Chapter 65: She has my full protection.
Chapter 65: She has my full protection
(Scarlett’s POV)
Roman kissed me again.
His lips moved with a hunger that I couldn’t resist, commanding yet subtle, heated yet controlled. My hands rested on his chest, a steady barrier between us that grew weaker with every second his lips melded against mine. I could feel the steady thrum of his heart under my palms, syncing with the erratic beating of my own
“Roman.” I broke the kiss, my breath uneven, my voice trembling as I forced space between us. His icy blue eyes, so piercing and filled with unspoken promises, bore into mine.
“We.. we need to keep some distance,” I stammered. “At least until the formal mating ritual… This, this feels…
“Improper?” he finished with a sly tilt of his lips, stepping closer as his towering frame loomed over me. His fingers grazed my chin, lifting it so couldn’t avoid his gaze. There was a possessiveness in his eyes that sent a shiver down my spine.
“Yes,” I whispered, my hands reflexively pressing against his chest to stop him from closing the distance again. “It’s how you raised me, remember? You always emphasized discipline, restraint, propriety.
His laugh was low and rich, a sound that ignited something dangerous deep within me. “Discipline? Restraint? Since when have you ever truly followed my teachings, little wolf?” His smile deepened as I fumbled to formulate a response.
” always-“The words caught in my throat. Did I always follow his teachings? No, not always.
He tilted his head, a teasing edge in his voice. “You, Scarlett Winters, obedient?” He paused, leaning closer. “Really now.”
The smirk he wore was maddening. But it was also devastatingly a
attractive.
I felt heat rise to my face and quickly turned away from him, creating distance between us as I crossed the room. “That’s not the point I snapped, though my tone lacked the sharpness I intended. “It’s just… we’re not supposed to.. not yet..
He followed me, slow and deliberate. “Fate doesn’t care about supposed to; Scarlett,” he said, voice soft but laced with authority. He stopped just behind me, his warmth surrounding me like an invisible tether. “The Moon Goddess herself binds us. Brother and sister by circumstance. Mates by destiny.”
i froze, his words slicing through the air between us. I bit my lower lip, caught between guilt, confusion, and the undeniable pull i felt toward him.
“Shh,” he murmured, his finger brushing against the mark he had left on my neck. My breath hitched. “You think too much”
Suddenly, a sharp mental buzz sliced through the moment, startling me. Roman stiffened, his ice–blue eyes narrowing as he tilted his head, clearly receiving a mindlink. The brief shift in his expression from irritation to curiosity was enough to confirm the culprit.
“Hunter,” he muttered, the name dropping from his lips like a curse.
The connection pulled me in as well, and I immediately caught the desperate tone in Hunter’s voice. Roman Scarlett Sarah Winter has made another request”
My fists clenched reflexively. I already knew what he was about to say.
“Let me guess,” I said coldly through the link. “This is about Grace”
“Yes,” Hunter confirmed hesitantly. Her condition is worsening. She-
“No.” I interrupted firmly A sharp, bitter edge filled my voice. “The answer is no. Find someone else. There are plenty of healers in the Northern territories. They can save their golden child without me.”
Hunter paused for a moment, as if gauging how far he could push the subject. “Scarlett, I understand your anger, but=”
“Tru not
up for debate,” I shopped. “Grace’s suffering isn’t my burden to bear”
I broke the connection hard, cutting Hunter off before he could respond. Roman’s hand came to rest on my shoulder, squeezing gently. I turned to face him, searching for understanding in his expression.
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Chapter 65. She has my full protection
you.
“Am “My voice faltered, but I forced myself to ask. “Am I being too heartless?”
His icy blue eyes softened slightly, though his words remained steady. “Mercy isn’t something you owe anyone, Scarlett. And I will never force it upon
His reassurance settled something deep inside me, though I still felt lingering doubts. Memories of my upbringing in the Thorn Pack swirled in my mind–those brutal years after my k********g, when survival overshadowed everything. Roman had always taught me to value strength above all Compassion was optional, but strength was necessity.
“After what they’ve done to you,” he added, his voice dropping lower, colder, “No one would blame you for turning your back on them?
I nodded stiffly, more to myself than to him. He was right. Grace and Sarah were only reaping what they had sown
Later that night, back at the seaside mansion, I found myself once again in Roman’s arms, though this time with far less resistance. He carried me inside effortlessly, ignoring my protests, just as he always had when I was a girl in the Thorn Pack.
“Roman” | exclaimed half–heartedly squirming in his hold. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”
“And I’m perfectly capable of carrying you” he shot back, his tone light yet commanding. “It’s faster this way”
Behind us, Hunter trailed quietly, his expression a mix of resignation and relief. I could only assume that our apparent reconciliation had calmed whatever tension he was feeling.
Once inside, Roman set me down gently, his hand brushing against my waist for just a moment longer than necessary, Hooked up at him, ready to protest again, but his gaze softened me instantly
“You should rest,” he said, his voice firm but kind. “Hunter and I have business to handle.”
I nodded without argument this time, surprisingly content to follow his instruction. The earlier doubts that lingered in my mind had been temporarily pushed aside. Roman’s unwavering presence had that effect on me, grounding me in a way nothing else ever could.
(Roman’s POV)
Seated in my study, I found it difficult to concentrate. Hunter’s voice droned on, detailing threats, strategies, and intelligence, but my drifting back to Scarlett. Through our mate bond, I could feel her peaceful rest, which both comforted and distracted me.
“Roman” Hunter murmured, pulling my attention back to him. He placed a stack of reports on the desk. “You’re not listening.”
I leaned back in my chair, steepling my fingers as I met his concerned gaze. “Something important?”
mind kept
“Yes,” he answered stiffly. “Nathan Blake may not be directly involved, but we’ve uncovered ties between Grace’s biological father and Lucas Grey’s rogue pack.”
The name sent a spark of rage through me. My wolf, Logan, stirred beneath my skin, flooding me with a surge of latent energy and protective fury.
“Lucas,” I said slowly, my
voice low and controlled. “He dares interfere?”
plans. What’s certain is that Grace’s condition has indirectly created an
“It seems so,” Hunter confirmed. “Though we haven’t yet pinpointed his exact plans. opportunity for him”
My ice–blue eyes burned with feral intensity as I processed this news. Logan growled restlessly within me, his instincts pushing me to strike preemptively, to crush any potential threats to Scarlett.
“Scarlett doesn’t need interference,” I said finally, my tone sharp and decisive. “Let her handle the Winter Pack as she sees fil”
Hunter looked hesitant “Sr. with Alexander growing more unstable-”
“She has my full protection, I interrupted coldly. “Alexander, Lucas, Nathan… none of them have the power to harm her now.”
Hunter nodded, his unease gradually fading. He placed the final report on my desk before stepping back to await further instructions.
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