Chapter 120: Calculated Mercy
Chapter 120: Calculated Mercy
(Celeste’s POV)
The pack stood frozen, their eyes flitting nervously between Scarlett and me.
She lay crumpled on the floor, blood trickling down her forehead, her emerald eyes shimmering with perfectly dramatic tears. Her cries echoed in the silent temple, her wails trembling in the heavy air like the final notes of a tragic lullaby.
“Sister!” Scarlett choked the word out as if she could barely breathe. “Have mercy on Grace!
She only ever wanted to protect me. Please, don’t punish her because of me. I… I’ll take her
place! Punish me instead… if you must…”
Her fists slammed weakly against the polished moonstone floor. Dull thuds mixed with her
desperate sobs as blood smeared across the sacred surface with every movement.
Her theatrics annoyed me, but the crowd watched with wide eyes and unsure postures. They
were falling for it, their wolf instincts responding to her cries and blood with misplaced pity.
Lucas was the first to move. He rushed to Scarlett’s side, his golden eyes burning with fury as
he knelt to gather her trembling form into his arms.
“Scarlett, stop this. You’re hurting yourself,” Lucas murmured urgently. His frustration was
evident, but his voice softened for her, concern clouding his tone.
Scarlett’s small frame curled into him, her fingers clutching his shirt desperately. “Brother…
please… make her stop,” she whispered faintly, her emerald eyes flicking toward me like I was
the cruel monster who drove her to this.
Victoria rushed to them next, her green eyes shimmering with tears that mirrored Scarlett’s
perfectly. She knelt beside Lucas, her hands fluttering like she didn’t know where to start
helping her precious daughter.
“Enough,” I called out coldly, my voice breaking through Scarlett’s sobs with sharp finality.
Victoria froze, and the gathered pack wolves seemed to hold their breaths. Even Lucas paused, his golden eyes lifting to meet mine. They were filled with anger, but behind that, I caught the faint glimmer of guilt. It was always there, hiding beneath the surface whenever we
faced each other. His wolf still remembered, even when he tried to distance himself.
But I didn’t care about Lucas’s guilt or Scarlett’s theatrics. My body screamed in protest as
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raw pain from Marcus’s torture surged with every step I took. Still, I forced myself forward, stopping just a foot away from them.
“Stop this performance,” I said calmly, sparing Scarlett only a brief glance. “Pretending to be the victim won’t change what happened.”
Scarlett whimpered pitifully, burying her face in Lucas’s chest like a wounded lamb. “Please…
Sister… don’t…”
I crouched slightly, leveling my gaze with Scarlett’s trembling one. My violet eyes pierced into
hers, unrelenting as I whispered softly, “You’ll burn through every sliver of pity the pack has for
you at this rate, Scarlett. Stand up before it’s too late.”
Her emerald eyes widened slightly, her wolf recoiling at the sharp truth buried in my words.
She was losing control of the narrative. I saw the fear dart across her gaze before she could
bury it beneath another whimper.
“Let me help you rise,” I offered, my tone deceptively warm as I extended my hand to her.
The crowd murmured softly, unsure of what was happening now. Victoria and Lucas
exchanged glances, their wolves momentarily confused.
Scarlett’s trembling fingers clasped mine, her grip weak but deliberate. “Thank you, Sister,” she
whispered shakily, her tears glistening as she allowed me to help her up. “I knew you still
cared. I knew…”
Her words trailed, but her act continued seamlessly. Once upright, she leaned heavily against Lucas, her wolf radiating relieved submission.
“Sister… thank you,” Scarlett repeated, her emerald eyes shimmering with gratitude as she clung to Lucas protectively.
I didn’t respond. Instead, I turned to the gathered pack, who were still watching with uneasy gazes. Then, with calculated precision, I posed the question that had been heavy on my
tongue since the judgment had skewered my guard.
“Considering my injuries at Grace’s hands,” I began, my voice calm but icy, “what punishment
seems fair?”
The murmurs among the pack stopped immediately. All eyes seemed drawn to me now.
“Nina faces thirty silver–laced lashes for merely defending me,” I continued, my tone sharper
now, “Grace, on the other hand, aggravated fresh wounds from Marcus’s care. Should her punishment not be equal–or perhaps even greater?”
