Scarlett
“You can’t reject your mate, Scarlett. You’re a lantern and your wolf is too weak to survive after the pain of rejection. You’ll die if you reject him,” Layla interpreted when I told her that I wanted to reject him. I didn’t want him to do a duel with the Alpha King for me because there was no way anyone could win against the Alpha King.
“Doesn't lantern mean just late bloomers?” I cross-questioned, feeling despondent hearing what she told me.
Layla averted her gaze and looked at the ceiling of the hall. “Lantern means weak wolves who need time to shift thus your chances of survival after rejection are too low to even consider the idea. And your weak wolf is the reason behind your fainting, too. Whenever any changes happen in your body, your wolf isn’t able to bear it.”
“What’s the solution, then?” I asked annoyingly, neglecting the pain in my chest which started like a fog.
Layla suppressed her lips before shaking her head. “Nothing, we can wait for your wolf to show up,” she shrugged.
“Ahhh…” I put my hand on my chest as the pain became unbearable. The image of Klaus lying on the floor surrounded by the puddle of blood appeared in my mind and I shrieked in anguish. “Klaus is in trouble,” I gasped and decided to flee to the background where the battle was to take place.
Layla and my parents kept shouting behind me as I left but I hastened my speed of running, ignoring their voices and questions. We could talk later, too. I just hoped that the duel hadn't started yet and he was safe…
There was no sign of the public in the background, it was eerily empty. The pain in my chest increased with every breath I took but neglecting it, I started running towards his castle, my gut feeling said that he was at his home so I followed it without thinking back and forth.
I remembered the direction to his room as I sneaked out the last time when I was there but the door of his room was locked. “Klaus, open the damn door,” I shouted, banging on the door constantly and hardly.
“What’s wrong, Scarlett?” Marcus asked, coming out of the blue and standing in front of me with Jenna.
"Why is everyone so obsessed with locking themselves in their rooms today?" He mocked as I ignored his question which earned him death glares from Jenna and me.
Jenna’s eyes twinkled with worry as she tried to guess, “he is…” she didn’t finish her words and started poking the door with full force.
“Wait, ladies. Let me break the door,” Marcus offered and we took our steps back. He pushed his elbow against the door and I couldn’t wait to see my mate.
I was feeling so much pain in my chest as if someone had stabbed my heart with a silver dagger. Not having enough strength to stand still, I had to put my hand on Jenna’s shoulder.
She gasped loudly, covering her mouth with her hands. “You’re marked, you must be feeling his pain which means my brother is in trouble,” she concluded real quickly before holding my waist.
“What are you guys doing?” Damien raised his eyebrows, not liking my presence in his house. I hated his grandfather, he was the sinner and cause of our sufferings.
Jenna didn’t offer any attention to him and Marcus kept trying to break the door, ignoring his question.
“Marcus, what’s wrong with you?” Alpha Elbert came over and implored perplexedly.
The door finally broke and Marcus ushered me into the room first. Klaus was lying on the floor exactly as the image appeared in my mind previously. The blood was flowing like a river from his chest, his left arm and chest were submerged in the blood completely. A sharp knife was jabbed in his chest which made my heart haywire.
“Klaus,” wailing his name, I sat on the floor and placed his head on my lap. “Klaus, open your eyes,” I panicked, and couldn't bear to see my mate in that situation. Being marked mates, I was feeling his pain, too.
Something in me stirred and I became able to manage my pain and the tears that were on the edge of falling. A voice in my head appeared saying that it wasn’t the time to cry like cowards, my mate needed me and I should save him instead of shedding tears.
With the back of my hand, I wiped my eyes to clear my vision which was blurred by the tears. Inhaling deeply to calm my nervous mind, I extended my hands to his chest and pulled the knife out in one shot.
“What is she doing here?”
“Why is she near my son?”
“Klaus, what did you do, my son?”
I could hear his family’s words but I was so struck by my mate’s pain and my sufferings that I avoided everything and everyone.
“Ahh,” I screamed, my chest rising and falling. Closing my eyes, I put my shaking hand on his wrist to check his pulse which was the toughest action I ever took with my trembling hands. I couldn’t even imagine what I would do if his pulses would have stopped beating. The mere thought of him dying was causing me so much pain that I couldn’t help my body from shivering.
“He is alive,” I said while letting out an anxious sigh. “Please, open your eyes,” I mumbled, cupping his face in my lap.
“Will someone call a doctor?” I shouted with all my strength, the floor beneath me shook as my voice resonated in the room. My brain was struck, it wasn’t working well. I was burning with the pain and fury, his family was still fighting regarding me having here instead of calling the doctor.
“Letty, sweetheart,” Layla’s voice made me swirl my head as she was standing behind me, panting hard. She was following me here and I was grateful for that.
“Layla, please, save him,” I begged her, the strong facade that I had put on to save my mate scattered as soon as my eyes met hers. “He has tried to kill himself, I…I pulled that knife out of his chest but he…he… Save him, Layla. I beg you.” I broke into tears and she ran to me.
“Who the hell is she? I don’t trust her with my son. Doctor Asher is coming here,” Evelyn shrieked with irk and I couldn’t believe that his mom was saying this when her son was in such a crucial situation.
Despite the pain in my chest, I walked toward her with pride. I declared, “I’m your son’s mate and I’m the one who is feeling his pain. If you can’t understand how much he matters to me then, I request you to leave this room because I don’t want to lose him at any cost.” My voice was stern and confident which demanded obedience from everyone.
“He is my son, first,” his mom barked at me with hatred yet teary eyes.
“We don’t have time for this, Scarlett. Come here and everyone else, go out,” Layla announced hurriedly with urgency.
“Please, leave. I want my mate alive,” I uttered with as much sincerity and respect as I could mutter for his family. His mother wanted to argue but Alpha Elbert wrapped his hand around her mouth to stop her from saying anything while Damien was too horrified to argue but he left the room immediately.
Jenna and Marcus passed me pitiful glances before leaving while Evelyn was struggling under his mate’s hold to get rid of him and stay but Alpha Elbert forced her to leave with him and closed the door behind him.
For the first time, I was grateful to my mate’s father. I strolled toward Layla who was checking the wound on his chest.
“He has lost so much blood,” Layla gushed before facepalming herself. “You should talk to him in mind-link. His wound is so deep, I’m afraid that he might not…”
“No, no. There is no way he is leaving me-” I cut her off before she could finish her words. "Please, don't say that. I can't bear that."
“The knife was coated with silver, his heart is beating too low to keep him alive,” Layla let out cautiously and her words made me shut my mouth. Silver is like poison for werewolves.
How could he attempt suicide?
He had promised me that he’ll fight and won’t give up then, how could he do this?
“Mind-link him and see if he responds to you,” Layla again reminded me while grabbing the first-aid box from his bedside drawer and cleaning the blood from his wounded chest.
The blood was getting dark brownish due to the silver and it was making me apprehensive about the outcome.
“Why? Why did you do this? You promised me that you’ll never give up on me and you’ll fight for me. Is this how you fight for your mate whom you claim to love? You didn’t even think about me before taking this stupid step,” I started complaining through mind-link, holding his hand in mine.
His body was pale and I didn’t feel the warmth in his hand as I felt whenever I touched him.
“Please, don’t go, Klaus. I can’t live without you, I love you,” I said and my cheeks burned with my tears. The mere thought of losing him was suffocating me. If he would die, I would die, too. I won’t have any reason to stay alive.