DARK ALLIANCE (Scarlett of the wolves #3)

Chapter 8

“Yes, my dear parents, I have become a potential top model, what do you want… What are you saying? Who’s this handsome boy accompanying me? My new boyfriend, why? Sorry? Elgin? Elgin who? Ahhhh… him… Yes well, between us, he didn’t fit at all, so we broke up!”

But who was I going to make believe something like that? Certainly not May! Luckily, she would never see what I look like now, that would be less of a shock. On the other hand, my situation with Rucker might leave her speechless, but not for too long. My heart was racing and I still wondered how I had managed to convince myself that everything would be okay.

Rucker stopped the car by the side of the road, just three miles from the family manor.

In my hand, I held the contact lenses he had given me a few days earlier. They had their little effect, I must admit. Thanks to them, my eyes looked like they were pretty much normal. I took off my sunglasses, getting ready to put them in, and turned pale when I saw my reflection.

“You didn’t drink enough yesterday,” Rucker said. “Your eyes are red.”

“But I…,” I panicked.

“Don’t worry. You suffered a big shock; your body is reacting.”

He looked around furtively.

“Do you know a wood where we could hunt?”

“But it’s barely three o’clock! We could be seen.”

“Do you see another solution? Do you feel ready to go to your family like this, maybe?”

I sighed, resigned.

“There’s the manor woods, but... I think that by car you can only access it by the courtyard itself.”

He opened the glove box and pulled out a road map. He unfolded it on the dashboard.

“Good. We’re here,” he said, pointing his finger at the B874. “The map shows a grove further south, on the road to Haster. You know? I think we should be able to get to it by taking the A892.”

With that, he put on his turn signal and started to turn around.

We had hardly left when the anguish took hold of me.

“What are we going to tell my parents? Who are you supposed to be to me? My boyfriend?”

He laughs.

“Tell them what suits you! Tell them that I’m a brave knight who has come to save you from the clutches of a horrible hairy monster.”

“Rucker! I don’t want to joke. I’m supposed to be living with someone else. They don’t know about anything. How am I...”

“Calm down, Scarlett. I’m taking you to your parents, that’s all. I’m a friend. Isn’t that the case?”

“Yes, it is.”

The car drove past the large grove that Rucker had spotted on the map. He took the nearest exit and followed a country road. When we got to the wooded area, he parked the car on the side of the road.

“Let’s go,” he said, unbuckling his belt.

I would have sat comfortably waiting for him, but I had a feeling he wouldn’t agree. I slammed the door and followed him through the lush green trees.

Ultimately, all woods look the same. There are always the same broken branches on the ground, the same moss, the same crooked trunks, and the same insufferable brambles that prevent you from moving forward properly.

“It’s not going to be long, it’s swarming with animals around here,” he warned me.

We walked a few more steps until a noise, a subtle nibble, caught our attention.

Slightly bent on his knees, palms flat on his thighs, pupils tightened and irises translucent, Rucker waited. He reminded me of an animal, ears pricked up, on the lookout for the slightest error of the small mammal who would have the audacity to get too close. He moved like a silent shadow, moving with grace and harmony as if he had belonged to this forest. I was amazed. In broad daylight, it was truly breath-taking.

We heard a yelp. Rucker didn’t wait and jumped up onto an embankment. He came back less than ten seconds later, a half-dead hare in his hand.

I shivered. The beast didn’t appeal to me at all. Especially since I heard the last disordered beating of his heart. I hoped with all my might that it died of a heart attack before I touched it.

It did.

Rucker, his canines protruding, handed the animal to me.

“Quick. Don’t wait.”

I didn’t want him to see me do it. I was repulsed.

Modestly, I turned my back on him and crouched down.

Swallowing my saliva loudly, I parted the hare’s hairs in its throat and waited. But nothing happened: my canines refused to come out.

I was distraught.

Rucker walked over to me and c****d his head to see what I was doing.

“There’s a problem?”

I felt so humiliated. Why did it have to be so complicated?

“I can’t do it...”

