Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 135

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11:43 am

Scarlett

Chapter 135

Lucian’s POV

Elsa was hiding something from us. I could tell. She thought it would be better for us not to know, like she was shielding us from some truth that could break us. I prayed, deeply, that whatever she was holding back wasn’t something too awful, something that would shatter what little we had left.

“I just need the spirit to give us a sign,” Maxwell murmured, his voice thick with grief, as tears rolled down his cheeks.

That’s all we really wanted a sign. A clear path. We needed something solid, something real to grasp onto in this dark, foggy mess.

Elsa’s face was calm as she replied, “I’ve already told you–the spirits say to form an alliance with the West. They are pointing west.”

29. 29.

But I shook my head, frustration edging my voice. “Not for the war, Elsa. I need a direction to find Scarlett.”

She lowered her head, a sad acknowledgment in her expression. “I don’t have magic, Alpha. I only know what the spirits choose to share with me. But I’ll tell you this: bittersweet news is coming. Prepare yourselves and handle it with care. Don’t let impulsive actions cloud your judgment.”

Her words hit me hard, and it was as though she could see every mistake I’d ever made, every regret I harboured.

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“Remember the mistakes of your past, Alpha. Now, more than ever, you must change. The stakes are higher, and you don’t hold the advantage anymore.”

As she stood, I stared at her, caught off guard. “You’re leaving?”

She nodded, fatigue weighing down her shoulders. “Yes, Alpha. I need rest. Communing with spirits takes a toll on me, especially with the darkness spreading so quickly now. It’s moving north. Be careful.” And with that, she was gone, slipping out of the room, leaving us with the unsettling sense of

something looming, something creeping closer.

Maxwell turned to me, his face etched with worry. “Should we send scouts to the south?” he asked quietly. I sighed, nodding, feeling the weight of his hope

-a hope that if we followed Elsa’s advice, we might see Scarlett again.

I felt the same. If Elsa believed Scarlett would find her way back, I had to make sure I was here, standing strong when that day came.

A few minutes later, Clay entered the room. His eyes were swollen, and his face looked gaunt, his beard unruly and thick. He hadn’t been taking care of himself; none of us had. But on him, the toll was more obvious. He rarely ate, hardly slept, and drank even less.

“Did you feel the pull?” I asked softly. He looked at me with eyes haunted by sorrow and nodded. Clay never talked much these days, so I didn’t expect a response. Maxwell filled him in on what Elsa had said, and as he listened, Clay’s eyes filled with tears. He sat down heavily in a chair and let the pain take over, no longer trying to hide it.

“Of course, she’s wrapped up in magic,” he whispered, his voice breaking, and I wondered why he sounded so pained.

“I paid someone a fortune today, and they told me Scarlett is in the West,” he continued. I sat up, hope flaring for the first time in what felt like forever. Finally, a lead! We should have listened to Elsa from the start; she’d been urging us west all along.

But Clay didn’t share our relief. Instead, he looked troubled, lost in thought.

“What’s wrong, Clay?” I asked, trying to understand his hesitation.

His voice was low, pained. “She’s with Keith Harold.”

11:43 am

Chapter 135

The words stung: Keith Harold, the Valkın Alpha of the West. But why would he keep our mate? What twisted game was he playing?

“That bastard he must’ve sent Gregory here…” 1 began, anger bubbling up, but Clay cut me off.

“Stop it, Lucian.” His voice was sharp, filled with a quiet fury. “This never would have happened if you hadn’t let Gregory go. And as it turns out, there’s no wealthy merchant named Gregory from the West. None. I looked into it. There’s a cobbler, a blacksmith, a guard by that name, but no merchant. That’s why he’s been so hard to track down. Why didn’t you dig deeper, Lucian? Why did you invite a stranger into our home without a second thought?”

I felt a shock run through me. Gregory… wasn’t Gregory. The realization crashed over me, dragging down what was left of my confidence and leaving a hollow pit of regret in its place.

“Anyway.” Clay continued, his voice tight, “the informant said Scarlett isn’t a prisoner. She went to the West willingly, and Keith is taking care of her. They’re saying she’ll soon be his Luna.”

I felt a fire surge within me. “Impossible! She is bonded to us–mated to us. She’s ours. The Moon Goddess herself gave her to us; she bears our mark. He can’t just take what’s ours!” My tiger stirred restlessly inside, brimming with a fury that blurred my vision.

“That’s why we’ll go there and demand he give her back,” Clay replied, his voice low and steady but brimming with resolve. “It’s wrong, what he’s doing.

Using magic to try to break our bond, just because he wants her for himself.”

Maxwell growled beside me, frustration twisting his face. “We need to talk to Elsa before we rush into anything. We’ve already made so many mistakes, one

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