Chapter 3: Sever Every Tie
Chapter 3: Sever Every Tre
(Scarletts POV)
I stormed through the packhouse courtyard, my heels clicking sharply against the stone path. Each step was fueled by the anger coursing through me, my thoughts too loud and too heated to think clearly. Cora paced restlessly beneath my skin, growling, her fury a sharp reflection of my own
The courtyard was alive with its usual rhythm–wolves moving about on errands, cubs scattered near the training fields, and chatter in the cool morningar. Yet now, every sound seemed like a mockery to me. It all grated against my raw emotions.
That was when the polished black SUV came into view. It pulled up smoothly to the front gates, the vehicle glinting in the sunlight, pristine and deliberate, like everything perfumed with Alexander’s influence. The sheer presence of the car felt like an affront, a reminder of the injustice I was tethered to. I froze, my breath shallow and my teeth already gritting.
Jason, Alexander’s so–called loyal beta, stepped out first. His face was a mask of controlled neutrality. His every movement had the polished grace of someone conditioned to servitude. For a moment, he glanced my way, but quickly looked away.
Then the passenger door opened, and out stepped the person I despised most.
Grace appeared, swathed in one of her elaborate, delicate coats that screamed of hidden wealth and pretentious frailty. Her platinum blonde hair vas swept perfectly over one shoulder, and her pale blue eyes glimmered faintly in the sun. She looked like a broken angel stumbling into the courtyard But I knew–ah, I KNEW–what lay beneath that façade.
Despite her fragile performance, she held her head high, chutching several small gift–wrapped boxes in her arms. She handed the first one to a passing Beta with a warm smile that made me feel physically ill.
“She’s so sweet,” whispered an Omega in awe.
“What a Luna she would make,” murmured another, loud enough for me to hear.
The wolves flocked to her like she was the savior of the damned. They eagerly accepted the packages from her, their hands outstretched and their faces breaking into delighted expressions as they received her gifts. It wasn’t even subtle. They barely tried to hide their preference anymore.
No matter that I was Alexander’s official fiancée. Grace had always been their true crown jewel.
Every smile she gave, every soft word she offered, felt like a dagger to my pride. My hands clenched into fists, the sharp pain of my nails digging into my palm grounding me slightly. But it did nothing to staunch my rage.
Finally, those pale blue eyes found mine. Her lips curled into a sly, practiced smile. It was subtle enough for the onlookers to see only kindness, but i knew the truth. That smile was meant for me alone, dripping with mockery.
Grace didn’t hesitate. She glided toward me with feigned grace, holding one of her packages tightly. When she was just a few steps away.
stopped, tilting her head slightly as if to pity me.
“Scarlett,” she greeted, her voice soft and saccharine, the falsehood grating on my ears. “How wonderful it is to see you‘
I didn’t return the sentiment. My cold stare was the only response I gave her
she
Unperturbed, she extended the wrapped gift toward me. “I hope you don’t mind. Alexander and I were just discussing some matters of importance.
After all, pack alliances are delicate, and I thought it best to offer some support during this transitional time.”
Her tone was sweet, but every word was laced with insult. My jaw lightened as I fought to keep control of my wolf. Cora snarled within me, her icy
rage begging to strike
1 forced the words out, my tone dripping with sarcasm. “Really? Pack alliances, you say? How considerate of you both to discuss my engagement
without me.”
Her smile faltered, just for a second. It was enough to make my wolf purr with satisfaction. But she didn’t crumble. Grace was nothing if not a master manipulator Her soft expression returned quickly, her voice laced with mock surprise. “Oh, Scarlett. You misunderstand. I’m merely here to ensure everything remains… harmonious between us. As Alexander’s friend, I feel it’s my duty to help wherever I can”
“Harmonious?” I repeated venomously, the acidic taste of fury coating my tongue. “You mean undermining me with every smile and every lie while playing the victim in his eyes? Is that your definition of harmony?”
Grace blinked innocently, the perfect picture of misunderstood virtue. But I saw the slight twitch of her fingers, the subtle shift that gave her
cha waid inwarina har unica lest alinhada en nada Innodd bass. “Dashane Alavaruder eiminku understande who trhu davanan bir
ctn 2 Sever Every Ti
staction away “Perhaps she said, lowering her voice just slightly so only I could hear “Perhaps Alexander simply understands who truly deserves his
It was that moment–the way her lips curled just enough to form the barest hint of a smirk–that made my control snap
I grabbed her wrist in one swift motion, my hold firm enough to finally shatter the delicate, glass–like mask she hid behind. My emerald eyes locked onto hers, my off’s growl simmering just beneath the surface
I
“Listen carefully, Grace” hissed, my voice low, sharp, and deadly. “You’ve been poisoning everything since the day you dragged yourself into thes pack. Your fragile act may fool them but you don’t fool me. Do not think for a second that I let you win.”
ale eyes widened for a fraction of a second, then darkened as she yanked her wrist free. But instead of walking away the conniving snake let
out a sharppened gas stumbling backward.
