Chapter 78: A Wolf’s Bitter Recovery
Chapter 78: A Wolf’s Bitter Recovery
(Celeste’s POV)
The silver poison burned relentlessly, a searing reminder of Victoria’s attack. With every
heartbeat, waves of molten fire coursed through my veins, stretching my endurance to its
limits. The angry red burn on my face throbbed, demanding attention, but I refused to
acknowledge it.
Nina hovered close, her silver–gray wolf radiating protective energy despite her own injuries.
Each movement she made was careful yet tense, clearly reflecting her anxiety for both my
condition and the challenges ahead.
“My Lady,” she murmured hesitantly. Her hands were steady, though I noticed her silver–gray wolf whine softly as she applied the salve to my face. “Perhaps you should rest a little longer.
The poison hasn’t cleared yet.”
I shook my head, forcing the corners of my mouth into what I hoped resembled a reassuring
smile. “Eleanor’s health can’t wait, Nina.”
Nina’s wolf bristled protectively. “You’re still recovering. What if Marcus finds out about your condition? What if anyone else in the pack-”
“My wolf can handle this,” I interrupted her gently, but my voice carried an edge of steel. Resting might be advisable, but the thought of Eleanor enduring Scarlett’s manipulations alone wasn’t something I could tolerate.
“If anyone asks,” I added as Nina helped me sit up straighter, “The silver poisoning is barely affecting me. Appearances matter, Nina.”
Nina nodded firmly, though I could see the conflict in her expression. She’d served me long enough to know I didn’t back down, but her wolf still whined with protest as she prepared me
for the short but critical journey.
When we stepped into the hall, determined to visit Eleanor’s chambers, a familiar scent hit me like a slap across the face.
Pine–frost mixed with honeysuckle.
“Alexander…” I whispered beneath my breath, my stomach curling in on itself. My wolf stiffened in agitation, the combination of their scents enough to make us recoil instinctively.
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Chapter 78: A Wolf’s Bitter Reco…
Alexander. Scarlett.
They were already here.
The moment my eyes landed on them, I knew Scarlett would make this encounter difficult. As.
if on cue, her green eyes widened in exaggerated fear. Her wolf whimpered pitifully, pressing
closer to Alexander’s towering form.
Her emerald eyes brimmed with perfectly timed tears that spilled down porcelain cheeks. The
elegant bruises left from our earlier confrontation adorned her face, carefully styled to evoke maximum sympathy.
Through our weakened pack bond, I felt her radiate distress like bitterly crafted perfume. I
clenched my fists, instinctively recognizing the manipulation. But I’d learned the hard way how
to mask my reactions.
Scarlett’s voice quivered as she spoke, her trembling figure leaning heavily on Alexander for
support. “S–sister, I didn’t expect to see you here. I… I thought you’d still be resting after
Mother’s… accident.”
Her deliberate pause emphasized the word, pouring mockery over my pain even as she
pretended concern.
Alexander’s white wolf immediately bristled. His posture shifted protectively toward Scarlett’s
smaller frame, his ice–blue eyes piercing into mine.
“You should be more careful, Celeste,” he said coldly, his deep voice laced with accusation.
“Your excessive violence toward Scarlett has already caused so much damage!”
It took everything in me not to laugh bitterly. Violence? Damage?
The irony of his concern for Scarlett’s bruised face was almost unbearable.
“What about my burns, Alexander?” I asked, my voice calm even as the silver burns across my
face screamed in pain.
He glanced briefly at my injuries, but his attention returned to Scarlett with unshaken loyalty. “You could’ve avoided this escalation,” he replied stiffly. “Scarlett isn’t the type to mean harm.
You know her nature is more delicate!”
A bitter smile escaped me. I tilted my head slightly, letting my amusement bleed through.
“Delicate?” I echoed, my tone sharp like shards of ice. “Does deliberately upsetting Eleanor
count as delicate to you? Or does that particular trait only apply when it’s your precious
Scarlett?”
