It is said that sometimes your gut tells us if something wrong is about to happen. It gives you a premonition of coming tragedy and it is generally advised not to ignore what your gut is trying to warn you.

Cayden was feeling something that  way. He was feeling in his gut that something was not right. He was sitting in the Valerie's office immersed in his own thoughts when Valerie entered. She called him few times but he did not respond. She walked where he was sitting and tapped on his shoulder. He was startled and looked towards her in question.

"I called your name many times but you did not respond." Valerie explained.

"I was thinking about Scarlett. It's been hours and we have not found what happened to her. Whether the truth serum and that protection spell worked or not? I am really worried for her safety, Valerie."

Valerie sighed, Scarlett was her culprit but she was Cayden's childhood best friend also. She thought she could show some sympathy to him if not empathy. "I hope she is okay. Autumn is really powerful witch and she did her job pretty well. We should wait and hope for the best till we don't get any news and pray to moon goddess for her safety."

Cayden looked towards her and smiled. "Thanks for those kind words. I know you feel anguish towards me for still thinking well about Scarlett. She did betray you and in a way she betrayed me too. For you she was just my head of warrior but for me she was like my little sister. She was no less to me than Michelle."

"But." Valerie interjected.

"I know what you are thinking that she loved me. I did love her too but like a sibling. I had no idea she had romantic feelings for me or I would have done something for her. My parents basically raised her. Her father died in a battle serving my father. He was head of warrior too. She was left with her mother only. But her mother's condition started dilapidating after her father died. It sometimes happens that it becomes very difficult for a mate to live without another. Her mother could not bear the loss of her mate and she died within a year of her father's death making Scarlett orphan at the age of eleven. Since then my parents took her in and raised her as their own."

Cayden sighed and looked outside the window. "I know I acted childish whenever you or our mate bond was involved. Challenging you, marking you against your will, trying to dominate you, not respecting you and trying to make you jealous by lying about taking Scarlett as my luna and the list goes on."

He moved towards Valerie and took her hand in his. He sighed and looked in her eyes. "I am a fool Valerie and I was wrong in so many contexts but I do love you with my whole heart. I don't know what will happen in this war but I want you to know that I have and will always love you not because you are my mate and you are destined to be mine but because you are a strong alpha, a wise alpha and a compassionate person and I am very lucky to have you. Valerie I am really sorry for whatever blunders or mistakes I have committed. I am really sorry."

There were tears of joy in Valerie's eyes. "I am sorry too Cayden. I too have sometimes reacted in a foolish way and I love you too."

Cayden smiled and looked towards her lips and then towards her. "May I?"

Valerie sobbed. "Ofcourse you can, you silly."

Cayden smiled and placed his lips on her and kissed her like there was no tomorrow. Valerie reciprocated the kiss and smiled in bliss.

"Valerie I was thinking of something." Cayden said when they both stopped kissing. Valerie nodded for him to continue. "I know how much your pack is important to you. We have a difference of 6 miles between our packs but why don't we decrease the distance between our pack lands by expanding our pack territories and make a common pack office for both ourselves from where we can both operate as alphas."

Valerie was silent for few seconds. She was thinking deeply and didn't understand how to respond.

"I know it is bit overwhelming. It's just a suggestion; you can think about it and then let me know. I am not asking you to merge the packs, if you are thinking in that manner. It's just decreasing the distance between two lands and making a common pack office for our officials. You can think and then let me know there is no hurry."

Valerie smiled. "Thank you I will give it a thought."

Cayden stood up and kissed her on her forehead. He gave her a lingering kiss and then smiled. "I will be leaving now. It's late. I think I will have to wait for the night to hear from Scarlett. I wanted to stay with you when I get to know about Scarlett but it is getting late. Let us see what the future unfolds."

"She will be fine. She is a strong and brave werewolf." Valerie encouraged him.

There was a knock on the door and when Valerie asked the person to enter she saw Jason and Ryder entering the office with worry written on their face. Before Valerie could ask anything Cayden was standing in front of them.

"It is Scarlett. Isn't it?"

They both nodded their heads. "Is she dead?" He asked.

"No alpha." Ryder replied. "But I think you should come and see."

Cayden left with Ryder and Valerie stood up to follow them but Jason stopped her.

"If he takes any decision don't stop him just yet. He will be using his heart than his brain." Valerie could not understand why he was saying such things but she nodded anyway.

She noticed Dominic was waiting for them in the car when she exited the pack house.

