Scarlett Redd

Conflicts

**Scarlett's POV**

Going shopping with Cathy was like an Olympic sport. I have never done so much walking, trying on clothes, and carrying around so many bags before. Anytime I liked something or looked at something twice she made me try it on. She loved everything on me, so you can imagine how many bags we were carrying around. 

After about four hours of shopping, she finally let us have a break and head to get some food. After stuffing all the bags into the trunk of her car, she drove us to a restaurant outside the pack borders, which I was not one hundred percent sure was okay, but she reassured me the humans here do not care about coexisting. 

We were being seated when I felt someone staring at us but tried to ignore it. I was probably just being paranoid. The waitress was nice and brought us our drinks immediately. I had never been here so I let Cathy order for me. We talked some more and soon enough our food came. I absolutely loved the grilled chicken and the tomato mozzarella salad. She even let me try one of her avocado eggrolls which were probably my new favorite snack. 

The day was ending quickly and I was anxious to get back to Elijah. I missed him, which was weird, but I also wanted to find out if he knew anything more about what was going on with my grandmother. Cathy was paying the check and then that feeling came back like someone was watching us. I looked around and saw five girls at a table looking our way. They whispered to each other but somehow Cathy heard them. As we walked passed them to leave, she stopped at their table. 

She leaned forward and rested her palms on the table. "It is not nice to say such things about people you do not know. You never know someone until you get on their bad side." Just then I saw her eyes darken and turn pitch black. She dragged her tongue over her teeth and I saw they were now sharp canines like a wolf. The girls flinched and looked down. "Have a nice day, ladies."

We walked out of the restaurant and towards the car. "What happened back there?"

Cathy shook her head and climbed in the front seat while I got in the passenger side. "Nothing. Just that w***e Rebecca being a b***h as always." 

"You knew them?" She nodded. "How?"

She started driving back to the pack house, but still had yet to answer my question. I decided not to push it any further. "Can you pass me a napkin? I have a few in the glove box." I did as she asked, and that is when I noticed the blood coming from her mouth slowly. "Don't freak out. I'm fine. We just aren't supposed to bring out our canines while in our human form, our jaws like this cannot handle them so it causes a little bleeding and pain." She cleaned her mouth and checked in the rearview mirror that she was okay. "Please don't tell Elijah. I mean you can tell him about the girls and my eyes, but not the canines. He'll lecture me again and Goddess it is such a bore!" 

We both chuckled and then changed the subject. We made one last stop at a Starbucks, another place I had not been to, and she suggested the vanilla bean frappe to start with. Another new favorite of mine and I couldn't wait to tell Elijah all about it. We were driving back into the pack's front gate and the guards looked at us weird. 

"Shit." Cathy sighed in defeat. She looked over at me and shrugged her shoulders. "So much for not getting lectured." She parked in the circle driveway of the pack house just as Elijah was walking down the front steps. "Elijah, I can explain-"

"Explain what! How you are still acting like a pup! Really Catherine, bringing out your canines when you know you are putting yourself and your wolf in pain?!" He started to yell. "And you really thought Rebecca wasn't going to tell me."

She stood with her chin high like she refused to believe she did anything wrong. "I knew she would probably run crying to you." Then she looked at me and back to him. "I just didn't think you would care."

"Of course he cares." The girl's voice from the restaurant came from the front door. She walked down the steps and next to Elijah liked she belonged there. "He cares about me." She held his hand, and a part of my heart felt like it was made of glass and just shattered with a hammer. 

Unable to look any longer, I grabbed the bags from the trunk and walked passed them. "Cathy I'll be in your room."

"Right behind you." She called. 

"Scarlett!" He yelled for me, but I didn't stop. "Scarlett!" 

He called my name as I kept going up the stairs to the second floor and into Cathy's room. When she came in she closed and locked the door. He started to knock, but I shook my head. I can't believe he let that leech cling to him like that. After what happened this morning and he was letting another woman touch him? I was so stupid to believe that I mattered to him. 

Cathy turned on her radio and turned it on the loudest setting. Music blared in the room and it was all I could hear. She grabbed my hand, pulled me into the middle of the room and started to dance and jump around. I joined her and let the music erase any problems festering in my mind. 

We danced and laughed until it was starting to get dark outside. I didn't want to leave her room, but I was getting hungry and so was she. Plus, I still wanted to go check on grandmother. Maybe I'll sleep in her room tonight. She has a couch that looks comfortable enough. I peaked my head out the door and saw no one in sight so I quickly ran down the stairs and into my grandmother's room. I closed the door and sighed in relief, but that relief was soon gone. 

