Chapter 62
Scarlett’s POV
Ethan kissed me deeply, and I kissed him back. A soft moan escaped both of us, like we were trying to breathe through the same moment. My fingers tightened on his shirt as I leaned into him, needing something—anything—to hold on to. Then suddenly, he pulled away. His breathing was heavy, his eyes squeezed shut like he was fighting a war inside himself. I froze. For a second, I thought he was going to leave completely.
I swallowed hard and forced myself to nod. “Thank you… for tonight,” I whispered, my voice sounding distant even to my own ears. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” I didn’t wait for him to respond. I couldn’t. If I stayed any longer, I would break. I turned and walked away, almost running back toward the mansion. I slipped through a side door, avoiding the noise of the party. The hallway felt too quiet. Too empty. Too cold.
My heels clicked against the floor as I moved quickly. Then my eyes caught something: a tray with bottles of alcohol. I stopped. Without thinking, I grabbed three bottles of the strongest amber liquid I could find. I just needed something to numb this feeling. By the time I reached my room, I was shaking. I kicked off the expensive heels the second I stepped inside, letting them scatter across the floor. I struggled with the zipper of my red dress—the same dress that had made me feel powerful earlier—now feeling like it was suffocating me.
I peeled it off and let it fall, standing there in nothing but my underwear.
Alone. I slid down to the cold floor, resting my back against the bed, and opened the first bottle with trembling hands. The smell hit me instantly—strong and sharp. I didn’t care. I lifted it to my lips and drank. The first gulp was brutal. It burned down my throat, making my eyes water and my chest tighten, but I didn’t stop. I welcomed the pain. I wanted it to burn everything away: the memory of Leon in the woods, and the sight of Liam and Leo standing on that stage.
“To our new Lunas p>
“Shut up,” I muttered to the empty room before taking another long drink. Inside me, Zoe whined softly. She paced in the back of my mind, restless and hurt. She hated the alcohol because it dulled her senses, but that was exactly what I wanted. I didn’t want to feel the bond. I didn’t want to feel that sharp pull in my chest that told me exactly where they were, just below me.
The room started to tilt as the first bottle emptied. I reached for the second one, my fingers clumsy. Cold air drifted in from the open window, brushing against my bare skin, but I felt nothing. I was numb. I was the traitor’s daughter. I was the girl they hid. And tonight, I was the woman they replaced. I threw my head back, letting the liquid burn through me again. I just wanted to sleep. I just wanted to wake up somewhere else… far away from this place. Far away from them.
Then suddenly, the air in the room changed. My body went still. The tiny hairs on my arms stood up. Even through the haze of alcohol, I felt it. Heavy. Powerful. Suffocating. An Alpha’s presence.
The door of my balcony pulled open, and Liam stepped into the room. He stood there, still wearing his formal Alpha jacket. His eyes were dark, his chest heaving as he stared at me sitting on the floor in my underwear.
“Get out,” I croaked, my voice thick and slurred. I lifted the second bottle to my lips, my hand shaking. “What are you doing here? Go back to your… your perfect Luna p>
In a flash, he was across the room. Before I could take another sip, he snatched the bottle from my hand.
“You’ve had enough, Scarlett,” he hissed, his voice vibrating with a frustrated tone. He tossed the bottle across the room, and I winced as it thudded against the rug.
“Give it back!” I screamed, trying to scramble to my feet, but the room spun. I slumped back against the bed, glaring up at him. “You don’t get to tell me what to do. Not anymore. Liam, You’re a coward p>
His expression darkened.
“It’s not that simple, Scarlett, and you know it,” Liam growled, stepping closer until he was looming over me.
“It is that simple! You’re just a coward, Liam!” I spat the word at him again.
Liam’s face transformed. His jaw tightened so hard I thought it might explode. He grabbed my shoulders, pulling me up until I was inches from his face.
“A coward?” he whispered, his breath hot against my skin. “Do you think this is easy for me, Scarlett? Every second I stood on that stage, my wolf was trying to rip my throat out for not claiming you. But look at the reality! Your parents were traitors. They betrayed this pack. You are the daughter of the people who caused the death of my mother. Do you have any idea what it would mean to name you as Luna p>
“Then let me go!” I sobbed, hitting his chest with my fists. “If I’m so beneath you, if my blood is so dirty, then reject me… and let me be with Ethan! At least he treats me like a person, not a curse p>
The mention of Ethan’s name was the breaking point. Liam’s growl was low and primal, a sound that vibrated through my bones.
“You aren’t going anywhere with him,” he snarled. “And I am sure as hell not rejecting you p>
Before I could breathe, his mouth crashed down onto mine. It wasn’t like Ethan’s kiss. It wasn’t gentle or protective. This was a collision of teeth and tongue, fueled by months of suppressed desire and the raw, stinging anger of the night. It was an angry, desperate kiss.
I tried to push him away for a split second, my heart screaming in protest, but the bond was too strong. My hands, which had been hitting him, suddenly gripped his hair, pulling him closer.