Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 54

Chapter 54

One by one, they began to understand, leaping off the lorry as quickly as they could. The vehicle started moving, jerking forward, but I couldn’t stop looking back. My heart twisted painfully I saw the cook’s daughter, bruised and beaten, still lying in the back. She looked so small, so fragile, her eyes barely open. She was only fifteen, and she’d suffered so much already. She shouldn’t be left behind.

“She’s only fifteen!” I cried, my voice breaking as I pushed myself to run, chains clinking with every step. My heart pounded as I sprinted, feeling each link digging into my skin, praying I could reach her before it was too late. The lorry was moving faster, and I could see her fading from reach.

But then, in a flash of brown fur, Maxwell’s wolf leapt forward, his huge form brimming with power and purpose. With one swift motion, he clamped his teeth around the chain and yanked it hard. The girl tumbled from the lorry, falling onto the rough earth as Maxwelk’s wolf released the chain. Relief flooded through me, and I ran to her, my heart pounding with gratitude.

The cook hurried over to her daughter, her face wet with tears, her relief evident. But as she knelt beside her, our eyes met, and a cold understanding passed between us. Whatever connection we once had was gone, she had turned against me, and I had illusions about where her loyalty now lay. Quietly, I stepped away, knowing this was a boundary I’d have to respect.

Maxwell’s wolf padded over to me, his massive form comforting in its strength. Gently, he nuzzled me, and I reached up, running my fingers through his thick fur, feeling the warmth and reassurance in his presence. The bond between us, unexpected but grounding, filled me with a sense of peace.

“It’s sad we met like this, Scarlett,” his voice whispered in my mind, warm and full of quiet strength. “I’m Neo, Maxwell’s wolf.”

Despite the pain in my body, the relief was so overwhelming that I let out a soft, breathless laugh.

“Neo,” I whispered back, feeling an immense sense of gratitude. Leaning down, I pressed a small, grateful kiss to his nose, and he responded with a a gentle lick to my face. Then he lifted his head his powerful voice echoing in a howl, calling to the pack.

A familiar scent wrapped–around me, and I turned to see Lucian approaching, his presence like a soothing balm. His expression was fierce, his gaze sweeping

over me, taking in the shackles on my wrists with a dark, simmering anger.

His eyes softened for a brief moment as he reached for my hands, and he carefully inspected the shackles, his fingers brushing against my bruised skin. He didn’t say a word, but his silence spoke volumes. His fear, his worry, his relief–all of it lay beneath his calm surface, running deeper than words could

express.

He pulled out a small tool and unlocked the shackles, the harsh metal falling from my wrists with a quiet clatter. I felt a rush of freedom, of release, and the pain in my body seemed to ease just a little.

Before I could process it, Lucian lifted me into his arms, cradling me as if I were the most precious thing in his world. His warmth, his scent, the strength in his hold–it all washed over me, filling me with a sense of safety I hadn’t felt in so long.

As he carried me back toward the packhouse, he still didn’t speak, but his arms held me tightly, as if afraid I might disappear. I could feel his fear, the vulnerability in his silence. He had come so close to losing me, and the weight of that lingered between us. I buried my face against his chest, the steady. beat of his heart grounding me, a rhythm that reminded me I was safe, that I was home.

Quietly, as he carried me inside, I whispered a silent prayer, grateful for mercy, for this unexpected deliverance. The storm had passed, and I was in the arins

of my mate, where I belonged.

1/2

9:56 am G PP

GP PO

Scarlett