novelraw Chapter 91: Blue Moon
Chapter 91: Blue Moon
Scarlett’s POV
The loud ticking of the clock on my wall felt like a hammer. It was exactly 12:00 AM—the witching hour. I dragged myself out of bed, my legs feeling like water, and stumbled to the bathroom sink. I splashed freezing water onto my face, trying to drown out the images that were still burned into the back of my eyelids.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, watching the water drip from my chin. The dream... it felt more like a memory of a future I didn’t want. In the dream, I was standing in the center of a battlefield. The smell of blood and death was everywhere. Hundreds of wolves lay dead at my feet, their fur stained with blood.
And in the middle of that nightmare were the triplets. Liam, Leo, and Leon. Dead.
Suddenly, the cold, sharp voice of Luna Olivia sliced through the air. "I told you," she had hissed, appearing from the shadows of the corpses. "Stay away from them. Now see what you’ve done."
That was when I had jerked awake.
I walked back into the bedroom, but I couldn’t bring myself to get back into the bed. I stepped out onto the balcony instead, the midnight air biting at my skin through my cardigan. I gripped the cold stone railing. What did it mean? Why did it feel so much like a warning?
"Hey!"
The voice broke through my spiraling thoughts. I flinched, looking down into the darkness of the packhouse grounds.
Standing there was a figure with sea-blue eyes that I could recognize anywhere. He was shirtless, his skin glistening with sweat from a late-night run, and the intricate tattoos on his shoulders seemed to move under the moonlight.
It was Leo.
"Are you okay?" he shouted up from the ground, his voice hushed but carrying the weight of genuine concern. He was panting slightly, his chest heaving as he wiped sweat from his forehead.
I looked down at him, my heart doing a strange little dance that I tried to ignore. "I’m fine, Leo," I called back, though my voice sounded thin even to my own ears. "Just couldn’t sleep."
He didn’t move. He just stood there, staring up at me, those blue eyes searching mine for the lie he knew was there. "You look like you’ve seen a ghost, Scarlett. Or worse."
He started walking toward the trellis that led up to my balcony, his movements fluid and fast.
"Don’t you dare climb up here," I whispered, though I knew it was useless.
"Too late," he grunted, his fingers already finding a grip on the stone.
Within seconds, he vaulted over the railing, landing silently in front of me. The scent of pine, rain, and hot Alpha sweat filled my lungs, making Zoe hum in approval. He stayed a respectful distance away, but his presence was overwhelming.
"Talk to me," he said softly, the sea-blue of his eyes looking almost silver in the dark. "What happened? I felt your fear from the ground. It was like a physical punch to the gut."
I turned back to the forest, unable to look at him. "It was just a dream, Leo. A stupid, bloody dream."
"I don’t think so," he replied, stepping closer until I could feel the heat radiating off his bare chest. "You’re shaking. And your wolf... she’s terrified. I can feel her."
I bit my lip, the weight of the dream and the secret of our bond pressing down on me. How could I tell him I just saw him dead in the dirt because of me?
Leo stepped closer, his expression tightening with worry. He reached out as if to touch my shoulder but stopped himself, his hand hovering in the air. "Scarlett, you’re white as a sheet. Just tell me."
"I don’t want to talk about it, Leo," I snapped, my voice trembling.
He paused, searching my face for a long moment before finally nodding. "Fine. I respect your decision. But I’m not leaving until I know you’re not going to pass out."
I needed to change the subject before he pushed me further. I looked at his sweat-slicked skin and the way his chest was still heaving. "Why are you even out here running at this hour? It’s midnight."
He scoffed, shaking his head as he hopped up onto the balcony railing, sitting there and looking down at me. "I had a dream. Couldn’t sleep."
"A nightmare?" I asked, my mind flashing back to the bodies in the dirt.
He let out a short, dry laugh, his eyes darkening as he looked at me. "No. It was the best dream of my life."
I furrowed my brow, feeling a spark of confusion. If it was such a great dream, why was he out here running like a madman to escape his own head? As if he could hear my thoughts, he leaned forward, his voice dropping into a low, husky whisper.
"In that dream, I was with you. In my bed. We... were mating, Scarlett. It felt so real I could still smell you when I woke up."
I rolled my eyes, turning my face away to hide the heat crawling up my neck. "You’re disgusting," I muttered.
"I’m serious," he said, his voice devoid of his usual teasing. "I couldn’t stay in that room. Not with the way my wolf was howling for you."
We fell into a heavy, awkward silence. The only sound was the wind whistling through the trees and the distant hoot of an owl. After a minute, Leo’s expression turned serious.
"Scarlett, do you know what’s happening in four weeks?"
I looked back at him, raising an eyebrow. "No. Should I?"
He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing. "It’s the Full Moon. The Blue Moon."
I was confused for a heartbeat before it finally registered. My eyes widened as the realization hit me like a physical blow. The Blue Moon—the night all unmated she-wolves over the age of eighteen hit their peak.
"I’ll go into heat," I whispered, the word feeling like a curse.
Leo hopped down from the railing, moving into my personal space. "You’ll go into your first heat, Scarlett. And it’s going to be intense."
Panic flared in my chest. I started to breathe faster, my hands gripping the railing so hard the stone bit into my palms. I was scared. No, I was terrified. Leo noticed the shift and stepped in, placing his warm hands over mine.
"Scarlett, calm down. Okay? Look at me." He waited until I met his sea-blue eyes. "By then, I’ll have already announced you as my mate. We’ll be together. I’ll take care of you."
"Fuck you, Leo," I spat, pulling my hands away.
He had no idea. He thought the heat was the problem. He didn’t know the real fear clawing at my insides. I wasn’t just mated to him. I was mated to Liam and Leon too. If I went into heat, all three of them would feel it. All three of them would come for me. And If they all came for me at once... I wouldn’t survive it.
Leo, thinking my fear was just about the pack’s reaction, continued. "Scarlett, my father’s birthday gala is in two weeks. I intend to announce you as my mate there. In front of everyone."
I swallowed hard, my heart hammering.
"But we have to be careful," he added, his jaw tightening. "It’s obvious my brothers still have those childhood crushes on you. They follow you around like lost puppies. You have to tell them, Scarlett. You have to make it clear you have no feelings for them so they don’t get in the way."
I scoffed inwardly, a bitter taste in my mouth. A "crush"? He really thought what Liam and Leon felt was just a crush? He had no idea that they were both carrying the same heavy secret he was. He had no idea that the "traitor’s daughter" was mated to all three of the triplet Alphas.
"You should go, Leo," I said, my voice cold. "Before someone sees you and starts rumors."