Chapter 176: Sacred Garden’s Bitter Memory
Chapter 176: Sacred Garden’s Bitter Memory
(Celeste’s POV)
The Blood Moon Gathering pulsed with energy, high–ranking wolves mingling under the royal
pack’s grand banners.
The soft hum of conversations and subdued laughter filled the air as alphas, betas, and
nobles maneuvered through the political games that would shape alliances for the next year.
I lingered near the shadows of Princess Katherine’s private moon garden. The faint glow from
the sacred flowers cast an ethereal light over the area.
Unlike the bustling main hall, this corner was quieter, almost eerily so. I preferred the stillness
– it allowed me to observe without drawing too much attention.
Then I caught a familiar scent. Scarlett.
Her delicate, floral scent preceded her entrance, mingling awkwardly with the unique fragrance of sacred moon flowers. My silver–scarred wolf stirred with unease. What was she doing here?
This part of the royal grounds was off–limits to outsiders without explicit permission.
Quiet as I could manage, I remained unnoticed in the darkness, my violet eyes fixed on her.
Scarlett wandered into the garden, clearly unaware of its significance.
She gazed around with the awe of someone unused to such luxury. She didn’t notice the
periphery of crushed petals beneath her feet.
Her next step fell directly on an intact bloom.
The pale flower crumpled under her weight, releasing its intense aroma into the night. The intoxicating scent pricked at my heightened senses, the sweet tang sharp and unmistakable. My stomach tightened. Sacred moon flowers rare blooms imported from the Northern territories specifically for Princess Katherine’s marking ceremony.
–
My wolf’s ears flattened instinctively. This didn’t bode well.
A high–pitched voice pierced through the tension. “No! Stop! Get off the flowers!”
A sandy–haired omega, no older than sixteen, rushed from the shadows. His disheveled
uniform suggested he was one of the groundskeepers tasked with caretaking this precious garden. He sprinted toward Scarlett, his blue eyes wide with horror.
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Chapter 176: Sacred Garden’s Bi…
In a desperation born from duty, the boy grabbed Scarlett’s arm. She gasped at the contact, nearly losing her balance. His hands trembled, but his grip held firm as he pulled her away from the wreckage.
“Do you have any idea what you’ve done?” His voice cracked, thick with emotion. Tears hung
at the corners of his eyes.
Scarlett recoiled, wrenching her arm back, but the boy refused to release her. “These are
sacred moon flowers! They were cultivated specifically for Princess Katherine’s marking ceremony! Months of work ruined in a heartbeat!”
Her eyes filled with panic, darting toward the nearby guests who had started to turn toward
the disturbance. Whispers rippled through the crowd, the scent of the damaged flowers drawing attention.
“Let me go!” Scarlett protested, her voice trembling as her wolf whimpered in her aura.
The boy tightened his hold, desperation laced in his trembling voice. “You have to compensate
for this! I’ll lose my position–my family depends on this job!”
Scarlett attempted to pull herself free again. This time, she shoved at him with a burst of frightened energy, but her strength was no match for her fear–fueled actions.
The omega staggered, but he clung to her gown’s fabric with sheer determination. A loud rip
tore through the air as the delicate moon–blessed silk gave way.
Scarlett shrieked as her dress fell slightly, exposing her legs beneath the shimmering folds.
A gust of cold wind cut through the humid night, and suddenly Alexander Steele was there, his imposing presence drawing every gaze. His scent reached me first, pine and frost, cold and
sharp. The dark intensity of his expression was even more striking.
The moment Scarlett’s eyes met Alexander’s, she immediately rushed to his side. He moved faster than she did, shrugging off his ceremonial cloak to drape it around her, shielding her exposed form,
Alexander’s white wolf stirred in his aura, cold fury radiating outward as he turned his
attention to the still–kneeling omega wolf. His ice–blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
“What is the meaning of this?” His voice cut through the growing crowd like a blade.
Before anyone could answer, Lucas emerged from the nearby pathway. His aura, aggressive
and dominant, pushed several lower–ranked wolves to instinctively submit.
