Chapter 48
Leon’s POV
I walked into Liam’s room to find him pacing like a caged beast. The air was thick with rage. Leo was by the window, staring out at nothing, his hands trembling at his sides. My wolf was howling inside me, clawing at my ribs for the chance to tear into something, but I had to hold him down. I had to stay calm.
“We are not letting that happen,” Liam growled, his voice echoing off the walls. “I don’t care what Scarlett says. I don’t care if she thinks she wants this. We are stopping it p>
I couldn’t say a damn word. The weight of the secret I was carrying felt like a physical pressure in my chest. I just sat on the edge of the bed, my fingers digging into the silk sheets.
“She is not herself,” Leo said softly, though his voice lacked any real conviction. “She will regret this. We have to stop this, Leon. Say something p>
I still didn’t speak. I was too busy trying to keep my own scent from betraying me. Liam kicked a stool, the wood splintering against the floor. He looked so frustrated, so utterly destroyed by the news that it made me curious for a moment. A dark, possessive spark lit up in my gut. Scarlett was my mate. She belonged to me. Me alone.
“So you still have feelings for her?” I asked, my voice filled with a possessive anger. The anger was bubbling up now. I wanted to scream at him to stay away from what was mine.
Liam spat on the floor, his eyes flashing with rage for a split second. “Don’t be a fool! I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I’ll let her make a decision she would regret. She’s a member of this pack p>
I frowned, my eyes narrowing as I watched him pace. “Let’s hope you’re telling the truth, Liam p>
Leo turned from the window, his brow furrowed in confusion. “What do you mean by that? Why are you acting like this p>
I wanted to roar it. I wanted to tell them both that Scarlett was the other half of my soul. I wanted to claim her right there in front of them so they would finally understand why I was dying inside. But I couldn’t. I simply looked at the floor, my jaw tight.
“Because,” I said, “loving Scarlett is a taboo. We all know it p>
“Of course we know that,” Leo scoffed bitterly, returning his gaze back to the window.
A heavy, tense silence hung in the air, thick enough to choke on. I sat there, weighing my options while my wolf clawed at my insides. I had to do something. I couldn’t just sit here and watch Ethan take what was mine. An idea popped into my head—it was risky, dangerous even, but it was the only way.
I turned to leave Liam’s room without another word.
“Where are you going?” Liam demanded, his voice sharp with suspicion.
I didn’t stop. I acted nonchalantly, shrugging off his gaze. “Back to my room. Remember, tomorrow is our ordination as Alphas. I have to get ready for the ceremony p>
Leo turned away from the window, his brow furrowed. “Then what about the situation? What about Scarlett p>
I paused at the door, forcing a bored expression onto my face. “You mean Scarlett agreeing to marry Ethan?” I gave a small, careless shrug. “Well, that is her business. If she wants to be with him, it’s her choice p>
It was a blatant lie, but I had to say it. My brothers’ eyes widened in shock, their faces twisting with disbelief as I just walked away. Let them believe I’ve given up; let them think I don’t care. It was better this way.
Once I was out of their sight, I inhaled deeply, searching for the scent of Ethan. I followed the trail of Ethan’s scent through the hallway until I reached the visitor’s suite. I didn’t knock. I gripped the doorknob and twisted it. Luckily, it was unlocked.
I stepped inside and closed the door behind me, my eyes locking onto the man who was trying to steal my future. Ethan didn’t even seem surprised to see me. He slowly raised a dark brow, looking entirely unbothered by my sudden intrusion. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, scrolling through his phone, but the moment I walked in, he set the phone aside.
“To what do I owe this visit, Leon p>
I walked right up to him, the air between us filled with tension. “You’re not marrying Scarlett.” I said, my voice low and vibrating with the force of my restraint.
Ethan stood up. He didn’t rush; he just rose to his feet like a predator that had been waiting for the prey to finally walk into the trap. We were the same height, but he was broader.
My wolf was howling inside me, pacing against my ribs, demanding that I tear the throat out of the man standing in our way.
“Why?” Ethan asked simply.
He didn’t sound angry. He sounded curious, which was ten times worse. I couldn’t answer. The words were stuck in my throat, choked by years of fear and the absolute certainty that saying them would destroy my future.
Ethan waited for a beat, then scoffed, turning his back on me to head toward the balcony. That was the breaking point. The dismissal. The way he acted like I was just a child throwing a tantrum.
I lunged forward, grabbing him by the collar of his expensive shirt and slamming him back against the nearest wall. My vision was swimming in anger as I snarled into his face, the secret finally exploding out of me like a dam breaking.
“Because Scarlett is my mate!” I roared, the force of the words shaking my own chest. “She is my fucking mate p>
The silence that followed was suffocating. Ethan didn’t fight back. He didn’t even try to remove my hands. He just looked at me, a slow, dark smile creeping across his face that made my blood run cold.
“I know,” he whispered. “I was wondering how long it would take you to finally stop being a coward p>