Descendant 3: In Light of All Darkness

Scarlett

“Mom! Can I use your favorite black dress? Harry and I have plans tonight and it’s his birthday! He’s finally of age!”

I watch my mom enter the room, the dress in her hands. She drapes it over my bed, then comes over to plant a kiss on my forehead.

“Sweetie, don’t be too upset if you two aren’t mates.”

“Why wouldn’t we be? We’ve been a couple for two years. We only want each other. We’ve waited for each other.”

My mom lets out a sigh.

“Scar, life doesn’t always go as planned. Sometimes…it turns out even better. Just brace yourself. I don’t want to see disappointment in your beautiful eyes.”

She leaves the room. Why would I be disappointed? Harry and I have been together for what feels like an eternity. I came of age last week, but we had to wait for him to do the same to see if we were mates. Now, we can prove to everyone that we’re meant to be. Goddess, I’m so excited.

After curling my hair and applying mascara, I take a look at myself in the mirror. I can’t help but grin. This dress fits like a glove. It accentuates my curves and complements my hair color. I inherited my mom’s golden-red hair and my dad’s crystal-green eyes. Mom refers to them as the Creed family eyes because all the kids seem to have them, grandkids included. I slip into my heels and head out the door. We’ve decided to meet at the park and walk to the restaurant together.

“I’m leaving!”

My dad appears and pulls me into a tight embrace.

“You look stunning, Scar. Just like the princess you’re destined to be. When you get back, come to my office. We need to talk.”

“Tonight?”

He looks down and nods. There’s something in his eyes I can’t quite decipher.

“Umm…okay.”

I leave the house and get into my car. How can he expect me to come back when I find my mate? He should know how this works. Once Harry and I confirm we’re mates, I doubt we’ll even have dinner. Hell, I doubt I’ll even come home. It’s as if he’s hoping we aren’t meant for each other.

I park my car and head to the park where Harry is supposed to be waiting. As I get closer, my heart starts to race. I can’t wait to see my handsome boyfriend. As I round the corner to our meeting spot, I see him standing there in a green dinner jacket and nice jeans. But what makes my stomach churn is the sight of him kissing one of my best friends, Sara.

“Harry…,” I gasp.

They pull apart instantly, and he sees the devastation on my face. Tears are now streaming down my cheeks. Damn, my mascara must be ruined.

“Scar…”

I shake my head and hold up my hand to stop him from speaking. I start to back away. I can’t be here. I can’t be here because I know he’s not my mate. I know that because I recognize the look on their faces. I’ve seen it enough times in my life to know that they are mates who just found each other. It’s the look in their eyes that says it all. You can see the excitement and the bond already forming. Sara is so shocked she can’t seem to utter a word. When I look at her, all I see is pity. The last thing I want is to be pitied.

“Scar, I didn’t expect this to happen. I swear, I thought we would be mates.”

“Don’t.”

“Scar…”

“I said don’t. I’ve seen mates find each other enough times in my life to know you can’t control it. I hope you two are happy together.”

I turn and run, with Harry calling after me.

“Scarlett!”

***

I drive to the nearest lake and sit in my car for what feels like hours. I notice I’ve been rubbing my wrist so much it’s starting to hurt. Actually, I’ve been rubbing and twirling the bracelet on my wrist. It’s a habit I’ve had since I can remember. There’s something about this piece of jewelry that soothes me, brings me comfort when I need it most. My parents gave it to me when I was born. It’s made of a special metal that expanded as I grew, with a single ruby in the center. There’s an engraving on it, but I’ve never been able to decipher it. I can tell it’s in a different language, but which one is beyond me. I’ve asked my mom, who’s fluent in many languages, but she just shrugs and says I’ll figure it out one day.

Regardless, it’s quite beautiful and I’ve never taken it off in all my eighteen years. I swear sometimes when I’m really upset, like now…it seems like the ruby glows brighter. It’s as if it illuminates and pulses, but I know I’m just imagining things. All I know is that thinking about my bracelet often brings me peace and calms me down. I would be devastated if anything happened to the bracelet that has been my comfort for so long.

With a heavy heart, I head back home. As I pull into the driveway, I see my dad waiting for me in front of the circular drive. He took over as alpha of the Black Forest Pack a few years ago and now my grandparents are traveling. Right now, they’re visiting my cousin, Sebastian Phoenix, at the royal castle.

As I get out of the car, Dad says, “Harry called. He’s worried.”

“He shouldn’t be. He found his mate.”

When Dad pulls me into his arms, I can smell the familiar scent of home.

“I’m sorry, Scar,” he whispers into my hair, rubbing my back.

“I thought we were going to be mates.”

“I know you did, but you and Harry were never meant to be mates, Scar.”

I look up at my father, my eyes meeting his. The same eyes I see in the mirror every morning.

“How do you know this, Dad?”

He takes my hand and rubs my bracelet, then lets out a sigh.

“Because your mate gave you this bracelet when you were born.”