He suppressed a laugh, creating a surprising sound, located between choking and a whistle. I raised an eyebrow.

“Really, I don’t want to ramble on, but... how weird you are! Give me your hare.”

I handed the animal to him, closing my eyes when I heard a sinister crackle. Then Rucker sat down next to me.

“You don’t need your teeth to drink. Raise your head and open your mouth.

Twenty minutes later, the Alpha Romeo entered the track to the manor. My heart sank.

To avoid too much of a shock to my parents, I had taken care to tie my hair in a tight bun and I had put in contact lenses.

Rucker parked right next to my father’s car.

While he had already slammed his door, I hadn’t moved an inch.

He walked around and opened the door for me.

“If you want everything to look normal, behave normally. You’re supposed to be very happy to be here.”

I lowered the sun visor one last time to check my eyes.

The blush on my cheeks made me look good. Everything was going to be fine.

I got out, squeezing Rucker’s hand that he held out to me. He had no interest in letting go of me!

Millie ran out of the house to pounce on me. Petrified, I got a full blast of her scent in my face.

What did she smell like! Lavender, rosemary and… sugar. My God…

With a deep breath, I gently pushed her away. Trying to hide my tension as much as possible.

“Sweety! Lord how you have changed!”

I gave her a shy smile.

She took my hand to make me turn around, just to admire me a little better. My parents, who arrived during this, made a terrible face when they saw me.

“What have you done to your hair?” my mother scolded, grabbing a strand that had escaped from my bun.

Before I answered, Rucker stepped in to create a diversion.

“Hello, Mrs Rittel,” he said, holding out his hand. “I’m Rucker Legrand, a friend of your daughter.”

Oh yes… Legrand, as if he really needed to call himself that!

Half dismayed, my mother gripped Rucker’s fingers to shake his hand. She rubbed herself, surprised at this glacial handshake.

“Uh… hello.”

“Mr Rittel,” he bowed politely.

My father was equally surprised, but he only released his hand when Rucker did.

“Hello, young man.”

“Is grandma here?” I asked, furtively kissing my parents’ cheek who had remained completely still.

“In the living room…,” my mother stammered, very disturbed.

Without thinking, I grabbed Rucker’s hand and pulled him back, keeping myself from running inside.

“Relax, Scarlett,” he said through clenched teeth. “You look really weird.”

“I don’t just look it, Rucker, I also feel it! (He loosened his fingers.) You’re not going to let go of me, right?”

He smirks.

“Yes… because if not, I think I’m going to get a good talking to by your father,” he amused himself. “Don’t worry, girl, I’m very close.”

“You’re not going to call me ‘girl’ like that in front of them?”

He gave me a second smile.

May was sitting in her favourite chair. When I saw her, I felt a pang in my heart. I’ll never get old again.

“Grandmother?”

She jumped.

“Scarlett! I didn’t hear you come in!”

I knelt at her feet, cautiously awaiting the effect her scent would have on me. But nothing, just like that of my parents.

Reassured, I pressed myself recklessly against her. Her arms immediately wrapped around me.

“Grandmother, I missed you so much...”

“You’re frozen, my granddaughter. Is it that cold outside?”

“Uh no… Maybe it’s because of the air conditioning in the car,” I lied. “Grandma, I would like to introduce you to a friend, Rucker. He’s the one who was kind enough to take me here.”

My grandmother frowned, but she was far too polite to comment in front of him. She pretended to get up.

“Please, ma’am,” Rucker said in a velvety voice. “Stay seated.”

Rucker grabbed the hand May was holding out to him.

“It must be really cold in your car,” she remarked, stroking her hand.

My parents entered at the same time, while Millie was walking down the hall to reach the kitchen. Her smell was going to be a real problem.

Rucker smirked. He had noted my discomfort.

“Scarlett, really,” said my mother, annoyed, “you look lovely, but… why did you change the colour of your hair!”

“Oh, I… this is the new fashion in St Andrews!”

My mother raised an eyebrow dubiously.

“Do you have family in Wick?” my father asked Rucker, his voice full of suspicion.