"Where are they?" She asked about Cayden and Ryder.

"They left." Dominic replied and Valerie nodded. She and Jason entered the car. When they reached Mystic moon a horrific eerie of silence was felt by them. Jason gestured Valerie towards the pack clinic. They walked towards it accompanied by Dominic. When Valerie entered the pack clinic she saw April standing with Autumn outside a room in the clinic.

"When did you arrive?" Valerie asked Autumn.

"Ryder asked me to come when one of the warriors found Scarlett's body at the outskirts of the pack while doing night patrolling. He told me to come immediately and that he will inform you and alpha Cayden himself. He wanted me to examine her and see if I could anything to help her."

Valerie nodded and entered the room. She gasped when she looked at the scene in front of her. Scarlett was lying on the bed lifeless with all sorts of tubes stuck in her body. There were some deep scars on arm. When she walked close she found a word Revenge carved on her arm. Valerie was left speechless at the brutality shown by those hunters. Her eyes got wet with the unshed tears. She looked at her face and she saw there were deep purplish bruises, her lips were swollen and by the looks of the plasters done on her body, she had few broken bones too. She looked towards Cayden who was standing numb and was continuously staring at her. Nobody dared touched him as he was literally shaking in anger. Valerie sighed and decided to go near him when suddenly her vision caught something.

"Her hands." She pointed out towards Scarlett's hands that were balled in fists. "Isn't it weird?"

"It is." The doctor replied who was just standing at the side. He was in his forties or fifties with grey hair and glasses carrying a serious, wise look. "It is odd. Generally the hands are open in any traumatised patient unless they have convulsed. And I have not found any sign of convulsion in her body. I have already tried opening them up but I did not get successful. I can't use any kind of muscle relaxant on her as it can cause some sort of side effect."

"Maybe Autumn can help." Valerie suggested. She looked towards Cayden who was still standing like a statue continually staring at Scarlett. When she did not get a response from him, she gestured Jason to bring Autumn in.

Valerie told her everything once Autumn accompanied them. She nodded and looked towards Cayden. "Can I cast some spells?"

Still Cayden did not respond. Valerie gave a nod to permit her to do whatever she thinks is right. Autumn walked near her and started enchanting some spells. Soon Scarlett's wrists loosen up and everyone saw a paper in one of her hand. Valerie moved forward and took the paper from her hand. It was like all these action brought him back from the trance.

"Why didn't your protective magic work? Did you intentionally put weaker spells on the necklace?" Cayden asked furiously.

Autumn gasped and looked towards him in disbelief. "You can't blame me. If I can do magic so can my mother and she is strong. They have carved revenge on her arm. You can see how brutal they are. She was put in a comatose state with magic. Something was done to her. I asked your doctor to let me perform some spells but he did not allow me and then I asked you but you were just standing there not responding. That is why I went outside to give you time to interpret everything. And now I am here at my alpha's orders."

Cayden ran a frustrated hand in his hair. "How did this happen? Can you find out?" He looked towards Autumn and asked her.

"I can try." She replied.

"Cayden." Valerie uttered. Everyone looked towards her. "The paper in Scarlett's hand says teenagers. What could it mean?"

"What was she trying to convey?" Cayden asked no one in particular when he took the paper from Valerie and read it himself.

"It might have something to do with the kidnappings of teenagers." Dominic said who was standing at the threshold of the room. "One of ours was also kidnapped but he managed to flee. Who knows what they did to them. Maybe Scarlett found something resourceful and she wanted us to find out."

"But what if it is a trap?" Jason questioned. "If she was put in this state with the magic done by Azazel, how can we be so sure that it was not intentionally kept in her palm?"

"He is right. We will have to send our trackers to find out everything about the kidnapping of these teenagers. I will not spare these motherf**kers." Cayden replied. "I will destroy everything they hold dear to them and I will start with the camps where they keep their ammunitions.

"But that is what they want us do now, Cayden." Valerie interjected.

"So? I don't care. I will not spare these vermins."

"But" Valerie was about to stop him when Jason gestured her not to say anything that could provoke him.

Valerie sighed. "Cayden it is late. Why don't we wait till morning?"

He did not reply and left the clinic. Ryder sighed and followed him suite. They were walking towards pack house when a warrior came and handed Cayden a scroll.

Cayden opened it and said. "It is from Randall!"

How was it? Do tell me. 

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We will come to know what happened to Scarlett.

Thank you for being such awesome readers.

Till next time byeeee!!!!