Scarlett's POV

I knew the kiss caught him completely off guard by his abrupt intake of breath and rigid body posture he was sporting. Add the fact that I knew he was expecting to initiate everything between us because of the situation at hand. However, his surprise only lasted a mere second before he quickly responded. And damn, did he respond.

I'd only ever been kissed four times in my entire life. Twice by boys I'd met growing up in the orphanage during my young, teenage years. And twice by...anyway. I was not going to ruin lucky number five - no, perfect number five - by thinking about my past. I allowed myself to become lost in the way Xander tasted, how soft his lips were, and the way they moved effortlessly against my own.

The longer we kissed, the more control he slowly took. He shifted his body closer to mine before thoughtfully wrapping an arm around my butt, careful to avoid my back, as his other hand rested on my hip. The action, in all its carefulness and sensuality, drove me absolutely wild. My hands had a mind of their own. They traveled up from where they rested against his chest to his head, fingers diving into the already messy locks.

I think we would've been standing there making out like hormone-crazed teenagers for the rest of the day had we not been interrupted.

"Jackie said you were awa-oh!" Vanessa's high-pitched exclaim of surprise snapped us out of the bubble of bliss we'd created. I ripped myself away from him, mortified beyond belief that she'd caught us going at it unashamedly. I felt like my red-hot cheeks would never cool down. Especially not when she was looking between the two of us with the happiest smile I'd ever seen her sport. I wanted to find a quiet hiding place and just crawl into it for the rest of the foreseeable future.

"Mom," Xander grunted. I could feel the annoyance rolling off of him in waves. I had to bite the inside of my cheek to keep a smile from breaking out in amusement. So he must've enjoyed that as much as I did, then.

"Right, um, sorry! I'm gonna go find your father!" she rushed out quickly before darting off. The smile never once left her face. Xander released another annoyed grunt followed by a low, short groan.

"You can say no, however, she's going to go share this finding with anyone that will listen. h

How about we get out of here before she does so? The library has a secret spot that most people don't know about. It's pretty secluded-"

"Yes," I rushed out. I furrowed my brows, shocked at the words that had come out of my own mouth. And at how quickly they had. He smiled widely, both his dimples popping. My wolf and I both took a long, appreciative look. Wow...the Lord really did amazing work on this one.

"Scarlett, are you listening?" he asked.

"No," I dumbly responded, still staring at him. He sputtered briefly before bursting into deep belly laughter that I could practically feel the vibrations of. I felt my face heat with embarrassment all over again.

"Too busy checking me out, huh?" he teasingly shot back with a smug smile.

"Yes. I love your dimples," I answered honestly. I felt that familiar rebellious energy I was used to...but it was different this time. It felt...good, not destructive. He looked taken aback by my honesty. A light shade of pink dusted the tops of his cheeks as a bashful look overtook his face. I liked his reaction far more than I wanted to admit.

"Well, it's a good thing I can't get rid of them then, yeah?" he cheekily replied. I giggled under my breath, the action feeling foreign with anyone other than Jackie, but it felt nice. Not even a second later, the room was flooded with the same mating scent he'd exuded the morning we cooked breakfast together. I wasn't sure how to react. I'd turned him on, on a primal level, by just...being me. Not by how I looked, but by my laugh. Something that was just part of who I was. The thought made my throat tighten with emotion.

I spent a year never being enough for the man I was supposedly destined to be with, but it's been less than a week with a man who barely knows me and I feel...seen. Wanted.

"So, should we go?" he asked, clearing his throat as his eyes shifted a few times before settling back down. I nodded and turned towards the door. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw his hand instinctively move toward my back before he immediately pulled it away and ran it through his hair in an awkward save. It felt...wrong? I wanted the intimacy that came from his touch. However, no matter the amount of progress we had made, I didn't feel ready for that step yet. I wasn't sure if I ever would be.

Walking down the hall, I stopped a few steps after I didn't feel his presence following. Turning, I gave him a questioning look. He quirked an amused eyebrow at me before a similar smile followed.

"As much as I love the look you're sporting, I think you'd probably prefer to change before wandering around outside of our wing," he commented, motioning his hand up and down my body. My eyes widened as I glanced down. I realized I was still in the outfit Jackie had thrown on me before I conked out. I shook my head at my idiocy and quickly turned the trajectory of my steps back to our bedroom. I changed into a pair of leggings and a sweatshirt before rejoining Xander in the hallway.

We made our way down and out to the hallway. I knew Tabby and Minnie would be standing watch - I could smell them. They both smiled widely when they saw me. Similar looks of relief showed on their faces.

They nodded their heads respectfully and murmured, "Good evening, Scarlett". I nodded back while returning their smile. However, the smile dropped off of my face as the feel of Xander's hand confidently taking hold of my own stole all of my attention. I had the knee-jerk reaction to snatch my hand away out of surprise, but I didn't. After a second or two, the instinct wore off. I let the warmth of his hand overtake my own. It was soothing. I liked it.

