Chapter 72: A Mother’s Silver Tears
Chapter 72: A Mother’s Silver Tears
(Celeste’s POV)
The relentless sting of sacred silver poison pulsed through my veins, spreading heat and agony from the fresh wound on my face. Each breath was a trial. The burning sensation crawled beneath my skin, relentless, as if the ceremonial dagger had embedded its venom with purpose.
No matter how carefully the moon–blessed salve was applied, the pain refused to dull completely. It gnawed at me, both physically and mentally, leaving raw cracks in my carefully maintained composure.
I touched the bandages lightly, wincing as the burning intensified. The healer said the silver would scar, marking my skin permanently.
A scar. A fitting reminder of Victoria’s choice.
Nina groaned softly from the bed beside mine, her silver–gray wolf still visibly recovering from the day’s chaos. Her pale skin was bruised in too many places, purple hues blooming along her arms and neck from the blows she endured earlier.
The sight of her injuries twisted the guilt in my stomach.
She had risked more than she should have today–for me.
“You should’ve let me handle it all alone,” I whispered, my voice quieter than the tension between us. The guilt weighed heavily on each word.
Nina stirred at my words, her head tilting slightly before she forced herself upright. Her silver eyes locked with mine, defiant despite her exhaustion.
“You’re being ridiculous,” she rasped in return, her tone unwavering. “I would never stand there
and do nothing while you were in danger. My place is beside you.”
Her words struck a chord deep within me. While most of the pack viewed me as expendable, Nina stood firm. Where betrayal lurked from those bound by blood, she remained loyal- completely and utterly.
I shook my head faintly, my lips pressing into a thin line. “You didn’t have to…”
Nina didn’t let me finish. Her body, bruised and battered, leaned slightly forward. There was a
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Chapter 72: A Mother’s Silver Te…
fierceness in her gaze that not even pain could dim.
“Your battles?” she said, her voice hardening. “They’re my battles now too. Stop asking me to
stand aside. It’s not going to happen.”
Her ferocity caught me off guard for a split second.
Despite everything, I felt a faint tug at the corners of my mouth, forming the slightest trace of a smile. It didn’t last long, though.
The guilt clawed its way back in. My expression dimmed, and I reached out to grasp her
bruised arm lightly.
“Still,” I murmured. “Everything you’ve endured today is because of me.”
Nina scoffed softly, though her wolf’s loyal aura rippled through the room. She shook her head, brushing off my concerns like loose dirt.
“If I had to endure tenfold of today for you, my lady,” she said, her tone firm but affectionate, “I
would.”
Her unwavering loyalty pulled at something deep within me. Amongst the false words and
hollow bonds surrounding me, Nina’s presence was a stark contrast.
Before I could respond, her senses heightened abruptly.
Her head tilted slightly as her body stiffened, and her silver–gray eyes scanned the room
cautiously. “Someone’s here,” she said in a hushed tone.
The tension in the air shifted instantly. My weakened wolf stirred faintly as paranoia pricked
at the back of my mind.
“Who?”
Nina inhaled deeply, her nose catching faint traces from the open window. Her gaze darkened
as understanding dawned.
“It’s her.”
I froze in place despite the venom flowing through my veins. My throat tightened. The
unhealed wound on my face seemed to burn hotter as if responding to the news.
“Victoria?”
Nina nodded grimly, her tone tinged with disbelief. “She’s outside. In the courtyard.” Her voice carried disbelief. “Alone. No guards.”
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The absurdity of it registered immediately. Victoria–a Luna always surrounded by formality and security–standing alone outside? My guilt dissipated instantly, replaced by guarded bitterness.
My wolf stirred, her pain forgotten as fresh irritation bubbled to the surface.
“What does she want?” My tone was sharp, though my voice trembled slightly.
“She refuses to leave until she sees you,” Nina answered hesitantly. Her silver–gray wolf
pressed protectively closer toward me, sensing my growing frustration.
I barked out a laugh, the sound dry and mocking. “Of course, she does.”
This wasn’t concern. I knew better than to believe that. She must have known my wolf felt her
presence. The maternal wolf bond we once shared, though frayed, still existed at its weakest,
and she was wielding it expertly.
“She’s pacing,” Nina added. “Her wolf feels… distressed.”
My jaw tightened, and my fists clenched. The idea that Victoria’s distress might claim
sympathy from me was laughable.
“Distressed?” I repeated venomously. My voice dripped with sarcasm, each syllable bitter. “As
if that could undo striking me with a sacred ceremonial dagger.”
Nina shifted uneasily on the bed, unsure how to respond.
I turned fully toward her, my tone sharp and resolute. “Tell her I’m unconscious. If she wants a performance, let her have one.”
The silver burn throbbed faintly, as though urging me to remember the betrayal behind it. Her distress, real or not, was nothing compared to what she’d done.
Nina hesitated briefly, her body stiffening as though ready to object. Her silver–gray wolf flickered with uncertainty.
“What if…” she began cautiously. But I silenced her with a pointed look.
“Let her believe I’m too weak to face her,” I insisted coldly. My voice carried the authority I
hadn’t once claimed in this household. “Go. Now.”
Nina finally nodded, though her wolf hesitated briefly before stepping toward the door. Without another word, she left, quietly shutting the heavy wood behind her.
The sound echoed softly in the chamber, leaving me alone with the weight of everything.
My head tilted back slightly, resting against the headboard. My breathing slowed. I tried to
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focus on anything but the hollow ache gnawing at me, threatening to overwhelm.
Old memories surfaced unbidden. I frowned and tried to shove them back, but they pushed
through, relentless and biting.
Her hands had once smoothed my hair after training sessions. Her soft hums broke through
the silence on nights when nightmares plagued me as a pup.
She had crafted a fragile illusion of safety and warmth, and I had believed in it wholeheartedly
for years.
And now? That illusion was shattered, replaced by the burning cut on my face–a lasting
reminder of what her wolf’s “protection” truly meant.
The faintest sound caught my attention, clay against stone. Nina’s footfalls returned quicker
than expected, but she wasn’t empty–handed.
A small cloth–wrapped bundle rested delicately within her grasp.
“She left it.” Her tone was strangely hesitant.
My lips curled faintly, equal parts bitter and curious. “Did she?”
Nina nodded wordlessly and extended the bundle toward me. I stared at it as though it might
bite before reaching out reluctantly.
The fabric felt familiar, soft against my fingers as I unfolded it slowly.
And then, there it was a single moon–blessed crystal.
My breath hitched. The recognition was immediate, painful in its intensity.
She had made this crystal for me, years before. Her voice, tender and filled with pride, echoed faintly in my memories.
“For my Little Moon, to keep you safe.”.
The trinket seemed to pulse faintly within my palm, though I knew it was merely in my mind.
Its context, its meaning, was clear.
The memory was a weapon all its own, striking deeper than any blade could.
