Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 211

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Garland let out a slow, tired sigh, like he’d been waiting for this question. “It has always been about the strongest taking everything,” he began, his voice bitter but resigned. “Before Nikolay, conquest wasn’t just a way of life-it was survival. Your parents, if they had lived longer, would have taught you the same. That’s what Valkin alphas do. They maintain power by gaining more of it. Packs that fail to produce Valkin are destined to lose. Nikolay…” He trailed off, shaking his head.

“That bastard wanted peace. He believed he was created to bring balance and stability, and he pursued it with ruthless determination. Even your parents didn’t agree with his vision entirely. The lands they acquired were won through conquest. But Nikolay decided conquest was done. He wanted everyone to stay in their regions, to settle, to ‘give peace a chance.’ And so here we are.”

He exhaled again, the weight of history and his own mistakes evident in his voice. I watched him closely, his broken demeanor a stark contrast to the man who had once stood so confidently. Scarlett had stripped him bare, and now there was nothing left but a husk of the ambition he once carried.

“I didn’t like it, and neither did your parents,” Garland began, his voice carrying a note of reluctant reflection. “But I must admit, over time, I started to see the benefits of what Nikolay was trying to achieve. For once, packs weren’t raiding and plundering each other. Women weren’t taken and sold off like livestock. People could live in peace, trade with one another, and focus on their own lives without fear of constant war. Packs stayed in their regions, minding their business. I liked that,” he admitted, though his tone hinted at the bitterness of long-held grievances.

He paused, his gaze hardening as he continued, “With that peace, I was able to turn my attention to building up my home, my land. I achieved so much, even without the advantage of magic. Then there was Keith Harold… blessed beyond reason, untouchable in every way. But after Nikolay died, the order he brought with him unraveled. Criminal groups-the ones built by the late Alpha Thomas Grisham and Alpha Dean McCain of the South-started to rise again. They came into the East like vultures, looting and plundering, taking women and children, restarting the nightmare we thought was over.”

His fists clenched as he spoke, his voice thick with frustration. “And what did you do? Nothing. The three of you gained the South by marriage, but you didn’t lift a finger to deal with these groups. I suspected you wouldn’t, given that the notorious Grisham and McCain were your cousins. And their ring leader, Japhet? Alpha Lucian’s own brother-in-law. Convenient, isn’t it?”

His gaze shifted to me, the accusation hanging heavily in the room. “Someone had to restore stability. They wouldn’t dare bring their chaos to the West because they feared what Keith might do to them. So they targeted my land, my people. I had no choice but to root out the spies in the East, eliminate them, and seal my borders. I believed you three were behind it all, pulling the strings. And if I could take over the North and the South, I could stop it. I

could rebuild the balance that Nikolay created.”

Garland’s eyes darkened, his voice lowering as he revealed more. “Then there’s your woman Anastasia Petrova. She came to me, offering classified information. In exchange, she wanted answers about her own life. She claimed she was supposed to be Luna of the North, but Scarlett Vladislav was chosen instead to consolidate power over the South. I didn’t care about her reasons-none of that mattered to me. But her information it was critical to my plans.”

He sighed, his face betraying a mix of anger and defeat. “She told me which Alphas in the North could be swayed, how best to approach them, how to weaken their defenses. But there was one thing she left out-how dangerous your Luna truly is. She didn’t mention Scarlett’s strength or her resolve. And she certainly didn’t tell me how much you cared for her.”

Garland’s eyes locked onto mine, and for a moment, the room was silent. His words carried the weight of his resentment, his miscalculations, and the price

he had paid for underestimating us.

I met his gaze, my own emotions swirling between anger and pity. He had played a dangerous game, and now he stood as a broken man, stripped of his confidence and power, but still clinging to the justification of his actions.

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