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She couldn’t bring herself to tell her that Logan Tanner was dead Had gone crazy Had killed hirave;re You’re everything to ed liirl"

She sniffed, and vowed to herself that she would stay untilShe would stay forever She wouldn’t abandon her If her captors caether if they ain

The voasdown the corridor

Thirty-Nine

Hunkering down over her grandmother, Scarlet turned toward the hallway Old wires huht flooded the cell The door still stood open, the bars casting skeletal shadows along the floor

Her eyes adjusted slowly She held her breath, listening, but the footsteps had stopped Still, soranded hand slipped into hers and she turned back Her gut clamped Streaks of dried blood were on the weathered face, her hair was tangled and h her brown eyes were still strong, still vibrant Still filled with more love than was kept in all the rest of the world

"Run," she whispered

Scarlet shook her head "I’ht Run, Scarlet Now"

Footsteps again, growing closer

Clenching her jaw, Scarlet pulled herself onto shaking legs and faced the door Her heart was galloping, waiting as the steps grew louder

Maybe it was Wolf

Come to help her, to help the of her pulse, unable to believe that she wanted to see hiiven her the chip And he was strong, strong enough to carry her grandmother If it was Wolf, returned for her, they’d be saved …

She saw the shadow cross the floor before the man stepped into the threshold

It was Ran, and he was sulped and solidified her knees, deter different about Ran now His eyes were no longerat Scarlet like she was a treat, one he’d been looking forward to for a long tiet out of your cell?"

A shudder ripped through her

"Leave ained an ounce of strength She stirred, trying to sit up

Scarlet dropped beside her, squeezed her grandrave;re--no, don’t"

"I remember you" Michelle stared at Ran "You ith the ones who carave;re--"

Ran chuckled "A sharp "

"Don’t worry about hia He must have been left behind, because he is too weak to join the battle"

Ran snarled, baring his jutting canines, and Scarlet shrank back

"I stayed behind," he growled, "because I have unfinished business here" His eyes flashed, practically glowing There was nothing but hatred inside them--fiery and unrestrained

Scarlet shifted so that her body better covered her grand fro but a puppet for that thauift and turned you all into th, all the senses, all the bloodlust--you remain the lowest of your peers, and you alill be"

Scarlet’s rand it h laugh burst out of hiripped the doorja, you old hag You know so much--you must knohat becomes of a pack member who kills his alpha?" He didn’t wait for her response "He takes his alpha’s place" His cheeks dimpled "And I’ve found that my brother, my alpha, has a weakness" His words slipped off as his attention found Scarlet again

"You are a naive young hed "You are weak You will never be a Even I can see that"

Scarlet hissed She could see the fury building inside Ran, feel the anger rolling off hirand to do

"No! She doesn’t , but couldn’t care "She’s old, she’s delirious! Just leave her--"

Fu into the cell, Ran snatched Scarlet up by her hair and pried her away fro at his forearrandma screamed in pain as Ran lifted her by the throat In a blink she was pinned against the wall, too weak to flail, to fight, to put up any resistance

"LEAVE HER ALONE!" Scarlet scra her elbows around his neck, squeezing with all herfor his eye sockets

Ran howled and dropped her grand Scarlet off his back She collapsed against the wall, but she barely felt the ied forazes randed to staered open, eerily empty