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Chapter 78: A Wolfs Bitter Reco…
“My intentions were pure!” Scarlett interrupted dramatically, shielding herself with Alexander’s
presence. Her wolf made an exaggerated sound of distress. “I only wanted to visit
Grandmother. How was I supposed to know it would cause her harm?”
My wolf snarled softly within, furious at the absurd display. But I kept my face cold and
unmoved.
“How convenient that your ‘pure intentions‘ always seem to coincide with Eleanor’s collapsing
health,” I said dryly. “Almost like you planned it.”
Scarlett dissolved into fresh tears, clinging to Alexander’s arm as if she had the strength of a
newborn pup. “Why do you always assume the worst of me? I love Grandmother too!”
Alexander’s posture became rigid as his white wolf surged forward protectively. His ice–blue
eyes sharpened like twin blades slicing through the cold storm atmosphere.
“That’s enough, Celeste!” he growled, his voice brimming with warning. “Insinuating such
things… what’s gotten into you?”
“What’s gotten into me?” I repeated, a sharp laugh escaping before I could contain it. “What was gotten into me, Alexander, were four years of silver chains in Moon Shadow Prison. And where were you?”
For the briefest moment, the tension in his jaw faltered. His wolf hesitated. Something
flickered in those ice–blue depths–something far too fleeting to grasp. Recognition? Regret?
Whatever it was, it disappeared almost instantly beneath his furious facade.
Scarlett’s trembling intensified at my words, but I caught the faintest upward twitch of her lips.
Her wolf projected visible distress, its aura screaming for comfort.
She sobbed pitifully. “Please, Celeste! I don’t want to fight anymore…” Her voice cracked just
enough to tug at anyone’s heartstrings.
Alexander immediately surged closer to her, his white wolf radiating suffocating
protectiveness.
“I will not let you harm her,” he vowed, his tone absolute.
The sheer absurdity of the situation made my wolf laugh internally, though my expression
remained ice–cold.
“Oh, no, of course not,” I said lightly, arching an eyebrow. “You’re far too busy enabling her constant endangerment of Eleanor’s health.”
Scarlett flinched dramatically as if my words physically hurt her. Her tears intensified, spilling
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Chapter 78: A Wolf’s Bitter Reco…
rhythmically as she crouched lower into Alexander’s protective space.
“You don’t understand…” she whispered brokenly. Her slender hands clung to Alexander’s arm
like a lifeline, while her emerald eyes darted toward me in calculated intervals.
“Don’t understand?” My voice cut like frost in the air. I stepped forward, my wolf bristling
beneath my skin. “I understand perfectly, Scarlett. Your crocodile tears saved you from punishment this morning, didn’t they?”
Scarlett’s trembling halted briefly as her composure cracked. She masked it quickly, her lips
quivering beautifully.
Alexander, however, stood his ground. His white wolf surged in defiance, his ice–blue eyes cold
like marble.
“Scarlett’s situation is different,” he said lowly, his tone bordering on condescending. “She
doesn’t have your strength. You terrify her, Celeste. It’s no wonder she acts in self–defense.”
My wolf snarled, though I kept my expression composed.
“I don’t have time for this,” I stated calmly, deliberately dismissing both of them. “Tell your precious Scarlett to stay far away from Eleanor if she values her health.”
Alexander’s gaze darkened. His wolf bristled with restrained anger.
“I vowed to protect her,” he said firmly.
“Then do it,” I replied curtly. “But trust me, Alexander. If she harms Eleanor again, not even your
protection will save her.”
His wolf surged forward aggressively at my threat. But somewhere in his frozen blue gaze, I
caught the faintest flicker of uncertainty.
The tell–tale tightness in his jaw, a lingering doubt he probably didn’t even realize was there,
whispered shadowed truths. If there was anything left of the Alexander I used to know, it
wasn’t visible under the protective rage.
Scarlett pulled him into motion, clinging ever closer as if she was ready to flee my presence
altogether. Yet at the corner of my vision, her faint smirk twisted mockingly.
We both knew the real game she played.
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