Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 56

Chapter 56

“What happened?” he asked, stepping into the shower fully clothed, his eyes scanning me for the source of my pain. I swallowed, my cheeks flushed, and turned so he could see the wound on my back.

“Did they do this to you?” he asked, his voice tight with anger. I nodded, unable to look him in the eyes.

“It was… when I hesitated to climb into the van,” I said, my voice barely a whisper. He took a deep breath, then reached over, grabbing a towel to gently pat my skin dry, careful not to touch the raw wound. His tenderness, the gentleness in his hands, made my chest ache. I’d been so used to fear that I didn’t even know how to feel safe in someone’s care.

Still naked, I followed him as he led me to his room. Clay opened the lower drawer of his dresser and pulled out a small, sturdy box–a first aid kit. The sight of it surprised me; I hadn’t expected them to need such things, not with their fast healing.

“Why do you have this?” I asked, curiosity pushing through my pain.

He smiled, though I could see a flicker of sadness in his eyes. “Silver poisoning,” he explained. “It slows down our healing enough that we have to rely on things like this to heal gradually. Keeps the wounds from getting infected, helps them heal properly.” He opened the kit and pulled out supplies, preparing to tend to my back.

Carefully, he knelt beside me, his hands soft and steady. Each touch was gentle, as if he knew exactly how to make the pain tolerable as if he understood how much I needed kindness right now. His warmth, his patience–they wrapped around me like a balm, soothing more than just my wounds.

Clay’s touch was warm and steady as he dabbed a cool ointment onto my wound. Each careful movement soothed the sting, making the pain more bearable. After he finished dressing it, he looked at me with a soft smile. “You can put on the T–shirt now,” he said, and I quickly slipped into the oversized shirt, feeling grateful for the comforting weight of fabric against my skin.

He climbed into bed beside me, pulling me close, and we settled together, lying side by side, our eyes fixed on the ceiling. His hand drifted to my arm, tracing gentle circles that sent a calming warmth through me.

“Is this… normal?” I asked quietly. “Do attacks like this happen here often?” It was hard to believe that a place I’d thought was so safe could be invaded so easily.

“This has never happened before,” he murmured, his voice low and thoughtful. “We never had to worry about this settlement being a target, which is why we

didn’t station warriors here. But something strange is happening… This exact situation has happened in two of our other territories. That’s why we had to

rush out, why we stayed away longer than expected. We’re still trying to piece it all together”

I felt a shiver of unease run through me. “I’m scared, Clay,” I whispered, memories of the attackers flooding back. “They barged into my room, dragged me

by my hair. They said someone in the packhouse offered me to them… to spare the other pack members. I think it was the cook.” I could feel him tense

beside me, anger radiating from him.

“Lucian and Maxwell went to deal with her,” he said, his tone hardening. “I’m so sorry for what you went through, Scarlett. We won’t let it happen again.

We’ll increase security, and if we need to leave for any reason, we’ll take you with us until we know more about what’s going on.” His voice was fierce with protectiveness, but I couldn’t help the pang of guilt that tugged at me. The thought of them changing their lives, their routines, just to protect me—it felt

heavy.

I slowly sat up, turning to look at him. “I don’t want to be a liability, Clay,” I said, my voice wavering. I didn’t want to be the weak link, the one who

constantly needed saving.

He sat up beside me, cupping my face gently as he looked into my eyes. “You aren’t a liability, Scarlett. You’re a priority,” he said, his gaze soft but unwavering. “We’re here to protect you. The cook showed us that anyone might betray you if it meant saving themselves. And with your father’s enentes

9:57 am GPP

Chapter 56

sull on there we have to take every precaution.”

His fingers tilted my chin up, so our eyes met. “You’re our mate, Scarlett. You’re ours to protest,” he said, his voice full of warmth, as if those simple words carried every reason in the world for him to guard me.

His words were comforting, but they also brought an ache to my heart. If only I had a wolf, if only I carried the strength of a Valkin Alpha… maybe then, none of this would have happened. I wouldn’t be someone they had to worry over, someone they felt responsible for. The cards life had dealt me felt impossibly heavy in that moment, each one a reminder of my powerlessness,

Clay seemed to sense my turmoil. He leaned closer, pulling me into his arms, his embrace a silent promise. “You may not see it yet, Scarlett, but you’re strong. Stronger than you Realise,” he murmured, his voice a gentle reassurance. I rested my head against his shoulder, letting his warmth seep into me, trying to believe in his words, even if it felt impossible.

Comments

R Visitor

1 Comments >

ok so she has mentioned a few times about hearing a female voice, is that her wolf maybe somehow kept bound or something

3

7 days ago

62

11

SHARE

9:57 am GP PO

Scarlett