Marked Mate

3

SCARLETT

"You were gone longer than I expected," Pearl said as she pinned her hair back into a neat bun. "I thought you were only going to be out for ten minutes."

I shrugged. "Well, you said no practising my gift in the house, and I was on a roll."

Pearl placed her hand on her hip. "Scarlett, you're fourteen. I like to know where you are. It's dangerous for you to be out and about."

"I had my gloves on." I smiled sheepishly. Pearl hadn't been a fan of the name I had chosen at the age of three years old, but I was young and liked the scarlet colour of my mark. My parents hadn't informed her of what they had decided to call me, but due to the fact that I couldn't recite it, my guess was that it was something pretty unmemorable.

"I know that, but please remember -"

The both of us widened our eyes at the sound of a deafening explosion, the air around us feeling as if it was vibrating, our ears ringing.

"No," mumbled Pearl as she ran towards me, wrapping her arms around my midsection, gasping as the door to the small bungalow was blown open, debris and rubble flying through the air. The both of us tumbled to the ground as a huge stocky man sauntered in, the sound of his boots hitting the crumbling floorboards echoing throughout the room.

"We have intel that there is a gifted wolf being hidden in the area," the intimidating man spoke, glaring down at the both of us.

Pearl's bottom lip wobbled, and she turned to me, cupping my cheeks. "Scarlett, the Enclave clan have found you. You need to use your gift and run."

"What about you?" I cried, the wolf in front of us releasing a loud growl as he lunged for me. Pearl shouted as he gripped me by the forearm, pulling my black glove off my hand. His eyes lit up as he stared at my splotchy red mark, a smile creeping up onto his face.

"Nyx is going to be very happy with this," he said before pointing down at Pearl, her body shaking. "And you! You will be killed for committing treason by hiding a hunted breed."

"You don't rule us!" Pearl spat, shaking her head.

"No, let me go! Don't touch her!" I cried as I yanked against the wolf's grip, screaming as he picked Pearl up by her neck with his free hand, lifting her off the ground.

Her face was beet red and she gargled for breath, her sad gaze focused on me. The man then quickly snapped her neck with both hands, dropping her to the ground with a loud thud.

"What did you do!?" I screamed, tears pouring from my eyes.

Pearl had been like a grandmother to me. We weren't related - we weren't even the same species, but I had loved her. She was all I had ever known.

"She was just a human," the wolf spoke harshly, gripping me. "Now, come on."

"No!" I growled, tensing my jaw as tightly as I could, glaring at the man in front of me with such hatred that I thought I was going to pop a blood vessel. I pushed out as much guilt as I could muster onto him, balling my hands into fists, my heart beating out of my chest. I felt as if I was about to throw up, but this wolf had killed Pearl, and I was going to end up dead too, if I didn't do something.

The man fell to his knees suddenly, his brows furrowing as his eyes became teary, and I knew he was feeling the intense guilt I wanted him to. He immediately released me, a single tear dribbling down his cheek as he clutched onto his heart.