novelraw Chapter 118: Seeing Her Again
Chapter 118: Seeing Her Again
Liam’s POV (Two years after Scarlett fake death)
Two years.
Two years had passed since we lowered an empty casket into the red dirt of the North Woods. Two years since the light in the mansion went out, replaced by a cold silence that reeked of whiskey and grief. We were no longer the vibrant young Alphas the pack once admired. We were statues. Stone-faced, efficient, and utterly hollow.
The Hall, once a place of celebration, felt like a courtroom today. I stood by the window, my back to the room, staring out at the forest where my soul had died.
"Never, Father!" I roared, the sound vibrating in my chest. I turned around, my eyes glowing with a dangerous, unstable fury. "I am not marrying Camilla. I’ve told those women to leave this packhouse more times than I can count. My brothers and I are not getting married to them!"
I gestured wildly toward the door, my rage bubbling over. "My brothers can do what they want. If they want to tie themselves to those leeches, that’s their business. But I will not. Not today, not ever."
Leo, who was leaning against the far wall with his arms crossed, let out a sharp, bitter laugh. He spat on the floor, his eyes darting to me with a look of pure annoyance. "Don’t be stupid, Liam. Who told you I want to marry any of those sisters? I’d rather walk back into that ravine and let the rogues tear me apart than touch one of them."
Leon was the only one who didn’t speak. He sat in a heavy oak chair, his hands gripping the armrests so tightly that the wood was beginning to groan and crack under his strength. He was fuming, a dark cloud of scent and shadow surrounding him that warned everyone to stay back.
Father Louis stepped forward, his face etched with a frustration that had been building for twenty-four months. "You men have to marry them. It is time. These girls—Camilla, Bianca, and Talia—have been engaged to you for two years. They have waited. They have been patient while you three wallowed in your misery."
"I have always denied my relationship with them!" I yelled, stepping into my father’s space. "I made it clear from day one that I didn’t want them. If they refused to leave this packhouse and chose to stay here like parasites, that is their business, not mine. I owe them nothing."
"Liam, listen to reason," Father Louis countered, his voice rising. "The Triplet Sisters are the best match in the five territories. Think of the lineage! They are royalty. They are skilled in politics and combat. They are untouched, pure, and they bring a massive dowry of land and warriors. They are the perfect Lunas for the Full Moon Pack."
I glared at him, my lip curling in a snarl. "They are not my Scarlett. And since they are not her... I can’t imagine life with another woman. I can’t even imagine sharing a meal with them, let alone a bed."
My father talked and talked. He listed their virtues, their beauty, and the strength of the alliance. He talked about the future of the pack and the need for heirs. Every word he spoke felt like he was throwing dirt on Scarlett’s grave all over again. He spoke as if she were just a temporary glitch in our lives, a mistake that had finally been corrected by her death.
Suddenly, a low, rasping voice cut through the air.
"Fathers... please leave."
It was Leon. These were the first words he had spoken all morning. His voice was devoid of emotion, as flat and cold as a winter lake.
Our fathers—Louis, Lennox, and Levi—exchanged looks. They saw the darkness in Leon’s eyes and realized they had pushed us as far as they could for one day. Without another word, they turned and left the study, the heavy doors thudding shut behind them.
The silence that followed was heavy. Leo pushed off the wall, his face twisted in a scowl. "I’m asking those sisters to leave tomorrow," he said, his voice hard. "I see no reason why they are still here, eating our food and occupying our rooms. For two years, we have ignored them. We’ve treated them like ghosts. If they haven’t gotten the hint by now, I’ll spell it out for them as I toss their luggage into the driveway."
"Agreed," I muttered. "Tomorrow, they go."
Leo nodded once and walked away, his footsteps echoing down the hall. Leon stayed behind for a moment, staring into the dying embers of the fireplace.
"I had a dream last night," Leon said softly, not looking at me.
I stayed silent, waiting. We all dreamt of her, but we rarely talked about it. It was too painful to bring the ghosts into the light of day.
"In that dream," Leon continued, his voice trembling just a little, "I saw Scarlett. She wasn’t here. She wasn’t in the pack. She was in a bright room with tall windows... an art school. She was wearing a smock covered in charcoal and paint. She was drawing. She looked... she looked happy, Liam. Truly happy."
The image hit me. I remembered how Scarlett used to hide her sketches under her bed. I remembered the way her eyes would light up when she talked about the great galleries in Europe.
"She wanted that so much," I whispered. "But her dream was cut short because of us. Because we failed to protect her"
Leon stood up, his face filled with grief. "She’s gone, Liam. And every time I close my eyes, I see the life she should have had."
He left the room without another word. I was left alone in the darkening hall. I checked the clock on the mantle; it was only 8 PM. It was far too early to retire to bed, but the weight of the day—the weight of the last two years—was pulling at my limbs.
I didn’t want to be awake anymore. Being awake meant dealing with my father, the persistent sisters, and the crushing reality of an empty packhouse. It was only when I slept that I got to meet her. Only in my dreams was I able to see her dark chocolate hair or hear the soft sound of her laugh.
I left the hall and made my way to my bedroom. I didn’t turn on the lights. I didn’t need them. I knew every inch of this room in the dark.
I sat on the edge of the bed and began to pull off my boots. Suddenly, my wolf, who had been mostly silent and depressed for two years, stirred violently. He didn’t howl; he growled—a low, warning vibration deep in my soul.
Something is wrong, he growled.
My senses went on high alert. I scanned the shadows of the room, my nose twitching for a scent, but I found nothing out of the ordinary. No intruders. No strange smells.
I lay back on the bed, intending to just close my eyes for a second, but a strange sensation washed over me. My body suddenly felt heavy—unnaturally heavy. It was as if my bones had turned to lead. A wave of dizziness hit me, and the room began to spin.
"What is... what is happening?" I muttered, my voice slurring.
I tried to sit up, but my muscles refused to obey. It felt like I was being drugged, or like a powerful spell was being woven around the room. Even my wolf was struggling, his snarls turning into weak whimpers as the darkness pressed down on us. Whatever was happening, it was stronger than my Alpha will.
I tried to reach out with my mind, to link Leo or Leon, but the mental connection was blocked. It was as if a thick, black wall had been slammed down between us. I was alone, paralyzed, and fading fast.
My eyes began to shut against my will. I fought it, clawing at the sheets, forcing my eyelids to stay open just a little.
Then the door to my room creaked open.
I hoped it was one of my brothers. I hoped Leon had felt the shift and had come to check on me. I peered through the hazy, blurred vision of my failing eyes, struggling to focus on the figure stepping into my room.
The figure moved gracefully, silently.
As they stepped closer to the bed, my heart stopped. The air left my lungs. My mind screamed in disbelief, caught between the drug and the impossible sight before me.
It was her.
The dark chocolate hair. The soft curve of her jaw. The scent of vanilla and rain that I had mourned for two years.
No...
That face...
That scent...
"Scarlett?" I breathed, the word barely a ghost of a sound as my eyes finally succumbed to the darkness.