Chapter 9

SCARLETT

The last person I wanted to see was Mathew, and the last person I wanted to discuss the recent events with. But he scooped me up from the floor and practically hauled me into a nearby room. I found myself on a couch, my hands sweeping over my face in a futile attempt to erase the tears.

“Scarlett, are you okay? What happened?” he asked, his hand resting on my shoulder.

“I tried to talk to Bertha, and…” I began.

“Bertha? The same Bertha who deceived you, betrayed you, and is now in prison?” He interrupted, his voice loud and laced with indignation.

And just like that, with his outrage over my conversation with her, and his reminder that she had ~deceived and betrayed me~, I started to realize that I was blowing things out of proportion.

“Yes,” I replied, shrugging.

“And why on earth would you do that?” he asked, eyebrows raised in disbelief.

“Because my mother needs a password to access the system and…” I began to explain. “But then she started saying that the alpha was only using me for an heir, that he just wanted my uterus and…” The more I spoke, the more ridiculous it all sounded, and I trailed off.

Mathew laughed, a full-bodied, eyes-closed, shoulders-shaking kind of laugh. I couldn’t remember ever seeing him laugh like that before.

“And you believed her?” he asked, turning to face me.

I widened my eyes, unsure of what to say.

“Listen, Scarlett, this is awkward for me to say, considering I was once your mate, but the alpha is head over heels for you. He would move heaven and earth for your wellbeing, not just the baby’s. Yours. It’s not just obvious, it’s crystal clear. I can doubt many things in life, but not his love for you.” The topic was clearly uncomfortable for him, but he was spot-on.

And just hearing that, it was as if my memory unlocked all the moments when Christopher had shown me, time and again, how much he loved and cared for me. I was flooded with a wave of love that I desperately needed to feel.

“I think it was the hormones,” I mumbled, scratching my head.

Mathew laughed again.

“Probably, but don’t let it get to you. You’ve faced much worse without flinching. You’re strong,” he said, lightly touching my leg.

I stared at his hand. It still felt strange, so he withdrew it and looked away.

“Were you here on guard duty?” I asked, attempting to change the subject.

It worked.

“Yes, after I sorted out Vanessa’s pension, I ended up dealing with the other families and—”

“Vanessa?” I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.

“Mrs. Werner. You introduced me to her,” Mathew said, a smile spreading across his face as he remembered her.

And I found myself smiling back.

“I didn’t know her name was Vanessa. You two are together, aren’t you?” I asked, looking him straight in the eyes.

“Yes, and…” he replied, rubbing the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable.

“I’m really happy for you. And just so you know, the Goddess told me it had to be this way. Especially for us…”

Mathew’s eyes widened with each word I said.

“She said that everything that happened to us was necessary. It prepared you for your new family, and it prepared me for Christopher and…” I wanted to continue, but the sight of tears welling up in his eyes made me stop.

He sniffed and smiled, and I continued. “No one knows this, but when I was stabbed at the quarry, I was ready to give up. I knew that a silver stab would kill the baby, and I didn’t want to live without him. A stone came loose and was heading toward me, and I just closed my eyes and gave up.”

Now I felt my own eyes stinging, seconds before a tear rolled down my cheek.

I took a deep breath. “I heard the Goddess tell me to open my eyes. I obeyed, and when I opened my eyes, I saw you with Mrs. Werner…Vanessa. That’s when I remembered and understood what the Goddess meant—that everything happens for a reason, including us. And that’s when I stopped giving up. That’s when I found hope and faith.”

Mathew wiped the tear that had trickled down my face, and in that moment, amid tears and smiles, it felt like we had healed. It felt like all the pain he had caused me had vanished, replaced by affection.

My cell phone rang. It was Christopher.

My eyes darted between my phone and Mathew. He placed one of his hands over mine.

“I’m really grateful that you were my mate. You may not realize it, but you taught me a lot. And now, the Goddess has gifted me a family to care for, and you’ve been given one to start. Be happy, Scarlett, you deserve it. Take care,” he said, standing up and heading toward the door. “Just don’t let yourself get carried away so easily again, okay?”

I nodded, and Mathew walked out the door with a smile, just as I answered the phone.

“Scarlett, you won’t believe it, the mines are massive! There’s so much stuff down here, it’s like a whole city. There’s even a fully equipped infirmary,” Christopher began excitedly, oblivious to the fact that I had been doubting his feelings for no reason just a few minutes ago. “I need to bring you here tomorrow,” he added.

“Wow, darling, that’s amazing. You’ll show me everything tomorrow,” I began, but I couldn’t ignore what had happened. “I’m on guard duty. I came to talk to Bertha about some passwords that my mother needed.”

“Scarlett,” Christopher warned, sensing that something wasn’t right.

“I got the password,” I defended myself.

“But she messed with your head, didn’t she?” he asked, as if he could read my mind.

Maybe he could.

“Not anymore,” I replied.

Christopher laughed, and I could hear his laughter over the call.

“I’ll see you at home?” he asked.

“I’m on my way there now. I love you.”

“I love you too.”

I headed to the pack’s house and sent the password to my mother.

That night, as we lay down before going to sleep, I had to tell him.

“Bertha tried to mess with my head,” I confessed, my fingers tracing circles on Christopher’s chest. “Actually, she did. She said that you were only with me to have an heir and that you only wanted my womb.”

Christopher’s laugh was so loud that his chest rose, making me laugh too.

“And you believed her?” he asked, holding my wrist and making me look at him.

Looking into the vast blue of his eyes, it was clear—obvious—that I was his world. And I felt a pang of shame for having doubted him without any reason.

“You kept saying that there’s no way you’d ever be with someone like me. That you accepted me—and the baby—too easily,” I confessed, my gaze drifting away.

“Scarlett,” Christopher’s voice pulled me back. He was now perched on the edge of the bed, prompting me to rise and join him. He took my hands in his.

“I didn’t just accept you. I discovered you,” he said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind my ear—a simple gesture that sent shivers down my spine. “You’re the love of my life, and probably of lives past, and many more to come. Never question that.

“Having you in my life is a privilege I cherish. I’ve always wanted an heir, but I would never use someone to get that. Anthony’s arrival, so soon, is just an added blessing,” he added, his words stirring up a whirlwind of emotions within me.

“I just…I just didn’t think I was worthy of so much,” I managed to choke out, my voice wavering.

“You’re worthy of so much more,” he countered, pulling me into his warm embrace.

Nestled in his arms, I felt a love more profound than anything I’d ever experienced before. I couldn’t help but marvel at my good fortune.

“I love you so much,” I whispered into his chest.

But my declaration wasn’t just for him—it was for the ~moon~ too.