Liam’s POV
I hadn’t slept all night.
Every single time I closed my eyes, Leo’s cruel, bragging words repeated in my head. Those mocking words just kept echoing inside my mind, loud and sharp, tearing my chest apart. Inside my mind, my wolf was completely wild with pain. He was pacing back and forth, baring his teeth and growling in pure agony.
But the worst part wasn’t even the fact that Scarlett had slept with Leo.
The worst part was that Leonard had gotten to touch her too, and I was left with absolutely nothing.
All these years, for five long years, I thought Scarlett was dead. I was drowning in deep sadness, tearing myself apart and truly believing she was gone forever. And the whole time, my own brothers had her behind my back. Leo slept with her two years ago. And Leonard slept with her a year ago.
Leonard had held her in his arms. He had touched her skin. He had spent a whole night wrapped up in her warmth while I got nothing. I didn’t get a single moment. I didn’t get anything.
By the time the first hint of morning light hit the windows, I couldn’t handle the heavy weight of my own feelings anymore. Driven by pure, toxic anger, I left my room and headed straight down to the training field before the sun was even up.
I needed to feel pain. I needed to inflict it.
I threw myself into the ring and challenged warrior after warrior. The fights quickly became brutal. I wasn’t holding back, and my wolf kept pushing me harder. Harder. Harder. I needed the exhaustion to drown out the noise in my head.
Finally, a young warrior made one small mistake. He left his left side open for a split second.
In that moment, I completely lost control.
My wild instincts took over. I slammed the warrior hard into the ground, my fists flying as I kept hitting him long after the match should have ended. The other fighters panicked, gasping and stepping back. None of them dared to step into the ring with a raging Alpha.
Before I could do any real damage, a powerful, steady voice cut right through the chaos.
"That’s enough."
I froze, my fist resting in the air. I looked up to see Beta Mason walking into the clearing. He was an older warrior and my most trusted second-in-command, one of the few people who could look me in the eye when my Alpha power was flaring.
Mason didn’t look afraid. He just told the hurt warrior to leave the ring right away. The crowd quickly scattered, leaving the two of us completely alone in the quiet morning air.
Mason stood there for a long moment, looking at my wild face and the dark circles under my eyes. "Alpha, what is wrong?" he asked, his voice full of worry. "I’ve never seen you lose control like this."
I clenched my jaw so hard my teeth ached, the truth pouring out of me like poison. "For five years, Mason... for all these years, I thought Scarlett was dead. I nearly destroyed myself crying for her. But my brothers had her behind my back."
Mason blinked, completely shocked, but he stayed quiet and let me speak.
"Leo slept with her two years ago," I spat, my voice cracking with pure, raw jealousy. "And Leonard slept with her a year ago in Australia. They both got to be with her while I was left in the dark."
Mason let out a heavy sigh and stepped closer. He looked at me with sad, wise eyes. "Don’t be too hard on Scarlett, Liam," he said quietly.
I let out a harsh, bitter laugh, finally looking up to glare at him. "Don’t be hard on her? She kept this from me, Mason!"
"Think about it," Mason said, his voice soft but firm. "She hid away for five whole years because of you guys. She did it to protect you, to stop the prophecy from destroying everything. She didn’t do it to hurt you, Liam. She was suffering all alone."
For the first time in twenty-four hours, I didn’t have a single answer.
Later that afternoon, the heavy silence of the packhouse was still driving me crazy. I decided to walk down to the garden to clear my head, but the moment I stepped onto the stone path, I ran right into Scarlett.
She wasn’t crying. Her eyes were completely dry, but she looked incredibly weak. Her shoulders were slumped, and her face was totally pale, devoid of its usual bright color. She looked completely drained, like she was running on pure empty.
She stopped when she saw me, her gaze steady despite her exhaustion. "Can we talk?" she asked, her voice quiet but strong.
The clear image of her and Leonard together flashed brightly through my mind, and the ugly jealousy burned in my throat all over again. I hardened my face, forcing my voice to stay cold.
"I don’t have anything to say to you, Scarlett," I replied, crossing my arms over my chest. "In one month, when you are ready to choose, come tell me. Until then, stay away from me."
Scarlett didn’t fight back. She just lifted a shaky hand and rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes for a brief second.
I noticed something strange about the way she was standing. Her balance seemed off, and there was a hollow look to her face that made a sudden jolt of worry pass through me. I wanted to ask her if she was okay, but I stopped myself. No, I thought bitterly, clenching my fists. She can take care of herself. She has Leo and Leonard to worry about her.
Forcing myself to look away, I turned around and walked down the path.
I had only taken a few steps when a sudden, heavy sound echoed behind me. It was the dull thud of a body hitting the dirt.
I spun around instantly.
Scarlett was lying flat on the ground. She had fainted completely, her pale face resting against the grass, totally still.
My heart stopped dead in my chest.
"Scarlett!"
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