Wild Rose Of The Ruthless King

~ Scarlett POV ~

I didn't want to be here.

In a ball, wearing this awfully tight dress and faking laughter with all these pack members who clearly didn't like me too.

I lifted the glass in my hand, the ice rattling as I downed the golden liquid in a single gulp. It was definitely my third, maybe my fourth, I lost count already.

"Scarlett, that’s enough."

I didn’t need to turn to know it was Elara, my personal maid, and the only honest face in this sea of wolves. I leaned against the marble pillar as I rubbed my temples.

"Just one more. At least to dull the noise," I slurred slightly, holding the empty glass out toward a passing waiter. "I feel… fuzzy."

Elara’s brow furrowed, her dark eyes filled with pity and concern. "You look pale Miss. Are you unwell?"

I pressed my temple harder, where a dull ache which has been disturbing me all evening. "I have a headache. It’s the dream again. Since Mother..." My voice cracked, and I swallowed hard, focusing on nothing in particular. "It's always the same. Just darkness and the cold. But I see his eyes. Those grey cold eyes, and his hand… always dripping with something dark."

Elara gently placed her hand over mine, steering my hand away from the waiter with the tray. "Please Miss, the liquor will only amplify the bad thoughts and headaches. They won't chase away that terrible Alpha in your sleep."

I gave a dismissive flick of my wrist. "Nonsense." I hissed as I steadied myself. "Have you seen Damon? He promised to meet me after the Alpha Council address and I’ve been waiting nearly an hour."

Elara hesitated, looking down at the carpet. "One of the kitchen staff mentioned seeing him head toward the eastern garden, Miss.” She said slowly.

The eastern garden was our private spot. I sighed in relief hearing that. He must have been waiting.

"Thank you Elara. I'll go meet up with him."

The cold air hit my skin as I stepped outside. I rounded the corner leading to the garden, expecting to see just him waiting, but I was shocked beyond belief. I was met with a soft, high pitched giggle, followed by a low moan that made the hairs on my arms stand up. Then, the familiar timbre of Damon's voice.

"Shh... Be quiet, pretty little thing. I promise to do so much more later, just for you." He murmured.

My blood turned to ice, then immediately boiled over as I pushed through the flower bed, the leaves scratching uselessly at my skin. Then I saw my boyfriend, Damon, the future leader of this Pack, kissing my half sister, Lyra.

My breath hitched, as I struggled to call out his name.

"Damon!" I yelled in anger.

They broke apart instantly, Damon stumbling back, his eyes widening in panic. "Scarlett! What…"

But Lyra didn't flinch. She simply tilted her head, with a smug smirk stretching across her face. She smoothed the skirt of her gown, and she looked utterly satisfied with her self.

The sight of her made the control I had fought for all night snap.

"You..you absolute snake!" I shrieked, lunging forward, my hands instinctively reaching for her throat.

Before I could touch her, Damon shoved me back, his hands grasping my shoulders, his expression now hardening.

"Stop it Scarlett! Stop acting like a mad woman!" he spat, positioning himself firmly between me and Lyra. "You are completely out of control. Just look at you!"

The tears I had been holding back finally burst free as it flowed down my cheeks. "Look at me? Damon, you're the one kissing my sister! You're the one who promised me a future! How long has this been going on for? Huh? How could you do this to me after everything we've been through." My voice croaked.

Lyra’s voice was soft but it pierced through my ears. “Oh don't blame him sister. It just sort of happened. Blame me instead.” This slimy b*tch faked as if she felt even a bit of remorse.

“You b*tch..”

“Don't call her that!” Damon sneered at me. “It was I who went to her, and truth be told, I was already getting tired of you.”

I blinked in disbelief as I stared at him. “Tired of me?” Was he serious right now?

“Look Scarlett, you're too rough, too emotional…just too... much. I understand you carry grief since your mother died but I can't keep consoling a grieving woman when I should be receiving love. Lyra here understands what a man needs. She's gentle and she fits my style. I understand you are a warrior but I need a delicate woman not a knight." He rattled on.

His words felt like it was splitting my ribs open. "Then why didn't you just tell me? Why drag this out and humiliate me like this?" I hit my chest in pain.

He sighed and rolled his eyes as if I were the inconvenience. "I just wanted to spare your feelings, Scarlett. Honestly, I thought you'd be less dramatic about it. But look at you crying like a little child."

"Spare my feelings?" I whispered, the words ragged. I felt suffocated. I needed to smash something...anything…maybe his head so he can start reasoning properly. My eyes darted wildly, and my gaze fell upon a ceramic flower vase resting on a nearby stone pedestal.