Lucas quickly assessed the situation, his green eyes blazing gold as his wolf surged forward
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Chapter 176: Sacred Garden’s Bi…
protectively. He positioned himself in front of Scarlett, his russet wolf bristling with
aggression aimed directly at the omega.
Scarlett whimpered behind them, clutching Alexander’s cloak tightly. “I didn’t mean to,” she whispered, her voice barely audible.
The sandy–haired omega dropped completely to the ground in submission, but his shoulders still heaved with emotion. “She destroyed the Princess’s sacred moon flowers,” he said
hoarsely. “Months of work… gone….”
“Enough,” Lucas snapped, his wolf growling low in warning.
The omega flinched, but his tears didn’t stop. His desperation was palpable, yet his devotion to his task outweighed his fear of the dominant wolves before him.
Then a shift in the atmosphere stilled everyone. Power drenched the air, heavy and oppressive.
Even I felt it. The crowd parted like water, lowering themselves instinctively as the source of
the royal aura made her entrance.
Princess Katherine.
Regal and vengeful, she strode into her private moon garden with the grace of a predator. Her
violet eyes, unmistakable in their royal lineage, locked onto Scarlett.
“Well, well,” Katherine’s voice purred dangerously. “What have we here?”
Her inspection of the trampled moon flowers was dramatic, measured. She didn’t speak
immediately, letting the tension climb with every deliberate step. Her fingers brushed lightly
over a crushed bloom, recoiling slightly at its damaged state.
The weight of her disapproval was palpable.
“S…Sacred moon flowers,” she finally whispered, her tone dripping with accusation. “Flowers cultivated from the Northern territories… for my marking ceremony. Ruined.”
Scarlett whimpered again, cowering further behind Alexander’s protective stance.
“This offense…” Katherine began, her tone sharper now, “cannot go unpunished.”
Lucas immediately dropped to his knees, bowing low in submission. “Your Highness, I take full responsibility for my sister!”
Katherine’s lips spread into a cruel smile as her wolf’s aura pressed harder against the surrounding pack members. “Oh, isn’t this touching? Such loyalty from a brother. But I’m afraid an apology won’t be enough.”
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Chapter 176: Sacred Garden’s Bi…
Her cold gaze shifted directly to Scarlett, her power coiling like a serpent ready to strike.” Perhaps the same punishment Celeste received four years ago… imprisonment in Moon Shadow Prison. I think that would suffice.”
The crowd gasped, whispers breaking out immediately.
“No,” Alexander’s voice cut through the chaos like ice cracking on a frozen lake.
”
He didn’t drop his aura, nor did he lower his gaze to the Princess. Instead, his ice–blue eyes bore into hers, unyielding.
Katherine bristled visibly, unused to such blatant defiance. “Do you dare to challenge me?”
“I only suggest you reconsider,” Alexander replied evenly. “The Alpha King isn’t likely to risk pack unity over flowers, no matter how sacred.”
It wasn’t just a suggestion–it was a warning. Alexander’s patronage as the son of the Alpha
King’s Beta carried weight, and Katherine knew it.
The Princess’s violet eyes narrowed. Her shoulders stiffened with barely restrained fury, but
she didn’t press further. “Take her and leave,” she finally bit out. “But remember–this
protection won’t last forever.”
Alexander didn’t respond, his frost–like aura settling around Scarlett as he guided her away.
Lucas followed quickly, his russet wolf still bristling protectively.
After the crowd dispersed, I stood in silence, my silver-scarred wolf curled tightly within me. Bitter laugher bubbled up from somewhere deep inside, though I kept it stifled beneath the
cool mask I wore.
For the first time, I truly understood the difference between Scarlett and me.
Lucas could protect his sister when he chose to. Alexander could defy even the Alpha King’s daughter to save her.
But no one had stood up for me, four years ago.
I had been forced to face their accusations alone, with no familial protection and no ally
willing to risk themselves for
my
sake.
While Scarlett could cry and hide behind Alexander’s cloak, I had been dragged to Moon
Shadow Prison in chains, tortured and broken.
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