Chapter 122:The Unwanted News 2
Chapter 122:The Unwanted News 2
Clay’s POV
“We had to put Scarlett on a sedative to calm her down,” Lucian said, his voice heavy with guilt as we sat in the dimly lit living room.
“She was too devastated, and her magic started acting up. She burned me once without even realizing it.” He shook his head, his eyes clouded with worry.
“I knew she wouldn’t take the news well. Keith Harold… Whether we like it or not, he was a part of her life. A significant part, however brief. I don’t know how we’re supposed to make this better.”
The room fell into a tense silence as the weight of the situation hung over us. Scarlett, exhausted from her grief, finally slept, her magic subdued for now. But none of us could rest. There was too much at stake.
Lucian broke the silence. “How did you learn about all this?” he asked Maxwell, his voice edged with worry.
“I was in Rainville,” Maxwell replied. “I went there to handle affairs and found the place overflowing with refugees. That’s where I heard what happened. Refugees said they left men there to secure the territory but retreated South afterward. I just have this gut feeling—we’re next.”
Lucian sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. “We were fools,” he admitted. “Scarlett was right to distrust David. I can’t believe we didn’t see it sooner. And that bastard had the nerve to ask us to send troops. What do you think his reason was?”
“Either to weaken our forces or bolster their own,” I replied, the bitterness in my voice evident.
Lucian growled lowly, the sound reverberating through the room. “He must’ve been working with young Nikolay all along. Now it all makes sense—Garland’s suspicions about David’s involvement in Scarlett’s father’s death. And the way he bundled Scarlett off to the North, like she was nothing—it was calculated. He was clearing the South for Nikolay to take over. Sending Scarlett North wasn’t an act of goodwill; it was part of the plan.”
His fists clenched as he pieced the puzzle together. “David handed us the South as a disguise. They knew they could take it back whenever they wanted. It was all a ruse to keep us complacent.”
Maxwell shook his head. “And what would you have had us do back then? Give Scarlett the retribution she deserved? Fight David outright?”
“Yes!” Lucian growled, his frustration boiling over. “We should have.”
“And we’d all be dead,” Maxwell shot back, his tone calm but firm. “You think Young Nikolay wasn’t already active back then? David might have been biding his time, but this Nikolay was still in the shadows, growing stronger. If we’d acted then, we wouldn’t have stood a chance.”
Lucian was silent, though his jaw tightened in frustration.
Maxwell continued, his tone softening. “At least now, we have a chance. If David had known Scarlett was our fated, he wouldn’t have sent her North. He’d have done everything to keep her out of our reach, knowing we could gain magic from her. As much as it burns to admit, things played out in our favour—even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.”
I sighed, my thoughts circling back to the looming threat. “But if Keith could fall to this… to him… what chance do we have?” I asked, my voice trembling slightly.
“A better chance,” Lucian agreed, his tone steady but resolute. “We are four Valkin Alphas, Scarlett has magic now, and Garland has promised to bring troops and weapons. Combined, we are a much stronger force than Keith had in the West. Maybe that’s why Nikolay and David haven’t come for the North immediately.”
Lucian paused, his gaze shifting to each of us before continuing. “Or he might be heading East first and leaving us for last. Remember Scarlett’s vision? He went East before turning North. We have to call Garland so he can prepare—or retreat for safety,” Lucian added, already pulling out his phone. As impulsive as it seemed, I knew it was necessary.
He stepped out to make the call, speaking with Garland for about twenty minutes before returning to the room, his expression grim but determined.
“He’s leaving the East for the North,” Lucian announced. “He’ll bring his troops and weapons immediately. Garland said he doesn’t mind abandoning the East if it means avoiding unnecessary bloodshed. He’s instructing his people to surrender willingly if Nikolay comes so they won’t suffer the same fate as the West.”
Lucian exhaled deeply, his shoulders tense as he continued. “Garland wants us to move our forces to meet him on neutral ground—away from any pack territories. He doesn’t want what happened in the West to repeat itself in the North. He’s optimistic, though. Because of Scarlett.”
Maxwell, sitting across from him, frowned deeply. “Scarlett’s just one person,” he said, his voice laced with concern. “She’s wielding our magic, Lucian. That’s too much for her. We can’t put her through this.”
I shook my head, knowing Maxwell’s concern was genuine but misplaced.
“She won’t sit by,” I said firmly. “You know Scarlett better than that. The South is her home. It’s her territory, her legacy—and her bastard kin. She won’t let him take it just because he can. Scarlett will want her pound of flesh, and this might be the only way she gets it.”
Maxwell sighed but didn’t argue. He knew I was right.
“We’ll consult with Elsa and Alison,” I added, leaning back in my seat. “We’ll need guidance on how to approach this fight. That’s the best we can do right now.”
The others nodded, though the weight of the situation kept the room heavy. None of us spoke for a while. We sat in the living room, passing around glasses of vodka, each of us lost in our own thoughts, trying to process the magnitude of what lay ahead.
Beyond the immediate threat of Nikolay, there was Scarlett. Her grief was raw, and her magic unstable. Whether we liked it or not, the truth was undeniable—Keith had been a part of her. A significant one. She had cared for him, been with him, kept him close even as her bond with us grew stronger.
No matter how much we wanted to erase that part of her past, we couldn’t. It was a piece of her history, and now it was a wound. One we couldn’t heal for her. All we could do was stand by her side and hope she found her strength again—for herself, for us, and for the battle to come.