The cry was calculated Loud Purposeful. It echoed through the courtyard, and heads immediately whipped in our direction. Whispers rose like a
de every wolf watching now as though they’d just stumbled into a crime scene.
I sucked in a sharp breath as I read what she had done–played the victim once again. Before I could for the narrative, the courtyard seemed to
thi tension as heavy footsteps approached.
“Scarlett” came the commanding furious voice that I had grown entirely too familiar with
His towering figure demanded attention as he strode into the scene. His amber eyes scammed the surrounding wolves, then fell to Grace’s trembling
form. Finally, they looked onto me with a burning intensity that matched my own anger.
“What the hell is going on?” he demanded, his voice ringing through the courtyard like the ck of a whip. His Alpha power roared to life, pressing down against my already fraying nerves.
I squared my shoulders, refusing to bow to the force of his dominance. Instead, I met his glare with one of my own, standing tall despite the dozens
of eyes watching.
off en ee let a few soft tears trace trails down her fushed cheeks. “Alexander, it was it was nothing,” she stammered, her voice shaking
perfectly. 7 must have upset Scarlett without meaning to
“Have I lost my mind, Alexander?” I shot back sharply before he addressed me. “Your beloved Grace has decided to continue her games, as this is the “destined mate you prefer, why don’t you make it official and end this farce of a political marriage?”
He growled low in his chest, stepping closer, his sheer size meant to intimidate. “Scarlett,” he hissed, his sharp tone a clear warning.
But I didn’t back down. I took a step closer to him, the fire in my emerald eyes matching the ember glow of his. “You don’t scare me.” I said icily
Being bed to you was never my choice.”
I let my words sink in for only a second before delivering the final blow. “Humiliate me all you want. But understand this: NEVER continue to play by your rules. This is over”
His face darkened as his jaw clenched, but I didn’t give him the satisfaction of a longer argument. Without another glance at either of them, I turned and strode away, cutting through the crowd with my head held high
The whispers returned the second I was out of earshot, I could feel the weight of their speculations, but I didn’t care anymore. Let them talk.
I reached my car parked just outside the packhouse gates, my chest heaving from the confrontation and the rage that churned inside me. My fingers fumbled as I reached for the door, trembling from the adrenaline. Slowly, I sank into the driver’s seat and gripped the steering wheel so tightly my
knuckles turned white
The distant whispers of the courtyard still echoed in my head when suddenly Sarahis voice penetrated through the pack link
“Scarlett “Her tone was firm but carried an air of pity that made my wolf’s hackles nse. Don’t leave. We need to talk”
At first, I ignored her entirely I hadn’t spoken to my biological mother properly since she had sided with Grace–HER daughter, the golden child she had raised while abandoning me
But she didn’t relent. Her voice grew sharper in my mind, and finally, I forced myself to engage
“Talk about what, Luna Sarah? I responded coldly. “How I’m expected to stay quiet while your idea of a perfect daughter poisons everything around
her? Or maybe about why you’re willing to let me rot for her sake?”
Sarah sighed audibly into the link, her tone suddenly softening. “Scarlett,” she began in the calm, measured voice she always used when she thought herself reasonable, “you don’t understand the pain Grace has gone through. She’s. She just needs time for things to settle=”
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Chapter 3 Sever Every The
herself reasonable, you don’t understand the pain Grace has gone through. She’s ill. She just needs time for things to
“For her?” I snapped, my claws extending against the leather steering wheel “Again?”
Itned to block her voice out, but the memories her words stirred made that impossible. Grace wasn’t some innocent victim. My scars–ible and
invisible–held proof of that truth.
Sarah continued in soft murmurs, but I stopped listening. Her calm excuses made my stomach chum. With a sharp mental shove, I severed the in
embracing the silence that followed.
I stared blankly ahead at the endless trees lining the road. My fingers relaxed as anger drained into calculated resohe
No more chains. No more bonds. I swore to myself in that moment: Alexander, Grace, and even Samh would no longer hold me back. This would be the end of their power over me. I would sever every tie. Starting now,
Chapter 4: Rejection
