ROMAN

Pure terror. Scarlett's body emitted the emotion so strongly it felt like it shot straight through my heart, agonisingly slicing it open. I hated seeing her so frightened, but this was necessary. It had gone on for too long now.

"Don't run," I ordered her, my eyes darkening. "Please."

"How-how did you...?" Scarlett couldn't finish her sentence. She wasn't trying to deny it. There was no point in doing so.

"That afternoon in the gym," I stated, chewing on the inside of my cheek anxiously. "I felt you trying to get inside of my head. It was clear that something was going on with you anyway, but feeling you do it just confirmed it in my mind."

My mate's bold brown eyes filled with tears, but her sadness was quickly replaced with frustration, and she growled. "And you didn't say anything?"

I shrugged. "I wanted you to come to me - to admit it when you were ready, but I couldn't wait any longer. Not with Nyx adamant on getting me on board. Having you trying to navigate this by yourself was putting you at risk. That, and I was worried that you were going to leave if I did come to you with my suspicions."

I wasn't sure what Scarlett's gift was exactly, but I knew it had something to do with worming her way inside of people's minds. Could she see their future? Make them see things she wanted them to? Read their thoughts?

"It didn't work," Scarlett muttered, looking defeated, and I spotted the way her eyes darted toward the door again. "My gift didn't work on you."

"Please don't run, because I can't let you go, Scarlett. I really can't." I gulped. "Surely you know that gifts don't work on mates, right?" I furrowed my eyebrows. I had assumed that gifted wolves were aware of that fact.

Scarlett's mouth fell open, and she scowled, clenching her fists together. I dropped my gaze, focusing on her sleeve that covered her hand. It had taken all of my willpower not to grab her hand and inspect it on many occasions, but I didn't want to break my mate's trust like that.

Scarlett moved her hands behind her back, hiding them from me. "I didn't know that. I've never met another wolf like me, so I had to learn everything from scratch." She appeared to be battling with herself - as if every instinct in her bones was screaming at her not to admit it.

I couldn't believe it myself. I had been paired with a gifted wolf. It worried me, but only because I was concerned for her safety. I wouldn't change her. She was strong, confident and independent. The only problem was that she was in danger.

"The things you told me about your family." I inhaled deeply. "Were they true? Or were you lying?"

"My parents weren't killed. They gave me up after my mark developed because it put their pack at risk. I lived with a human named Pearl, but she was killed by the Enclave Clan when they came looking for me. I managed to escape, but I live with the guilt that her death is on my hands everyday." Scarlett chuckled - a non-humorous laugh. "Fuck, I can't believe I'm actually admitting this to you."

I nodded in understanding. "Her death wasn't your fault, Scarlett." The thought that she blamed herself for Nyx's wrongdoings made fury swarm my body. My fists clenched, and my wolf growled deep within my chest.

Scarlett cocked her head, inhaling as she glanced at the book set on the desk, and I picked it up, handing it to her. She shook her head though, holding her hand out to stop me. "I've already seen it." Outrage flashed within her eyes.

I dipped my chin, placing the book down, humming. "I wasn't sure. It was the reason why I sent you in here yesterday. I wanted you to find it so it could give you a reason to admit to me what you were, but you didn't say anything, hence why I suggested cleaning today."

"What is it?" Scarlett looked at the book like it had personally attacked her, and I sighed, scratching at the back of my neck. I knew exactly how this looked, but it wasn't what she thought.

"It was my father's. I wanted to be honest and open with you, hoping you would be with me." I ground my teeth together, not knowing how Scarlett was going to react to this. "I found the book years ago - after my parents died. It turns out that my father was running an operation alongside Nyx. He offered lone gifted wolves sanction and would hand them over to the Enclave Clan."

"What the fuck?" Scarlett gasped, taking a step away from me, her back hitting the bookcase harshly, causing a few books to clatter to the dusty flooring.

I held out my hands, my heart skipping a beat. "Please, let me explain, Scarlett. I had no idea he was doing this while he was alive, but I know the kind of man he was. This was completely out of his character, and I truly believe that Nyx was manipulating him into the job. It's one of the reasons I want to take the Enclave Clan down. Not only for the wolves they've captured, but for my father."

Scarlett shook her head at me. "Have you never just thought that there was a possibility that your father was evil, just like them?" She was angry. I knew that, and I didn't take her words to heart.

