Chapter 251: something is Wrong
Liam’s POV
Without wasting a single heartbeat, I scooped her bare, freezing body tightly against my bare chest. Every protective instinct inside me flared to life as I turned and sprinted out of the woods, pushing my human legs to their absolute limit. Behind me, the heavy, urgent thud of footsteps told me that Leo and Leonard were running right on my heels, their faces dark with the same terrifying panic that was clawing at my throat.
We burst through the tree line and raced into the courtyard of the packhouse. The entire estate was in absolute chaos. Warriors were scrambling around, murmuring in low, stressed voices about the massive red wolf that had just torn through their defenses. But the moment we slammed through the heavy back doors, a sudden, dead silence fell over the main hall.
The staff and surrounding pack members froze in their tracks, their eyes widening in pure shock. I knew exactly what we looked like—three Alphas covered in dirt and sweat, completely naked, carrying a bare, unconscious Scarlett wrapped tightly in our arms.
"Call the healer!" I roared, my Alpha voice booming off the walls so violently that several maids flinched away in fear. "Get the head healer back up to my room right now!"
I didn’t wait to see if they obeyed. I took the stairs three at a time, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped animal. I kicked my bedroom door open, rushed inside, and carefully laid Scarlett down on the center of the mattress. My hands shook as I grabbed the thick comforter, pulling it all the way up to her chin to hide her nakedness and trap whatever little body heat she had left.
Beside the bed, Leo and Leonard were already moving in a blur of motion. We dragged on pairs of sweatpants and shirts from my closet, not caring about looking presentable—only wanting to cover ourselves before the room filled with people.
Just as I drew a clean shirt over my head, the door was thrown open.
Our mother rushed into the room, her breathing shallow and her face pale with worry. She took one look at the splintered furniture in the hallway, the tense posture of her three sons, and Scarlett’s deathly still form on the bed.
"What is going on?" Mother demanded, her voice tight with authority as she stepped closer. "The pack links are screaming with panic. What happened to her?"
"Mother, please help her," Leo said, his usual calm demeanor completely shattered as he stepped toward her. "She’s unconscious. She... she is a red wolf, Mom. She just shifted for the first time uncontrollably, and the power completely overwhelmed her."
Mother froze mid-step, her eyes widening in total shock as the breath hitched in her throat. "A red wolf? That’s impossible. The ancient bloodlines—"
"Stop asking questions, Mom!" Leonard snapped, his voice raw with impatience as he cut her off, pacing frantically by the edge of the bed. "Just do something before the healer gets here! Look at her—she’s freezing to death!"
Mother snapped out of her shock instantly. She didn’t argue with Leonard’s tone. Recognizing the true emergency, she rushed to the side of the mattress and immediately reached out.
She placed her hands directly over Scarlett’s chest. Within seconds, a brilliant, glowing gold light erupted from Mother’s palms, illuminating the dark room. It was her pure healing energy, flowing directly into Scarlett’s body to stabilize the chaotic, ancient power tearing her apart from the inside.
Mother’s golden healing energy continued pouring into Scarlett’s body for several long minutes. The light wrapped around her like a cocoon, slowly pushing warmth back into her pale skin. Finally, Mother let out a tired breath and stepped back.
"She’s stable," Mother said quietly.
The room collectively exhaled.
"What does that mean?" I demanded immediately.
Mother glanced at Scarlett before looking back at us. "It means she is no longer in danger."
The heavy weight on my chest eased slightly. Beside me, Leonard practically collapsed into a nearby chair. "Thank the Goddess," he muttered.
Leo closed his eyes briefly, relief washing over his face.
Just then, the head healer rushed into the room carrying several medical supplies. Mother quickly explained everything that had happened. The healer spent nearly twenty minutes examining Scarlett, checking her pulse, her breathing, her eyes, and the strange energy still flowing beneath her skin.
Finally, she straightened. "She will wake up."
My heart jumped. "When?"
"Soon."
That single word became torture. Minutes passed. Then an hour. Then another. None of us left her side. Not for food, not for water, not for anything. Leonard sat near the window. Leo remained beside the bed. I stayed in the chair closest to Scarlett, unable to stop staring at her face.
At some point, night arrived. Then suddenly—a small movement.
My entire body snapped upright. "Scarlett?"
Her fingers twitched. Leonard was on his feet instantly. Leo moved closer.
Slowly, her eyelashes fluttered. Then her eyes opened. For one beautiful second, pure relief flooded my chest. She was awake. She was alive.
"Scar," Leonard breathed.
Her gaze slowly moved around the room, confused and disoriented. Then her eyes landed on me, and recognition immediately appeared.
"Liam."
The sound of my name almost brought me to my knees. I grabbed her hand. "You scared the hell out of us."
A small frown crossed her face. Then she looked toward Leonard. "Leonard."
Then Leo. "Leo."
She remembered. Thank the Goddess, she remembered.
The tension in the room instantly disappeared. Leo actually laughed—a genuine laugh. "You’re okay."
Leonard moved closer to the bed. "Do you have any idea how worried we were?"
Something strange happened then. Scarlett just looked at him. Not warmly, not coldly, but just... looked at him, like he was someone she knew, nothing more.
A strange feeling settled in my stomach. Leonard seemed to notice it too, and his smile faltered slightly. "Scar?"
Scarlett slowly pulled her hand from mine. The movement was gentle, but it felt like a knife sliding into my chest. She glanced between the three of us as confusion appeared in her eyes.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?"
The room fell silent.
"Like what?" Leo asked carefully.
She hesitated. "Like you’re expecting something."
Nobody spoke. My stomach dropped. Something was wrong—very wrong.
Scarlett frowned, and then she said the words that shattered the room.
"I know who you are."
My heart stopped. "What?"
She looked directly at me, then Leonard, and then Leo. "I remember everything."
Relief started flooding through me, but then she finished.
"I just don’t feel anything."
The world froze. Nobody moved. Nobody breathed.
Scarlett looked genuinely confused. "I know you’re my mates." Her voice was calm—too calm. "I remember loving you."
Leonard’s face went white.
"But when I look at you now," she whispered, her brow furrowing. "I feel the same thing I’d feel for a stranger."