Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
(Celeste’s POV)
The walk back to my quarters felt slow and oppressive, as if the weight of Regina’s desperate pleas hung heavy on my shoulders.
Every step echoed in the silent corridor, the sound unnervingly clear. My own thoughts were
just as loud, repeating the words spoken in that chamber like a malicious mantra: traded for
Marcus.
How had my life come to this?
The familiar path to the Winter Pack house now felt more like a march to the gallows. Each
step forward seemed to drag me closer to an inevitable doom.
The moment I reached my door, it burst open before I could touch it.
Nina rushed through, her energy filling the room like a gust of wind. Her silver–gray wolf’s
agitation was palpable, radiating off her in waves.
“Miss Celeste!” she exclaimed, her voice carrying excitement that felt out of place against the
storm inside me.
She stopped short when she saw me, her sharp gray eyes immediately narrowing with
concern.
“Grace has been secured in the pack’s detention quarters,” she continued in a more subdued
tone. “I’ve stationed our most trusted guards there. If Scarlett tries to visit, someone will alert
me immediately.”
Nina’s wolf stood tall and resolute. She relished in her competency, always ready to protect
me from any challenge Scarlett might pose. But I barely reacted to her words.
Instead, I brushed past her.
“Miss Celeste…” Her voice followed me nervously, laced with hesitation.
I dropped onto a chair in the room, the weight of everything crashing down on me like a tidal
wave.
Nina hovered, her restlessness clear. I saw her pacing out of the corner of my eye, her
movements sharp with unease.
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Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
“What happened? Did Regina do something?” she asked cautiously, her voice reluctant but
probing.
I shook my head, staring at the floor. My hands, resting on my lap, curled involuntarily into fists. It wasn’t a physical blow I was reeling from this time, but the weight of an impossible
situation.
Nina moved closer, lowering her voice. “Miss Celeste… Did she hurt you?”
“No.” The lie spilled out before I could resist.
She didn’t strike me again, no. But the humiliation of kneeling before her, the indignity of her
tears soaking my hands as she begged–it cut deeper than any physical blow.
“Talk to me,” Nina pressed, her voice gentle now.
Her wolf whimpered softly, sensing the storm raging just below my rigid composure. But I kept
my mouth shut.
How could I even explain the absurdity of my predicament?
The rogues had demanded me. Me, specifically. Not Lucas or another influential wolf. Not
even an offering of artifacts or territory.
My head fell back against the chair, and I let out a shaky exhale.
“They want me,” I said finally, breaking the silence that had stretched between us.
Nina froze. Her sharp inhale sliced through the room as she processed the full weight of my
words.
“What?” she whispered, her voice thick with disbelief.
Her pacing resumed, faster now, as her wolf bristled visibly. She muttered under her breath,
phrases I couldn’t catch as anger began to replace her confusion.
“They demanded you?” she repeated, this time louder. Her steps came to an abrupt stop, and
for a moment, she simply stared at me.
“It doesn’t make sense!” she exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. “Why you? What
could they possibly gain? There are other wolves–lower–ranked ones–who could-”
Her words faltered as she caught herself, glancing at me with an apologetic expression.
I gave her a bitter smile, cutting off her train of thought. “It’s fine, Nina. You won’t offend me by stating the obvious.”
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Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
She hesitated, then dropped into a crouch just in front of me, meeting my gaze directly.
Her wolf stirred, protective and fierce. “There has to be another reason,” she muttered, almost to herself. “Someone orchestrated this. This can’t just be coincidence.”
I sighed, leaning forward, my elbows resting on my knees. “Maybe,” I admitted. “The timing, the specific demand… nothing about this feels accidental.”
My scarred wrist caught the light briefly, and I clenched my fists tighter.
“They’ve stayed in hiding for years,” I continued, my voice nearly a whisper. “They’re not stupid. They wouldn’t want this attention unless…”
Nina’s sharp features hardened into a scowl. “Unless they had something to gain. Something
specific to you.”
Her deduction matched the growing suspicion gnawing at me. But no answers came, only
more questions.
The knock on the door came moments later, cutting through the tension in the room.
Nina shot to her feet, her wolf bracing for whatever was coming. “Stay here,” she whispered, marching to the door.
When she opened it, I saw the silver uniforms instantly.
Royal guards.
And at the center of it all stood Lucas and Alexander, their presences dominating the space
like twin storms.
Nina’s shoulders stiffened, her wolf snarling faintly. “What do you want?” she demanded
without preamble, her usual politeness absent.
Lucas’s golden gaze swept past her, settling on me. “We need to speak with Celeste.”
His tone was flat, impersonal, which only made my wolf bristle more.
“Then you can do so outside,” Nina snapped, barring the doorway with her body.
“It’s fine, Nina.” My voice was steady as I stood and approached.
She hesitated, glancing at me as if reconsidering letting them in. But I gave her a small nod of
reassurance and stepped through the door myself, closing it softly behind me.
“What now?” I asked, crossing my arms as I addressed Lucas.
He didn’t flinch under my glare, instead stepping closer, his expression serious.
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Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
“The Alpha King was informed of the exchange,” he began. “He sent royal guards to oversee
your safety.”
I snorted, letting my disbelief show plainly on my face.
“My safety?” I repeated mockingly. “Or maybe they’re just here to make sure I don’t run.”
A flicker of discomfort passed across Lucas’s face, though he remained silent. Behind him,
some of the guards exchanged uneasy glances.
“That’s not-” Lucas began to argue, but I cut him off with a bitter laugh.
“Oh, spare me,” I spat. “We all know why they’re really here.”
Lucas’s lips pressed into a thin line, and I could feel his agitation rising.
“So, Lucas,” I continued, stepping closer, my voice dripping with disdain. “Do you think I’ll run?
Or will you drag me there yourself to save Marcus?”
He stiffened, his wolf’s energy flaring briefly before subsiding under my glare.
Before he could respond, my gaze shifted to Alexander.
“And you?” I challenged, taking a step toward him, ignoring the guards‘ wary stares. “Come to be the hero? Or just here for your future brother–in–law?”
At first, Alexander said nothing, his piercing blue eyes locking onto mine.
Then, wordlessly, he drew something from his cloak.
I tensed instinctively, my wolf stirring with unease. But when I saw the metallic glint, my breath caught.
It was the moon–blessed dagger.
It was the same one I had admired countless times during my childhood in the Winter Pack.
Back then, I had begged him to let me keep it.
He’d refused every time.
“You’ll need this,” Alexander said quietly, stepping closer to hold it out.
His tone was almost… tender, though his stoic expression remained unbroken.
For a moment, I could only stare at the blade. Memories of warmer days, of trust now
shattered, clouded my thoughts.
“And you intend to teach me how to use it?” I asked, my voice colder than the air creeping into
the evening.
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Chapter 156: A Wolf’s Exchange
His expression didn’t change, but something in his wolf flickered briefly.
“Yes,” he replied simply. “If you’ll let me teach you.”
The offer was practical, even logical. But standing there, surrounded by the Alpha King’s guards and the two men who had betrayed me most, all I could feel was the bitter tang of
irony.