"You ladies can stay here and hang out. We're just going to take a stroll together for some privacy," Xander told them. Nodding in acknowledgment, he turned to lead us down the hall. I wasn't sure what it was about the statement, but I didn't like it. It made me feel uneasy. My wolf may have put her trust in him - and as weird as that was for me - a teeny sliver of me still wasn't sure what to think. The wolf side didn't have to endure Eric's torture; I did. So what if all of this was a ruse to gain my trust? And then what? What happens when we're all alone? Why did we need privacy?

I vaguely recognized that it was ridiculous for me to be having these thoughts, but I couldn't stop them. I hadn't realized how lost I'd gotten in them, either, until Xander brought us to a halt inside the library at the end of a secluded row of bookcases. The space was cramped. Too cramped. I threw his hand away from mine and took a few quick steps back. He looked over his shoulder questioningly. Clearly seeing the guarded gaze in my eyes from our surroundings, he huffed with a quick shake of his head.

"Well, this is where I was telling you about. I'm going up there. You can come up with me if you want," he whispered. I creased my forehead at the word up. Seconds after, he reached between the small space created by the wall and the last bookshelf to reveal a slim, tall ladder. I took a couple more steps back as he braced the ladder on the bookshelf before ascending to the top. I continued watching as he went before he finally disappeared at the top. He peeked his head over the ledge before whispering, "Your choice," only loud enough for me to hear with a bit of straining. Then, his face disappeared again.

I looked around, scanning the surrounding rows of bookshelves. I looked back up to where he'd disappeared. My curiosity was dying to know exactly what was up at the top of these shelves. It was a fantastic hiding spot. I don't think you'd ever know the space was there unless someone explicitly told you. However, I didn't like this one bit. Being alone with him in the bedroom was one thing. Small, enclosed spaces where I couldn't be found unless someone was told was another entirely.

And brought back too many memories.

I gave the hiding spot one last glance before turning to explore the rows of books nearby me. I had just discovered a large section of romance novels when a familiar scent hit my nose. The faintness of it told me the person was just entering the library. I slowed my breathing and honed my hearing to try and catch whatever was said.

"So, anything?" came Mika's familiar voice.

"Nothing more than what I already told you last time. People are being annoyingly quiet about her," came another familiar voice, but one I hadn't expected to hear. Amanda. I hadn't intended to make an enemy out of her when I overlooked her for Minnie the day I picked my guards. Despite my reasoning, that's exactly what I'd unintentionally done.

"Ugh, you've got to be kidding me. There's no way that freak hasn't woken up by now! I mean, seriously! It's been, like, six days!" she screeched quietly, annoyance heavy in her tone. I rolled my eyes. Someone needs to get her a calendar. Then, my mind immediately skipped over the irrelevant fact that she got the timeline wrong, instead focusing on the revelation that she even knew about my...very long nap.

How did she even find out? Who told her? Was there a mole in my security team? Who all knew in the first place? I focused back on their conversation, putting the important questions on the back burner for now.

"I don't know. All I know is she has to wake up on her own. I guess she went a really long time without sleeping 'cause of some past situation. I don't fully know. I wasn't able to catch all the details," Amanda murmured, sounding deep in thought. Almost like she was trying to recall what she'd heard from her memory.

"Whatever. Boo-hoo. I mean, seriously, what a drama queen. Right? I heard all this 'pity me' bullshit has to do with her ex-mate or something because he didn't want her and now she's got some complex about it. My money is on her making the whole thing up, whatever it is. I told Caroline that too," Mika said with a snort of laughter followed by Amanda joining in.

Hearing these people talk about that private part of my life - the torture I'd endure for nearly 365 days - as if it was something I'd made up made my skin itch with disgust. My stomach churned. I felt like I was going to vomit the entire contents of my oversized meal from earlier all over the love stories in front of me.

My money is on her making the whole thing up...those words just kept echoing in my mind on repeat. I heard and smelled Xander approaching from behind, snapping me out of my head. The laughing stopped as he grew close.

"Ugh, and have you seen what she wears? And I'm not talking about the clothes she borrows from the other leaders' mates either. It looks like something you'd see at the freaking thrift shop," Mika sneered.

"I guess that suits her well. I heard she was an orphan from the day she was born. Dropped off at the council grounds like trash. Second-hand clothes for a second-hand kid. Her parents didn't want her, so I guess it makes sense that her mate didn't, either," Amanda added in with a snicker. The scent of another wolf entering the library cut their laughter short. Mika and Amanda must've taken their arrival as their cue to leave based on the sound of their giggles fading in volume.

"Scarlett-" Xander began, but I motioned with my hand for him to stop. I didn't care what he had to say. It didn't matter to me. He wasn't the one who'd said those horrible things. They did. What I needed to know was how they had become privy to the knowledge they had, and if they'd tainted other pack members with this absolute garbage through word of mouth.

