Scarlet ~

I’d seen enough disappointment for one birthday, but apparently, the Moon Goddess had a darker sense of humor than I thought.

Because when I pushed open that janitor’s closet door, I didn’t just find Leonard,

I found Leonard with his pants around his thighs and his tongue down Clara’s throat.

For a few seconds, my brain refused to register the scene. Then the air hit me—sweat, musk, betrayal. And my stomach churned.

He froze. She froze. And there we were, three idiots in a staring contest from hell. Or maybe I was the only idiot in this case.

“Why?” That was all I could manage. My voice came out cracked but steady enough to sting the silence between us.

Leonard didn’t even flinch. No guilt. No remorse. Just that same cold look he wore when he rejected me. And Clara…. she had the audacity to smirk, her manicured fingers still tracing lazy circles across his bare chest like she owned him. And maybe she did.

“Leonard, baby,” she purred, “you don’t have to stop just because of some unwanted nobody.”

My fists clenched so tight I felt my nails pierce my palms. Unwanted nobody. Classic Clara. She always loved throwing words like knives.

But she wasn’t the only problem here. The man I thought I loved just stood there, saying nothing, letting her talk.

“Why?” I asked again, louder this time.

He scoffed. “Why? You think I’d actually end up with someone like you? You’re delusional, Scarlett. Clara has everything I could ever want. She doesn’t come from a shameless family like yours, pretending to be better than everyone else.”

“Shameless family?” I repeated, my voice shaking with fury.

“Yes,” he snapped, “your father dumped your mother because she wasn’t goo—”

The slap landed before I even realized my hand had moved. The sound echoed off the walls, sharp and satisfying.

“You dare talk about my mother with that filthy mouth?” I hissed, glaring daggers at him. “You’re standing here half-naked in a freaking closet, and I’m the shameless one?”

Clara gasped, and Leonard’s jaw tightened, but I didn’t care. Something inside me snapped and it felt really good.

“I could’ve tolerated anything you said about me,” I spat, “but insult my mother again and I’ll show you just how holy I can get while I’m shoving your tiny—” I paused, smirking. “Actually, never mind. That thing’s too small to bother with. Guess you and Clara really are the perfect pair.”

I turned and walked out, chin high, pulse still hammering in my throat. My heart hurt, sure, but my pride? Untouched.

****

By the time I got home, I was exhausted physically, emotionally and soul-deep tired.

Mom sat on the sofa, worry creasing her brow as I told her everything. Every word, every insult, every filthy detail.

She stayed silent through it all, but when I mentioned his little “family” comment, her expression hardened.

“So he said that?” she asked, voice trembling with restrained fury.

“Yeah,” I muttered, sinking back against the cushion. “He was about to say worse if I hadn’t slapped the daylight out of him.”

Mom stood up suddenly, smoothing her apron with that calm that meant she was anything but calm.

“Mom, where are you going?” I asked, already knowing the answer.

“To talk to that twerp of a werewolf. He broke your heart, humiliated you, and disrespected me? No one messes with my daughter and gets away with it.”

Her tone sent chills down my spine. My mom was gentle, but she was also the woman who’d survived everything life threw at her and came out swinging.

“Mom, please,” I begged, tugging her hand. “He’s not worth it. People like him? They destroy themselves, they aren't worth the trouble.. We shouldn’t stoop to their level.”

Her shoulders slumped slightly. “I’m sorry you had to go through this, Scarlett. Maybe I failed as a mother.”

“What? No!” I pulled her into a hug, my voice breaking. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me. We don’t have much, but we’re okay. We always are. You did everything right.”

She smiled faintly, brushing my hair from my face. “You have your father’s stubbornness,” she murmured.

“Then I guess he did one thing right,” I said dryly.

*****

The days after that were hellish. Leonard and Clara turned PDA into an Olympic sport, practically glued to each other’s faces in front of the entire school. And Clara? She made sure to make my last weeks at Howling High miserable.

If not for Elise and Jane, I’d have probably murdered her or lost my sanity. Maybe both.

“Break a leg,” Clara sneered on the morning of graduation, bumping her shoulder into mine as she passed.

Elise hissed under her breath, “Keep talking, bitch. I’ll break your neck instead.”

I chuckled. Yeah, definitely prison.

Graduation day was the final humiliation.

I should’ve known Clara couldn’t resist one last show. And her break a leg comment should have alerted me.

There I was, mid-performance on stage. My song, my moment… When a bucket of water drenched me from above. My dress tore. My voice cracked. Gasps and laughter rippled through the audience. Phones recording every second.

I stood frozen under the spotlight, water dripping down my ruined gown, and for one insane moment, I looked for Leonard, stupidly hoping that he'd help me.

He didn’t, he just turned away.

My chest ached, but I refused to let the tears fall. Not again. Not for him or anyone. I was stupid before but not anymore..

Then a shadow stepped forward. A heavy jacket fell over my shoulders, warm and soft, shielding me from the stares.

I looked up and my breath caught.

Cold gray eyes. Tall. Broad. Dangerous. The Alpha on the program lineup as the special guest of the day. What was his name again? I couldn't remember

He adjusted the jacket around me, his fingers brushing my skin like static.

And then, with a voice that could silence storms, he said,

“Mate.”

The entire hall went dead quiet.

Of course. Because my life wasn’t already complicated enough.