Scarlett (Second Edition) by Karima Saad Usman novel Chapter 85

Chapter 85

Scarlett’s POV

I stood there in the shower, shivering, even with the warmth of the water and the steady arms of my mates around me. A cold fear settled deep within me. whispering that things would never be the same again. I hadn’t invited Gregory into my room, and I certainly hadn’t slept with him. But I knew that to everyone else, it would look like that’s exactly what happened. My heart ached with the injustice of it all-how was I supposed to prove my innocence? It felt like every accusation, every whispered doubt I’d ever faced had finally caught up to me, now looming over me like a dark shadow.

Lucian gently wrapped a towel around me and dried my tears along with the water from my face. Hrs touch was tender, but I could feel the tension in his hands, the heaviness that hung in the air as he guided me back to his bedroom. Maxwell and Clay followed close behind, their expressions mirroring my own anguish and confusion. They wanted to protect me, I could feel that, but this situation had left them as shattered as I was

“What do we do, Lucian?” Maxwell asked softly, his voice thick with worry. The weight of what had happened lay heavily on us all, but Redcape was Lucian’s home, his territory. Gregory Olsen was his guest, and the responsibility of handling this fell on ho

Lucian’s face twisted in frustration as he raked a hand through his hair, struggling to keep control. “I don’t know,” he finally admitted, his voice cracking under the strain. “I don’t know what to do.” He turned away, his shoulders tensing before he let out a shout of pure frustration, slamming his fist against the wall.

“Fuck!” he yelled. “This can’t be happening. Not now.” His anguish was palpable, and I could feel the pain rolling off him, his helplessness as he tried to come to terms with what had to be done. And I realized then that things might only get worse.

“We can’t subject her to the law,” Clay said, his voice tight with worry. He looked at me with fierce loyalty, but there was fear in his eyes. Lucian turned to me, his gaze filled with a raw sadness I’d never seen before.

“Why, Scarlett?” His voice was thick with emotion, his eyes brimming with tears. Why did you allow yourself to get caught up in this?” He wanted to believe me, I could see that, but the situation was tearing him apart, tearing all of us apart. I felt a sob escape me, and for a moment, I couldn’t even find

the words to respond.

“I didn’t…” My voice trembled, and the words tumbled out, each one heavy with desperation. “I drank that wine and felt strange, so I tried to make it back to our apartment. But when I reached the door, it was locked. I was already slipping into unconsciousness, so I went to my old room. The lock was still broken, so I managed to get inside and collapsed on the bed. I swear, I didn’t do anything with that man. Please, believe me.” My heart felt like it was tearing apart as I looked at them, hoping, praying, that they would understand.

Lucian turned his back, his shoulders hunched as he struggled with the weight of my words. Clay moved closer, sitting beside me, his hand reaching to stroke my hair, his touch gentle but filled with a sadness that made my heart sink even further.

“I wish it were that simple, darling,” Clay murmured, his voice low and heavy. “I wish we could pretend this never happened, sweep it away like a bad dream. But people saw us carry you out of that room. They saw you with him, Scarlett. They’ll assume… they’ll believe…” He trailed off, a pained expression crossing his face. “In the North, we have laws that even Valkin Alphas can’t ignore.”

A knot formed in my stomach, and I felt the dread creeping over me. My voice was shaky as I asked the question that had been lurking in the back of my mind. “How complicated is it, Clay?” I whispered, barely able to get the words out.

His hand stilled, and he took a deep, sorrowful breath. “For now… you can’t be our Luna. Not until your name is cleared. You’ll be… set aside. My heart clenched at his words, and the memories of the hardship I’d faced when I first arrived here surged back, a painful teminder of what I might have to endure again. The hurt and judgment, the isolation-it was all waiting for me.

But there was something else in Clay’s eyes, something he hadn’t yet told me. The hesitation in his gage sent a fresh wave of fear through ine. I mustered the courage to ask, my voice barely a whisper, “And what else?”

10:07 am P pppp

Chapter 85

He looked away, sighing deeply. “You’ll have to stand trial, Scarlett. In front of everyone. It’s the only way to prove your innocence… and it will start tonight.

The words struck me like a blow. A public trial. The thought alone was horrifying. I could already feel the weight of the crowd’s eyes, the accusing stares, the judgment. How could I face that? The fear was paralyzing. My throat closed, and I couldn’t speak, couldn’t breathe.

From the hallway, I heard Lucian’s low, tense voice as he ordered Gregory to leave.

“How am I supposed to prove my innocence if Lucian lets him leave?” I asked, my voice breaking. It felt like everything was slipping through my fingers. Maxwell looked at me with a sorrowful expression, his eyes filled with tears he was barely holding back.

“He had no choice, Scarlett,” Maxwell said softly. “If we arrest Gregory and put him through trial, we’ll be at war with the Valkin Alpha of the West. The man has magic, powers we don’t have, and we don’t stand a chance against him.”

The words stung, but I held onto a small hope. “But… we’re together. Doesn’t that mean you’ll have magic?” I asked, grasping at anything that might offer

us an advantage.

Lucian turned to face me, his expression filled with a pain so raw it took my breath away. “We’ll never have magic, Scarlett,” he said, his voice cracking as tears streamed down his face. “That’s what the seer told us. She said… because you’re wolfless, even if we bond, we won’t gain anything from it.”

I felt as though the ground had been ripped from beneath me. I’d known about my wolflessness, the stigma that came with it, but I hadn’t realised how deeply it would impact their lives. The fact that they had chosen to be with me despite this was a testament to their love, but right now, that love felt small in the face of everything unravelling around us.

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it’s Stasia and Gregory

7 days ago

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Scarlett