Chapter 160: A Wolf’s Cold Revenge
Chapter 160: A Wolf’s Cold Revenge
(Celeste’s POV)
I watched Scarlett struggle in the sacred moon pool, her arms flailing helplessly as water splashed around her. Moonlight reflected on the surface, creating a stark contrast between
the serene pool and Scarlett’s pitiful, drenched form. Her gasps echoed in the stillness, her
perfect image now tarnished by her panic.
“Help me!” Scarlett sputtered, choking as her mouth and nose dipped beneath the surface. Her
voice was shrill, a piercing cry meant to invoke sympathy.
No one moved.
The wolves gathered at the edge of the pool exchanged wary glances. Their instincts urged
them to intervene, yet their bodies remained rooted. They weren’t sure which force was more
dangerous: the water threatening Scarlett’s life or the cold aura emanating from me.
Scarlett’s emerald eyes, glistening with panic, locked onto me. They begged for salvation, but I
simply stared back without emotion.
She had been saved enough times.
Behind me, the rustling of fabric and the sharp intake of breath caught my attention. Victoria’s slender frame trembled as she took a hesitant step toward the pool. Her emerald eyes
mirrored Scarlett’s panic, filled with desperation and maternal anguish.
“Scarlett!” Victoria’s voice cracked as she called out to her daughter. Her wolf surged forward,
whining audibly as if urging her into action.
I felt the invisible pressure of stares from the surrounding pack members. They waited, unsure
whether to intervene themselves or let the Luna take the lead.
Still, I didn’t acknowledge them.
Instead, I took a single step forward. My boots clicked against the moonstone path, the sound magnified in the otherwise silent courtyard.
Looking Victoria directly in the eyes, I tilted my head slightly, my voice slicing through the air
like ice. “The sacred pool may be blessed,” I mused, feigning detached contemplation. “But it’s
still deep enough to drown in.”
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Chapter 160: A Wolf’s Cold Reve…
Victoria’s wolf whimpered audibly at the finality in my voice.
Her composure shattered entirely as she spun around toward the gathered wolves. “Save her!” she screamed, her sharp tone slicing through their hesitation. “Get her out of the water!”
Under normal circumstances, they would have moved instantly at her command. But now, their steps faltered, as if weighed down by the oppressive energy that lingered from my earlier
actions.
Their hesitance was almost amusing.
Eventually, a few of the braver wolves began moving toward the pool’s edge. Gingerly reaching into the water, they did their best to keep their footing steady as Scarlett floundered and clung desperately to their arms.
I turned from the scene, unwilling to waste another moment watching her theatrics. Every cry, every gasp, every trembling whimper she released was carefully calculated to elicit pity.
I was done being manipulated by her fragile act.
As I made my way up the moonstone path toward the pack house, I caught sight of Alpha James standing silently near the entrance. His golden eyes were as intense as ever, burning
with an emotion I couldn’t quite place.
I ignored him.
I had no interest in deciphering whatever thoughts he might be having.
Once inside, I exhaled slowly through my nose, letting the quiet atmosphere of the pack house settle over me. The sound of splashing water and Scarlett’s hoarse cries were muffled now, creating a strange disconnect between the chaos outside and the calm interior.
“Miss Celeste.”
Nina’s voice drew my attention as she approached with her usual brisk efficiency. She carried a steaming cup of moon–blessed tea, the fragrant steam curling upward like a small comfort
amidst the turmoil.
She offered it to me with steady hands, her silver–gray wolf presence humming faintly with
quiet tension.
“Quite the performance out there,” Nina commented cautiously. Her tone was neutral, but her eyes couldn’t hide the glimmer of amusement beneath her concern.
I accepted the tea without a word, taking a deliberate sip. The warmth soothed some of the lingering agitation coiled tightly in my chest–not enough to calm me completely, but enough
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Chapter 160: A Wolf’s Cold Reve…
to keep my wolf from snarling.
Through the faintly muffled walls, muffled coughing could still be heard. Scarlett must have been removed from the pool by now, judging by how frantic Victoria’s commands had been only moments earlier.
“I can help you clean up or-” Nina started, her hands twitching slightly.
“No need.” My voice was quiet but firm, cutting her off before she could finish. “I’m fine.”
Nina hesitated for a moment longer before retreating to a respectful distance. Her thoughtful
expression spoke volumes about how carefully she was choosing her actions tonight.
The heavy sound of footsteps interrupted my thoughts.
Alpha James entered the room like a storm cloud looming over the horizon. He didn’t ask
permission to sit. Instead, he placed himself directly across from me, his golden eyes fixed intently on my face.
I refused to meet his gaze, keeping my attention on the tea in my hands.
“No need for you to stay any longer,” I said coldly, my voice devoid of warmth. “The guards and
Alexander are outside. I’m sure I’m in safe hands.”
Alpha James didn’t respond immediately. Instead, his presence settled heavily into the space
between us, like a predator gauging the best time to strike.
He remained uncharacteristically calm, which only added to my irritation. Usually, he would
have leapt to defend Scarlett, berating anyone who dared harm the precious daughter he had
been so eager to reclaim.
Tonight, he seemed content to watch.
Scarlett’s muffled coughing had tapered off now, no doubt thanks to the pack healers working
tirelessly under Victoria’s frantic direction. The silence made the tension in the room stretch
further, making each second feel longer.
Still, I said nothing.
He had made his sentiments painfully clear earlier, after all. To him, I was nothing more than a pawn–an expendable piece in the grand game of pack politics. His thoughts, his judgments,
had long since lost their ability to hurt me.
Or so I told myself.
Then, softly, so softly I almost missed it, he chuckled.
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Chapter 160: A Wolf’s Cold Reve…
The sound sent an involuntary jolt through my chest.
Alpha James didn’t laugh often. When he did, it was either filled with mocking disdain or a rare genuine warmth reserved for family. But this laugh carried an unexpected familiarity–a subtle echo of moments long since gone.
“Your wolf’s spirit…” he said at last, his voice deceptively light, but layered with
thoughtfulness. “It hasn’t changed at all since you were a pup.”
I froze.
The words were like a ghost from the past, dragging forth memories I had buried beneath
years of pain and disillusionment.
My grip tightened reflexively on the teacup, the warmth seeping into my skin like a distant
anchor.
I knew what he meant. I had heard him say these words countless times before, back when I
was a child. Back when his pride in me had been genuine. Back when I had believed every
word, clinging to them like lifelines.
“Look at her wolf’s spirit!” I could still remember his voice echoing through the pack hall all
those years ago. “That’s pure Winter Pack strength! She’s a true inheritor of our legacy!”
I had believed him then. I had believed I was wanted, loved, and respected as part of this pack.
But that was before Scarlett’s return.
Scarlett, who resembled Victoria in every way that seemed to matter to him. Scarlett, who was
the living embodiment of everything Alpha James revered.
And me?
Despite my fierce spirit, my proven strength, my loyalty forged through unimaginable trials–l
had become nothing but an outsider.
His pride in me had dissolved like morning mist, replaced by cold indifference.
As I stared at the ripples of tea in my cup, the weight of his words pressed heavily against my
chest.
They no longer carried the warmth they once had. Now, they felt hollow. Cruel.
A reminder of everything I had lost.
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