The Scarlett Legacy (Woodland Creek)(31)

“Listen,” Adelaide said, moving a step closer. She lowered her voice as if someone else was listening in. “We sent Olivia out to kill Hugh Prince.”

Evie’s face turned ashen. That was the last thing she expected to hear.

“She was successful…”

“But, Hugh died from a spider bite.”

“Yes. He did.”

Evie’s brows furrowed. “I don’t understand.”

“Olivia is a shifter. A Spider shifter.”

It seemed that everyone had a secret. What was next?

“Go on,” Evie said, her legs feeling weak. “Please.”

“We thought that killing Hugh would end the war between our families.”

“How could you do such a thing?”

“We do what we have to. We are Scarletts, and no one threatens us,” she said, slamming her wine glass into her desk, shattering the glass into a hundred pieces.

Adelaide’s face reddened. Her chin tensed. Evie was stunned by the hardness of her mother’s voice. She watched her mother raise her hand, blood dripping onto the mahogany wood. Within seconds, the gash in her palm closed seamlessly, until her skin was smooth once again.

“You’re not a child anymore,” Adelaide proclaimed. “I’ve done all I can, but it’s time you step up and do your part. For Wesley… before it’s too late. He has less than two days left in his curse.”

She came from behind her writing desk and knelt before Evie. Her eyes filled with tears as she laid her head in Evie’s lap.

Evie hadn’t seen such tenderness from her mother in ages. Seeing her so vulnerable saddened her. She held back tears of her own and caressed her mother’s head, running her hand over her soft blond locks.

Such sadness tugged at her heart.

Evie was afraid to ask the question, but she had no choice. Her chances of leaving Woodland Creek were slipping from her fingers with each moment that she lingered in that office.

“What do you need me to do?”

Coming to her feet, Adelaide tucked her hair behind her ears. Her hands clutched into fists. “Go to Avalon Prince.”

“What does Avalon have to do with this? How can going after Avalon save Wesley.”

And so it’s revealed. What was Avalon’s deal?

Adelaide turned to the window and spoke to the storm. “He cursed your brother and gave him an ultimatum.”

“What ultimatum?”

“Avalon will let Wesley’s body deteriorate from the curse… unless Wesley kills himself or gives you over to him. What he really wants is you.”

Evie shot to her feet. “You want me to freaking give myself to him? What the hell does that even mean?” Evie was livid. Her heart rate kicked up speed, just thinking of Avalon’s nerve.

“Yes. That’s exactly what you must do.”

Evie’s jaw dropped. She shook her head, appalled. Evie hadn’t cursed since she was a child and her father told her that ladies did not let filth come out of their mouths.

“Fucking unbelievable,” she said, grinding her teeth. Through tears she glared at her mother. “I’m engaged. Did you know that? Do you know what this whole mess will ruin everything?”

Adelaide didn’t skip a beat.

“I’m sorry, Evie. But none of that matters right now. Olivia risked her life for you, and now she’s missing.”

She sniffled, her heart breaking every time her mother opened her mouth. She loved her family, but all she could see was Parker’s sweet face smiling at her when he proposed.

Broken, she pushed that image aside. Adelaide was right.

This was life or death.

“How do you know that?”

“She volunteered to do to him what she did to his father,” Adelaide said. “And she failed.”

“But,” Evie stuttered. “How do you know?”

Adelaide closed her eyes. She reached into her pocket, and pulled out a folded up piece of cream-colored stationary.

Evie stared at it when Adelaide held it out to her. “I’m sorry, Evie. If you don’t go to him, Wesley will not survive this curse.”

She snatched the paper from her mother. She opened it, glaring at the words written in some of the best cursive handwriting she’d ever seen.

The words however, made her blood turn cold.

Time’s up.

Evie swallowed. “What does it mean?”

“It means we no longer have any options. You have to go to him by morning.”

“What are you sending me to? What’s to say he won’t kill me?”

“He won’t. He’s smitten, Evie. Just go to him and win his trust. Then do what a good Scarlett does.”

“What’s that?”

A wicked grin came to Adelaide’s pale face. “Make him pay.”

Evie crushed the paper in her hand.

“Now, will you be a good girl and do this for me?”

Evie wiped tears away. She nodded.

“Good girl.”

Evie closed her eyes, her entire world crashing down around her.

Parker will never forgive me for this.





WES SAT UP in bed. The world was a bleak place.

Everything hurt. The skin on his face started to peel off. His legs were paralyzed.