Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and Defiance
Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and Defiance
(Celeste’s POV)
Dark clouds rolled over the treetops like a heavy curtain, casting the edges of the Dark Forest
into an ominous gray. My silver–scarred wolf, battered and trembling, mirrored the storm
brewing above.
Marcus was dead.
I replayed the moment in my head: Jack’s silver dagger slicing through his heart. The prince’s
violet eyes widening in disbelief as his royal blood spilled like tar onto the forest floor.
His final words—“I’m sorry“—still clawed at my mind, though I wasn’t sure what they were
meant for. His cruelty? His lies? Or was it his failure to control me as his mate, leaving me
exposed to an uncertain future?
Now, the realization hit me harder than Jack’s blade had struck Marcus. His death unravelled
every plan I had.
The hope of escaping the Winter Pack’s schemes, using the royal mate claim as my shield,
was gone.
Without Marcus, I was once again a pawn on their board. My fate, my dignity, tied to the
whims of my former family.
The thought made my stomach churn.
What happens now? Would they force me into another political mating arrangement? Would
they cast me aside to protect Scarlett’s position, just as they’d done before?
Every scenario felt crueler than the last.
The wind howled through the trees, swaying them dangerously. The first drops of rain pelted
my face like cold needles.
My wolf whimpered softly, but I clenched my fists. I couldn’t waver. I wouldn’t crumble.
Yet despair crept in. My legs felt like lead, refusing to carry me any closer to the Winter Pack’s
territory. My breath quickened, chest tightening under the unbearable weight of it all.
They would find someone else–another cruel, powerful mate who would break me. Someone
like Marcus. Or worse.
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Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and…
An involuntary shudder wracked my body. The icy rain soaked through my clothes, chilling me
to the bone.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, low and menacing, the sound matching the anguish twisting
inside me.
More raindrops fell, each one heavier than the last. The scattered drops quickly became a torrential downpour.
The rain blurred my vision and plastered my hair to my face. But I didn’t care.
I tilted my head back toward the stormy sky.
The suffocating chokehold of my circumstances finally broke. A scream tore from my throat,
wild and uninhibited.
“Why are you doing this to me?! WHY?!”
My voice was hoarse, the emotion raw. I screamed into the storm like it could somehow answer me or stop this unrelenting cycle of torment.
“You’re playing with me!” I shouted, my voice cracking. My eyes burned, though I refused to
cry. “Admit it, you just can’t stand to see me escape!”
Lightning flashed overhead, casting shattered light across the thunderous heavens. The loud
c***k filled the air, making the trees tremble.
The sky offered no answer, only mocking silence.
“First Scarlett comes back,” I continued, my voice ragged. “Then Marcus torments me. Then
this?!”
Rain coursed down my face, its icy chill sharp against my heated skin. It slid past my lips,
mingling with the bitterness of the words spilling out.
“Isn’t it enough?” I demanded. My shoulders sagged under the weight of the question.
Thunder roared again, louder this time, as though my defiance was provoking it.
Unexpectedly, a bitter laugh bubbled up from my throat. It started softly at first, barely audible
over the downpour.
But it grew. My laugh turned sharper, more frenzied, spiraling out of control.
The absurdity of it all hit me at once. The endless games fate played with me… I couldn’t
make sense of it.
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Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and…
“You think-” I choked, laughter blending with anger choking every word. “You THINK I’ll give up?! Try harder!”
I threw my arms up at the storm, tears I refused to claim mixing with the rain streaming down my face.
“I WON’T SUBMIT TO YOU!” I screamed, louder this time, the declaration raw with anguish and
rage.
Lightning tore the darkness apart overhead. The white–hot flash illuminated the soaking
forest, exposing every leaf and branch for a fleeting moment.
“I won’t lose,” I growled, anger burning away the fear creeping within me. My wolf stirred
weakly, her spirit as battered as mine, yet still refusing to collapse.
My legs trembled beneath me, barely holding me upright. “Do you hear me? I WON’T BREAK!”
As if in response, thunder cracked violently, shaking the very ground beneath me. My vision
blurred momentarily. The storm’s fury felt like it was answering my declaration.
I let it. The storm could rage all it wanted to.
My wolf bristled, every muscle straining against exhaustion. If the heavens wanted to drown
me in this torrent, they’d have to try harder.
Seconds later, a wave of warmth shattered through the icy rain.
A powerful wolf aura enveloped me, cutting through the raging storm like a lifeline.
My starving senses locked onto the unmistakable scent of pine and frost.
It overwhelmed everything else–the rain, the wind, the thunder. That familiar scent penetrated
straight into my core.
Alexander.
Before I could react, strong arms wrapped around my trembling body, anchoring me in place.
I froze. My wolf stirred immediately, instincts triggered by the deep bond engraved into our
shared memories.
For just a fleeting moment, I was back in the past.
Back before Scarlett returned and ripped my world apart. Before Alexander had abandoned
me, leaving me to fend for myself.
For a second, a cruel second, I felt what could have been.
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Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and…
But then reality came crashing back–and with it, pain sharp as a blade.
Alexander tightened his grip, his warrior cloak shielding me from the rain. His wolf’s aura pulsed, resonating with unspoken emotions.
I hated how my wolf responded to his presence despite myself.
It was ridiculous. After everything, why did my instinct still recognize him?
Another crash of thunder illuminated his face.
His ice–blue eyes locked onto mine, swimming with concern that almost looked… genuine.
I had to laugh at the irony.
Where was this care when I’d been dragged off to Moon Shadow Prison? Where was it when
the Winter Pack turned their backs on me?
“Alexander,” I whispered, my voice barely above the storm’s roar.
Lightning illuminated his expression, concern etched into every line of his face.
“Marcus is dead.”
The words fell heavily between us, like a stone thrown into a deep lake.
I watched for his reaction, desperate for any sign of guilt or satisfaction. But Alexander’s
expression remained unreadable, his calm an infuriating mask.
The longer I stared, the more my anger deepened.
“You must be pleased,” I spat, my tone cold and biting.
His brow furrowed slightly, his wolf reacting to the sting of my words.
“Oh, don’t look at me like that,” I continued, my voice dripping with venom. “Your lie about the
Northern territory’s healing grounds worked perfectly.”
My smile widened, sharp like a blade. “Marcus is gone. The mate claim is gone. Mission
accomplished, right?”
Alexander flinched, but it was subtle. Almost imperceptible.
“Are
you satisfied now?” I pressed, taking no mercy on my rising fury.
The storm grew even wilder, the thunder and lightning painting our confrontation in eerily
dramatic flashes.
Alexander opened his mouth, as if to speak, but then closed it again.
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Chapter 166: Storm of Grief and…
In some part of me, I wanted him to say something–anything–that could make sense of what
he’d done.
But I knew better.
I pushed against his chest, freeing myself from his grasp. His startled expression briefly flickered across his handsome features before he released me.
I met his gaze one last time, fire burning in my stare.
“I won’t give up,” I promised him, my voice sharp as steel cutting across the storm.
“You want to see me break? To see me suffer? To see me die?”
Lightning crackled overhead once more, bathing my face in harsh light.
“Keep dreaming,” I hissed, my tone colder than the rain. “Even if I die, I’ll drag all of you down
with me!”
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