I blinked back the few tears that had surfaced before swallowing hard. I turned and exited the library. I carefully slipped past Xander as I went, mindful to stare straight forward as to not lock eyes with him as I exited. I could feel his presence lingering behind me as I made a determined bee line for one of his most frequently used conference rooms. The only reason I knew this was because it was the biggest one. Entering the room, I searched high and low. I covered every inch but came up with nothing. That's when I remembered Xander said he'd been working closely with Alistair recently.

I turned and exited, Xander still following close by. I smelled my way to the correct office by the distinct scent of electrical equipment. I knocked a few times before entering without waiting. The man behind the desk scrunched his eyebrows in confusion before standing.

"Can I...help you?" he asked. I didn't answer before beginning to search his office just as I had the conference room. I refused to believe there was a mole amongst my security detail. After searching for a few minutes, I finally placed my hands along the underside of his desk opposite where he had been sitting. I slid until they hit something small and round - about the size of a dime - and relatively flat. My eyebrow quirked upward before I plucked the item off the underside of the desk and revealed it.

"Is this supposed to be there?" I asked, looking at the man whose suddenly completely pale face told me all I needed to know.

"I have no idea how that got there," he sputtered. Taking the offending item from me, he pulled it close to his face to examine closer.

"What is it?" Xander asked from behind me.

"A recording device," the man and I said at the same time.

"Son of a-" Xander began angrily but was cut off.

"It has to have been Mika. She's the only one who's been in this office besides you and me. It was when she came to try and convince me to give her security clearance. I had no idea she stuck this there. I didn't know Mika was even smart enough to think of that," the man admitted. I took the small device and dropped it to the ground before stomping on it a couple of times - just for good measure.

"You can go train with the warriors or something. I'm going to go hang out with Jackie," I said to Xander without any further explanation. I quickly slipped past him before he could put up a fight. I sped to where I knew Jackie's new quarters were. She was the only one who could do true investigative work with me. And she was absolutely getting roped into this one.

I knocked quietly on her door, only having to wait a few moments for her to answer. "Gotta go dig, you busy?" I asked using our signature saying. She released a large huff of air, clearly knowing this wasn't going to lead anywhere good before slumping against the door frame.

"Alright. Fine. I'll bite, but if we get into any legal trouble you're taking the fall this time," she grunted. Her resignation caused me to giggle. I wasn't sure where Mika usually hung out. I hadn't even had time to tour the entire pack grounds, so I had no idea what I was even dealing with yet. With that in mind, Jackie and I changed into hoodies and just prowled. We put our hoods up and masked our scents. It meant we could lurk about practically undetected - that's how we liked it.

We stopped at the pack dining room first, but that was a bust. Then we lingered around the library - since I had seen Mika there earlier. That, too, was a bust. We finally stopped at what looked like a communal pack TV area. There were quite a few younger females and males lurking around. They looked to be anywhere from 18 to 23 if I had to guess. Jackie and I stood at the door as I strained my ears to listen. She hadn't asked what we were looking for - she knew that she usually found out along the way.

The group talked about random, unmated wolf things for about fifteen minutes. Stuff like who was having a party that weekend, who was going to be turning 18 soon, and something about rumored new pack transfers that were coming. It was nothing of real importance. We were just about to leave and call this dig a loss when one of the males suddenly piped up, stopping me in my tracks.

"So, Mika told me something interesting the other day."

"Oh, yeah? Was that before or after you guys hooked up?" one of the older-looking guys in the group asked before snickering cheekily. My top lip curled up in disgust.

"After, obviously," the first guy laughed. "Supposedly, our new luna is in a coma or something. Self-induced I guess. She's, like, majorly screwy in the head. Mika said she made up this whole elaborate story about her ex-mate abusing her or something and pretends like it keeps her from sleeping." The entire group laughed loudly as he finished telling them his juicy gossip. My stomach twisted into knots. I don't know who she paid - or more likely screwed - to find out what she knew, but I was praying she didn't have an exact name.

"That's messed up! Is she just, like, laying there? Like she's sleeping beauty refusing to get out of bed?" one of the girls asked before laughing her head off - as if the idea was the funniest thing in the world to her.

"I don't know, but I feel bad for Alpha Harrington, man. Mika's an...okay screw I guess. If you're desperate. But can you imagine getting two duds for a mate?" he asked.

"I don't know about dud, Duke. Did you see the new chick at that dinner? She's, like, a 12/10. Can you imagine getting to hit that from behind? Damn. Plus, Mika's always spouting off from the mouth. I bet she's blowing smoke up your ass. Especially after that chick put Mika in her place that night," the guy from before interjected. At least someone was using some common sense.

"Yeah, but think about it. Have you seen her since that one night?" The 'sleeping beauty comment' girl said. The entire group seemed to consider what she said as if the story actually had merit. I just scoffed quietly and rolled my eyes. I'd heard all I needed to hear. I didn't need Mika's poison spreading any farther than it already had. I didn't even have a clue how far it had truly spread.

I needed to do something. And I needed to do it quickly.