Chapter 25: Independence
Chapter 25 Independence
(Scarletts POV)
sharper as the sun dipped, losing its warmth. My aims hugged tighter around me, but it wasn’t just the chill. My nerves coiled tighter the closer we got to dusk. My woll, Cora, wasn’t helping. She wasn’t calm. She wasn’t quiet. She kept pushing, bristling.
“He’s coming.” Cora growled. Her tone was a mix of warning and strange exhilaration “Roman He’s ours.”
gritted my teeth, trying to steady my breathing. “Stop it” Thissed under my breath. But my voice wavered more than I wanted.
You feel him. Pretend all you want but every fiber of you knows it Cora pressed, practically vibrating beneath my skin. She growled low in my mind,
so insistent it was dizzying.
” cant=”| muttered, cutting myself off before the words spilled out.
Because the truth was, she wasn’t wrong.
The shift in the air hit before I even laid eyes on him. It was faint at first, just the ghost of his scent carried by the wind. Pine and midnight. It was still
the same still the one I couldn’t forget even after three years apart.
My cheat tightened as the scent deepened, stronger now. There was something new, though, something sweeter, richer, almost like honeystirring
motions in me I couldn’t name
My breath hitched as his silhouette emerged. My heart jumped to my throat as my gaze locked on him for the first time.
Roman
He stepped out of the shadows, his frame taller and more imposing than I remembered. He wasn’t just Roman anymore. He was power itself, etched into every muscle, every move. His piercing blue eyes found me immediately sharp and unflinching like they saw for too much.
I froze. My entire body tensed as his energy rolled over me. Every instinct within me screamed to submit, to lower my gaze before his dominance
overwhelmed me completely
I dropped my stare to the ground, unable to hold up against the weight of him. My wolf wasn’t helping. She didn’t want to fight.
Cora whimpered low in my chest, her presence shrinking beneath Logan’s suffocating power.
I’d spent the last three years telling myself I’d moved on. But standing there, with Roman staring at me with such intensity, I knew how badly I’d lied.
The silence between us stretched, thick with emotions I couldn’t sort through. My hands curled tighter around the small bouquet of mountain flowers I’d brought. My palms were damp from nerves, but I gripped the stems harder, not daring to let them go.
“They’re for you” I said softly, breaking the silence. My voice came out too quiet. I sounded fragile.
I held them out toward him, the small bundle shaking slightly in my trembling hands
He said nothing
It was as if the p
gesture meant
His gaze dropped to the flowers briefly, but his face gave no response. No flicker of thanks. No acknowledgment. It was as
Buyou
The pang of hurt slashed through me unexpectedly I drew in a shaky breath.
Still, the silence pressed. His eyes bored into mine, unblinking as if he was waiting for something
Trying to stay calmul stepped closer. My hands moved before I could think, reaching for his jacket.
“It’s crooked,” I murmured, adjusting the edge of his collar.
The motion was small, automatic. I’d done this so many
any times in the past that my fingers knew the exact motion. The childhood memories spilled
over in that one small gesture.
“Brother” I whispered. The word slipped out. It felt natural, familiar, even if it
if it stung to say now.
His reaction was instant
Jence
Roman’s hand shot out, grabbing my wrist. I gasped at the force of it as he yanked me closer. The strength in his grip sent a jolt through my arm, but it wasn’t painful–just firm, unyielding.
And then i was pressed against his chest, close enough to feel the heat radiating from him, the pure energy pulsing in his res. His scent engulfed
me, pinning me in place
A low growl rumbled from him, vibrating through my frame. The sound was deep, almost guttural
“Three Years”
Each word hit like a punch, laced with a cold edge of anger.
“–“My throat tightened, the attempt to explain dying before I could form the words I couldn’t look away from him.
His blue eyes burned with something trapped between fury and disappointment. His jaw was clenched tight, his expression dangerously controlled, but the tension radiating from him told me how deeply my absence had cut.
“You’ve got in, little woll, he growled again, his voice lower now but no lean intense. “After three years. Your freedom. Your independence”
The bitterness in his tone was enough to sting
I tried to speak, to apologize, but my voice faltered. Nothing came out.
“Was it worth it?” he demanded. The sarcasm dripped thickly from his voice as his eyes narrowed on me.
“Istammered. Words. I needed words, but my mind was a train wreck.
And Roman wasn’t waiting.
His hand slid from my wrist, curling around my forearm in a possessive grip. I could hear Logan’s energy snarling beneath the act, territorial and dominant, echoing loud in my ears. I was being claimed all over again.
But then he started puling me, not letting me linger. His strides were deliberate, powerful, and I had no choice but to follow where he led
“Roman-
My weak protest was cut off the moment I saw where we were going
A sleek, black SUV sat idling just outside the border, its sharp, polished exterior branded with the Shadow Pack’s emblem.
The realization sent my pulse racing again.
If Roman had brought his personal transport here, it meant one thing–he wasn’t planning to leave anytime soon.
My chest tightened as my mind raced. He was staying. Here,
Before I could turn, before I could even think, Roman’s intense gaze swept down and caught my reaction. He saw it instantly–how I stiffened, how i faltered mid–step
His lip quirked, his dark amusement unmistakable.
He pulled me forward again, ignoring my hesitation.
Hunter stood to the side, waiting by the wehicle with neutral readiness plastered across les face. His sharp green eyes darted between Roman and me, but he didn’t ask. He didn’t need to. He already knew this wasn’t a reunion. It was reckoning
Hunter opened the back door without a word, giving a faint nod of acknowledgment to Roman
I moved toward the SUV hesitantly, but before I could think to chimla inside myself, Roman leaned down His hand pressed against my lower back. firmly guiding me in
I stifled a startled gosp
He followed me in too closely, far too quickly.
I scooted to the far end of the seat, breath held, trying to put the widest gap I could manage between us. My hands rested against my thighs as I fought to steady myself.
But the space didn’t last long
Roman’s hand reached effortlessly across the divide and caught my arm again. With one fluid motion, I was pulled back toward him, his strength impossible to resist
27%
Chaple
Tomm
My words were barely out before he moved me onto his lap, his firm grip locking me into place like a cage I couldn’t escape.
My hand’s braced against his chest as I squirmed to move, but… there was no give. His arms wrapped tighter, anchored like bands of iron.
“Roman” i sputtered, my cheeks flushing. Tim not a pup anymore!”
His response came in the form of a soft hum, entirely unbothered by my protest. He traced his fingers along my jawline with careful precision, the dangerous gentleness in his touch making my pulse skyrocket.
“Three years without a word, he mused, his tone calmer, but no less intense. “Did your independence taste sweet, little wolf?”
There was no mistaking the sarcasm, and it hurt more than I’d care to admit.
my voice.
“It wasn’t quite three years,” I whispered weakly, though even I heard the pathetic excuse in my
Roman leaned closer, his gaze burning into mine.
“You’re quiet now” he murmured. “You had so much conviction back then. Tell me, Scarlett–what happened to that fire of yours?”
I struggled to form words, but my throat tightened again, the weight of his scrutiny unbearable.
“1“My voice caught. “There’s so much to tell you.”
He tilted his head slightly, his blue eyes softening just enough to let me catch a glimpse of the Roman I had known before.
Chaptery Roman
