Chapter 142: A Brother’s Poison
Chapter 142: A Brother’s Poison
(Celeste’s POV)
Lucas’s golden eyes burned with a fury even his Alpha–class wolf couldn’t contain, hist massive form tense and looming. The air in my quarters thickened, pulling tight with hostility.
He stalked toward me, each step carrying barely restrained violence.
“You think you’re so clever, don’t you?” His voice was a low growl, each syllable drenched in accusation. “Using Marcus’s mate claim to climb the pack hierarchy?”
I stood my ground, though my wolf bristled offensively beneath the surface. “If anyone’s climbing the pack hierarchy, it isn’t me,” I said evenly, my gaze unwavering.
That truth stoked Lucas’s temper further. “Don’t act innocent, Celeste!” he spat, his voice
tearing through the room. “Your schemes are obvious. Even knowing Marcus’s cruelty, even
knowing what he does in the Dark Forest, you wouldn’t give up such an advantageous claim!”
I felt a flicker of pain at his words, but I refused to let it show. My gaze sharpened instead,
cutting through the air between us like a blade.
“You think this was my choice?” I lashed back, taking a deliberate step forward. I let the steel in my tone intensify. “Your mother orchestrated this, Lucas. Victoria set me up for this death
sentence, not me!”
My words landed like a slap, making Lucas flinch imperceptibly. But then, something inside him twisted. His wolf surged in anger, the power in his blood snapping as his fangs elongated
slightly.
In an instant, he was in front of me, his hand shooting out with Alpha–enhanced speed. His
grip locked tightly around my throat, hoisting me off the floor like I weighed nothing.
I choked, gasping for a breath that wouldn’t come. Pain radiated from his brutal grip, the pressure threatening to crush my windpipe.
“I should silence you permanently,” he snarled, his face inches from mine. His golden eyes
burned with unrestrained hatred. His wolf was at the surface now, claws dangerously
extended.
Pain clawed at my wolf, but I forced a bitter smile to creep across my lips. Even as the edges
my
vision darkened, I refused to let fear show.
of
1/4
+@ Poins
Chapter 142: A Brother’s Poison
“Do it then,” I said hoarsely, forcing the words past his constriction. My voice wavered, but the defiance in it was unmistakable. “Kill me, Lucas.”
Shock momentarily flickered across his features, and his wolf growled low in warning. But I pressed on.
“If you harm a royal mate–claim,” I choked out, my voice dripping with venom, “the entire Winter Pack will perish. The Alpha King will ensure it.”
The faintest hesitation glimmered in his eyes, his grip momentarily faltering.
“You kill me,” I rasped through the faint c***k in his cruelty, “and you bring down everything your family has built. The price of my blood isn’t worth whatever petty satisfaction you’re
chasing.”
For a moment, I thought my words might break through. His grip should’ve loosened. But his
hand only tightened further, his claws pricking the sensitive flesh of my neck.
His wolf responded to my defiance with more aggression. Each word seemed to fuel his rage. saw it–Lucas wasn’t thinking clearly anymore.
The sound of something breaking came from behind him. It was Scarlett’s hushed gasp, her
usually theatrical tears conspicuously absent. Her wolf radiated unease as it pressed closer
to the ground, unsure if it could interrupt her brother’s feral state.
“Enough talk,” Lucas growled, his words guttural and coated in hatred. He released me
suddenly, my knees hitting the floor as I welcomed the rush of air into my lungs.
But my relief was short–lived. The unmistakable sound of a cork being pulled reached my
ears. My gaze shot up, catching Lucas as he pulled a vial from his pocket.
The faint glow of the moon–blessed wine should’ve been comforting. But my enhanced senses
immediately detected an unmistakable undercurrent–a poisonous, bitter tang.
Wolfsbane.
“No-” I tried to avoid his next move, but he was too fast. His hand shot out with inhuman speed, clawing my jaw open and forcing my mouth wide.
The vial tipped, the liquid pouring in a steady stream toward my throat. My wolf surged in panic, and every survival instinct in my body screamed louder than centuries of pack law.
I snapped my lips shut, sealing them as tightly as I could, refusing to let the poisoned liquid enter my body. The pale violet wine spilled recklessly down my chin, seeping into my clothing
and spreading its bitter scent.
2/4
Chapter 142: A Brother’s Poison
Lucas snarled, his Beta strength pressing in on me from every direction. My silver–scarred wolf
pushed back, but its strength was almost laughable in comparison. Its energy, dulled from
years of torture, couldn’t bridge the gap.
“Stop resisting, Celeste!” Lucas roared, his grip on my jaw intensifying. Pain shot up as his
claws threatened to pierce skin.
I tried to call for help, already knowing who I wanted–Nina. Her name started to form in my
throat, but Lucas’s crushing hand smothered my voice.
A new sound joined the chaos–a door opening. Relief surged through me.
“Nina!” I tried to scream. But when I looked up, it wasn’t my loyal warrior. Grace slipped inside
instead.
Her cool brown eyes swept over the battlefield before her. Her lips curved upward slightly as
her wolf assessed the situation.
Victory.
Whatever plan they’d concocted together was falling firmly into place. Grace didn’t waste time. She closed the door silently but firmly, the lock clicking sharply into place behind her.
I thrashed harder, renewed adrenaline coursing through me like liquid fire. My claws swiped aimlessly at Lucas’s chest, but his command–bound strength wouldn’t break.
“Grace,” Lucas barked, not even sparing her a look. “Hold her legs.”
Grace nodded. Without hesitation, she shoved my lower body against the ground, pinning my legs despite my ferocious struggle.
Her wolf, unfazed by the brutality unfolding in front of us, seemed to almost enjoy the chaos.
Lucas shifted his grip again, unrelenting as he tried once more to force me to swallow the
wolfsbane–laced wine.
“You can make this easy, or you can keep fighting,” Lucas hissed lowly, his words slicing. “But
this ends tonight, Celeste.”
He was wrong. Even if I fell, I wouldn’t make this easy for them. Not for Lucas. Not for Grace.
“Scarlett!” Lucas snarled, his voice sharp and commanding now. “Get over here! Pour the
wine!”
All eyes turned to Scarlett as she froze. For once, her dramatic whimpering was absent. Her emerald eyes flickered with hesitation as they darted between Lucas’s fury, Grace’s
3/4
+8 Points
Chapter 142: A Brother’s Poison
indifference, and my pure hatred.
“Think about what will happen if she becomes Marcus’s mate, Scarlett,” Lucas said, twisting the knife further. His wolf burned with predatory hunger. “With royal protection, neither you nor Grace will survive her wrath.”
Scarlett’s wolf stirred anxiously. Her facade of innocence cracked slightly, and I saw it–the flicker of desperation in her gaze.
She moved forward hesitantly, the poisonous vial shaking in her trembling hands. Her beautiful face twisted with mock–apology.
“Sister…” she whispered, her voice small and shaky. Tears began welling in perfect sync, her practiced performance once again finding center stage.
Soft excuses followed. “I’m so sorry for this. But I have no choice.”
The apology was poisoned, mixing with the bitterness of wolfsbane still spilled across the
floor.
Her hand reached for my neck. Despite everything, my wolf found one last burst of strength
and surged against Lucas’s hold.
But Grace’s knee dug sharply into my leg, and the sharp pain immobilized me for precious seconds. Lucas’s claws dug into
my wrists.
Scarlett, tears streaming freely, lifted the vial.
The liquid coursed down my throat, leaving a bitter burning that even my wolf couldn’t push
through.
10
