Chapter 4 Denial
Chapter 4:
Scarlett
I could not believe what was happening to Asher.
People said when your husband or partner started acting up, it was always a character trait they had long before you met them.
Yet, Asher... He never had any of these traits. He was perfect. He was the carefree guy in the room who made loving him so easy.
Even as the thoughts filled my head, I couldn't take out the part where his words rang out in my head.
He only wanted a child from me. He had only married me to take what belonged to his family...
"No..." I whispered, unable to believe it. Asher was too perfect for this. There had to be something else bugging him.
And if I couldn't talk to him, there was one person who could know. And that was Luciano, his beta, and my friend.
Long before Uncle Greg found me in the unknown lands, Luciano had been my friend. Back when I roamed around the streets after escaping the humans who had bought me as a maid.
Luciano was there for me. Though not to a hundred percent but he did take care of me whenever he had free time from his busy schedule. I considered him my friend and surely, he would help me.
I wiped away my tears and put on another dress, making sure to hide whatever trace of pain or worry I had with makeup. When I was done, I paused in the mirror, practicing my forced smile. But not even my eyes could reflect their usual light.
I could see the crack in my heart on the mirror and my throat tightened as Asher's cruel words replayed in my head once again.
The air became hot and I was starting to hyperventilate when I sniffled and got a hold of myself.
"You are a queen now Scarlett. You have to stay strong." I whispered over the mirror before fisting my hands and heading out in search of Luciano.
I had no idea where I could find him but I hoped to find a guard who could point me out to his quarters in the palace. Before now, we usually only met in the market space where he slipped me food or a blanket.
The memories warmed me up, adding to the confidence I had managed to summon up.
"My Queen," someone suddenly said behind me and I quickly turned to find a very striking woman —one I had never seen before until now.
She had long blonde hair and eyes that moved between silver and gray. Then a face that was too pretty for anyone to forget.
"I am Stella. I am sorry I am coming to you late... I am supposed to be your assistant." She smiled and bowed.
My eyes blinked for a few seconds as I paused, trying to make out what I was going to do with her. Surely I didn't need an assistant and the words were going to leave my lips as they were when I suddenly remembered why I was out in the first place.
"Oh, yeah... Hi." I mumbled, letting my practiced smile linger on my face. "I was going to meet up with Luciano. The beta. Do you know where his quarter is?"
She raised her head and her strange eyes flashed before she nodded subtly. "I know where it is. I will take you." She stretched her hand down in the opposite direction of where I was headed. "It is this way."
She started moving ahead of me and I followed slowly, watching the way she moved carefully like she could suddenly do something strange.
Why didn't Asher tell me about her? I thought but as soon as the idea was birthed in my head, I gave myself an answer. He couldn't tell me because he was still angry with me and my family.
Which still didn't make sense and I hoped, Luciano would be able to answer all of my questions.
"We are here, my queen."
Her voice snapped me out of my thoughts and I saw that she had stopped in front of a door.
"Thank you," I said and took a step closer to the door but before I could knock, she knocked instead.
Then it occurred to me that she might want to stick around me like some bodyguard, so I quickly turned to her.
"Stella, right?"
She smiled and nodded. "Yes, my queen."
"Please, you don't have to stay. I need to speak to Luciano in private. Please."
"Oh that's not a problem, I will just wait in the reception." She gave me another bow and turned away from the door just as it was opening.
Luciano's face appeared before me and his tight expression softened.
"Scarlett... Or should I say, my queen," he said with a slight bow.
I waved my hand dismissively at his comment and offered him a small smile. "Oh Luciano please, call me Scarlett."
"Okay..." He replied and I could feel the awkwardness in his voice as he remained before me, not knowing what tondo.
I couldn't blame him. I could feel the awkwardness myself. Ever since Asher showed interest in me, we both developed an unspoken rule not to speak or even act like we knew each other. But the situation had changed. I was legally mated to Asher now and he was his beta, we had to talk.
My eyes made a quick sweep of the corridor and when I was sure no one was around, I returned my eyes to him.
"Can we talk... please?"
Luciano bit down on his teeth and also checked the corridors before pulling the door wide enough for me to get in, and then locked it as soon as I stepped in.
"You shouldn't be here." He mumbled and I turned around to face him, watching the emotions that moved over him. He knew.
"Why is Asher doing this to me?" I began, my voice barely above a whisper. "What is it my ancestors—" I paused as I remembered what he said they did to him and decided to rephrase my statement.
"Even if it is true that my ancestors took the lands from his, isn't there a way we can talk about this? A way we can make amends. I mean, I can give him my share of the lands, if he wants and I am certain not even Axel would have a problem with it."
But Luciano shook his head slowly and I could already feel the negative response he was about to give but I refused to accept it.
"I can convince my family. We can have a merger done. Anything... He just doesn't have to be like this. I can even give him the—"
"Scarlett," Luciano called, stopping me from the line of babbles I was spitting. "You know I will never lie to you. Before all of these even happened, you have been very dear to me... I can only tell you the truth."
His words were like the seconds of a bomb that was about to go off and destroy my life. And all I could do was wait for the seconds to tick-tock away as he spoke.
"Asher doesn't want just your shares..." He whispered. "He wants everything and he is not going to stop until he gets them."
My eyes blinked as it suddenly felt bitter in my throat. I couldn't fathom where all the hatred came from.
"Why?" I croaked as tears reached the surface of my eyes.
Luciano shook his head again and his hands held my upper arms.
"Asher has lived with the guilt of failing his people and himself for so long... He has a twisted notion to rule everyone. It's almost like the curse of the old lycans'. Greed. A dark, need to rule over everyone... Nothing can stop him."
My legs suddenly felt like jelly as my world began to move over me like a rollercoaster. My heart was racing, and my wolf was screaming.
Asher couldn't be what Luciano just explained.
"But he loves me..." I said, looking up at Luciano. "He told me this himself. He is in love with me." —and if I was being sincere to myself, I loved him too.
"I am sorry, Scarlett. But Asher never loved you. You have always been a pawn. Something for him to play with so he could get his goal."
A gasp escaped my lips and the spinning of the world around me grew stronger. If Luciano wasn't holding onto me, I would have passed out.
He slowly let me to a seat and as I sat, my body trembled with denial.
"No," I mumbled like saying it over and over would make it better.
Asher had been the one to save my brother's marriage. He stood by Violet. He stood by me.
"No. Luciano," I whispered, raising my eyes to him. "I am sure that you are wrong. This must just be a condition."
Luciano left my side and moved to a table that was by the window. He pulled out something from it.
"The goddess wanted you to find me first... But if you hadn't come, I would have come to you." He took my hand and placed a phone in it. "As I said earlier, you are very dear to me, Scarlett. I can't lie to you. Neither can I sit and watch all of these happen to you.”