The First Letter
The First Letter
Scarlett’s POV:
Being a spirit bound to Lucian was strange. I could feel his every emotion, yet I couldn’t touch him or make him sense my presence.
I watched as he paced through our bedroom, his anxiety growing by the minute.
“Something’s wrong,” he muttered, pulling open my dresser drawers. They were empty now, nothing but hollow wooden spaces where my life used to be.
His hands trembled as he moved to the closet. My dresses were gone, my shoes, my jewelry – every trace of me erased.
“Mary!” he shouted, running down the stairs. “When did you last see Luna Scarlett?”
Our maid wrung her hands nervously. “This morning, Alpha. She seemed… different. Sad.”
“Different how?” He grabbed Mary’s shoulders. “Tell me exactly what you saw.”
“She was burning things in the fireplace,” Mary whispered. “Photos, clothes, everything. When I asked if she needed help, she just smiled and said she was cleaning.”
Lucian ran to the fireplace, falling to his knees before the cold ashes. His fingers sifted through them, finding a half–burned corner of our wedding photo.
“No,” he whispered. “No, this isn’t right.”
He burst out of the house, his wolf’s speed carrying him through the pack grounds.
“Beta Jack!” he roared, seeing his second–in–command. “Gather the warriors. Luna Scarlett is missing.
“Missing?” Jack frowned. “Maybe she’s just-”
“NOW!” Lucian’s eyes flashed red. “Search every building, every corner of our territory.”
I followed as he ran to the training grounds where young wolves practiced.
“Has anyone seen Luna Scarlett today?” His voice cracked with desperation.
The young wolves shook their heads, but one spoke up “I saw her with a small dog earlier…”
“A dog?” Lucian’s face paled.
He sprinted to the pack kitchen next. The cooks backed away from his frantic energy.
“Alpha?” The head cook stepped forward cautiously.
“Luna Scarlett – when was she last here?”
“Yesterday morning,” the cook said. “She was making your favorite venison stew. Said she wanted everything to be perfect…”
Lucian’s hands clenched into fists. I could feel his guil through our bond – he hadn’t come home for dinner again.
he First Letter
He burst into the council room next, interrupting an important meeting.
“Cancel everything,” he commanded. “Luna Scarlett has disappeared.”
Gamma Liam stood up. “Alpha, with all due respect-”
“FIND HER!” Lucian slammed his fist on the table, cracking the wood. “I want every wolf searching. Now!”
I watched as the council members scattered, organizing search parties. How ironic that they searched so desperately now, when they’d ignored my presence for so long.
Lucian ran to the hospital next. “Dr. Kane!” he shouted. “Where is she?”
The doctor’s face was grave. “Alpha, I…”
“Tell me!”
“Doctor–patient confidentiality,” Dr. Kane said firmly “I cannot discuss Luna Scarlett’s condition without her permission.”
“Condition?
Lucian grabbed the doctor’s coat. “What condition? What aren’t you telling me?”
But Dr. Kane remained silent, and Lucian’s desperation grew.
Finally, he ran to Sarah’s house. My best friend opened the door, her eyes red and swollen from crying.
“Where is she?” Lucian demanded. “Sarah, please. You’re her best friend. You must know.”
Sarah’s face was like stone. “Scarlett is dead.”
“No.” Lucian stumbled back as if she’d physically struck him. “You’re lying. She can’t be-”
“She’s gone,” Sarah’s voice was ice. “And it’s your fault.”
“That’s impossible,” his voice broke. “I would have felt it through our bond-
“Would you?” Sarah laughed bitterly. “When was the last time you actually paid attention to your bond with Scarlett? When was the last time you chose her over your precious Lily?”
The color drained from his face. “How did
не
you-
“Everyone knew,” Sarah spat. “The whole pack watched you parade around with your mistress. We all saw how you treated Scarlett – leaving her alone on your anniversary, letting her cook meals you’d never eat, watching her love you while you loved another.”
“I didn’t-” he started.
“You didn’t what?” Sarah’s eyes blazed. “Didn’t mean to break her heart? Didn’t mean to betray every promise you ever made her? Didn’t mean to give her healing ring to your pregnant mistress?”
Each accusation hit him like a physical blow. I felt his pain through our bond, his desperate need to deny
it all.
“Please,” he begged. “I need to see her. To explain-
+25 BONUS
The First Letter
“Explain what?” Sarah pulled out an envelope. “She left this for you. Maybe it will help you understand exactly what you’ve done.”
Lucian’s hands shook so badly he could barely open it moved closer, watching as he read the words I’d written with my dying heart.
“My beloved Lucian,
“On our wedding anniversary, I discovered that my heart is failing. The curse I took to save won has finally won. Dr. Kane says I have three months at most
“I don’t regret saving you. Even now, knowing how things would end, I would take that silver dagger again. My love for you has always been stronger than my fear of death.”
“I’ve tried to tell you so many times. But every time I looked into your eyes, the words stuck in my throat. You seemed so happy, so content. I didn’t want to burden.
o content. I didn’t want to burden you with my death when you were building a new life.”
“I’ve reheated your dinner countless times these past weeks, just to have a few more moments with you. I’ve memorized every detail of your face, knowing soon I won’t be able to see it anymore.”
A tear fell onto the paper, smudging the ink. Through our bond, I felt his heart shattering as the truth sank in.