Page 67 of Shades of Scars

I turn back to Ant, but he’s still got his attention focused on my roommate. I grit my teeth, then wave a hand in front of him to draw his focus back to me. “Lead the way!” The sooner I get him away from Kate, the better.

Ant quickly leads me through the crowd to the tiny hallway behind the stage. Vivianna, Rocky, and Raven are fiddling with their instruments when we approach. I get greetings from Vi and Rocky, but as soon as my eyes connect with Wren’s bitchy alpha sister, her glacial glare freezes me in place.

“What the fuck are you doing here? Polluting my stage with your presence. Does my brother know you’re here?” She practically snarls the demanding questions, but I don’t flinch away. She can act any way she wants. She doesn’t scare me. I’ve dealt with far worse alphas than her in my lifetime.

“We may be scent matches, but your brother doesn’t get to tell me how I live my life.” I lift my chin, making sure my words are loud enough to be heard. Her icy eyes narrow on me, but before she can spew more venom, Ant steps between us.

“She’s just going to sing a set with us, Raven. Get your thong out of its knot in your ass.” He pulls out a piece of paper and hands it over to me. “This is the list of songs.”

I take the paper and scan it over quickly. I nod before handing it back. “I know them.”

“Great. Curtain’s about to open. Mic is all set for you.” He gestures to the mic front and center stage, and I ignore Raven’s lingering glower of hatred before heading towards it. I only have a minute to get my shit together, and then the curtain is indeed opening. The lights dim above the crowded dance floor, and I close my eyes so I don’t have to look out over the mass of bodies.

The band strums its first chords behind me, and words flow free from me like it’s the most natural thing in the world. My heartbeat thumps in time with the beat of the drums, and I lose myself to the music. I sing, and the crowd vibrates with awe and excitement. I don’t open my eyes to see it, but I can feel it deep in the marrow of my bones. I know how talented I am. Singing was one thing that my father and Erossi used me for when I became useless in everything else.

One song bleeds into the other, and I sing like this might very well be the last time. Half-way through the fourth song, I finally open my eyes to look out over the mass of writhing bodies. There are no protests or jeers. Everyone is swaying and grinding in time with the music that pours free from me, boosted by the band at my back.

By the fifth song, my eyes finally find my alphas standing in the crowd. They aren’t dancing, but I can feel their gazes piercing through me like the sharp tip of an arrow. My heart skips a beat, and I barely stop my breath from hitching in my throat. Just having their attention focused on me makes my mouth go dry and makes it hard to focus.

Something flashes in front of me, almost too quick for me to notice, and I’m momentarily distracted. I glance down where I thought I saw the flash go, and then my eyes widen. My name is a roar of panic from Caito’s lips, shattering the moment of peace I’d been in while I’d been singing.

Pure survival instincts kick my body into motion, and I throw myself to the side just as the deafening crack of a gunshot shatters the vibe of the club, throwing everything into chaos. I know I hadn’t been fast enough when pain slices through my left arm, making fire erupt at the spot where I’d been hit.

Lark is already at the front of the stage, vaulting up the incredible height of it until he lands on his knees beside where I’m now sprawled out. Screaming and pandemonium ensues,but Lark ignores it all. I’m in shock when he scoops me up into his arms and darts towards the back of the stage and the little hallway there.

He tries to keep my head tucked against his chest, but it’s not enough to stop me from catching a glimpse of Raven hovering over Ant lying on the ground. “Lark!” I’m screaming, but he doesn’t stop. It’s already too late. The image of blood pooling rapidly beneath the alpha with a bullet in his chest is already searing itself into my vault of horror memories, never to be erased again.

Someone just tried to kill me. Someonedidkill Ant.

42

Scarlett

“Fuck, where’s Kate?!” I hiss out, choking back the sob of pain when Lark crouches with me in the back hallway next to the stage. It’s the safest place for us right now, so he’s hesitant to move.

“Apollo grabbed her to get her off the dance floor the moment we saw the sight trained on you. Caito took off in the direction it originated from and I got to you on the stage.Fuck, Dream girl. You’re hit.” He snarls, pulling me away from his chest long enough to glance at the blood soaking his Henley and leaking down my arm.

“I’m fine. It’s just a graze.” He growls to that, but I push away from him so I can get to my feet. He reluctantly helps me stand, and I’m proud of myself when I barely sway. “Tell me Caito will catch the fucker?” I demand, squeezing my eyes shut for a moment to help settle the dizziness trying to overtake me.

I just dodged a fucking bullet.Literally.

“He will. We have protocols for this type of thing. As soon as an alert is sent out from one of us or our bouncers. No one gets out until they are checked. That’s why we have so many bouncers posted throughout the club.” He confirms, reaching up to rip the sleeve of his Henley off so he can wrap it around the wound on my left arm. I swallow down a hiss of pain at the pressure, knowing it will only make him want to pull away to spare me.

He doesn’t miss my wince.

“This was a mistake.” I whisper through clenched teeth. “My foolishness got Ant…” I trail off, not able to finish that line of thought.

Lark steps close to me and trails his fingers gently over my cheek. I reach up and yank the mask off my face, not wanting it to cover my eyes anymore when I look into his gaze. There is sympathy there, and for once it doesn’t set me off into a rage like it usually does.

“I’d rather it be him than you, love.” Apollo’s sudden voice startles me, and I press myself against Lark momentarily when we turn to see him emerging from the dark beyond with Kate. My roommate is sobbing, and as soon as she sees me standing and alive, she hurls herself at me for a bone-crushing hug.

I catch her, and then I really do let a hiss of pain slip. Lark growls, and Kate yelps, jerking back just as quickly as she’d come at me. “Oh my God, Scar! You got shot!” Apollo hears this and then practically yanks my roommate out of the way to get to me.

“Where?” He snarls, and I hold my arm out so he can examine it. The bleeding has already stopped, thanks to Lark’s shirt wrapped around it. Apollo’s eyes flick to my other alpha at my back, and when he gets a good look at the front of his shirt, he pales a little. “Love…”

“I promise, I’m fine. It just grazed me. I’ll probably just need some stitches. We need to get someone here to look at Ant-”

“You fucking cunt! He’s dead because of you! That bullet was meant for you!” An alpha roar of fury cuts me off, coming from the stage at my back, but before Raven can reach us, Lark and Apollo are blocking her.

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