Chapter 114: Bitter Choice
Chapter 114: Bitter Choice
(Celeste’s POV)
The air was thick with tension, heavier than the ache in my limbs. I was barely upright as it was, but the moment Alexander stormed into my quarters, the weight pressing down on me doubled. His white wolf’s aura filled the room, making it hard to breathe. It wasn’t a comforting presence. No, it was suffocating in its intensity, his eyes burning ice–cold as they landed on
- me.
“You don’t get to dismiss this,” he said, his voice sharp, his tone brooking no argument. “We need to discuss your mate marking ceremony.”
I stared at him, caught somewhere between disbelief and the deep, endless rage that sat coiled inside me like a festering wound. Did he even hear what he was saying? Did he truly think I wanted any part in this?
“And why, exactly, do my mating plans concern you, General Steele?” I asked icily, forcing my voice to sound steady though my heart was thundering in my chest. I needed to keep my emotions tightly reined.
Before Alexander could respond, Scarlett entered. Of course, he’d brought her, his shadow, his ever–saccharine support system. She moved gracefully, her emerald eyes gleaming with what I could only assume was feigned concern.
“Celeste, don’t misunderstand,” Scarlett said softly, her voice melodic and sickeningly sweet. Alexander isn’t trying to meddle. He only wants what’s best for you. For all of us.”
Her wolf radiated submission, but it was false, bitter. A manipulation dressed as humility. It turned my stomach.
”
“How noble,” I replied coldly, my lips twisting into a bitter smile. “But shouldn’t you be focusing on your own marking ceremony, Scarlett? Surely, planning your life together with General Steele would take priority over interfering in mine?”
Something flickered in Alexander’s eyes, a flash of emotion that passed too quickly for me to name. His white wolf stirred, and even through my pain, I felt its agitation radiating toward
- me.
“You know Marcus’s reputation,” he began, his voice lower now, gentler.
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Chapter 114: Bitter Choice
“His reputation?” I interrupted sharply, my eyes narrowing on his face. “And what exactly were you doing with that knowledge before I bore the evidence of it?”
Alexander’s ice–blue stare didn’t falter, but the tension in the room grew heavier. My skin prickled uncomfortably under his gaze, and I hated how full of judgment it seemed.
Before either of us could push further, the door flew open, banging against the wall like thunder. Lucas stormed in, his golden eyes blazing with unchecked fury. His wolf aura flared aggressively, instantly dominating the room.
“Are you really going through with this?” he demanded, his voice low, ripping through the tense
silence like a blade.
My lips pressed tightly together, my jaw locking as I refused to meet his eyes. His angry
stance, the way he paced as if about to explode–it was all so dramatic, too late to mean
anything.
“Answer me!” Lucas snarled, taking a step closer. “You’re letting that monster mark you?”
Something inside me snapped at his words, the sheer hypocrisy of them. My silver–scarred
wolf whimpered beneath the weight of my rising emotions. “Would you like me to remind you
whose silence on the subject led me here?” I shot back coolly, my gaze hard and unflinching
now.
Lucas faltered for the tiniest moment, but his rage surged again, burying any trace of
self–awareness. His claws extended slightly as his wolf began to fight for control. “I can stop
this,” he growled, his voice lower now. “I’ll stop it. I’ll tear up the Alpha King’s decree myself if
that’s what it takes.”
I let out a bitter laugh, shaking my head despite the sting it brought to my healing wounds.”
How convenient,” I said mockingly. “You’ll suddenly protect me, stop this–all because now
you’ve decided this is wrong?”
“Don’t twist my words,” he snapped, bristling defensively.
“Twist?” I echoed, the heat in my tone sharpening with every word. “Tell me, Lucas, where was
this determination four years ago? Where was this protective brother then? You had no trouble
throwing me into Moon Shadow Prison. What was it you told me? That you were carrying out
justice?”
His wolf hesitated–hesitated and whimpered beneath the weight of my accusations. The
slightest c***k in his fury gave me everything I needed to keep going.
“And after that?” I continued, the words slicing through the air relentlessly. “When Victoria
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Chapter 114: Bitter Choice
arranged my mating to Marcus, were you already planning this grand stand of protection? Or
was my life still insignificant then?”
“Stop,” Lucas growled, but there was more pain in his voice now. His jaw clenched tightly, his hands curling into fists at his sides. “I’m trying to help you now, Celeste. I’m doing everything I can to fix this!”
“Fix this?” I repeated coldly. I rose to my full height, ignoring the way my legs trembled
beneath me. “It’s too late for that, Lucas. I don’t need your guilt, your excuses, or your delayed heroics. You stood by while this was set in motion. Don’t act like I’m supposed to be grateful
now.”
Lucas opened his mouth to argue, but Scarlett was faster. She hurried forward, her movement graceful and deliberate, closing the distance between us before Lucas could find the words to
fight back.
“Celeste, please stop this,” Scarlett said, her tone soft and trembling. Her emerald eyes shimmered with perfect, artificial tears. “Lucas has been working tirelessly to protect you. Don’t let your anger at me blind you to what he’s trying to do.”
There it was, the inevitable performance. She took another step closer, and before I could
react, her hand reached out and gripped my arm–the one wrapped in fresh bandages, the one
still raw from Marcus’s claws and chains.
The jolt of pain was immediate and excruciating. Her claws pressed through the bandages, digging into the tender wounds beneath. My body froze, the agony locking the breath inside
my chest.
Her expression wavered, but I saw the slight twitch at the corner of her mouth–the
satisfaction she couldn’t entirely hide.
“Lucas doesn’t deserve your bitterness,” she continued, her voice trembling as her claws pressed deeper. “If you’re angry, be angry with me. I’ll take it. But don’t push him away when he’s trying to help you now.”
Everything about her was calculated. Her words, her actions, even the way her wolf’s energy brushed against mine as if searching for strength to exploit.
Nina’s snarl tore through the room, feral and ice–sharp. Her silver–gray aura surged forward aggressively, her fangs flashing as she rounded on Scarlett.
“Release her,” Nina ordered. Her voice carried unwavering authority, a direct and ruthless command.
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Chapter 114 Bitter Choice
Scarlett hesitated, tilting her head as though she hadn’t realized what she was doing. Slowly.
her claws retracted, but her fingers lingered on my arm for a moment longer. The false pity in her eyes made my hatred burn even brighter.
“This isn’t the way, Scarlett,” Nina hissed, stepping between us now, shielding me as if she were ready to rip Scarlett apart herself. Her fangs were bared, her body taut with defensive
energy.
For a moment, the tension in the room teetered on the edge of violence. Scarlett’s wolf bristled in response, its aura flaring in challenge to Nina. Alexander and Lucas both froze, caught between their own frustration and whatever calculations they were running in their heads.
Blood dripped down my arm, soaking into the torn bandages where Scarlett’s claws had pierced through. The pain radiating from the wound was unbearable, but I held my head high, ignoring the fire consuming me.
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