put his hand out when Kyle tried to pull me into a hug.

"Sorry, it's just...I'm...so glad to see you," he said as he ran a hand through his hair.

"Let's get her upstairs," Gary said like a concerned parent as he stepped forward and touched my hand.

"I'm okay, just a little sore," I said as Cade lifted me gently back into his arms.

Gary and Kyle followed Cade as he carried me into the house all the way up to our bedroom. At the doorway, they both stood as Cade laid me down on the bed.

"I'll be back later to check on you," Kyle assured me with a smile before they both left.

Cade closed the door and turned to face me.

Jake. You're in charge for the moment. Blake is busy and I'm taking care of Scarlett, he told him through the mind-link.

No problem, Jake replied.

"I want to shower," I said as I tried to get up. He rushed over and helped me to my feet.

"You should be resting," he insisted but I glared at him.

"I'm smelly and dirty," I grumped. "I'll feel better once I've had a shower."

He let out a sigh as his arm slipped around my waist.

"Let's go," he said as he helped me into the bathroom.

We stripped off our clothes and he got into the shower with me. I leaned my head against the wall as he gently soaped me down and then rinsed me off. My chest still hurt and my stomach still ached.

Outside the shower he dried me off with a towel. I couldn't help but gasp when I saw my face in the mirror. I looked awful.

"It will look better tomorrow," Cade soothed as he stood behind me.