Chapter 99: Show such caution
+8 Points
Chapter 99: Show such caution
Chapter 99: Show such caution
(Celeste’s POV)
“Alexander used Eleanor’s health to force me to wear this pendant,” I began carefully, my voice steady but soft, every word chosen to avoid adding fuel to the fire.
I focused on keeping my tone neutral as Marcus’s violet eyes bore into me. His expression
was deceptively calm, but his wolf’s possessiveness wrapped around me like a tightening
chain.
His lips curled slowly into a smile, but there was no warmth behind it. The gentleness in his
demeanor felt off–calculating.
“How… interesting,” Marcus murmured, his tone light but laced with hidden malice.
There was a chill in the corridor, whether from the moonstone walls or his presence, I couldn’t
decipher.
“And you believe returning it will end his interference?” he questioned, tilting his head slightly,
his violet gaze never leaving mine.
I nodded stiffly, my hands tightening into fists at my sides. The silver scars on my wrist
throbbed faintly, but I disguised my discomfort well.
“The pendant means nothing,” I said evenly. “I’ll return it immediately. There’s no reason for
him to interfere further.”
His smile grew wider, revealing the faint traces of cruelty lurking beneath his flawless exterior.
His wolf’s energy grew heavier, suffocating the space around us and pressing against the
edges of my own aura.
“Will you now?” Marcus mused, his tone darker this time, the casual edge sharpening into
something more sinister.
His violet eyes gleamed as his wolf seemed to ripple beneath the surface. Shadows flickered
subtly around him, making my scarred wolf bristle cautiously.
“And you truly believe he’ll release his claim so easily?” he asked, each word deliberate.
My heart skipped a beat at the implication. Marcus’s stare turned piercing, as if searching for some weak point in my resolve.
11A
+8 Point
Chapter 99: Show such caution
“There is no claim,” I replied firmly, though I couldn’t hide the faint tremor in my voice.
“Alexander is engaged to Scarlett.”
His laugh came suddenly, short and cold, echoing through the empty corridor. The sound made my wolf recoil instinctively.
“Oh, precious,” he said softly, mocking amusement coloring his tone. His smile was as sharp
as a blade.
“You’re either naive,” he continued, taking a deliberate step forward, “or deliberately obtuse.”
I resisted the urge to retreat, holding my ground as his words sliced through the fragile silence
between us.
His royal wolf surged forward slightly, its dominating aura brushing against mine, and my pulse quickened in response.
Marcus’s fingers twitched at his side as if restraining the urge to reach for me again. “Let me
simplify this for you,” he began, his voice low and deceptively calm.
“Would a wolf truly invested in his engagement,” he said pointedly, his violet eyes narrowing
with a predatory glint, “use such… underhanded tactics to force proximity?”
The insinuation hit its mark, and I felt the weight of his accusation settling heavily around me.
My breath hitched for a moment as doubt crept into my mind.
Alexander’s moon pendant suddenly felt heavier against my chest, its faint pulse of warmth
now unsettling instead of comforting.
“I thought Alexander’s warrior honor would prevent-” I started, my voice faltering when Marcus
cut me off sharply.
“Honor?” he repeated with a dark chuckle, his tone dripping with disdain.
His violet gaze locked onto mine, holding me captive as he stepped even closer, his proximity filling the corridor with his overwhelming presence.
“The same honor,” Marcus said slowly, his words deliberately cruel, “that let him stand silent
while you rotted in Moon Shadow Prison for four years?”
The mention of the prison ripped through me like a blade. My silver scars burned with
phantom pain as the memories clawed their way back into my mind.
Marcus’s lips twitched upward, his expression triumphant as he noticed the flicker of pain
crossing my face.
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Chapter 99: Show such caution
“Thought so,” he drawled mockingly, straightening to his full height. His wolf’s dominance
swirled around me, pressing down as if to emphasize its superior position.
“You give him far too much credit,” Marcus added, his voice soft but cutting.
I clenched my hands tighter, forcing the emotions surging inside me to stay buried.
“Perhaps,” he mused, tapping his fingers lightly against the moonstone wall, “we should
discuss this somewhere more private.”
The casual suggestion set off alarm bells in my mind. My wolf stirred uneasily, sensing his shifting intentions.
Marcus’s violet eyes gleamed as they locked onto mine, and his lips stretched into what could
only be described as a wicked smile.
“The Northern hunting grounds,” he said smoothly, his tone almost conversational. “They’re
quite lovely this time of year.”
The breath caught in my throat as Diana’s cryptic warning echoed in my mind. My scarred
wolf tensed, keenly aware of the implications behind his words.
Marcus tilted his head slightly, feigning concern as he studied my expression, his wolf’s
energy brushing against mine with an almost mocking curiosity.
“You seem nervous,” Marcus remarked, his voice impossibly gentle yet laced with malice. “Is
something wrong?”
I forced my expression into carefully constructed neutrality, meeting his gaze evenly despite
the storm raging in my chest.
“The hunting grounds?” I repeated carefully, my voice steady but questioning. “That’s quite far
from the pack house.”
Marcus took another step closer, the predatory gleam in his violet eyes intensifying. His wolf radiated a false warmth, its aura curling around mine like a baited trap.
“Worried about the distance?” he asked, his tone light yet loaded with implication. He paused for effect, letting the air between us grow heavier.
“Or perhaps… something else?” he added, his voice dropping just enough to make the words
all the more sinister.
The suggestion hung between us, unspoken but clear. Marcus was testing me, probing for weakness.
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Chapter 99: Show such caution
“If you prefer,” he said suddenly, his tone shifting to one of mock magnanimity, as though
offering a compromise out of pity, “we could visit the Silver Creek tavern instead.”
He made it sound as if he were being generous, though I could sense the strategic intent behind the suggestion.
A more public location would make refusal appear unreasonable, trapping me into
compliance.
Despite the tension in the air, I managed a small nod of agreement. “The tavern would be more appropriate,” I said evenly, keeping my tone polite yet distant.
Marcus’s violet eyes flashed with triumph, the corner of his lips curling upward in satisfaction.
Without another word, he signaled to his royal guards, who emerged from the shadows
instantly, their wolves poised and ready.
As we began walking toward Silver Creek, I maintained deliberate distance between us,
though it was a struggle against Marcus’s repeated attempts to close the gap.
His towering frame seemed to loom closer with each step, his presence more suffocating
than any conversation we’d had before.
“So rigid, precious,” Marcus remarked mockingly, his voice slicing through the tense silence.
“One might think you fear my touch.” The words carried a faint edge of amusement, designed
to provoke.
I remained silent, carefully avoiding any reaction that might give him further satisfaction.
Through our fading pack bonds, I sensed his growing irritation at my continued defensiveness.
It simmered just beneath the surface, waiting to lash out.
After a moment, Marcus’s tone shifted, dropping into something slower and more pointed.
“Tell me,” he said slyly, his gaze sliding toward me with calculated intent, “did you show such
caution around Alexander’s white wolf?”
2:
The question struck like a lash. My scarred wolf curled inward defensively, retreating further from the suffocating weight of his dominance.
