Page 79 of Shades of Scars

Glass bottles rattle on the wall behind the bar, and a few sitting on racks beneath the top of the bar tumble off the shelves and shatter against the ground. Wren curses, and makes his way around the bar. That’s when Sutton’s guys rush inside and approach their leader.

“Boss, there’s been an explosion five minutes across town. First responder calls are saying it was at a boutique on Black River Avenue.” I feel my heart plummet to the bottom of my stomach at the mention of the location.

“Fuck!” Wren snarls, already rushing towards the exit. Sutton is on my heels as I follow after my pack lead.

“What is it?” Malakei demands, and I grit my teeth while I struggle to hold onto my sanity. I’m already pulling up Apollo’s contact in my phone.

It rings. Once. Twice. Then it clicks like he’s answering it, but then the line goes dead. The sound that slips free from me is anything but human.

“Apollo isn’t answering.” I say this to Wren with a deadly calm I don’t feel, but he isn’t listening. The moment we step out onto the Parkway sidewalk, sirens are blaring and people are screaming. My gaze lifts to the Northern horizon, towards our pack penthouse, and that’s when I see it. The smoke billowing up into the once bright, blue skies.

My phone rings then, and I pray to a fucking God I’ve never prayed to that it’s Apollo to assure me everything is fine. Of course, the almighty being doesn’t acknowledge my desperation.

Instead, Fraser’s name flashes across the screen. I have half a mind not to answer, but he is the closest to the chaos to give us answers.

I accept the call while following Wren to the SUV we have parked by the curb.

“Fraser, you better have a good fucking reason for whatever the fuck is happening.”

“It was a goddamned distraction. You need to get down here,now. Our omegas are gone and your guy is down.” As soon as the words are out of his mouth I feel my entire soul shudder.

No. This cannot be happening.

51

Scarlett

Fifteen Minutes Earlier

“God, this is amazing. To feel the sun on my skin again.” Kate groans where she’s laying back against the pool lounger, clad only in a teeny tiny yellow bikini. She’s got on the largest pair of pink rhinestone studded sunglasses I’ve ever seen.

I snort while rubbing another layer of sunscreen on my shoulders and arms. “You’ve been out in the sun, Kate.”

“No, I haven’t babe. That psycho your alpha has watching my apartment hasn’t let me step a single foot outside. Anything I need or want, he has delivered. Shit, if I’d let him, he’d be guarding me from inside the apartment like a true prison warden.”

I frown. “You haven’t been going to work?”

She uses a finger to lower her glasses and give me a look. “He got me fired. The goddamn idiot punched a guy for hinting that he’d given me a bigger tip because of how nice my ass was. Punched him so good he knocked a few teeth loose. That’s not even the worst part. The insane asshole fucking licked his knuckles clean when he was done.” She shudders, but I can’t even tell if it’s from revulsion or something else entirely.

I gape at her. “Jerry fired you?” My tone raises an octave, and Kate sighs.

“Jerry told me that Fraser could either leave, or I had to. And since that alpha doesn’t fucking listen, I had to be the one to leave.”

“Fuck.” I mutter, and she grunts in agreement, turning her head away to tip it towards the sun again. “What about the apartment and bills?”

“I have a little in savings, and Cosette told me her pack wouldn’t charge me rent again until I’m back on my feet. She doesn’t agree with what Jerry did, considering the situation.”

“Situation?”

“Oh, did I not tell you? That psycho is my scent matched alpha.” She says without looking at me, and I feel my jaw practically hit the floor. It takes me several seconds to process what she’s just dropped like a loaded grenade into our afternoon conversation.

“How… how long have you known?” I can feel my heartbeat thudding away in my chest as I hold my breath, waiting for her answer.

“You’ve had a lot going on, Scar-”

“Just tell me, Kate.” I cut her off before she can finish that sentence. I don’t need her to explain herself to me. I especially didn’t want her using my crazy ass life as an excuse not to talk to me.

Friends are supposed to confide in each other, right?

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