Love Bites
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L. S. Patel
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4,5M
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30
Chapter 1
SCARLET
âScarlet Rose Wrett, get down here right now or youâre grounded for a month!â My momâs voice echoed up the stairs, pulling me from my Netflix binge.
I guess sheâd been calling me for a while. With a sigh, I hit pause and left the comfort of my bed to head downstairs.
Let me fill you in. Iâm Scarlet Rose Wrett, twenty-one years old. Yeah, I know, practically ancient. No need to remind me.
Iâm part of the Red Moon Pack.
My dad used to be the beta, the second in command. My older brother Jake, whoâs twenty-six, just took over the role. His mate Maria is twenty-five.
Our alpha recently stepped down, passing the torch to his son, David. Heâs twenty-seven and his mate Jenny is twenty-five. I also have a younger brother, Matthew. Heâs only eight and the cutest thing youâve ever seen.
Jake and I know Matthew was an unexpected surprise, but weâve decided to keep that to ourselves for now. Weâll save it for some good-natured teasing when heâs older.
Right now, weâre just doting older siblings. I spend most of my time with Matthew since Jake is busy with his new responsibilities.
And of course, thereâs my best friend Aria.
Ariaâs dad is the temporary alpha king, holding the position until Ariaâs cousin returns to claim it.
My mom, bless her heart, spends most of her time trying to find me a mate. You see, Iâm twenty-one and still havenât found mine.
Most werewolves find their mate at eighteen. If you donât, it could mean your mate is dead and youâll remain mateless.
Some werewolves in this situation end up with humans and live happily ever after.
Or, your mate could be human, and you have to slowly introduce them to our world, which can be a bit of a shock.
My mom, however, refuses to accept either scenario. Sheâs convinced I just need to get out more.
I donât leave the house much. Can you blame me? My bed is my one true love. So, my mom has taken it upon herself to find my mate for me.
As I descended the stairs, I found my mom at the bottom, foot tappingâa sure sign she was ticked off. I swallowed hard. What did I do this time?
I racked my brain for any recent missteps. My momâs not someone you want to cross. Even David, our alpha, is scared of her when sheâs mad.
I walked into the living room and my mom immediately pulled me over to the couch.
âScarlet, do you have any idea how long Iâve been calling you? Whatâs the point of having heightened senses if you donât use them!â
I gave her a sheepish grin. âSorry, Mom. I was busy.â
She raised an eyebrow at me.
âBusy? Doing what? Watching Netflix? You need to get out more. Go for a run, do something.
You havenât found your mate because youâre always cooped up in your room. He could be closer than you think.â
Closer than I think? If that were true, wouldnât I have found him by now?
But I kept that thought to myself. She was already mad, and I didnât want to make things worse.
I needed to placate her.
âYouâre right, Mom. I need to get out more. Starting tomorrow, Iâll go for daily runs in my human form. That should give me more chances to find my mate.
Iâd go today, but I promised to help Aria. But I swear, tomorrow Iâll go out and try to find my mate.â
My mom nodded slowly and stood up. âGood. I know you canât go today; thereâs a big event tonight.â
Her eyes sparkled as she added, âWho knows, maybe tonight will be your lucky night?â
She kissed the top of my head and gave me a knowing smile.
âWas that all?â I asked.
âThere was something else, but you made me so mad I forgot. If I remember, Iâll text you,â she said, heading back into the living room.
I let out a sigh of relief. That hadnât been as bad as Iâd expected. Probably because she forgot what she really wanted to talk about.
Luckily, I had to leave the house, so she could only text me. How mad could she get over a text?
The house was eerily quiet with Matthew away at camp for the next two weeks. I missed the little guy; he always kept Mom and Dad on their toes.
I headed back upstairs, lost in thought. Glancing at the clock, I cursed. Shit, I was late. I always lost track of time when I was daydreaming.
I was supposed to be helping Aria. Tonight was a big night for her and everyone else.
Without wasting another second, I quickly got dressed, dashed out of the house without saying goodbye to Mom, and hopped into my car.
As I sped off, cursing myself for being late, I felt a pang of loneliness. I acted like I didnât care about not having a mate, but that wasnât true.
I wanted to be loved. To have a mate who would protect me, love me unconditionally, and care for me.
Seeing my brother and my parents so happy only made the hole in my heart grow. They all had such wonderful relationships, and I was jealous.
Was it too much to ask for a mate? Something every werewolf looks forward to?
A tear slipped down my cheek and I quickly wiped it away. Momâs words echoed in my head. Could tonight really be the night? I shook off the thought; I didnât want to get my hopes up for nothing.
Besides, Mom was just trying to comfort me. I couldnât let these thoughts distract me. Tonight was supposed to be exciting for Aria, and I wouldnât let my sadness bring her down.
I pulled up to Ariaâs place and headed inside. The house staff greeted me as they always did, letting me know Aria was upstairs. I returned their smiles and made my way up to her room.
The house was a flurry of activity, with people rushing past me, their arms full of various items. I figured it was all in preparation for the alpha kingâs return. But the fear etched on their faces was hard to miss.
Iâd heard stories about the alpha king, Dylan. He was just thirteen when his parents were murdered by rogues. The whispers said they were brutally killed right in front of him.
The tragedy sent him spiraling into a world of pain and grief, triggering a killing spree. They said his wolf lost control, becoming more vicious than anyone had ever seen.
Dylanâs victims were always men. He spared women and children, but he didnât discriminate between single men and those with families.
It was Ariaâs father, Henry, who finally managed to stop Dylanâs rampage. It wasnât easy, but he somehow calmed Dylan down.
Henry decided it was best for Dylan to leave for a while. As Dylanâs uncle, he had the authority to send him away. Only Henry knew where Dylan had gone.
Henry was the younger brother of Dylanâs mother, but it was Dylanâs father who carried the royal bloodline.
With the royal family wiped out except for Dylan, Henry was given the temporary title of alpha king. Dylan had agreed to this before he was sent away.
Aria, being Dylanâs cousin, always mentioned how her father kept Dylanâs whereabouts a secret from her. The story sent a chill down my spine, making me wonder what Dylan was like now.
People were ready for the rightful king to reclaim his throne, but there was an undercurrent of worry. Dylan had been a killer once, and no one knew if he had truly changed.
With a sigh, I reached Ariaâs door. I rarely knocked, and today was no different. I pushed open the door to find Aria in the middle of a passionate make-out session with some guy.
Really? This girl. She hadnât even noticed me walk in, so I decided to make my presence known.
âOh my God! Gross!â I pretended to gag.
That got her attention. She broke the kiss quickly, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red.
I stood there, raising my eyebrows at her, waiting for an explanation.
