Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
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Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
(Celeste’s POV)
Dawn broke over the Alpha King’s territory, its warm golden light in stark contrast to the storm
that had raged in my heart all night. The grand council chamber loomed ahead, its towering
stone walls carved with the history of countless generations of wolves who had knelt before its power. Today, I was no different.
The massive iron doors opened before me, creaking ominously. My steps echoed across the
polished stone floor as I made my way toward the raised dais. The gathering of wolves in the chamber parted like a sea, their silence oppressive. All eyes were on me.
And on the throne sat the Alpha King, his violet eyes blazing with an intensity that made my
stomach churn. He was perched on the edge of his grand chair, his fingers gripping the armrests tightly. Despite his carefully controlled posture, I could feel the storm of his emotions–grief, anger, disbelief–coiled tightly under his regal facade.
He radiated immense power. My silver–scarred wolf instinctively cowered, urging me to bare my throat in submission. I resisted the urge and forced myself to focus. This was my only
chance to survive, and failure was not an option.
I dropped to one knee, bowing my head low. The weight of my damp, disheveled clothes felt like chains pulling me deeper into the stone floor. My heart was pounding so loudly that I
wondered if the wolves in the room could hear it.
“Your Majesty,” I greeted, my voice steady despite the rising tide of dread within me.
The room was silent. No one dared to whisper, to shift uncomfortably, or even to breathe too loudly. The tension was palpable, pressing down on the gathered council members like a
crushing weight.
The Alpha King’s voice, calm yet dangerously sharp, sliced through the stillness. “Explain yourself, Celeste Winters.”
I swallowed hard, keeping my head bowed. My mind raced, sifting through the carefully prepared lie I had practiced during my journey back. This was no time for hesitation. One wrong word and my fate would be sealed alongside Marcus’s.
“Your Majesty,” I began slowly, deliberately keeping my tone somber, “I found your nephew… Marcus Blackwood… held captive by rogue wolves deep within Northern Territory.”
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Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
There was a sharp intake of breath from one of the council members. I could feel the weight.
of their stares burrowing into my back, their judgment as suffocating as the air in my lungs.
The Alpha King didn’t react. His piercing gaze remained locked on me, burning with an
intensity that made my skin prickle. “Continue,” he commanded, his tone cold and unforgiving.
I nodded and pressed my hands to the cold ground for stability. “He was already gravely
injured when I reached him,” I said, my voice trembling just enough to sound convincing. “They… they had been torturing him.”
Gasps rippled through the chamber. The wolves around me shifted uncomfortably, their claws scraping lightly against the floor. Marcus was a royal wolf, the Alpha King’s beloved nephew. The thought of anyone torturing him was unthinkable, a direct assault on the royal bloodline.
The Alpha King’s fingers tightened on his armrests. “Go on.”
“The rogues,” I continued, injecting a note of controlled panic into my voice, “were too many to
fight against. When they turned their aggression towards me…” I hesitated, letting my voice
falter. “Marcus shielded me with his body.”
The murmurs intensified, disbelief shining in the eyes of the royal court. Marcus shielding
me? Protecting me, a disgraced outcast, at the cost of his own life? The very idea was
scandalous. But that was exactly why it worked.
“Jack Thompson, the royal guard who accompanied me,” I added quickly, aware that the Alpha
King would still need answers about the missing escort, “managed to kill five rogues before
the rest fled into the forest. He pursued them… but… but he hasn’t returned.”
I left the rest unsaid. Jack’s fate would remain ambiguous, an unsolvable mystery to cover his
necessary disappearance. I would not drag him down with me.
The Alpha King rose abruptly from his throne, his aura crashing down on the chamber like a
wave of raw dominance. “And how,” he demanded, his voice now a low rumble laced with
barely suppressed fury, “did Marcus Blackwood die?”
That moment stretched into eternity. I could feel the weight of every gaze, every suspicion,
every silent accusation pressing down on me. There was no turning back now.
I raised my tear–filled eyes, meeting the Alpha King’s violet gaze with all the grief and regret I
could muster. “He died protecting me, Your Majesty,” I said, my voice trembling but clear. “He
sacrificed himself so that I could escape.”
A wave of murmurs swept through the hall. Some wolves whispered in disbelief. Others nodded solemnly, already choosing to believe in the noble sacrifice of their prince.
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Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
“I-” I faltered, choking on the words as though grief robbed me of my voice. “I beg you, Your
Majesty. Whatever punishment you see fit, I will accept it. For failing to save him…”
I lowered my head again, allowing a single tear to roll down my cheek and drop onto the cold stone floor. The resignation in my posture and voice was deliberate, calculated. No one could
miss the image of a broken she–wolf, crushed under the guilt of a hero’s death.
The Alpha King’s next move was critical. His judgment would determine more than just my
fate.
He stood silently for a moment, his violet eyes burning with unspoken emotions. The chamber fell deadly quiet, no one daring to interrupt the intense atmosphere.
Then, finally, his booming voice shattered the silence. “Marcus Blackwood,” he declared, pride
laced with agony in his words, “died as befitting a royal wolf–a hero protecting his
mate–claimed!”
The council erupted in shouts of approval. Voices rose in unison, chanting Marcus’s name in
praise for his “noble sacrifice.”
After the council members dispersed, the Alpha King remained seated. He dismissed even his
personal guards with a wave of his hand.
“Look at me, Celeste Winters.”
I raised my head, my earlier tears conspicuously absent.
“You’re quite the accomplished liar,” he observed, his voice holding neither praise nor
condemnation.
“I couldn’t speak the truth before the council,” I admitted quietly.
He nodded slowly. “No, you couldn’t. The truth would have destroyed more than just Marcus’s
reputation.”
His violet eyes studied me intently. “You will maintain this story. Marcus died protecting you-
that is now the official truth.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
He observed my disheveled state, the pallor of my face, the slight trembling of my hands.
“You’ve been through quite an ordeal,” he said finally. “You may go.”
I rose carefully, my legs unsteady after kneeling for so long. As I turned to leave, his voice
stopped me one final time.
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Chapter 167: A Web of Lies
“Remember, Celeste–some lies serve a greater purpose than truth.”
(Alexander’s POV)
I emerged from the shadows after Celeste left, bowing deeply to the Alpha King.
“Thank you for your leniency with her, Your Majesty.”
The Alpha King’s shrewd eyes fixed on me. “Why didn’t you tell her you were there? That you witnessed everything?”
I hesitated, struggling to articulate my reasons. “I feared she would misunderstand my
involvement.”
“Misunderstand what? That you deliberately led Marcus to the Northern territory? That you
knew the rogue wolves would be waiting?”
His words made me uncomfortable, though I refused to show it.
“I have my marking ceremony with Scarlett to consider,” I replied stiffly. “My duty-”
The Alpha King’s bitter laugh cut me off. “Duty? You’re still so young, Alexander. One day, you’ll regret letting duty chain you when your heart screamed for freedom.”
His words followed me as I left the royal territory. I hardly considered myself young anymore,
but something in the Alpha King’s tone carried the weight of centuries of experience.
I couldn’t imagine regretting my decisions, not even the carefully planned deception that had
led Marcus to his death. It wasn’t my fault–merely an unfortunate accident.
Yet the memory of Celeste’s devastated, hateful gaze surfaced unbidden, causing me to
furrow my brow.
She would understand eventually, I told myself. Marcus’s death was a blessing, freeing her
from a fate worse than death.
