Chapter 48 48
Scarlett’s POV
I walked down the corridor, the pain in my chest growing tighter with every step. My eyes burned with unshed tears, and my mind was anxious about what I had just witnessed. The image of Zane and Rhylie together, so intimate, so close, wouldn’t leave my head. It haunted me, making every step feel heavier than the last.
I don’t care, I told myself, but the ache in my chest screamed otherwise. I shouldn’t be this upset. After all, Zane wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t his. Fuck the mate bond. He was free to be with whoever he wanted. That was the reality of the situation.
But despite my attempts to understand it, I couldn’t stop the pain coming at me. My hands trembled as I clenched them into fists, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
“You have no reason to cry, Scarlett. Focus on the curse. Focus on your revenge” I said to myself
“Umm, Scar, don't you think Zane has been weird lately” Luisa said
“Weird?” I said laughing, “Not weird Lui, this is the second time we've seen him being intimate with Rhylie and remember they were mated to each other first, we don't matter Lui and we shouldn't bother because as soon as we are done here, I get my part of the deal and that's it we are going out separate ways, so stop trying to come up with stupid excuses for him !!!” I said all at once, with a full outburst
“I..um Luisa”, I could feel Luisa recoiling to the back of my mind because of the way I raised my voice at her
“ I'm sorry Lui, I didn't mean to,” I said feeling pathetic, for allowing Zane to get to me
“Okay yeah I understand,” Luisa said in a soft voice
I kept my head down as I walked, too consumed by my thoughts to notice where I was going. But suddenly, I bumped into something or rather, someone.
Strong hands caught me by my waist, steadying me before I could fall. “Whoa there, easy,” a familiar voice said.
I looked up, blinking through my blurred vision. It was Kent. His eyes were filled with concern as he studied my face.
“Scarlett? What’s wrong? What happened?”
I shook my head, quickly wiping at my eyes, not wanting to let anyone see me like this, especially not Kent. “Nothing,” I lied, my voice breaking despite my efforts to sound composed. “It’s nothing.”
He didn’t believe me. I could see it in the way his eyes stared at me, the way he tilted his head slightly as if trying to figure me out. “Doesn’t look like nothing,” he said softly, his hand still on my shoulder, grounding me. “Come on. Let’s get out of here.”
Before I could protest, Kent gently took me down the corridor, his hand resting lightly on my back as he led me away from the main corridors of the packhouse. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but I didn’t resist. I didn’t have the energy to argue, and truthfully, I didn’t want to be alone right now.
We walked in silence, his presence comforting as we made our way through the quieter parts of the pack grounds. Eventually, we ended up at a quiet spot toward the woods, a small path that overlooked the forest beyond. The air was cooler here, and the soft rustle of leaves in the breeze seemed to calm my racing heart.
Kent sat down on a fallen log, gesturing for me to join him. “This is one of my favorite spots,” he said, his voice gentle. “Quiet, peaceful. No one comes here.”
I hesitated for a moment before sitting beside him, my hands resting awkwardly in my lap. The silence between us stretched, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. It was a relief, just sitting here, away from everything, away from Zane and Rhylie, away from the chaos in my mind.
Kent didn’t push me to speak, and for that, I was grateful. He just sat there beside me, watching the trees sway in the breeze, giving me the space I needed.
After a while, I found myself speaking, the words slipping out before I could stop them. “I saw Zane and Rhylie.”
Kent didn’t say anything at first, but I felt his eyes on me, waiting for me to continue.
“They were together,” I whispered, my voice barely audible. “In his office. I walked in on them. And it hurt more than I thought it would.”
Kent’s hand found mine, his touch warm and reassuring. “I’m sorry, Scarlett,” he said softly. “I can’t imagine what that must’ve been like.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head. “It’s stupid. I shouldn’t care. We’re not even really mates. Not in the way that matters. But still”
Kent squeezed my hand gently, his thumb brushing over my knuckles in a comforting gesture. “It’s not stupid,” he said. “You’re allowed to feel hurt. The bond is there, whether you want it or not. That’s not something you can just turn off.”
His words were kind, but they only made the ache in my chest worse. I didn’t want to feel this way. I didn’t want to care about Zane or his bond with Rhylie. But no matter how hard I tried to push those feelings away, they kept creeping back in.
I sighed, leaning forward and resting my elbows on my knees, my head hanging low. “It just feels like everything’s falling apart,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I was brought here to break the curse, to get my revenge. But now”
“You feel lost,” Kent finished for me, his voice gentle.
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. I felt like I was going around in circles, like everything I had worked for was slipping away, and I didn’t know how to stop it. From my ex-mate to my cousin to the child I lost.
Kent shifted closer to me, his hand still holding mine. “You’re not alone, Scarlett,” he said, his voice firm but kind. “You’ve got me. And no matter what happens with Zane or the curse, I’m here for you.”
I looked up at him, meeting his gaze for the first time since we sat down. His eyes were sincere, a warmth that I hadn’t expected. And for the first time in a while, I felt seen. Like someone cared about me, not just for what I could do or the curse I was supposed to break, but for me.
“Thank you,” I whispered, my voice grateful. Kent smiled, and for a moment, everything felt still. We sat there, hand in hand, the silence stretching out once more, but this time it felt different, softer, more comforting.
I saw the way Kent’s eyes stared at my lips, his expression shifting slightly as if he was debating something. Before I could process what was happening, he leaned in his face inches from mine.
My heart raced, and for a split second, I froze. But then reality crashed back in, and I pulled away, shaking my head.
“I can’t,” I said quickly, standing up and taking a step back. “I’m sorry, Kent. I just need to go.”
Kent blinked, looking a little surprised, but he nodded. “Of course,” he said softly, his voice came with understanding. “I didn’t mean to push.”
I offered him a small, shaky smile before turning and walking away, my heart pounding in my chest. I didn’t know what had just happened, but I couldn’t let myself get caught up in something else, not when everything was already so complicated.
I needed answers. I needed to figure out what was going on with the curse. And there was only one place to go for that, the witches.
As usual, The witches’ chambers were dimly lit, the scent of herbs and incense thick in the air as I entered. The witches stood in a circle, their eyes glowing faintly as they turned toward me. There was a heaviness in the room, a sense of something powerful hiding just beneath the surface.
“I need to know about the curse,” I said, my voice in control, despite the storm inside me. “I need to know what comes next.”
One of the witches stepped forward, her eyes piercing as she studied me. “It is time,” she said, her voice echoing through the chamber. “The curse is reaching its peak. You must return to the tree.”
I swallowed hard, the weight of her words sinking in. “The cursed tree?”
The witch nodded, her gaze never leaving mine. “It is where the curse began. And it is where you wil
l find your answers.”
My heart pounded in my chest, but I forced myself to nod. “I’ll go.”