"He was a good man. He was offering gifted wolves help for years. This book has fifty two names in it, but I know for a fact that he aided more wolves than that. But to me, it looks like he randomly began handing them over, and I want to know what Nyx did to make him do so."

The reason I didn't tell anybody about what my father did? I didn't want his image to be tainted. As far as others knew, he was a noble man who assisted in saving gifted wolves from the Enclaves. They didn't know he actually started handing them over. He had been manipulated by Nyx. I was sure of it.

"Your gift." I tapped on the side of my head, a small smile making its way up onto my face. "Can I know what it is?"

Scarlett dragged her bottom lip into her mouth, clamping her eyes shut and knocking her head back against the bookcase. She released an agitated groan, cursing under her breath. "I can control emotions. To some degree."

My eyebrows flew to my hairline. I wasn't that clued in on what that entailed, but it made me wonder if she had ever controlled anyone around the pack without us realising.

"I'm out of practice though, and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't." Scarlett crossed her arms over her chest, avoiding eye contact with me. She was ashamed. "I was only testing it on you in the gym. I wasn't trying to do anything bad."

Knowing that Scarlett had attempted to manipulate my mind hurt me. I was the person she was supposed to fully trust with every cell in her body, but I understood why she had done it. "I know I kept my distance from you afterwards. I am sorry for doing that, but I needed some time."

"I understand that it probably hurt you. I'm sorry." She ran a hand down her face. "I never wanted it to be like this."

"Were you planning on telling me eventually? Or were you going to leave?"

Silence.

I had my answer. This wasn't just about me though. I couldn't be selfish. I had to look at this from multiple perspectives. Scarlett was frightened for her life, and trusting me just because I was her mate wasn't logical. Trust was earned - and that took time.

The thought of Scarlett leaving me cut me deep. Never seeing her again. Fuck, that hurt like a bitch. She wasn't going to be alone ever again, though. No longer was she going to need to pray everyday that she wouldn't be found. She would no longer be just surviving, but actually living. I was going to make sure of it.

I took a step toward her, causing a small gasp to escape from between her plump lips. She gazed up at her, her eyes wide and doe-like. God, she was beautiful. "Scarlett, I can help you. You don't need to try and run from me."

"I don't need help," she muttered - the words coming out instinctively - and I sighed.

"There's nothing wrong with not being able to do something on your own, my little mate." I hooked a finger under her chin. "You're a gifted wolf? That's fine. You don't fully trust me yet? I can wait until you do. You want to take down Nyx? Perfect. I'll help."

Scarlett was speechless, her words appearing stuck in her throat. "How do I know you're not just going to hand me over?"

The query pained me greatly, my brows pinching together as I shook my head. "There is no way in hell that I am losing you, and even if you weren't my mate, I wouldn't dream of handing you over, Scarlett. Gifted wolves don't deserve a life of misery just because they're different."

"I want to trust you," Scarlett admitted, leaning into the hand that was cupping the side of her cheek. "But I've had my wall up for so long, letting people in is almost impossible. I've always been alone, and it's strange actually being considered as part of someone's family."

"I understand, but just know that everybody here will accept you for what you are. You won't be harmed, and we will keep you safe. If there's one thing you need to trust me on, it's that."

Scarlett pulled away from me suddenly, moving past my tense form to tap her fingers on my father's desk, her nails hitting the wood in a steady anxiety-driven rhythm. She flipped open the book, gulping as she trailed her fingers down the names, seeming to read through each one, her animosity increasing with each flick of the page. "All these wolves. They could have been saved."

"I'm not excusing my father's actions. I am fully aware that what he did was evil and callous. It just doesn't make much sense to me though, and I know Nyx had something to do with it."

Nyx and I had never spoken about my father's involvement with him, and I had a feeling it was because he didn't know that I was aware of it. I wasn't too sure why he never brought it up though. Letting me know that my father worked alongside him was a good way of getting me to trust him.

"Having me here puts your pack in danger. If Nyx discovers what I am, he won't hesitate to slaughter all of you." Scarlett's voice was loud and confident, but she wasn't telling me anything I didn't already know.

I dipped my chin. "I'm aware of that."

My mate groaned, disliking my matter-of-fact approach to this. "Telling me to leave would be the easy way out, you know?"

Her comment caused me to hum, and I cocked my head, a small chuckle creeping out from between my lips. "Well, it's a good thing I don't like taking the easy way out, then."