I didn't think. I just seized it, and swung with the full force at this cheating b*st*rd. The vase shattered against the side of his head and he stumbled, a soundless gasp escaping him, before he collapsed into the flowerbed, a dark stain of blood blooming instantly against the white marble.

Lyra shrieked in terror. "Guards! Guards! She’s attacked the Alpha Heir!" She shouted in alarm as she rushed to his side.

Before I knew it, guards had arrived, and on seeing the scene they immediately seized me, yanking my arms behind my back.

"Let go of me!" I screamed, struggling uselessly against the brute strength.

"Silence! You dare raise a hand against the future leader of the Pack?" one guard growled, his grip tightening until my bones screamed in agony.

I was dragged through the stunned crowds back to the main compound, where my father, Alpha Ross, was waiting. His face wasn't shocked, it was merely disgusted.

"Look at this mess! Look at what you've done, Scarlett!" he roared, slamming his fist down on his desk. "Again! You always cause trouble! Always so reckless! And now you have assaulted the Pack Heir in front of the Council's guests. Do you have any idea the political disaster you've created?" He growled.

"He cheated on me with Lyra!" I choked out, the tears blurring my vision. "He betrayed me first and she…”

"Your sister is delicate.” He stopped me. “She was merely comforting him when you lost control!" Father bellowed. "Go! Take her to her room! She will remain locked away until I decide on a fitting punishment for your sin. And no food or water until I say otherwise!" He commanded.

The guards threw me into my chambers, and locked the door from the outside. I collapsed onto the floor, the humiliation and the unfairness suffocating me. I pounded my fists on the floor, screaming until my throat was raw.

"Why?! Why does this always happen to me? Why am I always betrayed?"

My father's preference for Lyra, his coldness since Mother's death, and now Damon’s heartless dismissal, it all piled up into an unbearable weight. I crawled to the tall window, staring out at the indifferent Moon hanging in the sky.

"Please," I whispered, pressing my forehead against the cold glass. "Make the suffering stop. Just let it stop." I begged.

For three whole days, I was locked up without food or water. My head was aching, my tongue felt thick and swollen, and the light felt sharp in my eyes. I heard a faint scratching sound near the door, then, an inaudible click.

The door creaked open just enough for Elara’s anxious face to peer in.

"Miss Scarlett quickly!" she whispered, her voice strained. She slipped inside, clutching a thick bundle wrapped in a linen cloth.

I launched myself across the room, my legs unsteady, and snatched the cloth from her hands. Inside were two loaves of bread and a bottle of water. I was relieved and almost cried seeing that she risked her life to get me food. I shoved huge chunks into my mouth, chewing frantically until I could barely breathe.

"Slow down Miss, or you’ll choke!" Elara said, her eyes darting nervously toward the door.

I finished the bread almost instantly, wiping crumbs from my lips with the back of my hand. "Thank you for this, only you care about me.” I grabbed her hands in gratitude and she smiled.

“Of course I'll try to help you but you really shouldn't have smashed his head with a vase.” She said softly and I looked away.

“What is going on out there? I hear strange noises." I changed the topic, but I've been curious for a while.

Elara’s face turned to that of fear. "It’s chaos Miss. There’s been a massive commotion and the entire Pack... they are in a state of disaster."

“What? What kind of disaster? Is it the council?"

"No Miss," she whispered, leaning close, her voice dropping to a terrified hush. "It’s Alpha Kaleb. There is news that he's on the move and headed this way. The Pack is preparing for the possibility of a siege."

Kaleb Wraven? I knew that name like I knew my own. Every child of our Pack knew what a monster he was. He was the Cursed Alpha, the monster whose shadow was destruction, the killer who bathed in blood.

The one who killed my mother.

My hands were shaking so violently that I had to clutch my wrists to stop the tremors. That monster was coming back? If he did return, he was going to kill everyone here. My mind was a mess at this point.

Elara’s whisper dragged me from my terrifying thoughts. "Miss Scarlett, I must go. They are patrolling the halls like demons now but I promise I will try to return with more food this evening." She said with a soft smile before slipping out just as the heavy lock on my door rattled. I took a deep, shuddering breath, the stale air scratching my lungs.

But why would he even return here? We have had no business with him since the great war. Kaleb was a terrifying figure, rumored to be under a curse that made him not to feel pain and drove him to endless slaughter. He killed as much as he breathed.

My fists clenched tightly, my nails digging painfully into my palms. "If he steps foot on this territory," I whispered with harsh breaths, "I will kill him with my own ha