One Suicidal, the Other Uncaring ♚

Chapter 29: Scarlet's Allegiance

Axel's POV

Lily whimpers suddenly.

I follow her gaze to the window just in time to see someone leap away through the trees. I look at Nick questioningly. Seeing my eyes on him, he nods, growling slightly.

"What is it?" Luke asks Lily.

"I... I don't know," she answers softly.

"Now you, what was with the growl?" Cam says, looks at Nick.

"Nothing," Nick replies.

Pretend I never said anything, but what Lily saw was Zane's spy, I say in the mind-link.

Drake is the first one to understand the first part of my sentence. "Are you sure it was nothing?"

"Yeah, Lily wouldn't whimper for no reason," Dezi adds, also catching on.

"Trust me, it was nothing but a bird," I reply, waving my hand in an impatient manner.

He was making sure we're doing the job they want us to do properly, Nick says. He knows we saw him, and he'll be expecting us to go out and talk to him.

Now? Eric asks.

Probably, I reply. We can let you into our minds to read our thoughts if that helps reinforce your trust in us?

Darren nods. Why are we mind-linking?

Just in case Zane's spy comes back, Nick answers. He might be able to read our lips and understand what we're saying.

"We can go check it out, see if there's anything out there," I say, getting up.

Drake nods, understanding what I mean. Nick stands up as well and we head to the front door. I look back at my mate and he nods, telling me he's good. I don't want another repeat of what happened earlier, when he wouldn't look at me.

I can feel their presence in my mind as Nick and I follow the faint scent of Zane's spy.

He's wearing that spray that hides his scent, right? I ask my twin. The one that you can only detect if you're taught how?

Yeah, Nick answers.

Wait, so Redriver made some kind of spray that hides a wolf's scent, and you can only recognize it if they teach you how to recognize it? Emily asks.

Exactly, I answer. We're getting closer, so we won't be able to answer any questions until we get back. But we'll keep our minds open, OK?

Got it, Eric says. Be careful.

Please, bro, careful is my middle name, I reply.

Nick scoffs. Yeah, you were totally being careful when you were swinging on branches with your eyes closed, missed the branch, and almost broke your neck when you fell. If that was you being careful, I'd hate to see what you not being careful would look like.

I can hear the others chuckle and laugh in my head. I send them an image of me pouting before letting my mood grow more serious.

Nick and I stop in a small clearing. The barely detectable scent of Zane's spy lingers in the air.

"Show yourself, dog," Nick growls softly.

A figure drops from one of the trees along the edge of the clearing and steps forward. Her ginger hair is in her usual ponytail on the back of her head, and her green eyes are cold. Her outfit is camouflage, perfect for the forest.

She's the first one who whipped me, Drake growls lowly.

"Beta Scarlet," I say, nodding once in respect. Scarlet is the third highest in the beta ranking. Nick and I are both first, then there's Harvey, Scarlet's mate. "How's life in the pack?"

"Awful," she answers, a slight growl in her voice. "The Alpha can't even remember the names of the pack, so he calls me Beta #2. Then there's the fact that he's an Alpha in general, and the fact he's fvcking obsessed with making Malice's life miserable. So yeah, pretty awful."

A series of growls goes off in my head from the others.

"Watch what you say," Nick growls darkly. "We can always report to the Alpha and have you dropped back a rank or so."

Scarlet scoffs. "Oh please, I saw the small looks you two would shoot each other when you thought no one was looking. I know you volunteered for this job to get away from Redriver. You hate it there just as much as I do, don't deny it."

"Oh yeah, we hate it there so much," Nick says, sarcasm dripping in his voice. "Being so close to the top of the food chain is the worst."

Scarlet growls, "no need to pretend. I swear to the Moon Goddess you can trust me and I won't tell anyone anything you don't want me to."

I study her. What do you think, Nick?

I think we can trust her, my twin replies.

"Alright, Scarlet," Nick says. "We'll trust you, but if you show any hint of betrayal, we will not hesitate to kill you."

Scarlet nods. "Understood. Now on to more important matters. How are we getting rid of Zane?"

"How do you know about that?" I ask suspiciously.

"Know about what? I just assumed you have a plan to get rid of Zane," Scarlet replies.

I can see the honestly in her eyes as I study her.

Tell her, or don't tell her? Nick says.

Tell her part of it? I suggest.

Sure, he replies.

"We're killing Zane," I say slowly.

"Then what?" Scarlet asks. "Are you two taking over the pack? I know Harvey and I will follow you, and so will most of the deltas. They hate the treatment they get, but Zane won't let them leave, so they'll support us."

I look at Nick. "Y'know, we haven't talked about what happens after. We just know we're killing Zane."

"But taking over Redriver is an idea to consider," Nick replies. "That gets rid of a major threat to Bloodlust, especially if the packs become allies."

I'd be OK with an alliance as long as the Alpha was one of you two, Drake says.

"We'll think about it," I say. "Now you should be getting back to Redriver, Scarlet. Don't want Zane to get suspicious now, do we? And don't tell anyone - except maybe Harvey if you know for sure he won't go tell anyone else - about what we said."

Scarlet nods. "See you soon, Betas." She turns and walks three steps before turning back to us. "And tell Alpha Drake that I'm truly sorry for what I did to him."

Then she heads off into the forest and doesn't look back.

I look at Nick. Now we have something else to think about. Do we want to lead Redriver pack after all this sh!t goes down? I don't really want to be an Alpha, but I will if I have to.

"What do you think?" I ask my twin. "Would you want to be Alpha of Redriver?"

Nick shrugs. "Maybe... It would probably be best for the pack. I mean, we could resolve the ranking and teach them to live like any other pack. Let's worry about this after Zane's dead."

I nod, but it doesn't stop bothering me. What'll happen to Redriver after we kill Zane? Would they want revenge and attack Bloodlust? Nick and I won't let them do that.

And who will be the next Alpha?