Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 37

Chapter 37

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Scarlett’s POV

Waking up in Lucian’s arms, I felt a strange calm. His presence felt different–softer, protective, even yet I could barely process it. My body tensed, wary that this was a mistake, that he’d Realise where he was and lash out. I shifted carefully, wanting to put some distance between us before things turned ugly, but as I moved, his eyes opened. He looked at me with a gentleness hadn’t seen before, his lips curling into a small smile. I glanced around the room, half–convinced I was still dreaming.

“Alpha Lucian,” I stammered, feeling my heart race as he sat up, his gaze steady and calm.

“Scarlett,” he said softly, his tone free of the bitterness I was used to. I opened my mouth to speak, to ask the question hanging in my mind, and before I could stop myself, it spilled out.

“What about…” I hesitated, but I had to know. “What about Stasia?”

His expression didn’t shift. “I asked her to leave,” he said simply. “It’s over.”

I blinked, absorbing his words. He had fought so hard for her, gone to impossible lengths to keep her by his side, even hurt me to

justify it. Why now? It made no sense. “Did she leave because of me?” I asked, dreading that it might only fuel his anger later, that

he’d still find a way to blame me.

But he shook his head gently. “No, Scarlett. I asked her to go.” His voice was quiet, almost resigned, and I sensed a hint of sincerity

there that unnerved me. “I needed it.”

A knot tightened in my stomach, wary of what this meant. His shifts in behavior were unpredictable, and I had learned not to take

any kindness from him as a given.

“I’ve decided,” he began, his gaze meeting mine with an honesty that unsettled me, “that I don’t want to keep fighting anymore. I want to give this bond a chance. I still have my misgivings about your father, but I can’t ignore why the goddess tied us together. I

don’t understand it, but I accept it. I accept you.”

The words hung in the air, thick with meaning, and my chest tightened with a confusing mix of emotions. Part of me had craved these words from him, the recognition of the bond, the chance to finally stop living under his constant torment. But now, faced with

his acceptance the reality of it, dread seeped in. Lucian had been cruel–unforgiving and harsh beyond measure. I wasn’t sure would be the blessing I’d once dreamed it would be, or if it would bring new forms of hurt I hadn’t yet imagined.

I wanted to believe him, to believe that his decision would change things, that he’d soften, maybe even come to understand me. But the fear lingered. So, I swallowed and held his gaze, guarded, waiting to see if this newfound acceptance would truly last, or if it was merely another turn in a cycle I didn’t know how to escape.

Lucian’s words hung in the air, heavy with promises that I couldn’t fully trust. “I know you won’t smile about this because I’ve been cruel to you,” he said, his voice almost apologetic. “I promise never to hurt you again. I just want to give this a try. If you want to go slow, we will, and I won’t force you into anything you don’t want.”

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Chapter 37

I stayed silent, unsure how to respond. His sudden shift was disorienting, too drastic to feel genuine. He stood up, crossing the space between us, and instinctively I backed up until I felt the cold, solid wall against my back.

He/noticed, a slight sadness passing through his eyes before he forced a gentle smile, leaning in to kiss my forehead before wrapping me in his arms. His embrace was firm yet strangely tender, and I found myself caught off guard by the softness I’d never expected from him.

“I’m sorry about last night,” he whispered, and I felt his grip tighten slightly, as if anchoring himself to the apology. “I’ll never cause you pain again. And if it’s any consolation…” he hesitated, almost chuckling, “I couldn’t… I couldn’t even get it up.” His laugh was quiet, a strange attempt at humor, but it felt empty to me. I was wary, guarded, my thoughts racing. What if this was some sort of trick, another game to manipulate me? I’d seen the damage he could do, and I knew all too well how easily he could hurt me if I let my guard down.

He released me and took a step back, giving me space, though his eyes lingered with a strange gentleness that only deepened my confusion.

“I’ll head back to my room now,” he said. “Please join me for breakfast when you’re ready.” He kissed my forehead once more before leaving the room, closing the door softly behind him.

I stood there in silence, struggling to comprehend the full turnaround he had done overnight. Lucian, of all people. What had

changed between last night and this morning? It was almost as if he’d woken up a different person.

I shook off the thoughts and headed to the shower, letting the warm water cascade over me, trying to clear my mind. But his words

lingered, pressing against the walls I’d built up around my heart. I wanted to believe him, to hope that this was the start of

something different. But I couldn’t ignore the voice of caution within me. Lucian was a storm, unpredictable and dangerous, and

trusting him was a risk I wasn’t sure I could take.

As the steam surrounded me, I suddenly heard it–a soft, feminine voice, almost a whisper at the edges of my mind. “Scarlett.”

The voice held warmth, familiarity, but it was also distant, as though it were coming from somewhere deep within me. My heart skipped a beat. Could it be… my wolf? But I had no wolf. I’d waited for her at sixteen, then again at eighteen, but she had never

come. I’d accepted my fate as wolfless long ago.

Yet here it was, a presence lingering faintly in my mind, as if she’d always been there, waiting. I felt her retreat, her presence slipping to the back of my consciousness. I tried to ignore it, chalking it up to stress or confusion. But deep down, a small, tentative spark of hope flickered to life.

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