(COMPLETED) The Lunar Chronicles - Winter's Summer

Part 32

"Scarlet! Scarlet!"

She heard the calls from Wolf, tears leaking out of her eyes with relief. He found her! He was alive. She had seen the Rampion landing and the crew coming out, but from her distance, she couldn't tell if Wolf was among them.

Standing up, Scarlet wiped away her tears with a quick swipe across her face, doing her best to appear strong. She couldn't let Wolf see her being anything but strong.

He couldn't see how much they broke her.

"Wolf! I'm over here!"

She saw a figure coming towards her, jumping over a triangular peak that housed a window to get to her. A delighted grin smothered her features, every inch of her face portraying how happy she was.

It fell harder than a bag of stones into the ocean.

Scarlet's heart began to race in her chest, threatening to stop working altogether. No. No, it couldn't be.

She started backing away, her hands held out in front of her. "N-no. Stay back."

This couldn't be happening. He shouldn't be here. He was dead. Wolf killed him.

But still, he was here, advancing towards him with a sick grin on his twisted features.

Ran Kesley.

"Stay back!" she shrieked, trembling. He arms were still out in front of her, tears beginning to genuinely pour down her face. Ran stopped, his face a mask of confusion.

"Sc-Scarlet? What's wrong?" His voice trembled in a weak way, completely out of character for him. He should attack her. Why wasn't he attacking her?

There was something broken. Something forced out of place by her kidnapping, distorting her vision, clouding her mind.

This wasn't Ran. But who was it?

They stood, facing off on the roof. Scarlet slowly crept backwards, getting closer and closer to the edge and farther from Ran.

"Who are you?" Her voice shook when she spoke, the words coming out quickly and slurred. But still, the person understood.

"What? Scarlet, it's me, Wolf."

He tried taking a step towards her, and Scarlet retreated a few paces, dangerously close to the edge of the roof.

"Nooo..." She drew out the word, confused at what the man was telling her. This man? He was Wolf?

She thought he was, when he was calling her name. He was the only one who would risk his life to come for her.

But no. Wolf was dead. He died right in front of her. Ran killed him.

Ran killed him.

He would pay for that.

The man took another step forward, and Scarlet picked up one of the heels and held it out as a weak form of protection. She couldn't step back any farther.

She had no space to move. If she did, she would fall off of the roof.

"No. You're dead. You're both dead. I killed you."

"Scarlet, it's me! It's Ze'ev!"

The desperation in his voice caught Scarlet by surprise. Why did he care so much? Why was he trying to torture her with her dead alpha?

She squeezed her eyes tight, trying to block out the pain of her heartbreak.

"Ze'ev died. He can't help me. So I need to keep myself safe. You're making it hard for me to do that."

The man took a lumbering step forward, saying "Scar-"

"I WILL KILL YOU. STAY AWAY FROM ME."

"Scarlet," he begged, seeming to be losing his mind with trying to get her to come with him. "Scarlet, I won't hurt you."

"You said that last time."

He swallowed hard. "I'm sorry about that. But I won't hurt you anymore."

"You can't. I don't love you anymore. You ruined that."

The man flinched. Scarlet felt a small trickle of pleasure coursing through her veins like adrenaline.

She hurt this man. He deserved to be hurt.

"I can protect you, please, but you just have to come with me." He held out a hand, not daring to take another step forward. "Just step away from the edge."

"What edge? This one?"

Scarlet looked behind her, and at seeing the ground so far below her, lost control of her legs. Or she let go.

It didn't matter.

She fell backwards, dropping her heel and tumbling to the ground in a free fall towards the earth.

Or that was the idea.

At the last second, an enormous hand grabbed Scarlet by the wrist, and began hoisting her over the edge of the roof.

Wolf's face came into view, concern and sadness immediately obvious.

He pulled Scarlet onto his lap, where she sat with her legs over the edge of the roof. She wrapped her arms around his neck and let him wrap his arms around her waist, tightly.

Like a seat belt.

She lay a kiss on Wolf's cheek, then pressed her lips against his ear.

"You are not my alpha. But when I go, will you please tell Ze'ev that I love him very much?"

He nodded solemnly, a tear leaking out of his eye.

She smiled at him and curled up in his lap, resting her head on his shoulder. She allowed herself to fall asleep, passing out after mere moments.