Chapter 32: Gifts and Confrontations
(Scarlett’s POV)
The early morning air was crisp and cool as the coastal breeze fluttered through my hair. Roman’s car glided smoothly along the winding road, Hunter’s sharp eyes on the rearview mirror. We were far from the city, the horizon opening up to endless waves of blue. I couldn’t help but lean closer the window, drawn in by the scent of sea salt and the sound of crashing tides in the distance.
“Where are we going?” I asked, my voice a mixture of curiosity and hesitation. Roman, seated beside me, wasn’t volunteering information beyond the occasional glance in my direction, as if gauging my reaction to every turn the car took.
Hunter chuckled softly from the driver’s seat. Patience, Little Wolf. You’ll see soon enough,”
I narrowed my eyes at him through the rearview mirror but didn’t press further. Roman remained silent, his gaze fixed ahead, except for the faint smirk tugging at the comer of his lips. That calm confidence of his never failed to intrigue and infuriate me in equal measure
Finally, the car slowed as we approached towering iron gates. They swung open with a smoothness that hinted at careful maintenance, revealing a sprawling estate beyond. As we drove closer, a mansion with elegant gray stone walls and expansive windows came into view. My breath caught
Roman stepped out first, circling around to open my door it was a small gesture, but it radiated intent. He extended his hand to me, his ice–blue eyes glinting sharply.
“Come, Scarlett,” he said, his tone so casual, yet commanding in a way only he could pull off.
I took his hand reluctantly, eyes never leaving the breathtaking sight of the property before me. The mansion stood against the backdrop of the vast ocean, waves stretching infinitely under the faint glow of the pre–dawn sky. It was beautiful.
“What is this place?” I managed to whisper, stepping forward as Roman’s hand remained firmly on the small of my back, guiding me.
Hunter leaned against the car, watching us with an almost amused expression. “You really don’t remember?” he murmured, though the question was
directed more at Roman than me
Roman’s hand tightened slightly against my back, and he nodded toward the mansion. “it’s yours.”
“What?” My voice came out sharper than I intended, disbelief lacing the single word.
Roman gestured toward the front steps, his expression wholly serious now. “This was meant to be my gift to you–your coming–of–age gift for your
18th birthday”
I froze mid–step, turning to look at him fully. His face betrayed nothing but quiet sincerity, though his eyes held a storm of emotions he wasn’t
voicing.
“Roman, “The words caught in my throat.
Hunter cleared his throat, breaking the uneasy silence. “He put years into planning this, you u know. Every detail. Even the sunrise view–because
someone once said it was the prettiest thing they’d ever seen.”
A lump formed in my throat as the memory of that conversation hit me. I’d been sixteen, leaning against Roman during a rare quiet moment by the Thorn Pack’s eastern cliffs. I barely remembered mentioning it in passing back then–how much I loved watching the sunrise over water, how peaceful it
made me feel amidst chaos.
I
“You…you remembered,” I whispered, my voice breaking slightly
Roman stepped closer, his ice–blue gaze softening for the briefest moment. “Of course, I remembered, he replied simply, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. “No matter how long it’s been, this place can only belong to you, Scarlett.”
Tears pricked the corners of my eyes before I could stop them. I closed the remaining distance between us, flinging my arms around him. He caught me, holding me tightly, his hands firm and steady against my back.
His scent, pine and midnight, grounded me as he murmured near my ear. “You’ll never know how much I wanted you to see this. To have it. Even
after.” His voice trailed off, but he didn’t need to finish.
I clung to him like he was my anchor, the weight of emotions too heavy to process all at once.
Chapter 32 Gifts and Confrontations
(Sarah’s POV)
Back at the pack’s sanatorium, the air was heavy with despair. Grace’s pained whimpers echoed through the corridors, each one sharper and more desperate than the last
I sat by her bedside, brushing back the damp strands of platinum hair clinging to her fevered face. Her breathing was shallow, uneven, a faint sheen of sweat coating her pale skin.
“She’s getting worse,” the healer murmured softly from the foot of the bed, her eyes darting nervously to the silver–threaded restraints keeping Grace’s trembling limbs in check. The spread is accelerating.”
Daniel stood by the window, his fists clenched at his sides, his face drawn tight with worry. The tension in the room was suffocating, and I could feel the fear radiating off him in waves.
“Do something!” I snapped at the healer, my voice cracking. Ten’t there anything you can do??
She flinched, bowing her head low. “We’ve tried every method, Luna. Without Hazel’s expertise.”
The mention of Hazel made my blood boil. Scarlett. My own daughter. The one person who could change everything if she weren’t so damn
stubborn!
Grace groaned weakly, her body arching against the restraints as if her wolf was fighting to break free. My heart clenched painfully as I reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly.
“Stay with me, Grace, I whispered desperately. “We’ll fix this. I swea
The door slammed open suddenly, and Alexander strode in, his expression thunderous. One look at his face was all I needed to see. Scarlett had refused him again.
Grace’s pained cries pierced through the psychic bond connecting the pack, amplifying her agony into every
ery corner of our minds. I wanted to scream
at Scarlett’s cruelty, at how she could just watch Grace suffer from afar without lifting a finger.
Enough was enough
I stormed out of the ward, heading directly to the sanatorium’s landline. If Scarlett wouldn’t listen to Alexander, she would listen to me. She didn’t
have a choice.
(Scarlett’s POV)
The sunrise was breathtaking, painting the ocean in shades of gold and pink as I stood on the balcony of the mansion Roman had given me. The
calm waves rolled endlessly their sound soothing against the backdrop of my thoughts
Roman was inside, giving me space, though I could almost feel his presence lingering just behind the glass doors.
My phone buzzed loudly from the kitchen counter, startling me. I hesitated before picking it up. The number flashing on the screen wasn’t one
recognized.
“Hello?” I answered cautiously.
“Scarlett!” Sarah’s sharp voice cut through the line like a blade.
My grip on the phone tightened instinctively.
“I cannot believe what you’re doing–no, what you’re refusing to dol” she snapped. “Grace is dying! You’re coldly watching her suffer while you just sit there? What kind of person does that make you?”
Her arrogance, her audacity to call me and spew venom while she overlooked years of betrayal, made my blood boil.
“You dare lecture me?” I snapped back, my voice sharp. “Do you even remember the daughter you’ve ignored for Grace all these years? The one you told to let it go when rogues nearly killed her for your precious Grace?”
“You don’t understand-”
“No, you don’t understand,” I cut in coldly. “You lost the right to call yourself my mother when you chose to protect your lies over me.”
Sarah’s furious breathing was loud through the receiver, her silence telling me she had no counter to my words.
Chapter 12 Gifts and Confrontations
“And Grace?” I continued icily, my anger bubbling through every word “She may have escaped the last time she tried to des
escaped yet. This this is Retribution”
carlett, please
The call ended with a sharp beep as I disconnected, the phone slipping from my hand onto the counter
Turning back toward the balcony, I let the ocear’s calmness wash over me. Through the glass, I felt Romanis protective presence settle over mesnice
For the first time in years, I felt finally, truly free from Saral’s manipulations
