Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 35

Scarlett

Chapter 35

Lucian’s POV

Standing outside Scarlett’s door, listening to her muffled sobs, a weight settled heavily in my chest. I’d wanted to hurt her, but

hearing her cry because of me–knowing I was the one inflicting this pain–brought no satisfaction. Against my better judgment, I stayed, drawn by the pull of the mate bond and by something else, something I didn’t want to name.

Through the door, her soft, broken voice reached me, a bitter question tearing through the silence. “Why?” she whispered, the word

laced with hurt and confusion. She was asking why this was happening, why I was treating her this way. I wanted to hate her, to let

my anger drown any sense of sympathy, but the truth was becoming painfully clear. Scarlett had never done anything to deserve

this. Aside from rejecting the bond, she hadn’t wronged me. Yet here I was, bound to Stasia, using her to punish Scarlett for things

beyond her control. I’d hurt her, and for what? To satisfy my grudge?

Tiger’s voice slipped into my mind, pleading softly. “Please.” He’d been restless and in pain since Scarlett arrived, as bound to her as

I was, and in that moment, I couldn’t keep him at bay. I decided to listen, to give in, if only for tonight. I tried the door, finding it

unlocked, and quietly let myself in.

She was curled up on the floor, arms wrapped around herself, her body trembling as she cried. The blanket and pillow beside her were tangled on the floor, and I realized she hadn’t been using the bed, as if she didn’t trust the comfort it offered. The sight of her like that–so small, so broken–pierced through me. This was my doing. I had forced her into this pain, making her doubt herself and the worth of the bond we shared. My anger, my vendetta, had turned me into something ugly, something I despised.

“Scarlett,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. Her head lifted, her red–rimmed eyes meeting mine, and the sorrow in

them was more potent than any anger I’d ever felt.

“What do you want?” she asked, her voice weak, laced with exhaustion and resignation. She looked at me as if bracing herself for more hurt, as if she expected cruelty even now. For the first time, I found myself at a loss, not knowing what to say, not knowing

how to begin to make this right.

I swallowed, feeling the weight of all the unspoken words between us, the raw ache that had grown out of the hurt I’d inflicted. I’d let my rage consume me, and it was time to confront the damage I’d done–not just to her but to myself as well. I knelt beside her, my hand hovering, unsure, over her shoulder.

Scarlett’s words hit with a precision that cut deep. “I told you to reject me, and you refused. I hope you’re happy with this. I hope this brings you peace, and your sister can rest knowing you torment your mate in her name.” Her voice trembled with hurt, and each word struck like a blow to my chest. I had been so blinded by my grudge, so consumed by my bitterness, that I hadn’t considered how cruel I’d become, wielding her pain like a twisted tribute.

Tiger urged me forward, the part of me I’d tried to silence all along. He was right, and I knew it. I crossed the space between us, kneeling beside her on the floor and wrapping my arms around her. She let out a shuddering sob as I held her close, and I could feel her grief mingling with my own.

“I’m sorry, Scarlett,” I

painful reminder of

mured

my

voice thick with regret. She cried against me, and every tear, every tremor of her body, was a far I’d let myself fall. I’d wanted to make her suffer for something she had no part in, to punish her for

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Chapter 35

crimes she didn’t commit. And now, sitting here with her in my arms, it felt like all the anger in the world couldn’t justify what I’d

done.

Her voice was small and broken when she spoke again, “Reject me, please, Alpha Lucian. I’m begging you. I can’t handle it

anymore.” The plea in her tone pierced through me, and I held her closer, feeling the weight of her desperation settle over me like a

shadow. She was right–I was the worst kind of hypocrite. Here I was, the one refusing to sever the bond i claimed to despise, the

one unable to let go.

“I can’t reject you, Scarlett,” I admitted, my own voice betraying the depth of my struggle. “No matter how hard I try, I can’t. You’re

my mate, and it isn’t about magic. Even if the bond’s magic wasn’t there, I still… I can’t let go.” The words felt foreign yet strangely

truthful, as if in that moment, I was finally being honest, not just with her but with myself. “I know I’ve hurt you, and there’s no

excuse. The pain you feel is my fault, and I’m asking you to forgive me, somehow.”

Scarlett relaxed into my arms, burying her face in my shoulder as she breathed in, taking comfort in the same scent that connected

us both. I could feel her relief, her vulnerability, and for the first time, I understood the strength of her endurance, the torment she

must have faced feeling the pull toward three people while struggling with the isolation I’d imposed on her.

But then, a voice broke the fragile quiet between us. “Lucian.” I turned to see Stasia standing in the doorway, her face streaked with

tears as she looked between us, the hurt clear in her eyes.

“So this… this is why you couldn’t…” She trailed off, a tear slipping down her cheek, her voice laced with betrayal and disbelief. “This was why you couldn’t get it up?” Her tone was a mixture of anger and heartbreak, and I let go of Scarlett, standing to face her, caught between two worlds I’d built and shattered.

The words died on my tongue. There was nothing I could say, no excuse that could make sense of what had unfolded. The truth lay raw and undeniable between us, and I realized, for perhaps the first time, that no one could leave this room untouched.

“Go to your woman,” Scarlett murmured, her voice hollow, stripped of the confidence she’d shown before. The weight of tonight had broken something in her, and I could feel it, a raw ache in my chest that mirrored her own. She was right; she didn’t have a wolf to help her bear the pain, yet she endured it, suffering quietly. Torn, I hesitated, but then, with a sigh, I made a choice I knew I might come to regret. I left the room, leaving Scarlett alone on the floor, and followed Stasia.

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I really can’t stand Lucien

7 days ago

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