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To emphasize my point, I shifted slightly. The bandages wrapped around my arms and back
bled through again, staining the fabric red as the metallic scent filled the sacred air.
Scarlett flinched, visibly distressed. Her emerald eyes darted between the blood seeping from
my fresh wounds and the waiting warriors. Others in the pack recoiled slightly, their wolves
uneasy at the fresh scent of my suffering.
“But please,” Scarlett pleaded urgently, gripping Lucas tightly as she spoke. “Spare Grace’s life.
I’ll do anything! Don’t take her away from me!”
Lucas glared at me, his wolf projecting aggression. “Celeste,” he growled lowly, his tone laced
with warning.
I ignored him. Instead, I offered Scarlett a small, calculated smile. “Of course, I’ll spare her,”
said lightly.
Relief rippled through the temple like a gentle wave. The tension faded slightly, and a few watching wolves even exchanged faint looks of gratitude.
But they didn’t understand. Not yet.
“Grace will receive thirty silver–laced lashes now,” I continued, watching Scarlett’s wolf stiffen
immediately, “but she must also report to my quarters whenever I wish to discipline her
further.”
The crowd gasped softly, their unease returning tenfold.
Scarlett froze, her gaze snapping to mine in raw panic. “You can’t-!”
“I can,” I interrupted smoothly. Though my tone remained calm, my words were final.
The warriors around Grace moved instantly, stepping forward to take her into custody for the
punishment. Her terrified whimpers filled the air, but her wolf submitted completely.
“No! Don’t take her!” Scarlett cried out desperately, trying to lunge forward to stop them.
Victoria, however, stepped in again. Her hands grasped Scarlett’s shoulders firmly, holding her daughter back with quiet insistence.
“This resolution ensures harmony,” Victoria said softly, her wolf’s aura wrapping Scarlett’s
protectively. “You must accept this, Scarlett. For the good of the pack.”
Scarlett’s wolf whined pitifully, but Victoria didn’t yield. She kept the younger woman in place
as Grace was led away, trembling and defeated.
*For good harmony,” Victoria emphasized again, as though saying it enough times would
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make Scarlett’s acceptance feel genuine.
Alpha James stepped toward me then, his dominant presence filling the space like an
oppressive weight. His wolf subtly bristled, its silent rebuke clear as he addressed both of us.
“Both of you share some fault,” Alpha James declared firmly, his golden–brown eyes steady.”
Scarlett provoked her injured sister, and you, Celeste, escalated the situation unnecessarily.”
His tone was authoritative, showing no favoritism–though his wolf’s judgment of Scarlett,
while present, felt faint.
“Peace must be maintained between you,” he continued. “Especially with Celeste’s impending
mate marking ceremony with Marcus.”
The mention of Marcus shifted the energy in the room entirely. The tension from moments ago dissipated into something else–anticipation. Relief flickered across Victoria’s face, and
for a moment, she almost looked at ease.
“Ah,” Victoria said softly, her tone carefully even. “This is… good.”
She approached me, her desperation well–masked now under the guise of motherly concern.
You plan to move forward with the mate–claim ceremony, don’t you, Little Moon?”
Scarlett stilled completely at Victoria’s words, shrinking into Lucas’s arms.
“Yes,” I replied simply, offering no further explanation.
Victoria exhaled heavily, her wolf’s energy briefly softening with visible relief. “Then all will be
well,” she murmured more to herself than anyone else.
She didn’t linger. Instead, she immediately turned her attention back to Scarlett. “Let’s get you
treated, my precious girl,” she cooed, guiding her daughter gently away from the altar.
“1
Scarlett followed reluctantly, her emerald eyes flicking back toward me. Her wolf radiated pure
unease now, aware of the price I’d placed on her guard.
Lucas’s golden eyes burned with hatred as he stood protectively between Scarlett and me. “I hope you’re satisfied,” he growled, his voice low with barely contained emotion.
I tilted my head slightly, giving him a faint smile as he stormed past me without waiting for a
response.
The pack wolves followed closely behind, their murmurs lingering softly in the air.
But not everyone left.
I felt Alexander’s presence before I saw him. His distinctive pine–frost scent cut through the
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Chapter 120: Calculated Mercy
heavy air easily.
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