"There you are." He said from behind me. I turned to see Elijah sitting in an arm chair, watching my granny sleep. "She just fell asleep about ten minutes ago. I knew if I waited long enough you would come here." I turned to walk back out the door and he was right behind me. He grabbed my hand, pulled me out of the room, and dragged me down the hall in the direction of his office. Once behind closed doors, he pinned me against the door like this morning. Both his hands on either side of my head, caging me in. "We need to talk."

"Then talk." I said firmly. I was not going to be weak. If he wanted another woman, then I would happily go back to the village with my grandmother and never think of him again. 

"Rebecca. Nothing ever happened between us. I'll admit I took her out on a few dates, but I never pursued her further. I told her I didn't feel a connection to her, she got angry, but I no longer saw her or spoke to her until today." He explained, but I didn't believe him. I may be a virgin, but I wasn't stupid. 

"She clung to you like that was her place. Like she had been close to you before." He shook his head, but I didn't know if I should trust him. "You let her hold your hand in front of me. You didn't even acknowledge that I was there, and better yet you let her say that you care for her. If she is the one you want then why am I here?"

"I don't want her. I want you, Scarlett. I promise I never even kissed Rebecca. Not once. You're right I should have pulled away, I should have corrected her, and I should have let her know who you were. I was just too caught up in my anger at Cathy. It is extremely risky to use your canines in our human form. I was more worried about her well being to really pay attention to anything else. I messed up and I sincerely apologize. I'll do better." He leaned forward and rested his head on my shoulder. "Forgive me?"

I couldn't resist him when he was this close, his breath fanning on my skin, his warmth cocooning me. My hands wrapped around him and massaged the back of his neck. He groaned in satisfaction and I felt his muscles start to loosen. I leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his neck. His hand left their place by my head and grabbed my waist. He pulled away and looked down into my eyes. 

"Come, let's eat dinner together, and then you can show me everything you brought today." He kissed me on my cheek and led me out of the office and into the kitchen. 

"Well, not everything." I whispered to myself, but of course he heard. He turned around to look at me and raised his brow. "Well there are some things you do not need to see."

"Like?" He smiled. He was teasing me. His eyes darkened and I saw him noticeably look at my body. 

"Like this really beautiful dark green lace bra and thong set with white trim. It really brings out my eyes." I teased him back. "Or this deep red set that has black trim. That one is... mmmm." 

He crossed the kitchen and placed himself between my legs. His hands held my face and this thumbs lifted my chin up carefully. Then he leaned down and kissed me with so much hunger and passion. His tongue invaded my mouth and I tried so hard to keep up, but his hands started to caress down my neck and then down my arms, to my sides, and rubbed down my thighs. I couldn't focus, I couldn't do anything but lose myself in his kiss and touch. 

I felt my body melt in his arms, and then he let go of me too soon. I heard him chuckle and I looked up into his playful eyes. He was teasing me back. "Ugh!" I groaned and smacked him on his chest. 

He laughed a little harder then went back to fixing us something to eat. While we were eating, I noticed that Elijah kept checking his watch, and every few minutes he would seem to grow more and more worried. "Is something wrong?" I asked him as I took his half eaten plate from in front of him. He stopped eating a while ago and just sat there pushing the food around. 

"My brother was supposed to be back by now. He won't answer his mind link." He mumbled and checked his watch again. 

I wasn't sure what he meant by 'mind link' but I am guessing it is exactly as it sounds. "Your SUVs, don't they have trackers on them?" I asked. 

His face lit up, and then he jumped out of his seat. He came around the counter and kissed me quickly. "You're a genius. Why didn't I think about that!"  

Elijah walked towards his office as I started to go towards my grandmother's room. I ran into someone I thought I would never see again. "Hannah?" 

She turned around quickly and when her eyes met mine, I had hoped to see some relief or happiness, but all I saw was hatred and anger. "WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!" She whisper yelled. 

"Um, the man. He is the Alpha here." I explained. 

Then a man walked in and she looked away and flinched. Then he saw me. "You should have been mine. Not her!" 

I saw her anger build in her eyes. He wanted me. I didn't know what to think or say, I just stood there awkwardly. He walked towards me, and I stepped back until I hit the wall. He was so close, and it felt so wrong. He leaned forward, staring at me intensely. 

Then a loud, deep growl came from behind us. It made me jump, but the man in front of me did not even flinch. Without looking away from me, he said one word. "Brother." It came out like the word disgust him. 

"Get away from her, Maxwell."