Scarlett’s POV

​I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. I couldn’t tell him the full truth—I couldn’t tell him about Nigeria or Leo.

​"No," I said, keeping my voice as steady as I could. "No, Leonard. It wasn’t Liam."

​Leonard froze. He swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple moving slowly as the words sank in. He nodded his head once, very slowly. A deep, quiet breath left his lips, and I saw a tiny flash of relief in his eyes. He was still hurt, but the thought that his twin brother hadn’t been the first person to claim me calmed the storm inside his wolf.

​I wanted to change the subject before he asked more questions about my past.

​"Today is your day, Leonard," I told him quietly, gripping my shorts tight. "What do you want us to do today?"

​Leonard let out a long, heavy sigh. He didn’t answer right away. Instead, his sharp eyes moved up to my face, then slowly down to my neck, staring intensely at my bare skin before looking back into my eyes.

​I stood my ground under his heavy stare. "What?" I asked, though my heart did a nervous flip. "Why are you looking at me like that?"

​"Scarlett... you have been alive this whole time," he said, his voice dropping into a low, strange tone.

​"Yes," I answered, narrowing my eyes. "You know I’ve been alive. Why are you asking me that now?"

​Suddenly, the calm look on his face vanished. He stood up straight, his massive body towering over me, and stepped closer. There was a sudden shift in his scent—the smell of dark chocolate and burnt wood grew sharp, smoky, and aggressive.

​I took a fast step back. "Leonard, what is wrong?"

​He didn’t answer. He looked angry and terrifying. I kept backing up until the cold bedroom wall pressed hard against my back. I was trapped.

​Before I could move, Leonard lunged forward. His large, heavy hand came up and completely covered my nose and mouth, locking my face in his iron grip.

​My eyes widened. My heart slammed against my ribs.

​He had figured it out.

​The pieces of the puzzle finally came together in his brilliant mind. Standing this close, smelling my raw scent without the smell of Liam’s sex blocking it, his wolf finally recognized the truth.

​Leonard leaned down, his face just inches from mine. His eyes were completely dark, burning with fury and deep passion.

​"So it was you," he whispered, his hot breath hitting my forehead.

​I tried to shake my head, my voice muffled against his large palm. A few angry tears spilled over my eyelids, but I forced myself to stay still.

​His grip tightened just a little, pinning my head against the wall. "Answer me, Scarlett," he commanded, his voice a low, angry snarl. "Were you the masked dancer in Australia? The one I had a one-night stand with? The one I..." He paused, his jaw clenching like stone. "Answer me!"

​I looked straight into his angry eyes. I couldn’t run, and the truth was out. There was no way to hide anymore.

​Slowly, against his large hand, I nodded my head.

​"Yes," I said clearly the moment he loosened his grip enough for me to speak. "Yes, Leonard. It was me."

​The moment the words left my mouth, Leonard stepped back. His hand dropped to his side, and he shook his head slowly. A dark, breathless laugh left his lips—a bitter, angry sound that echoed in the quiet bedroom. He looked at me like he was seeing a ghost, his broad chest rising and falling fast.

​"How could you do that, Scarlett?" he asked, his voice cracking with pain and fury. He stared at me with wild eyes. "It was you the entire time, and you didn’t say a single word. You stood there and let me think I had betrayed my fated mate. You made me feel so much guilt for what I did that night."

​"Leonard, listen to me—"

​"I went mad looking for you!" he suddenly shouted, slamming his fist against the wall right next to my head. I didn’t even flinch. I knew he wouldn’t hit me.

​"I spent months tearing apart every city, checking every club, thinking I was ruined because my body reacted so fiercely to a nameless stranger. And it was you. You watched me suffer."

​"I did what I had to do," I said, pressing myself flat against the wall but keeping my eyes locked on his. "I was terrified, Leonard. I wasn’t ready to come back to the pack house. The prophecy, the bond, the danger... I just needed to stay hidden."

​Leonard stood perfectly still, listening to my words. He took a long, deep breath, forcing his inner wolf to calm down. The bitter anger slowly faded from his face, replaced by a cold, dark satisfaction.

​He nodded slowly, controlling his emotions.

​"At least I won’t feel guilty anymore," he murmured, his voice dropping into a low, smooth purr that sent a shiver down my spine. He stepped back into my personal space, his large body blocking out the light. "I don’t have to feel bad about wanting the masked dancer, because the body I broke myself for belongs to my fated mate anyway."

​He reached out, his long fingers gently grabbing my chin and forcing me to look up into his intense gaze.

​"And since today is Tuesday," Leonard whispered darkly, his thumb tracing my lower lip, "you are going to help me make up for every single day I spent torturing myself over you."

​Leonard’s thumb lingered on my lower lip for a second longer, his dark eyes burning into mine. Then, his face softened just a little, and he leaned down. He kissed my cheek—a slow, warm press of his lips against my skin that made my breath hitch.

​But as he pulled back, his nose brushed against my neck, and his entire body stiffened.

​He frowned, his thick eyebrows drawing together in a sharp line.

​"You smell so much like Liam," he said, his voice dropping into a low, unhappy rumble. The disgust in his wolf’s scent flared up again, clashing with the dark satisfaction from just a moment ago.

​He stepped back completely, letting go of my chin. He looked me up and down, his eyes lingering on my casual shorts before he shook his head.

​"I’ll give you one hour," Leonard said, his tone turning dominant and demanding again. "Dress up, love. I want to take you to see something."

​Without waiting for my answer, he turned on his heel and walked away, closing the bedroom door firmly behind him.

​The moment the door clicked shut, the strength left my legs. I slid down the wall and heaved a massive sigh of relief. My hands were shaking, but I forced myself to take deep, steady breaths.

​One secret done. He finally knew I was the masked dancer.

​But as I stared at the closed door, a heavy weight dropped right back into my stomach. One major secret was out of the way... but my biggest secrets were still hidden. He still didn’t know the truth about Nigeria, or about Leo knowing I have been alive for over two years.