All Chapters of Scarlett (Second Edition): Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Scarlett’s POVI stood there in the shower, shivering, even with the warmth of the water and the steady arms of my mates around me. A cold fear settled deep within me, whispering that things would never be the same again. I hadn’t invited Gregory into my room, and I certainly hadn’t slept with him. But I knew that to everyone else, it would look like that’s exactly what happened. My heart ached with the injustice of it all—how was I supposed to prove my innocence? It felt like every accusation, every whispered doubt I’d ever faced had finally caught up to me, now looming over me like a dark shadow.Lucian gently wrapped a towel around me and dried my tears along with the water from my face. His touch was tender, but I could feel the tension in his hands, the heaviness that hung in the air as he guided me back to his bedroom. Maxwell and Clay followed close behind, their expressions mirroring my own anguish and confusion. They wanted to protect me, I could feel that, but this situation

Scarlett’s POVThey led me to the center of the great hall, and I felt the weight of every gaze upon me as I stood there in chains, exposed and vulnerable. The hall was filled with people, some looking at me with judgment, others with indifference, and a few with a hint of concern. I searched for the familiar faces of my mates, hoping for some reassurance, but they were nowhere to be seen.“They have distanced themselves from you,” Tasha’s voice came from behind me, cold and final. “Until you are proven innocent, you are no longer their mate.” Her words sank like stones, and I felt a pang of despair as I realized the depths of my isolation.At the front of the hall was a raised platform with five tall chairs. Each chair was occupied by an elder, their faces lined with age and hardened by years of judgment. Tasha took her seat on the far left, and in the center sat an older man whose resemblance to Lucian was uncanny, though his eyes were far colder, filled with a harshness that unnerv

Scarlett’s POV“I did nothing wrong,” I managed to say, my voice barely above a whisper, as tears streamed down my face. The words felt hollow, useless in the face of their judgment. Elder Timothy, the elder in the center, gave me a small, twisted smile that only deepened my despair.“We have damning evidence that you planned this,” he said, his tone almost mocking. “The kitchen staff you conspired with has confessed. Do you still wish to plead innocence? If you admit to your crime now, you’ll be allowed to remain with your mates, though stripped of your Luna title. If you maintain your innocence and are found guilty, you will be separated from them permanently and required to pay reparations for the insult to your bond. A seer will sever the mate connection, so they will feel no pain when they choose to move on. Only you will bear the heartache, so choose wisely.” His words were calculated, laced with a threat he knew would cut deep.A strange laugh bubbled out of me, caught somewher

Scarlett’s POVTwo months of isolation, labor, and silence had chipped away at me until there was barely anything left. I knew that if I stayed, I would lose myself entirely. I had to leave, even if it meant risking everything. Three years of servitude was a sentence I couldn’t endure, not with every day slowly erasing my will to live. I’d endured enough. I had no more patience, no more hope for redemption in the eyes of the pack or my mates. I needed to break free.The only plan that came to mind was simple but dangerous: put the entire settlement to sleep. I knew where the water tank that supplied the settlement was located; it was in the woods, not heavily guarded. If I added enough Garnicia pollen and Wolfsbane to the water, everyone who drank or cooked with it would fall into a deep sleep, giving me a chance to slip away undetected. Once I reached the highway, I’d find any vehicle heading east or west, wherever I could escape this place. The plan felt reckless, but in my desperat

Scarlett’s POVI looked over at Clay, hoping to find something in his eyes—a flicker of understanding, forgiveness, anything. But he turned away, unable to even look at me. My heart sank. Then I glanced at Maxwell, and his face was a storm of anger; he turned his gaze from me, too, like I wasn’t worth his attention.Finally, I looked at Lucian. The silence between us spoke volumes. I guess deep down, I still hoped they’d protect me, that they’d cover for me, because they were my mates. They were supposed to shield me, weren’t they?But then I looked at the crowd gathered around us, and the fury in their faces was unmistakable. I knew I was done for. If their Alphas weren’t here, they’d kill me. It was in the eyes of the people. They wanted me dead. Why would my desperation to escape warrant so much hatred?The Guard continued to strip away my clothes, piece by piece, exposing me not just to the cold but to the judgment and wrath of everyone watching. I struggled to hold back the tear