Scarlett’s POV
When I turned the handle and pulled the door open, my breath caught completely in my throat.
Liam was standing in the hallway, and Goddess, he looked breathtaking. He had traded his usual rugged training gear for a crisp, tailored black button-down shirt with the top two buttons left casually undone, paired with dark trousers that emphasized his broad shoulders and towering height. His dark hair was neatly pushed back, and his intoxicating scent of winter frost, cedar, and sharp mint rolled off him in powerful waves.
The mont his eyes landed on , he froze.
His intense, dark gaze started at my face, swept slowly down the low neckline of the dress, traced the tight curve of my waist and hips, and traveled back up. I watched his throat bob as he swallowed hard, his jaw clenching so tightly that a sharp muscle ticked in his cheek. For a split second, the raw, possessive flare of his inner wolf flashed bright gold in his eyes. He looked like a predator fighting every single instinct to not just pin against the wall and claim right there.
"Scarlett," Liam murmured, his voice incredibly deep, rough, and thick with a sudden heat. "You look... absolutely breathtaking."
"Thank you," I said, forcing my voice to remain calm and indifferent, though my pulse was hamring wildly against my ribs. "You don’t look too bad yourself, Alpha."
A slow, dangerously handso smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. He bent his arm, offering it to with perfect, gentlemanly grace. "Shall we?"
I hesitated for a second, my mind screaming reminders of the secrets I was hiding from him, before I gently wrapped my hand around his forearm. The muscle beneath his sleeve was rock-hard, and the simple contact sent a jolt of electricity straight up my arm.
As we walked down the grand staircase of the pack house, the hallway was completely silent, but I could feel the heavy, suffocating weight of two pairs of eyes burning into my back from the upper balcony. I didn’t need to look up to know that Leonard and Leo were standing there, watching us leave. The thick wave of jealousy radiating from upstairs was enough to make the hairs on my neck stand up, but true to my rules, neither of them moved or made a sound to interrupt.
Liam led out the front doors, where a sleek, black luxury sedan was waiting. He stepped ahead, opening the passenger door for and placing a protective hand over my head as I slid into the leather seat.
Once he got into the driver’s seat and started the engine, the smooth car glided down the long, winding driveway of the pack estate. For the first few minutes, the silence inside the car was thick and heavy, filled only with the soft hum of the motor and the overwhelming pull of our bond.
"Where are we going?" I asked, looking out the window as the dense trees of the pack territory began to give way to the bright lights of the city.
Liam glanced over at , his large hand resting casually on the steering wheel. "A private place outside the pack borders," he said smoothly. "Sowhere we can just be Scarlett and Liam. No Alphas, no responsibilities. I want to know about you, Scar. The real you."
My stomach instantly tightened into a hard knot at his words. The guilt and anxiety from earlier ca rushing back like a tidal wave. If only you knew, I thought bitterly to myself. He wanted to know the real , but the real was a walking minefield of secrets that would destroy him.
"There isn’t much to tell," I lied quietly, keeping my eyes fixed on the passing city lights. "I just did what I had to do to survive."
Liam didn’t pull the car over, but his grip on the steering wheel tightened slightly, his sharp eyes catching the subtle tension in my shoulders. "We have all night, Scarlett," he murmured, his voice rich and patient. "I’m not going to rush you. But tonight, I’m going to prove to you that you can trust with everything."
Liam drove us deep into the high-end district. He parked the car in front of a private elevator entrance tucked behind a luxury building. When the elevator doors opened at the very top floor, my breath caught in my throat.
It was a beautiful rooftop restaurant, completely closed off to the public. There were no other guests, just a single candlelit table overlooking the sparkling city skyline, surrounded by soft white flowers.
Liam walked around and pulled out my chair for . As I sat down, his hand brushed lightly against my bare shoulder, sending another wave of heat straight to my core. He took his seat across from , the soft glow of the candle throwing sharp shadows across his handso face.
