dognovel Chapter 226: Feeling Guilty
Chapter 226: Feeling Guilty
Scarlett’s POV
"Don’t touch her!" Leo snarled at his brother, his teeth bared in a vicious warning. "It’s my day. She belongs with me today."
Leonard instantly leaped up from the sofa, his fangs dropping as a growl ripped from his throat.
The tension between them snapped tight enough to cut glass, but Leo ignored him, spinning me around in his arms to frantically inspect my body. His hands shook as they ran down my waist and up to my neck, searching for the injury that had shattered our mind link earlier.
Then, his eyes fell directly on my left arm.
He stared at the torn fabric of my jumpsuit, the heavy, dark stains of wolf blood soaking the sleeve, and the fresh, faint pink scar where the arrow had pierced my flesh.
Leo sucked in a sharp, shuddering breath, the terrifying anger in his eyes instantly melting into pure, raw relief.
"Thank God..." he whispered, his voice cracking as he pulled me tightly against his racing heart. "Thank God, Scar. I was so scared. When the link broke, I thought..."
I frowned. He left when today was supposed to be for us... and now he wants to come in here acting like the worried, protective mate?
I was completely irritated by his sudden, hypocritical attitude.
I placed my hands flat against his hard chest and shoved him back with all the strength I had left, tearing myself out of his embrace.
"Don’t touch me, Leo," I snapped, my voice full of annoyance as I glared up at him. "Now you care? Where exactly were you when that arrow was tearing through my flesh? We were supposed to be together!" I yelled at his face.
I knew it was ridiculous for me to blame him, but I couldn’t help it. If he hadn’t disappeared today, I wouldn’t have been wandering alone in the garden.
Leo tried to speak, his mouth opening as his eyes searched mine with a desperate, pleading look. "Scarlett, I can explain. I didn’t mean to—"
"Don’t. Please," I cut him off, lifting a hand to silence him.
My voice wasn’t loud, but the exhaustion and annoyance behind it made him freeze. "Just leave me alone."
I turned on my heel and walked away, not even caring how dramatic it looked.
Behind me, the heavy silence didn’t last long. I could already hear the low, dangerous rumble of Leonard’s chest and Leo’s sharp intake of breath as they prepared to fight over who got to stand guard outside my door.
I paused at the door, looking back over my shoulder with a cold glare. "If you two start fighting, you better remember the rules. I am not dealing with your bruised Alpha egos today."
Neither of them said a word, though Leonard slowly stepped back from the couch and Leo dropped his fists to his sides. Satisfied that they wouldn’t tear the mansion down, I walked out and headed straight to my room.
Reaching the safety of my bedroom, I finally let out the breath I’d been holding.
I took off the ruined jumpsuit, the fabric stiff and heavy with my dried wolf blood. Stepping into the bathroom, I turned on the shower and let the warm water wash away the dark stains from my skin, watching the pink water swirl down the drain.
After drying off, I pulled on a simple, oversized grey shirt and some shorts. I didn’t even bother putting on shoes or fixing my hair. What happened today was more than enough, and honestly, the thought of stepping foot back outside this room made my head ache.
I sat down on the edge of the mattress, staring blankly at the wall as the silence of the room finally surrounded me.
Knock. Knock.
The sound was soft, hesitant.
I didn’t even need to use the mind link to know exactly who it was—Leo’s specific, heavy scent was already seeping under the door. I pressed my mouth shut, remaining stubbornly quiet. I wasn’t in the mood to be handled, and I certainly wasn’t in the mood to play the sweet mate after he had left me on his assigned day.
When he realized I had no intention of answering or asking him in, he let out a heavy sigh through the wood.
"Scarlett?" His voice came through, completely stripped of the arrogant Alpha power he had shown downstairs. It was gentle, almost fragile. "I’m sorry. First... I’m so sorry for reacting the way I did downstairs with Leonard. I shouldn’t have snapped at him when you were the one hurting."
I stayed quiet, pulling my knees up to my chest, but I kept listening.
"And I’m sorry for leaving this morning," Leo continued, his voice dropping lower, sounding thick with an emotion he was trying desperately to hide. "I was just... I needed to get away. I’ve been..."
He trailed off, holding back the rest of the sentence.
The sudden hesitation instantly caught my attention. My wolf perked her ears up inside my head, her anger melting into a cautious curiosity.
Something was seriously wrong with him. This wasn’t the proud, stubborn Alpha triplet I was used to dealing with.
"I’ve been feeling so much guilt lately, Scar," Leo whispered, his forehead pressing against the other side of the door with a soft thud. "And every time I look at you, or look at my brothers..."
He didn’t finish the sentence, but he didn’t need to. I knew exactly what he meant.
I mean, can you blame him for carrying that weight? He was the one who found out I was alive first. He was the one who kept the secret, hiding my existence from Liam and Leonard for years while they were drowning in their own misery.
Now that we were all under one roof, facing assassin attacks and family drama, that lie was eating him alive from the inside out.
"I know you’re angry," Leo said, his voice fading slightly as if he were preparing to walk away. "And you have every right to be. If you don’t want to see me right now, I understand. I’ll call Liam and Leonard to come back up and check on you. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."
Hearing the pure defeat in his voice snapped something inside me. The irritation vanished, replaced by the deep, natural pull of our bond.
"Leo," I called out quickly, lowering my legs to the floor. "You can come in."