Chapter 96: A Wolf’s Forced Gift
Chapter 96: A Wolf’s Forced Gift
(Celeste’s POV)
My silver–scarred wolf bristled as Alexander appeared in my path, his aura charging the space between us with unrelenting dominance.
He stepped forward, his white wolf’s energy rippling as if preparing to strike, and my body tensed immediately.
The glint of silver in his hand jolted me. My sharp wolf senses confirmed what I was seeing
before my logical mind even processed it.
The pendant. The moon–blessed protection pendant I’d thrown into Sacred Moon Lake just
yesterday.
The lunar energy radiating from it was unmistakable, still pulsing faintly with the sacred
magic that coursed through all moon–blessed artifacts. The sight made my wolf recoil, her emotional scars raw and exposed.
“How-” I began, my words faltering at the intensity gleaming in his ice–blue eyes.
“Hold still,” he commanded, his deep voice laced with lethal calm. A tone I instantly recognized would brook no argument.
Alarm surged through me as his warrior–enhanced speed brought him inches from where I
stood frozen.
His white wolf’s presence crashed over mine like a tidal wave, a suffocating blanket of superior dominance, making my silver–scarred wolf snarl defensively.
My body screamed to retreat, but his physical proximity and the magnetic pull of his aura left
me grounded in place.
Before I could react, his hands moved with alarming gentleness, the roughness of his warrior calluses brushing against my skin as he fastened the pendant around my neck.
The action felt invasive, not in intimacy but in power. My wolf keened softly, her cries unheard as I struggled to maintain composure.
Alexander leaned back slightly, his face unreadable as he examined his handiwork, the pendant’s crescent moon design now resting against my collarbone.
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Chapter 96: A Wolf’s Forced Gift
“This needs to stop,” I managed to say, my voice sharp, though not as steady as I wanted it to
- be.
But when I reached up to unclasp the pendant, intending to shove it back into his hands, his white wolf surged forward with lightning speed.
In a single motion, he captured my wrist. His grip wasn’t painful, but it was unyielding–a silent message that resistance would be futile.
The gathered pack wolves began to whisper now, their voices low and buzzing with curiosity. I could hear the speculation in their murmurs, wondering what had brought the Winters Pack’s
fallen daughter and Scarlett Morrison’s future mate–to–be into such an intense confrontation.
Alexander’s ice–blue eyes were locked onto mine, and I could feel my wolf retreating, burdened under the weight of his dominant presence.
“This warrior gifted you this protection,” he growled, each word carrying the disapproval of a pack elder chastising an unruly pup.
His grip on my wrist tightened just enough to send a warning.
“Discarding it publicly insulted not just me, but my position as pack warrior,” he continued, his
voice low but crackling with barely contained fury.
The depth of his anger wasn’t lost on me. His tone wasn’t just personal–it carried the weight
of his title, his pride, and his wolf.
For a moment, time itself seemed to freeze as his eyes bored into mine. The unspoken challenge there was clear: deny me, and there will be consequences.
I attempted once again to remove the pendant, but his other hand rose quickly, capturing both of mine in a firm yet calculated hold.
Our dual contact sent an unexpected jolt of energy rippling through my arm. My wolf stirred uneasily, recognizing something primal in the connection even as I attempted to suppress it.
Whispers around us grew louder, curious wolves inching closer to the display. The tension between us was palpable, their excitement buzzing with the implications of defied pack.
norms.
“This gesture–this symbol–carries meaning, Celeste,” he said, his voice softening slightly though the sharpness remained.
“If you allow everyone to see you discard my gift again, not only will they question me, but they will question the strength behind Marcus’s mate claim.”
DA
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Chapter 96: A Wolf’s Forced Gift
His deliberate mention of Marcus sent a sharp pang of unease through my chest. This wasn’t
just about us anymore.
The possessiveness behind his words made his white wolf surge forward again, tearing
through the fragile semblance of calm I had managed to hold onto.
I tried to pull back, but his towering frame caged me in, forcing me to maintain my ground or
risk the embarrassment of publicly retreating.
“You don’t like Marcus,” I countered finally, my voice barely above a whisper. “Why does his
perception matter now?”
The predator in his ice–blue eyes darkened, his lips tugging into something between a smile
and a snarl.
“I may not like him, but you wearing this pendant could mean the difference between him trusting your loyalty or questioning your future position.”
The implication behind his words was enough to force my wolf to still. My breath caught ever so slightly as my mind calculated what this meant.
Was this protection? Manipulation? Or something far worse?
Alexander released one of my wrists then, drawing his fingers deliberately slow over my skin,
a move that sent my scarred wolf recoiling further.
Whispers among the pack wolves watching us grew louder as he finally stepped back ever so
slightly, affording me nominal space to breathe.
“I’ll be visiting Elder Eleanor shortly,” he stated plainly, though the undertone carried a threat I
couldn’t afford to ignore.
His words hit me harder than I anticipated, and my wolf whined softly at the thought. He knew Eleanor’s health couldn’t handle unnecessary distress.
Hearing about Moon Lake, Marcus, or even this pendant’s significance could worsen her condition. She was the last family I had–someone I couldn’t risk losing.
Alexander was fully aware of that.
“Are you threatening me?” I challenged quietly, though my voice trembled just enough to betray my attempt at strength.
His sharp smirk returned as he leaned closer again, so close I could feel his breath tickle my neck.
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Chapter 96: A Wolf’s Forced Gift
“Interpret it however you like,” he whispered, the deliberate vagueness in his tone leaving me hanging in uncertainty.
The intensity between us thickened. My heart slammed against my chest, though fury replaced the earlier unease surging in my veins.
Alexander finally pulled away, pivoting on his heel as pack wolves parted for him like water splitting around an immovable force.
“Your choice, Little Moon,” he bit out, his words laced with a familiar venom that twisted in my chest.
And then he was gone, his white wolf leaving me surrounded by unanswered whispers and lingering eyes that dissected the stillness I was left in.
The pendant burned against my skin, heavier than before.
What choice did I truly have?
Eleanor–her well–being was paramount. And Alexander–he would leverage my weakness if it meant proving his point.
With trembling fingers, I reluctantly tucked the pendant beneath my cloak and strode forward.
The Alpha King’s sister was waiting, and time was already running out.
