Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Scarlett’s POV

When we reached a secluded part of the woods, Lucian gently set me down and started taking off his clothes. My immediate reaction was to look away, my cheeks flushing. His amused chuckle broke the silence.

“Come on, don’t act like you’ve never seen a naked man before,” he teased, and the heat in my cheeks deepened. But as he und d his belt, something shifted. I could sense the change in his energy, and a silence stretched between us. I felt him approach from behind, his warmth radiating as he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into an embrace.

“Mint,” he murmured, inhaling deeply as if savouring my scent. I smiled softly, realising for the first time that this simple, intimate connection between us felt… right.

“Scarlett, are you shy?” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. My body responded, a deep ache growing within me, and I couldn’t hide the sudden flush of desire that overtook me. Lucian gently turned me to face him, his gaze searching mine as I struggled to meet his eyes. When I finally looked up, I saw something flicker there–surprise, almost

disbelief.

“Fuck!” he breathed, taking a step back. The depth of his reaction startled me, and I found myself stepping back as well,

instinctively looking around, ready to flee if I’d somehow done something wrong.

“Then… who the fuck did Thomas trail?” he muttered, his voice sharp with frustration and confusion. The name didn’t register. I

didn’t know who Thomas was or what he had to do with this, so I remained silent, my heart pounding.

“Scarlett,” he said again, his tone calming as he tried to centre himself. I looked up, my worry and fear mirrored in his gaze. “Are you… are you a virgin?” The question hit me with the force of a revelation. I swallowed, unsure of how to answer, of what this would mean. I couldn’t find the words, but I didn’t need to; the truth was evident in my silence.

Lucian’s shoulders slumped, and his expression twisted in shame

and

regret. To my shock, I saw tears welling in his eyes, and he

speechless.

bowed his head, his composure fracturing as he began to cry. The sight was so unexpected, so raw, that it left sult, every

I reached out tentatively, wanting to comfort him but uncertain how. The weight of everything we’d endured–every

accusation, every wound–pressed between us now, exposed in a single, undeniable moment.

Lucian’s tears, his raw, broken pleas, caught me off guard, stripping away any defenses I had left. “Please, tell me,” he begged, his voice thick with regret and sorrow. Gently, I nodded, watching his shoulders tense as he tried to grasp the truth.

“Did Maxwell and Clay know?” he asked, his voice shaky, and I nodded again. He clenched his fists, struggling to contain the flood

of emotions swirling within him.

“I begged them not to tell you,” I explained quickly. I needed him to understand why they’d kept matter of deception but my own choice.

“Why?” he asked softly, his voice calmer, quieter, but full of sadness.

it from him, that it hadn’t been a

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Chapter 39

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A lump formed in my throat as I looked at him, unable to shield myself from the hurt his actions had caused. “I didn’t see the need. You… you hated me, and you seemed happy with Stasia. I knew about your plan, how you’d intended to claim me only to make me suffer by being with her. I didn’t see the point in sharing something you’d only use against me.

Tears gathered in my eyes as I remembered his hurtful words, the way he’d looked at me with contempt, calling me a whore, making me feel worthless.

At that moment, something shattered in Lucian. He closed the distance between us, pulling me into a fierce hug. Then, in a gesture that stunned me, he dropped to his knees, wrapping his arms around my legs and resting his head against my belly, crying openly, pleading for forgiveness.

“I’m so sorry, Scarlett,” he wept, his voice trembling. “I didn’t know… we thought Thomas’s reports were true. I thought you were rejecting us, that you knew who we were and wanted nothing to do with us. We kept ourselves for you, Scarlett. I was with Stasia out of spite… all of it was out of spite.” He looked up at me, his eyes red and filled with shame. “I’m sorry for every cruel word, every hurtful thing I’ve done. Please, forgive me.”

My heart ached at the sight of him like this. Seeing Lucian, this strong and formidable Alpha, on his knees, shattered and repentant left me feeling both sadness and relief. I lowered myself beside him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders, offering the comfort he had denied me for so long.

“Lucian,” I murmured, feeling the weight of the pain we had both endured, “we’ll get through this.” And though I knew forgiveness

would be a journey, in that moment, something shifted. The anger and resentment we had held onto for so long began to ease,

replaced by the possibility of something different, something whole.

In the quiet of the forest, with Lucian’s broken apologies filling the space between us, I allowed myself to believe that, somehow, we

could find a way forward.

“This isn’t the place, Alpha Lucian,” I said gently.

Your pack members shouldn’t see you like this.” He looked up, meeting my gaze with an intensity that held so much regret, so much raw vulnerability, that it took my breath away. He hugged me again, whispering

a promise I could only hope he’d keep.

“I’ll never hurt you again, Scarlett. I swear it.”

Though part of me was still wary, I felt a strange warmth begin to spread within me, a cautious hope flickering to life. Staying guarded was wise, but for now, I allowed myself to believe, if only a little, that change was possible.

“I want you to meet my wolf, Tiger,” Lucian said, straightening as he dried his tears and rose to his feet. He finished undressing, and I turned away until he linked me, signaling it was okay to look. When I turned, there he stood–a massive black wolf, nearly my height, his presence both powerful and commanding. Tiger was stunning, his coat gleaming in the dappled sunlight, and he held aura that reminded me of my father’s wolf–formidable and dignified.

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