Presumably, he hadn’t quite intended to offer him lodging!

Rucker gave him a pleasant smile.

“No sir, but I’ve always wanted to visit this side of the Highlands. I took a hotel room in the city centre. Scarlett promised to be my tour guide.”

He turned his head towards me and I smiled back at him exaggeratedly.

“Well,” said my mother politely but without much enthusiasm “would to stay and eat with us during your stay?”

“I don’t want to inconvenience you,” he answered solemnly.

Mom raised an eyebrow.

“It’s no trouble, uh...”

“Rucker.”

“Yes, Rucker. You brought our daughter here.”

“So, it will be with great pleasure.”

The atmosphere was loaded with incomprehension. My father was studying Rucker, wondering what he was doing here and my mother was scrutinizing me from head to toe, giving the impression of not being completely sure that I was her daughter.

“We’ll give you a moment,” I decided. “Rucker and I are going to drop my things upstairs.”

My father nodded silently and my mother… I don’t know, I hurried out of the room before I saw the look she was making.

“A hotel room in the city centre, then?” I teased him when we met in front of his car.

He smiles in embarrassment.

“That’s all I found to say… Your father is obviously not ready to open his daughter’s bed for me!”

“Obviously! It isn’t for anyone, by the way!”

“Really?” he said with a wink.

“What do you think?” I barked, shoving his hip, which made him laugh.

He grabbed my travel bag and we walked up the stairs.

“You’ll at least be here for every meal,” I asked.

“I’ll be here all the time, Scarlett.”

I wrinkled my brow, sceptical.

“Okay… but how?”

“I’ll manage. I told you not to worry.”

“Do you think I can be a danger to Millie?”

“You know that as well as I do.”

“I wasn’t expecting it,” I whispered sadly.

He gently stroked my cheek.

“You never expect it. It’ll be alright. I’ll watch over you. Okay?”

“Okay,” I whispered.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. My parents kept a courteous tone with Rucker, but I knew they were impatiently waiting for his departure to question me. I dreaded this moment, however, around ten o’clock, I saw the end of the meal as a deliverance.

Out of politeness, Rucker had emptied his plate much more than I, who had pretended to be exhausted by the drive. But, I was much more disturbed by Millie than by what she had prepared for us. Her scent was torturously hard to bear.

When Rucker got up from the table to pretend to say goodbye, my stomach clenched. My mother did the same and stubbornly stuck to me, preventing me from accompanying him to his car. When she closed the front door, my father was behind us.

“Well!” he quipped, looking at me warily. “What surprises, what surprises! Let’s go and sit in the living room, shall we?”

I nodded half-heartedly, my mother still clinging to my arm.

“So, Scarlett? Who is this charming young man?” my father asked, inquisitor.

How I hated when he did that, take on his superior look to force me to respond.

“A friend from college.”

“He’s older than you,” my mother pointed out.

If you knew mom...

“It’s not just people my age at university.”

“Is it him that you coloured your hair for?”

“Of course not! I have a little more personality than that, in any case!”

Especially now...

“I don’t like your new style,” she said bluntly.

I shrug my shoulders without answering. The next question immediately came up.

“Where’s Elgin? Why didn’t he come with you?”

There you go… How could they not have asked? Quick, quick, a lie, a big one!

“He has been on the Orkney Islands with his uncle and aunt for a week. He’s staying there all of August.”

My mother narrowed her eyes.

“He won’t be here for your birthday?”

“No.”

“Well then!” she said. “Did you fight?”

“No.”

Too short Scarlett, too short….

“So what?”

“So, nothing at all, mom! Don’t beat yourself up.”

Millie’s sweet scent approached; she entered the room holding May’s arm.

Completely ignoring her presence, my father continued.

“This… Rucker. Is he some kind of boyfriend?”

What delicacy! Why not say “… the guy you’re cheating on Elgin with?”

“No, dad, just a friend.”

I emphasised the word forcefully, in case everyone hadn’t heard correctly.

