Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Return
Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Return
(Celeste’s POV)
The Winter Pack house loomed ahead, a vision of grandeur that once made me feel proud. Now, it stood like an iron cage mocking me with memories of better days.
Rainwater dripped steadily from my clothes, pooling around my boots as I neared the massive wooden doors. My body ached with exhaustion, every step toward that house feeling heavier
than the last.
The scent of the territory was suffused with familiarity. But it no longer brought comfort. All I
could smell was manipulation, deceit, and the lingering stench of betrayal.
The guards at the entrance stiffened as I approached, their gazes darting uneasily to the mud
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and blood staining my clothing. I could feel their unease–an outcast stepping back into the
pack’s sanctum with no mate claim to shield her.
Their hesitation infuriated me, but I said nothing. I merely glared at them, my violet eyes
glowing faintly in the dim morning light. That was enough to make them scramble to open the
doors, their heads bowing low.
Inside, the air was stifling, suffused with the subtle tension of wolves who knew too much and
yet too little.
The heavy thud of my boots against the wooden floor echoed through the hall. It was almost
deafening in the immediate silence that fell as I stepped in.
Before I took another step, a flash of auburn hair appeared in the corner of my vision. A
familiar figure rushed toward me, her hands outstretched like the embrace of a desperate
parent.
“Celeste!” Victoria’s voice broke through the silence, choked with emotion. Her green eyes
were wide, brimming with unshed tears. “Celeste, thank the Moon you’re safe!”
She was crying–actually crying. Her auburn hair fell in perfect waves, her features soft with
maternal concern.
For a second, my battered wolf stirred at the sight. The scent of her wolf, rich with a mother’s instinct, triggered a flicker of something deep in my chest.
But it extinguished the moment her shadow fell over me.
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Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Retu…..
I stepped aside at the last moment, letting her hands close around thin air. Her anguished expression froze, pain crumpling the carefully composed features of the Winter Pack Luna.
Pain or performance? I wasn’t sure anymore.
“Celeste…” she whispered, disbelief cracking her voice as her arms dropped limply to her sides. “Please, talk to me. Where have you been? Why didn’t you-”
I cut her off by walking past her without a word. Her voice faltered but continued, her desperation trailing behind me as I moved deeper into the house.
Each step I took echoed like thunder in the silence. The servants and lower–ranked wolves
bowed their heads as I passed. This was not respect; it was avoidance, fear of becoming
involved in whatever storm hovered over me.
Victoria pursued me, her voice growing louder and more strained. “Celeste, please don’t shut
me out again! I was so worried-”
Her words cut off abruptly as a new voice sliced through the air.
“How dare you ignore Mother like that!”
That shrill, venomous voice was distinct. Scarlett.
My steps slowed but didn’t stop. Turning to acknowledge her venom would be an unnecessary
delay.
Behind me, the rapid clacking of footsteps indicated her approach. She was wearing heels–of
course. Even in a moment like this, she dressed as though the entire pack was her stage.
“Celeste, I’m talking to you!” Scarlett’s tone sharpened with indignation when I ignored her.
At the foot of the stairs, a larger, more imposing figure stepped forward to block my path.
Lucas.
His broad shoulders were squared, his eyes blazing with the golden hue that indicated his
wolf’s dominance was flaring. Fury radiated off him in waves.
“Enough,” he commanded, his voice laced with the authority of an Alpha–to–be. “You owe us an explanation, Celeste.”
I stopped walking and tilted my head just enough to catch his eyes. The rage in him was
poorly disguised, his temper as transparent as ever.
“Explanation?” I echoed, my tone flat. My exhaustion seeped into every word. “Explanation for
what, exactly?”
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Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Retu…
His fingers twitched, claws partially emerging as his wolf bristled further. “First, you try to
drown Scarlett in the sacred moon pool,” he growled. “Now, you treat Mother like she means nothing to you? What the hell is wrong with you?”
I almost laughed at the absurdity of his words. Almost.
“Shouldn’t you be celebrating?” I asked, my voice laced with cold amusement. “After all,
Marcus is dead. Isn’t that what you wanted, Lucas?”
His eyes widened, his wolf recoiling slightly despite himself. The color drained from Victoria’s
face, her wolf keening in distress as she finally caught up to us.