"You rented out the whole place?" I asked, raising an eyebrow to hide how touched I actually was.
"I wanted privacy, Scar," Liam said, his dark eyes locking onto mine with total focus. "Just you and . No one else."
A waiter appeared, silently pouring us two glasses of red wine before disappearing back into the shadows. Liam picked up his glass, tilting it slightly toward . "To fresh starts."
I clinked my glass against his, taking a slow sip. The rich wine helped calm the anxious fluttering in my stomach, but the heavy secrets in my mind still weighed down.
As we ate a delicious steak dinner, Liam did exactly what he promised. He didn’t push for details about my past. Instead, he talked about himself. He told how hard it was to manage the pack’s massive business empire, how much he hated the diplomatic etings with other Alphas, and how empty the pack house had felt for the last five years. He was being completely vulnerable with , laying down his Alpha pride just to make feel safe.
By the ti we finished eating, the tension between us had lted into a warm, intoxicating hum.
Liam stood up and offered his hand. "Co look at the view."
I placed my small hand in his large, warm palm. He led over to the glass railing at the edge of the rooftop. The cool night breeze swept through my chocolate-brown hair, but I didn’t feel cold at all because Liam stepped up right behind . His massive, warm chest pressed gently against my back, wrapping in his incredible scent of winter frost, cedar, and sharp mint.
"Five years ago, I made a lot of mistakes, Scarlett," Liam whispered, his deep baritone vibrating against my shoulder blade. He placed his hands on the railing on either side of , effectively trapping against his body without actually touching aggressively. "I let my pain control . But seeing you today... seeing how strong you’ve beco... I realize I don’t care about the prophecy anymore. I only care about you."
My heart pounded violently against my ribs. The fated mate bond was roaring to life, begging to turn around and throw my arms around his neck. My wolf was scratching at my mind, practically screaming at to give in.
Slowly, I turned around to face him.
Because of the tight space, my chest was almost touching his. I had to tilt my head up significantly just to et his dark, intense gaze. His eyes were completely dark with desire, his gaze dropping to my lips before rising back to my eyes.
"Liam..." I breathed, my voice trembling slightly.
"Scarlett, let show you how much I’ve missed you," he murmured, his voice rough and completely filled with emotion.
He didn’t wait. Slowly, deliberately, Liam leaned down and cupped my face with his large, warm hands. His thumbs gently stroked my cheekbones before his lips finally t mine.
Goddess.
The mont our lips touched, a literal explosion of sparks rushed through my entire body. It wasn’t a soft, tentative kiss like the one on my cheek earlier. This was deep, hungry, and full of five years of pent-up longing. His tongue slipped past my lips, tasting fully, and a soft, helpless gasp escaped my throat.
My hands moved on their own, sliding up his broad chest and wrapping tightly around his neck, pulling him closer. He let out a low, possessive growl into the kiss, his large hands moving down from my face to grip my waist tightly, lifting slightly so our bodies were completely flushed together. The heavy navy dress felt like nothing against the raw heat of his skin.
He tasted so good, so powerful and commanding, that my mind went completely blank. For a few beautiful, passionate seconds, the guilt, the secrets about Leo, and the hidden truth about Leonard completely vanished. I was just a woman losing herself in the arms of her mate.
When he finally pulled back, both of us were panting for air. Liam rested his forehead against mine, his thumbs wiping a trace of moisture from my bottom lip. He looked completely intoxicated by , a proud, possessive smile on his lips.
"Mondays and Thursdays are definitely going to be my favorite days," he whispered darkly, his hands still gripping my hips tightly.
As I looked into his glowing, happy eyes, a sudden wave of fear crashed straight through my hot skin. The reality of what I was doing hit like a physical blow.
What the hell am I doing? I thought, my eyes widening slightly in the dark.
I was falling for him all over again. But I was lying to him. If he found out that his own brothers had already touched the body he was holding so possessively right now, this beautiful, perfect night would turn into a bloodbath. The bomb was ticking, and the fuse was burning down fast.
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