Chapter 39: Awakening in Royal Territory
Chapter 39: Awakening in Royal Territory
(Celeste’s POV)
Pain. It was the first thing I noticed when I woke up. A burning fire that consumed my body,
pinning me to the bed like an unseen weight.
Every nerve screamed in agony, every movement sent stabs of pain through my back and
arms.
My ribs ached so terribly, it felt as though they had shattered.
I tried to breathe, but each inhale was shallow, strained, and sharp. The faint taste of blood lingered in my mouth. It was a painful reminder of what happened. Lucas. The silver staff–the
sheer brutality–his rage. My brother.
No. He wasn’t my brother
anymore.
I shifted slightly, my head turning to take in my surroundings. My heart sank. The room was unfamiliar. Luxurious, yes–but suffocating. Dark crimson and black drapes hung heavily around me, embroidered with intricate golden threads. Wolves‘ heads–the royal crest of Regina Blackwood–were emblazoned across the walls and furniture.
Dominance filled the air, thick and oppressive, tangled with the faint floral scent of violet lilies.
It belonged to someone powerful. Dangerous.
Regina. The Alpha King’s sister. Marcus’s mother.
My wolf whimpered faintly within me, too weak to rise. She recognized the danger too. We had been moved to her territory. My stomach twisted as fear gripped me. I was in their domain now, defenseless.
I tried to sit up, but every muscle in my body rebelled. A sharp, fiery pain shot down my back, forcing me to collapse back onto the pillows with a muffled groan.
My hands trembled as I gripped at the silk sheets beneath me. How had it come to this? How had things spiraled so terribly out of control?
The heavy, ornate door creaked open. I didn’t need to look to know who it was. Her presence filled the room instantly, her aura sharp and unrelenting. Regina Blackwood.
She moved with the precision of a predator, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders.
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Her violet eyes–those same eyes that Marcus had inherited–locked on me with an intensity
that made my skin crawl.
“You’re awake,” she stated, her voice smooth and controlled.
Her eyes didn’t soften as she stepped closer. She wasn’t here to comfort me. She was here to
assess me, to examine the extent of the damage.
I tried to push myself upright again, but my body wouldn’t cooperate. Pain erupted down my
sides, and I let out an involuntary gasp.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Regina snapped, her tone sharp as she strode to my bedside. “Lie still
before you tear open what’s left of you.”
My lips parted to protest, but her glare stopped me dead.
She reached for the tray on the nightstand, her movements slow and deliberate. A steaming
cup was placed in front of me. The sharp, bitter scent of moon–blessed herbs filled the air.
“Drink this,” she ordered. “The Alpha King’s personal healer prepared it. And before you ask–it isn’t poisoned.”
I hesitated, my hands trembling as I reached for the cup. My body screamed in protest at the
simple motion, but I forced myself to endure it. The warm surface of the cup burned against
my palms, a sharp contrast to the cold hollowness inside me.
Regina’s sharp eyes never left me as I raised the cup to my lips. The tea was bitter, the taste
as unpleasant as the thick tension hanging in the air. But I drank every drop, knowing she
wouldn’t let me avoid it.
When the cup was empty, she set it aside, her expression unreadable. “You’re lucky,” she said,
her voice filled with an edge I didn’t fully understand. “If Marcus hadn’t intervened, I doubt
you’d be alive to sit here drinking tea.”
Her words struck like a slap to the face. Marcus. The memory of his violent intervention came
flooding back–his voice, his overwhelming dominance. His rage. Lucas’s screams.
“I didn’t ask him to,” I rasped finally, my voice hoarse and strained. “I never asked for his
protection.”
Regina raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “No,” she said slowly.
“But whether you asked for it or not, you have it now. And you’ll learn to accept it.”
Her words sent a chill down my spine. My wolf curled inward, retreating further.
The tension in the room thickened. I could feel Regina’s violet gaze boring into me, dissecting
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me, searching for any sign of weakness. My jaw clenched as I forced myself to meet her eyes. My body was broken, but I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing me cower.
“You’ve made quite the mess,” she said finally, her tone lighter but no less condescending.” Lucas. The pack. And Marcus–my son–dragged right into the middle of it all.”
She moved closer, leaning over me with an almost predatory air. “Do you pity him?” she asked suddenly, her voice soft yet laced with sharpness.
I froze. Her question caught me off guard. Pity him? Marcus. The same Marcus who had
claimed me as his mate for his own twisted reasons. The same Marcus I didn’t trust, didn’t
want.
“No,” I said after a long pause. Then, quieter, I added, “But… I know what silver feels like. I wouldn’t wish that on anyone.”
Regina’s expression shifted slightly, her smirk fading into something far colder. She studied
me carefully, her violet eyes narrowing. “Do not confuse Marcus’s actions for altruism,” she
said finally. “You were nothing more than an excuse today. He doesn’t suffer for you. He
suffers because of his own recklessness.”
C
Her words stung, but I didn’t respond. There was no point. Marcus was who he was–cruel, calculating, and dangerous. I knew better than to think otherwise.
The sound of hurried footsteps broke through the silence. The doors to the room slammed
open, and Sarah, Regina’s Beta, stumbled inside. Her face was pale, her breathing labored.
Whatever news she brought, it wasn’t good.
“Luna,” Sarah panted, her voice thick with unease. “The Alpha King. He… he’s ordered
punishment for Marcus.”
Regina stiffened immediately. Her wolf surged forward, filling the room with an aura so sharp,
it was suffocating. “What punishment?” she demanded, her voice ice–cold.
Sarah hesitated, glancing at me briefly before returning her gaze to Regina. “Silver chains,” she
said finally, her words heavy with dread. “He’s to endure the silver chains.”
The air seemed to freeze. My heart dropped. Images of chains–gleaming, burning, suffocating
-flooded my mind. I could almost feel the scars on my skin begin to throb.
“No.” Regina’s voice was quiet, but the anger in it was palpable. Her wolf’s dominance spiked,
making even Sarah flinch. “That fool!”
She turned sharply, grabbing the tray of empty cups and smashing it against the dresser.
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Shards of porcelain scattered across the floor. The sudden noise made me flinch, but it was
nothing compared to the storm brewing in her eyes.
“Lucas lies injured,” Sarah said hesitantly. “The severity of his wounds…”
“Enough!” Regina snapped.
Her head whipped back to me, her eyes narrowing once more. “This is what happens when fools act without thinking,” she hissed. “And now Marcus pays the price for it.”
Her words cut deep, but I said nothing. The guilt weighed heavily in my chest.