“What… what does that mean?” she asked shakily, her voice splintered with confusion.
Lucas recovered quickly. His stance stiffened as he tried to mask the flicker of unease that
had passed across his face.
“What are you implying?” he demanded, his words clipped and defensive. His blazing gaze
bore into mine, daring me to explain further.
Scarlett stepped forward between us, her usual theatrics on full display.
“Celeste,” she said softly, as though her voice wasn’t dripping with manipulation. “Accusations
like this could bring the Alpha King’s wrath down on all of us. Including you.”
The way she said “you” grated against my already frayed nerves.
I couldn’t hold back the dry, bitter laugh that escaped me. My wolf stirred, her violent energy
barely contained as I tilted my head toward Scarlett.
“Thank you, sister,” I said mockingly. “That’s a very astute observation. But don’t you worry-
I’m more than ready to drag every one of you down with me if it comes to that.”
The sharpness of my words hit their mark. Scarlett flinched slightly, though she quickly masked it. Her wolf whimpered faintly, betraying her unease.
I turned my attention back to Lucas.
“And you,” I continued coldly, “I’m sure the Alpha King would love to hear about how rogues
intercepted Marcus so perfectly. How did that happen, Lucas? Care to explain?”
Lucas’s wolf bristled, his golden glow flickering with tension.
“You don’t know what you’re saying,” he snapped, his voice filled with barely restrained panic. “I had nothing to do with-”
“Didn’t you?” I cut him off, my voice dangerously low. “You’re good at scheming from the
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Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Retu…
shadows, Lucas. You’ve had years of practice avoiding suspicion. Shall I remind everyone
about the wolfsbane in my wine while we’re at it?”
His breath hitched ever so slightly, just enough for me to catch.
I smirked as I stepped closer, lowering my voice so only he could hear.
“Push me, Lucas,” I warned, every word slow and deliberate. “Give me a reason to pull the
whole Winter Pack into ruin. I dare you.”
The tension in the room was chokingly thick. Lucas’s wolf crackled with barely restrained energy, his fear mingling with his anger as he struggled to respond.
Scarlett’s voice broke the heavy silence, shaky and uncertain for the first time. “Celeste,
enough,” she pleaded. “This isn’t helping anyone. Please, just-”
I walked past her without a glance, my icy calm cutting through her pitiful attempt to seize
control of the situation.
Victoria looked torn, her lips trembling as if she wanted to reprimand me yet lacked the
strength to do so.
None of them followed me as I ascended the stairs.
When I reached my quarters, the welcome scent of herbs greeted me. Nina was waiting with
towels and a steaming bath, her silver–gray eyes filled with quiet concern.
“Miss,” she said softly, helping me out of my muddied clothing. “You’re trembling.”
Was I?
The warmth of the water enveloped my battered body, soothing some of the aches but none of
the dread.
Nina hesitated, standing by my side as though she wanted to speak. Finally, she gathered the courage to ask what was weighing on her mind.
“What now?” she whispered. Her hands trembled as she placed a fresh towel nearby. “Without
Marcus… what will happen?”
I closed my eyes, leaning my head against the edge of the tub. “We’ll handle it,” I murmured,
my voice hollow. “One way or another.”
The fragile peace broke as a sharp knock came at the door.
A beta messenger stepped in, his face pale as he handed me a scroll sealed with the royal
crest.
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Chapter 168: A Wolf’s Bitter Retu…
Breaking the seal, I unfolded the scroll carefully. My hands stilled, my wolf going eerily quiet
as my eyes scanned the words.
Just two.
“Sacred Immolation.”
Nina gasped audibly. Her face turned ashen, and she staggered back as though physically
struck.
“That’s… Regina,” she choked, her breathing uneven. “She’s invoked…”
I nodded grimly, my wolf curling inward.
Regina had invoked an ancient law, one long considered barbaric–demanding that an
unclaimed mate follow their deceased partner into the grave.
Buried alive alongside Marcus.
The practice had been banned centuries ago, but as the Alpha King’s sister, Regina had the authority to bring it back.
This was her vengeance.
A slow, bitter realization settled over me as I stared at the scroll. Regina had no intention of letting me escape unscathed. If I wasn’t going to kneel as her son’s mate, I would kneel in
death instead.
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