Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protecti….
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Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protection
Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protection
(Celeste’s POV)
Alexander moved with lightning speed, pulling me behind his broad frame. His imposing white wolf’s aura wrapped around mine protectively, immediately forming an unyielding barrier
between me and potential threats.
“We need to move,” he said, his voice brusque, nearly a growl. His ice–blue eyes scanned the darkness beyond, hyper–focused on the surrounding forest.
I barely had the strength to stand, let alone question him. My legs trembled beneath me, and my body felt like it was about to collapse. But his words sank in.
“Alexander, wait.” I tightened my grip weakly on his arm, my voice rasping, barely above a whisper. “We… we can’t…” My words faltered as I forced myself to meet his gaze. “We can’t be
seen like this. Together.”
For a brief moment, his expression softened. But then the intensity returned–a flash of something dangerous in his ice–blue eyes, an emotion I wasn’t ready to name.
His jaw worked as though suppressing a harsh reply. A muscle ticked in his temple. “Celeste, your condition doesn’t allow for arguments. Wherever they’ve taken you, Marcus’s men may
already be tracking this place. If you stay…”
His words trailed off as if he didn’t need to finish the thought. We both knew what could happen if Marcus, or worse, Scarlett, found him here with me like this.
“Your marking ceremony,” I whispered shakily. I hated how weak I sounded. “Scarlett… if she-”
His eyes flashed dangerously, and he cut me off. “Forget Scarlett,” he snapped, his voice
colder than the night air. “Right now, I need to get you out of here.”
I flinched, not at his tone, but at the way his wolf energy surged with barely–contained fury. His
dominance was suffocating, crowding every instinct I had left.
He noticed and took a small step back, reigning himself in. His voice lowered, almost gentle
this time. “There’s a hidden route through the Dark Forest. My warrior unit uses it on patrols.
We’ll get to safety that way.”
Before I could respond, a wave of agony flooded my body. My knees buckled as my injured shoulder gave out entirely.
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Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protecti…
I bit down hard on the pain, but a distressed whimper escaped me regardless.
Alexander caught me instantly. His strong arms steadied me even as rage flashed behind his eyes at my crumpled state.
“Celeste.” His voice held a sharp edge–a mix of concern and anger. “Your shoulder…”
“It’s nothing,” I interrupted, though my voice cracked at the lie.
He ignored me completely, his grip firm as he gently guided me to sit against a nearby tree.
The faint moonlight streaming through the canopy highlighted the grim set of his face.
“Your shoulder’s dislocated,” he announced grimly, unbuttoning his shirt cuffs. “The ropes…
they did more damage than you’re letting on.”
“I said I’m fine,” I insisted, though the venom in my words faltered under the weight of my pain.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears, every beat throbbing painfully against the pull of the
wolfsbane. “I’ll heal quickly enough. We don’t have-”
His hands, warm and steady, stopped me. He knelt in front of me, his proximity making my
breath hitch. “You won’t even make it halfway to the border like this. I need to reset it now.”
The finality in his tone left no room for argument. Still, the thought of his hands touching the mangled joint made my stomach churn.
I met his icy gaze head–on. “Just… do it.”
He nodded, his hands moving with precision as he positioned them around my injured arm. His touch was gentle despite the obvious strength in his hold.
“This will hurt,” he warned softly but didn’t hesitate.
The bone snapped back into place with a sickening crunch.
A cry ripped through my chest before I could stop it. It tore out of me raw and uncontrolled. I bit my lip to muffle the sound, the metallic taste of blood filling my mouth.
But almost instantly, relief flooded the area. My wolf’s weakened healing abilities began mending the damage as best they could.
Alexander’s hands lingered on my arm for a moment longer. His gaze hadn’t left mine
throughout the entire process.
“You’re far from fine,” he muttered.
I didn’t have the energy to argue. Pain and exhaustion blurred the edges of my vision until the trees became soft outlines against the night.
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Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protecti…
But his warmth, his strength–it kept me grounded.
His ice–blue eyes drifted toward the hunter’s cabin, where the mercenaries still lay unconscious from their drunken stupor. The severity in his gaze hardened, the gears in his mind turning methodically.
I didn’t need to voice my fear. He already understood. We couldn’t be discovered like this-
together. Not after everything Scarlett had so carefully constructed around him.
“Marcus’s men are closing in,” he said curtly, turning his attention back to me. “We don’t have
time.”
Without another word, he stood and motioned for me to follow. My legs felt like they’d shatter
beneath me, numb from blood loss and the residual effects of the ropes. But his white wolf’s
energy encouraged mine.
He moved with quiet precision, guiding us deeper into the forest. Despite the chaos swirling in
my mind and body, I found myself trusting him instinctively. His wolf didn’t just lead–it
shielded. Protected.
The dense underbrush pressed in on all sides. Thorns snagged my clothes, and low–hanging
branches whipped at my face, but I pushed forward. My wolf stirred weakly beneath my skin,
echoing Alexander’s calm focus.
Every step was quieter than the last, my old instincts from prison kicking in. My breaths
remained shallow, minimizing sound.
Finally, we reached the edge of the forest’s inner territory. Just beyond the trees, the faint flicker of torchlight marked the borders of Winters Pack land.
By now, I was struggling to stay upright. My knees gave way once, then twice, forcing
Alexander to steady me each time.
Before I could argue further, a silver–gray blur appeared through the trees–Nina. Relief flooded me at the sight of her uninjured. Her sharp, protective energy radiated as she rushed to my
side.
“My Lady!” she exclaimed, her voice thick with relief. She immediately pressed her shoulder under my arm for added support. “Thank the moon you’re alive. I-”
Her words choked off when she noticed Alexander beside me. His white wolf’s overwhelming presence made her hesitate slightly before she nodded her thanks.
In the distance, I caught the unmistakable glint of royal insignias adorning the uniforms of
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Chapter 61: Alexander’s Protecti…
Marcus’s guards. They were closing in fast, their sharp steps purposeful.
By the time we reached the pack house, a large crowd had gathered–too many witnesses for
my liking. Leadership wolves from every rank stood at attention, their expressions a mix of
confusion, concern, and judgment.
At the center of them was Alpha James. His steely gaze carved through the crowd, though his
frown deepened as his eyes settled on my battered state. Behind him, Luna Victoria clutched his arm, her worry evident in the faint tremble of her hands.
And beyond them, Eleanor stood supported by two betas, her frail frame wrapped in warm
furs. She looked at me with tearful determination, relief softening the hard lines of her face.
Nina quickly tugged me toward a chair and set about tending to my injuries. Her careful hands
wrapped clean bandages around the raw, bloody burns marking my wrists.
Alexander stood only a few feet away, his icy gaze never leaving me. His presence felt like a
shield, silent but reassuring.
When Alpha James demanded an explanation, Alexander didn’t falter. His tone was composed, yet each word carried a weight that caused even the most dominant wolves to
listen.
He described every detail. The tightly knotted ropes, the ancient pack symbols etched into them, the faint traces of wolfsbane that clung to my skin. He laid bare every piece of evidence
about my escape.
As his voice resonated through the silent crowd, I watched their expressions shift–some horrified, some cautious, others visibly conflicted.
But Alexander never once wavered. His ice–blue eyes burned with a silent fury, though he
spoke as methodically as he fought.