“And besides that,” I got annoyed. “don’t you want to know how my studies are going, my life in St Andrews? How I am, me?”

My question snapped and immediately ended the subject of Rucker.

At around 11:30 pm, I walked May back to her room.

I was surprised by her reaction. While I was lying through my teeth, enthusiastically inventing the joys of being financially independent, the details of my imaginary job, my plans for the upcoming academic year, she hadn’t asked a single question. She had remained silent as the grave. Now I expected some questioning, but nothing came. She only pointed out to me that I really had to be getting something to be so cold, and that I had better take care of myself seriously. Then she closed her door after saying goodnight to me. I remained stuck in front of it.

Ten minutes later I was still standing there. I wanted to talk to her. I knocked softly.

“It’s me, grandmother.”

“Come in, my granddaughter.”

She was already in bed, the light off of course. I didn’t turn it on and sat down next to her. She felt the sheets to catch my hand.

Silently, she took my arm to rub it and try to warm it. I think she did. My usually cold skin felt almost warm.

“You’re the only one who hasn’t asked me about Elgin or Rucker, why?” I asked in a very small voice.

She let out a very long sigh and searched for my face to stroke it.

“Because I realized that something was wrong. Also, I think your long weeks of silence concealed your suffering. Am I wrong?”

“No…,” I whispered.

“My granddaughter… what happened?”

How to tell her, without really telling her? I thought a shortcut was much more appropriate for her old lady heart.

“Elgin doesn’t want me anymore, grandma.”

She shook her head.

“I find it hard to believe.”

“It’s true and he’ll never change his mind.”

She grabbed my head and hugged it against her shoulder.

“How sorry I am Scarlett,” she whispered, stroking my hair.

I appreciated that she didn’t ask me more questions.

I let myself be cuddled for a few minutes until she patted me on the shoulder.

“Will you keep it all to yourself, grandmother?”

I saw her smile despite the darkness.

“Of course. I won’t talk about it.”

“Thank you. I’ll try to go to sleep now.”

“Good night, Scarlett,” she said, kissing me on the forehead. “And cover yourself up! You’re an ice cube!”

I gave a silent laugh before sneaking out.

I had barely set foot in my room when I heard scratching at the window.

I quickly opened the bay, and let Rucker in.

“Is everything fine?” he asked seeing my sad face.

“Yes, I just spoke with my grandmother. What did you do?”

He smiles as he begins to untie his shoes.

“I met a wild boar!”

He took off his socks, his sweater, his T-shirt…, at this rate, he was going to find himself in underwear in less than two seconds! I had a brief moment of panic.

“But… what are you doing?”

He slung his jeans onto a chair and settled himself full length on my bed and lifted his head to look at me.

“You don’t think I’m going to watch you sleep! You’re not the snoring type, I hope?”

He winked at me and settled himself in.

I couldn’t believe it.

“No and you?”

“You’ll see, girl!”

It was better to laugh about it than to cry.

With a smile on my face, I made my way to the bathroom to take a shower and put on my pyjamas. When I joined him, he was already asleep and… he wasn’t snoring.

I awoke later in the night, struck down with fear: the intoxicating smell of Millie was unsustainable. I wasn’t going to be able to contain myself... I had to get up and taste her irresistible scent at all costs.

I grabbed a pillow and stuck it over my mouth to calm myself down. I was shaking, my fangs were out. I felt Rucker’s arm pass over me, he turned on my bedside lamp to look at my eyes.

“Look at me.”

I complied. I was too scared of what I was feeling.

“Everything’s fine. You’re not thirsty. You understand?”

“I’m not thirsty,” I repeated softly.

“You can’t control your sense of smell, but you can control your reactions now. Okay? You’re not thirsty.”

“It’s hard…”

“It’s hard, but you have no choice. Everything will be alright. I’m here. And if it’s too hard, we’ll go. Now turn around. (I obey.)”

He wrapped his arm around my waist and hugged me tightly. Firmly. At that moment, I knew that if I tried to stand up, he would stop me. Somehow that reassured me. It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep again.