Marked Mate

23

SCARLETT

Erica clutched onto my arm inside the bunker, her nails digging into my skin. Her jaw was taut, and her eyes were trained on the entrance. "Nobody ever tries to attack us. What the hell do they want?"

"It's okay," I tried to soothe her, rubbing up and down her arm. "Whoever it is, they'll be dead in minutes. The pack's defence is strong."

I wasn't so convinced by my own words though. If it were Nyx that was here, then that would mean so was his army of gifted wolves, and there was no way we stood a chance against them.

People were quiet, and I leaned against the metal wall, the material chilling my skin. It had been intricately designed down here to house a large number of people.

Metal benches were running along all four sides of the wall - all different heights to suit children and older wolves alike. Lights were hung above us, and although they weren't overly bright, they gave us a good view of the entrance just in case.

The heavy metal door was bolted shut, but I was hoping and praying that a guard would yank it open and pop their head in soon to tell us it was safe and we could come out. The idea of Roman being out there... I hated it. I wanted to help protect him. My gift was useful and having me as a secret weapon could benefit the pack.

Suddenly, the steel door shook, and people around us quietened, huddling with one another. Some looked ready to shift and fight for their lives, while others cowered.

"Scarlett," whispered Erica in anticipation. "The guards wouldn't kick at it like that. They'd just open it. Someone is out there."

I nodded, warning her to stay put before I moved through the crowd, pushing a few people out of the way so that I was at the front. If some fucker wanted to come and hurt these people, then they were going to have to face my gift.

After a few more hits at the metal, the sound causing my ears to pulsate, the metal door flew off, almost hitting an elderly man perched on the bench in the corner. Three large wolves ran in, their paws pounding on the dirt beneath them, their glowing yellow eyes honed in on us. They looked fucking rabid - filled with joy at accomplishing getting into the bunker full of victims.

Many people shifted, their wolves almost reaching the ceiling of the bunker since it wasn't that high. A fight broke out, and people lunged at the wolves in front of us, ripping at their skin while others lay low and pushed themselves as far back into the metal wall as they could.

My eyes widened, though, when one of the rogues that had burst into the bunker grabbed a small child by the back of its shirt, holding it up and backing up - as if warning us to stop fighting or he'd kill the defenceless child.

"Oh, my Goddess!" a few people exclaimed from next to me, their hands flying over their mouths in shock as they watched the wolves continue to attack the intruders. They hadn't seen the child that had been snapped up, and it looked as if the wolf was going to either kill him in front of us or run away with him.

Fury radiated through me, and I huffed, honing in on the greyish wolf clutching onto the wriggling and crying child. I mustered all the fear inside my body that I could, forcing it out onto the wolf, glaring at him. I imagined the emotion seeping into his pores, flowing through his bloodstream and soaking into his muscles, tendons, cartilage and bones.

I wanted his body to be nothing but an inferno of horror and dread. He was going to be living a real-life nightmare. There would be no room for any other feeling - only pure panic.

My brain zapped, but I was used to the tingling, and I ignored it, watching with a small smile as the wolf suddenly dropped the child. Its yellow eyes turned into flying saucers as it shook, its limbs barely able to hold it up as a look of fear took over its expression.