CHAPTER THREE

~ALEX~

I did the right thing.

I did the right thing.

I did the right thing.

I chanted these words over and over in my head hoping it would make me feel better but I felt like shit. I felt like a monster and I fucking hated the feeling.

A frown appeared on my lips as I remembered how broken Scarlett had looked. How she had begged me to spare them but I had…

“She won't be killed, she was and still is your Luna!” Brian yelled as he glared hard at Isabella.

We were all gathered in the conference and everyone had different opinions on what to do with Scarlett.

I just fucking wanted this day to be over.

“She was the main perpetrator, Brian! With what happened today, I'm one hundred percent sure she's going to try and kill Alex” Isabella argued back.

“Would you really blame her? The man she married and loved looked her in the eye and murdered her whole family and now you want to kill her too? Hasn't she suffered enough?! If I were in her shoes, I would have bloody killed everyone” Brian told them and everyone immediately gasped while I winced as his words just made me feel much worse.

“Brian, you're going too far. She committed a crime. Just because she's Luna, doesn't mean she cannot be punished. It's against the rule” My Gamma, Kyle uttered with a slight frown.

He wasn't happy with what I had done to Scarlett but he was more reserved about his thoughts and never liked disagreeing with me in front of others whereas Brian was the opposite.

“She has been punished enough. Killing her is just extreme although I know for a fact she won't mind that. She's literally like a living corpse now” He muttered and the hurt in his voice made my heart ache. I was trying not to think about how lifeless she looked when she fainted earlier after rejecting me.

It has taken everything in me not to pick her up and carry her to our room myself. I wasn't going to accept her rejection, despite everything she was still my mate, my Luna.

“But Brian…”

“That’s Beta Brian to you. I don't care what fucking power you think you have but you'll show me respect!” He practically growled as he glared at Isabella who immediately bowed her head but that stubborn look was still on her face.

“That’s enough from both of you. Clara is not getting killed, she will be exiled and I'll be taking her there myself” I announced while massaging my temples and Isabella turned to me with wide eyes.

“But Alex…”

“She was your Luna, Isabella! My Luna and I will not kill my Luna because not only will it weaken me but the entire pack. This meeting is dismissed, I'd like to rest” I uttered and they all bowed their heads as I stood up.

“Alex…” Isabella began but I raised my hand to stop her.

“Not today, Isabella. Come with me, Brian” I ordered then walked out of the conference room.

Brian and I were silent all the way to the car. As soon as we walked out of the building, my men were right by my side as they escorted us towards my car.

“I’ll be driving today” I muttered as I took the key from my chauffeur who immediately bowed his head without argument.

“How is she?” I questioned softly as I drove down the road without turning to him and I heard him inhale sharply. He had been the one who carried Scarlett back to the room where she was locked up.

“Like I said before, she's lifeless. I made sure she woke up before I left but her eyes held no life, Alex. You practically killed her” He muttered and I clenched my fist around the steering wheel.

“Brian…”

“Don’t please, I might just get angrier than I am and forget that you're my Alpha. I don't have any right to judge your actions and since you only listen to Isabella, I'm done giving you advice. Just know that Scarlett was the best thing that happened to you, to our pack and you ruined that” He said and I sighed.

“I did it because I love her…”

“You have a really diabolical way of showing your love, Alex” He retorted.

“It was the only way to protect her” I murmured softly and he turned to me with a confused gaze.

“What are you talking about?” He questioned but I shook my head as I parked in front of his house.

“We’ll leave tomorrow morning. You, Kyle and I will escort her to her exile” I told him as I unlocked the door.

“What did you mean by your words, Alex…”

“Go now!” I uttered my Alpha voice and immediately he bowed his head and climbed out of the car and I drove away, fighting all urge to drive towards Scarlett.

That night, I didn't sleep a wink. Anytime I closed my eyes, all I remembered was the look on Scarlett's face and it was killing me. Isabella came to visit and took my mind off Scarlett for some minutes but immediately she left, the thoughts came back again.

Morning came quickly and I immediately began to prepare to see Scarlett again. I got dressed in my usual black on black outfit and went out to find Kyle and Brian already waiting for me.

They both had frowns on their faces which meant they had just had an argument before I arrived. I didn't bother asking them about it.

We left soon and got to the gates where Scarlett and some guards were already waiting for us. My heart ached as I took in her appearance.

Brian was right, my girl who was once filled with life and happiness now looked like an empty shell of her former self and knowing it was all my fault didn't make me feel any better.

As soon as we got closer to her, I got out of the car and walked towards her. The guards bowed their heads at me and I didn't miss how beaten up they looked. That must have been Brian's handwork.

