Chapter 140: A Brother’s Failed Peace
Chapter 140: A Brother’s Failed Peace
(Celeste’s POV)
I walked briskly to my quarters, carrying the weight of Katherine’s venomous words. My mind raced with the implications of Marcus’s sudden departure. Something about the timing didn’t
sit right. But my train of thought came to an abrupt halt when I opened the door.
Immediately, my eyes settled on the spectacle before me.
My table was transformed. It was an overwhelming sight–a far cry from its usual simplicity.
Moon–blessed venison sat plated alongside silver–dusted pastries, dishes I hadn’t seen for
years spread out like an offering.
The table was laden with every favorite meal I once treasured.
Four years ago, such a gesture might have softened something inside me, thawed the frost
that prison had forced into my veins. But not anymore.
Scarlett broke the silence, moving toward me with an overly bright smile that strained at its
edges. “Sister!” she exclaimed, her voice deliberately cheerful. “I was just about to call for you.
”
Her emerald eyes shimmered with contrived excitement, her wolf simpering pathetically
beneath the surface. She gestured widely toward the table as if she’d achieved something
monumental.
“Lucas arranged everything,” she continued, her tone almost rehearsed. “A surprise! These are
all your favorites from before…”
She trailed off too quickly, faltering in the place where words that truly mattered should have
been. My wolf noticed the weak attempt and snorted internally. Scarlett recovered poorly, her
voice rushing in to fill the silence.
“…before things changed,” she finished weakly. Her wolf whimpered, barely masking its
unease as it watched for my reaction.
I said nothing.
My eyes moved to Lucas for the first time since entering. He stood stiffly to one side, his
golden eyes struggling to meet mine. His posture, though strong, betrayed a tension I hadn’t
seen in him before.
1/4
+9 Points
Chapter 140: A Brother’s Failed…
He hesitated before speaking, his voice softer than expected. “I thought you might appreciate something familiar. Crystal Lake Restaurant prepared moon–blessed salmon–your favorite.”
His words, though measured, carried the weight of expectation. At some point, Scarlett moved closer to set the mood, standing just shy of invading my space.
I didn’t acknowledge either of them. Instead, I let my gaze return to the table, observing it more
closely now.
Everything was too perfect. Too meticulous. Even the faintest details–from the placement of the dishes to the careful cuts of the meat–reeked of pretense.
“Do you like it?” Scarlett asked cautiously, her voice carefully layered with artificial sweetness. Her wolf pressed closer to the ground as she awaited a response.
Still, I kept my silence.
The memories their gesture dredged up were unwelcome. Suddenly, the scent of silver from Moon Shadow Prison mingled harshly with the smell of the food, twisting together into
something suffocating.
Lucas shifted under the weight of my silence. He was never good at being ignored–his wolf couldn’t stand the lack of acknowledgment. Clearing his throat, he stepped forward and pulled
something from his pocket.
It was a small bundle, wrapped in delicate moonlight silk. Unwrapping it carefully, he revealed a crystal, its surface faintly shimmering in the dim room lighting.
“I made this for you,” he said gently. His voice carried something almost hesitant, almost
embarrassed.
He held it out for me to see, revealing the etched symbols carved into its surface. The Winters Pack crest on one side and protective runes on the other indicated the work of someone
attentive, but not skilled.
The uneven carvings and rough edges hinted at the hours spent crafting it. His hands bore the evidence–small cuts ran along his fingers, indicative of the difficulties of carving into sacred
material.
“I know it’s not much,” Lucas admitted, his voice laced with an unusual softness.
He hesitated, searching my face for any sign of approval. Finding none, he continued, “But I
wanted to give you something meaningful. Something to remind you that no matter what’s
happened, you’re still my sister.”
2/4
+B Points
Chapter 140: A Brother’s Failed…
His wolf stood tall as he held the crystal out further, urging me to take it. There was hope in his golden eyes–the same kind of hope I remembered seeing when we were children.
The sight almost stirred something in me. Almost.
Instead, I focused on the shallow cuts tracing his fingers, feeling nothing at the sight of his injuries. Misinterpreting my gaze, Lucas attempted to downplay his sacrifice.
“They aren’t that bad,” he said, clearing his throat. “The cuts, I mean. They’ll heal in no time. Just–please–take it.”
“No.”
The word left my lips before I could stop it.
Lucas froze, his wolf visibly recoiling as if I’d slapped him. His jaw tensed noticeably, and his extended hand wavered mid–air before dropping slightly.
“What?” he asked, his voice tinged with disbelief. His golden eyes searched mine desperately,
convinced he must have misheard.
“I said no,” I repeated evenly, this time allowing my tone to carry the weight of my rejection. “I have moon–blessed gifts from the Alpha King himself, not to mention Regina Blackwood. Why
would I want this?”
I gestured toward the crystal in his hand as if it were completely unremarkable.
His wolf bristled under my words, anger starting to flicker just beneath his previously calm demeanor. Scarlett, sensing the brewing tension, chimed in hastily, her voice bubbling with
nervous energy.
“Celeste, it’s not about perfection! It’s about how much effort Lucas put in. This crystal-”
“Take it, then,” I interrupted coldly, turning my gaze to Scarlett. “Add it to the rest of the things you’ve taken from me.”
The words left a ringing silence in their wake.
Scarlett blinked, her emerald eyes filling with sudden tears as if my comment had physically struck her. Her wolf whimpered audibly, shrinking low, but she pressed on regardless.
“Sister,” she whispered, her voice trembling with what sounded like heartbreak. “You don’t
mean that…”
Lucas’s wolf, meanwhile, simmered visibly. His breathing grew heavier, and his previously golden gaze turned heated as anger began to overtake his hurt.
3/4
Chapter 140: A Brother’s Failed…
I returned my focus to him, meeting his gaze without flinching. “Enough of these games. Why are you two really here?”
Lucas said nothing, his jaw clenching tighter with every passing second. His claws extended
slightly, curling into the edges of his palms in barely restrained fury.
Scarlett dabbed furiously at her eyes with a lace handkerchief, refusing to break her overly dramatic display. “Sister, please! We only wanted to reconcile!”
Her words came out in a sob–like plea, her wolf lowering in an exaggerated show of
submission. She tried again to reach for my hand, as though it’d make her words more
convincing.
This time, I stepped sharply backward, ensuring her touch would not find purchase.
“This discord hurts all of us,” Scarlett continued, desperation cracking across her carefully
constructed facade.
Her wolf pressed closer to the ground pathetically as she pleaded. “The Winters Pack is your
family, Celeste. We’re here to support you. You must know that. We want to be there for you-
especially with your mate–marking ceremony approaching…”
Her voice quaked toward the end, as though the mere mention of Marcus hung ominously
between us.
Still, I said nothing. The bitter laugh that clawed its way up my throat escaped before I could
stop it.
”
“Family?” I echoed, the word tasting foul on my tongue.
Scarlett’s wolf whimpered audibly, curling lower against the weight of my gaze. “Please, Sister,
she whispered. “Let’s put the past behind us.”
“And why should I?”
3
