Bitter Vows (Crimson Falls 1)

He pushes Scarlett behind him. “Hello, brother,” I mutter. “Call your pack of hounds off.”

He offers a nod, and I hear the clicking of weapons from behind me. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to give you the truth.” I hand him the paper I had folded up in my pocket for the past two weeks. The proof that I’m not my mother’s son. I’m not Lycan’s full-blood brother.

He takes the page, and Scarlett tries to read from over his shoulder. She’s a tiny thing. Fragile. Something I can break only to get revenge on the man before me.

“This is fucking ridiculous,” he spits, throwing the proof to the floor like I knew he would. He thought I was lying all these years. When I glance to the left, I find my mother staring at me in horror. All the guests have gone. It’s only her. She waited for me to show my face. She didn’t think I would.

“Hello, Mother.” I smile at her, causing Scarlett to gasp in shock. And that’s when I pull the gun from my holster and aim it at my brother. “I’m here to do the job you asked me to do.”

Grace pushes to her feet elegantly. That’s one thing about her — she always had an air of grace about her. I suppose her name suits her.

“Put the gun down,” she says, but I smile, ignoring her. “This is not needed.”

I turn back to Lycan. “This is what she asked for,” I tell him, nudging my head to the side. “With you gone, Grace will gain everything. Why do you think she didn’t want you marrying Scarlett?”

“What?” This comes from the pretty redhead. Her confusion is clear as she steps forward, but Lycan’s arm comes out, blocking her from being in my line of fire. “Is this true, Gran?”

“I had Darius when I was young and stupid. I thought I was in love with Conall. It was a stupid fairy tale that could never work.”

Scarlett’s mouth pops open in shock and anger. “I… But how?”

“Family time is over,” I say, tired of the revelations. I came here with one job in mind, and I’m going to finish it. Grace promised me what is due to me, and I’m here to collect. “Grace, say goodbye to your granddaughter.”

Lycan grips Scarlett, his gaze locked on mine as I cock the gun and take aim. The last word he utters to her is, “Go.” And that’s when I pull the trigger and hit him right in the chest.

“Lycan,” Scarlett yells.

“I said fucking go!” His voice booms as he drops to his knees, and Scarlett moves, but she doesn’t know the woods like I do.

She runs, and I smile. She knows I will follow. I will always follow her, even if it means I will be walking into the middle of a blood bath.

A war of my own making.

But what Scarlett doesn’t know is that Lycan made sure she was bait for the hunter.

THE END… for now