“Get into the car, we'll drive you there” I told her and she slowly raised up her head to stare at me but it didn't feel like she was staring at me at all.

“I’d rather kill myself than get into that car with you” She spat out her words with venom and the look in her eyes made my skin crawl.

“It’s a long journey, Scarlett. Stop being stubborn and get into the car” I told her and she shook her head.

“I’ll walk” She said simply and I sighed, knowing there was no way I could convince her.

“Okay then, suit yourself. The rest of us will be inside the car while you walk” I muttered then turned to the guards who immediately nodded as they chained her hands together before they turned her around and began walking away.

I stared at her back for a while then sighed before getting into the car.

“You’re letting her walk?” Brian questioned with disbelief in his eyes.

“That’s what she wanted. Start the car and follow right behind them” I ordered the chauffeur and immediately, the journey began.

My eyes stayed on Scarlett the whole time and she tried her best to hide the wince and grimace the further we got but I noticed, I always notice everything about her.

“She can't walk the whole way there, she'll collapse” Kyle uttered as we all stared at her with worry.

“Are you sure you don't want to get into the car? I know your legs are hurting, Scarlett. Stop being stubborn” I called after her but she barely acknowledged me and just kept walking.

I shook my head then let out a sigh as we continued the journey.

We were already halfway there when I had us stop.

“Let’s take a break” I ordered and immediately, everyone came to a halt.

I climbed out of the car and walked towards Scarlett. I nodded at the guards and they unlocked the chains on her wrist and I grimaced at the marks they left. I glanced down and could see the bruises on her feet since she was wearing sandals.

“Take a break here. We'll continue later” I said to her. The sun was almost setting and it was time to ditch the rest of the guards.

Only Brian, Kyle and I could know where I was taking her. No one else could.

She raised up her head and stared at me for a while and I could have sworn I saw something flash through her eyes.

She inhaled sharply then glanced around.

“Don’t worry, only Brian, Kyle and I will take you to the location. I'll go get you another pair of shoes” I murmured softly so only she could hear and immediately I turned my back, I heard her turn around and run straight into the forest.

I turned back in horror as I watched her small body disappear within the trees.

“Don’t you dare shoot!” I ordered the guards who immediately raised up their guns before running after her. I tried changing into my wolf form but me and my wolf weren't on good terms at the moment.

I didn't need to turn around to know Kyle and Brian were behind me.

[She’s heading towards the Cliff] Brian practically roared inside my head and the hair on my back rose.

My palms began to sweat and my legs wobbled as I tried to run faster. She wasn't going to… she wouldn't.

Brian and Kyle immediately changed into their wolves as they both ran after her and it didn't take long before I caught up to them and what I saw immediately made my heart drop.

Scarlett was standing by the edge of the cliff as she stared at us with no emotion on her face.

“Stay back!” I ordered Brian and Kyle when I saw her moving backwards as they got closer. They immediately stopped and I heard them whimpering as they stared at her. Even my wolf was whimpering along with them.

“Scarlett, please let's head back. Don't do this” I murmured as I slowly moved towards her.

“You ruined my life. I have nothing else to live for” She muttered softly and I frowned. My hand shook as I reached out for her.

“I’m sorry, please come back to me. You can do whatever you want. Is it my life you want? You can take it but don't jump, please don't jump” I begged as I inched closer only for her to move backwards and my heart dropped again.

“Did you ever love me, Alex?” She questioned softly and I immediately nodded.

“I love you more than anything in the world, Scarlett. I love you so much” I replied and an angered look appeared on her face.

“Liar. You're a bloody liar!” She screamed as tears rolled down her cheeks.

“Please just come here, Scarlett. I'm begging you” I pleaded and she shook her head.

“There’s nothing in this world for me again. My biggest mistake was loving you and thinking you love me back…”

“I do, I love you so much” I responded and she scoffed then shook her head.

“...And now I'm going to die with that regret. May we never meet again in any lifetime, Alexander” She murmured and pushed herself off the cliff before I could grab onto her.

“No!” I screamed and was about to launch myself after her when Brian and Kyle held me back.

“Scarlett! No!” I screamed as I tried pushing them off but they held onto me tightly.

“She’s gone, Alex. She's gone” Kyle murmured, his voice thick with pain and I screamed out as a pain I had never known existed rippled through my body.

“No she's not gone. Find her body, find her!” I screamed as I dug my claws into the ground. She can't be dead, she can't die.

My wolf clawed himself up to the surface and howled out in pain, and I screamed within. He felt it, we both felt it.

My mate's bond has been severed…