Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Lucian’s POV

هلا

Scarlett was infuriating–rude, ungrateful, and stubborn to the core. I’d gone out of my way to buy her clothes, things to make her life here bearable, and she couldn’t even manage a “thank you.” If this had been Nikolay’s household, she’d be rotting in a dungeon by now. Her defiance reminded me of her father’s cold, unyielding nature; she was truly his daughter, as spiteful and hard–hearted

as he was.

It sickened me to think that fate had tied us to someone like her. She was everything I’d hoped to avoid–a Valkin mate should have

been someone I could cherish, someone worthy of respect and loyalty. Yet here we were, forced into this twisted bond.

I needed to talk to the guys. This mate bond was already proving to be a burden, and we had to consider ending it. Scarlett sn

pure, she wasn’t ours, and she had given herself to others before us. To claim the magic, we’d have to be her first, and that wasn‘

even a possibility. The probability of accessing the bond’s power was barely fifty–fifty, and for someone like her, it simply wasn’t

worth the risk. Rejecting her felt like the only solution that made sense. Even without the magic, we’d still be strong enough to hold

the North and the South.

Nikolay had done it without any magic, dominating the entire South and leaving ruin in his wake. We now held everything he’d

stolen–the land, the power and magic was more of a luxury than a necessity. Besides, even though the Valkin Alpha of the West

possessed magic, he’d never shown any interest in conquest. Nikolay had been the true threat, and he was gone.

This girl, though…she was impossible. She was wild and untamable, her defiance etched deep into every glance, every action. Trying

to break her would be a waste of energy, and I knew the others felt it, too.

Clay was the last to join us, apologising for his delay, though I waved it off, glad he’d finally arrived. We had a lot to discuss, and I

wanted to settle this once and for all.

“I think we should reject that bitch,” I stated bluntly, cutting right to the point.

“Why?” Maxwell asked, surprising me. I’d expected Clay to raise that question, not Maxwell. It seemed our little incident last night

had softened him a bit.

“She’s impossible to deal with,” I replied. “Rude, arrogant, and entitled. The way she acts–like we owe her something. She didn’t even thank me for the things I got her. It’s just endless defiance. And she isn’t pure anymore. I want her out of our apartment.”

At that, Clay let out a laugh, catching me off guard. “She’s the daughter of a Valkin Alpha, Lucian. What did you expect?” Maxwell added, his tone exasperated but somewhat amused.

I shook my head, frustrated. “I don’t care about that. She’s not just difficult; she’s ungrateful and…well, ruined. We’re wasting time

and energy on her.”

“I get why you’re frustrated,” Clay said, his voice calm, “but maybe her attitude has something to do with our approach. It might be worth considering if we’re going about this the wrong way.”

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Chapter 13

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“What do you mean by that?” I asked, feeling a tinge of irritation.

“Look,” Clay continued, his tone patient. “We haven’t exactly been kind to her. David sent her here against her will, forced her into a forged marriage to hand over her inheritance, and, let’s face it, turned her into our maid. From her perspective, we’re the ones who took everything from her. Why would she show us respect or gratitude when, to her, we’re the intruders?”

The room fell silent as his words settled. I hadn’t really thought about it from her perspective before, too focused on my own anger and resentment.

“Fine,” I said, cutting through their weak defenses. “Then I’ll reject her and settle with Stasia. I’m done with this whole mate bond

business. I want the craving to end–I don’t want to feel tied to her anymore.” I looked at Clay, expecting some agreement, but he

just shrugged, clearly unaffected.

“Good for you,” he replied, “but I’m willing to see what happens with Scarlett. She can’t be as awful as you’re making her out to be.

She’s lost her only family, been stripped of everything familiar, and thrown into a situation she didn’t choose. That takes strength

She’s Luna material, whether you want to admit it or not.”

I looked at him, stunned. Maxwell even nodded in agreement. “Lucian,” Clay continued, a trace of hesitation in his voice, “as much

as we hate Nikolay, Scarlett isn’t him. She’s just as much a victim of his brutality as anyone else. The man despised her and her

mother, from everything we’ve heard. And think about it–she’s skilled at all the chores, more than we’d expect. She might have

endured more than we Realise. I think it’s time we stop holding her to her father’s crimes.”

I could feel my temper flare. “What about her ‘sleeping around,‘ as you put it? The way she’s disrespected the bond by being with

other men? And what about our promises to our families–my sister, your cousins?” I couldn’t believe how quickly they’d softened,

as if one night of keeping her warm was enough to erase the years of pain.

“She didn’t kill your sister or our cousins,” Clay replied firmly. “Apart from what we heard from a single spy–who, by the way, could have been interpreting things wrong–she’s done nothing to us. Besides, it’s not as if any of us are virgins either, so maybe we should drop that angle.” His tone was even, but it only stoked my anger.

I leaned forward, holding back my frustration with effort. “Her father didn’t care about that distinction when he slaughtered my sister’s mate and her children, leaving her to die alone. He pushed her to the point of putting a silver bullet in her head. And Scarlett’s behavior? Knowing she had fated mates and still “exploring‘ with other men–she all but rejected us. The only reason she didn’t was that she couldn’t officially do it. If we were ordinary wolves, she would have severed the bond without a second thought.”

I could feel the weight of my words in the silence that followed, the memory of Nikolay’s twisted pride in his cruelty heavy in the air. Scarlett’s actions, whether or not they were her way of rebelling, had tainted the bond, and no amount of justification would

erase that betrayal.

Comments

C Cloris Hunt

2 Comments >

Why take the word of a Spy. Could’ve been wrong. most would have the pack doctor check her out to see if she is a virgin

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