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Chapter 32: A Sharp Slap

(Celeste’s POV)

Marcus’s retreating footsteps echoed faintly as he disappeared into the deeper halls of the

temple. His commanding presence left the air feeling strained and suffocating, even as he

vanished from sight.

Nina’s sharp gaze followed his departure, her silver–gray wolf bristling as if Marcus’s absence

wasn’t enough to ease her unease. After a moment, she turned to me, her arms crossed, and her wolf’s protective energy surged.

“How did he even know you’d be here?” Her voice was low but sharp, cutting through the

tension.

I hesitated, my eyes lingering on the ancient moonstone altar in the center of the sacred

temple space. Its faint, mystical glow barely calmed the turmoil swirling inside me.

“Because it’s the full moon,” I said quietly, though my voice was firmer than I felt. “The temple

always draws wolves during the full moon.”

Nina frowned, unconvinced. Her silver–gray wolf reflected her distrust in her stance. “The

timing is too perfect. He didn’t just ‘show up, Celeste. He came looking for you.”

I sighed, my fingers twitching slightly as I fought the irritation creeping in. “Does it matter,

Nina?”

“Yes, it matters,” she snapped. “It’s not a coincidence. That wolf doesn’t do anything without a

reason.”

Her words hung heavily between us, but I turned away, forcing myself to focus on the altar ahead instead of her concerns. “Leave it,” I said softly. “Just leave it alone.”

Nina growled faintly under her breath, but she fell silent. Her wolf’s frustration was palpable,

but she respected my unwillingness to linger on the topic.

Stepping forward, I knelt slowly before the altar, the cold stone pressing into my knees. The faint shimmer of the dim moonlight reflected across the sacred surface, catching the sharp

edges of the altar’s carvings.

Closing my eyes, I pushed away the doubts lingering in my mind. My lips moved with silent

prayers, whispering desperately for Eleanor’s healing and strength.

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Chapter 32: A Sharp Slap

Her face rose clearly in my thoughts, tired yet strong, the only source of light in the endless

shadows that had consumed me.

I prayed for Nina, who had stood by me even when it threatened her safety.

And finally, I prayed for myself–to find the strength to carry this crushing burden.

But the momentary peace my prayers offered shattered as the sound of padded footsteps

echoed through the room.

Though I kept my eyes closed, the growing presence made my wolf stir uncomfortably. The faintly familiar energy brushed against mine, deliberate and saccharine.

“Praying alone, sister?” Scarlett’s soft, honeyed voice cut through the sacred air.

My lips tightened, exhaustion curling within me as I stood to face her. Her emerald eyes glimmered with false warmth, her petite frame wrapped in an air of feigned innocence.

“Sister,” she said again, tilting her head like a curious child. “I–waited for you. I thought we’d

arrive at the temple together.”

My stomach churned at her remark. A familiar bitterness rose, but I kept my voice cold. “You waited?” I asked, my tone carrying my disbelief.

She pressed her hand to her chest, her rosy lips curving into the faintest pout. “Of course I did. But you left without me. I thought we were past things like this–leaving each other behind.”

The hollow sincerity in her words left me speechless for a moment. She excelled at wearing regret like a second skin, yet it never felt genuine under my scrutiny.

“I didn’t think you’d want to be around the likes of me,” I retorted flatly.

Scarlett fidgeted, brushing her auburn hair from her shoulder, her emerald eyes softening with what almost looked like sympathy. “You shouldn’t say that. We have a chance to rebuild everything, Celeste. A chance to be whole again. That’s all I want for us.”

“Spare me,” I muttered, turning back to the altar. The sacred stone shimmered faintly, a reminder of how far I’d fallen from this place of peace.

Scarlett’s lips parted, but the sharp bite of another voice interrupted her before she could

respond.

“Well, isn’t this touching?” Emma’s voice carried through the temple, laced with wicked

satisfaction.

My body stiffened instantly. Peering over my shoulder, my gaze landed on Emma strutting

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Chapter 32: A Sharp Slap

forward. Diana followed close behind, her icy blue eyes glowing with calculated malice.

My stomach tightened as more wolves began to pause and gather, their whispers rising subtly

as Lucas and Alexander entered behind them.

My wolf winced at the sight of Lucas, lingering with Scarlett as her ever–watchful protector. He

flinched briefly when our eyes met, but his gaze quickly shifted coldly back to her, his stance

indifferent.

Alexander, on the other hand, barely glanced at Scarlett. His ice–blue eyes lingered longer on

me. He was observing, unspeaking, but I didn’t dare read him.

Emma’s mocking chuckle drew my attention back to her.

She crossed her arms, her green eyes sharp and glittering. “I didn’t think disgraced wolves

were allowed to kneel at the Moon Temple’s altar.”

Her words stung–sharp and blatant–but it was Diana who delivered the real blow.

“You’d think after years of crawling in chains, she’d know better,” Diana sneered, stepping

forward with her icy confidence. “But here she is, wallowing under royal protection just to

make herself feel pure again.”

Their voices blended with the buzzing whispers among the other wolves who had paused their

prayers to watch the scene.

I wanted to hide. Flee. Anything to escape the suffocating, judgmental weight of their stares.

Nina moved sharply, stepping between me and the approaching wolves in a protective surge.

“That’s enough,” Nina’s voice rang sternly. Her silver–gray wolf bristled visibly as she shielded

me.

I reached for Nina, touching her arm gently. My voice was soft but commanding. “Nina, stop.”

She shot an incredulous look at me. “You’re just going to let them talk to you like this?”

“It’s not worth it,” I replied, though my throat tightened as the words escaped.

Emma’s smirk widened, soaking in my perceived retreat like a wolf scenting a fresh wound.

Diana mirrored the satisfaction on her face.

“If you’re not even going to defend yourself,” Diana taunted, “then maybe they were right about you all along. A true traitor has nothing to say.”

My wolf stirred uncomfortably, its faint growl echoing. No matter how much I tried to suppress it, my silence was reaching its breaking point.

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Chapter 32: A Sharp Slap

Diana stepped closer, exuding dominance, a deliberate move to provoke me.

“What’s the matter, Celeste?” she asked, her tone dripping with mockery. “Am I wrong? Did swear yourself to Marcus just to cling to some kind of power?”

The sting of her words hit me, but I wasn’t the only one that noticed. My fingers trembled faintly at my sides, but I forced myself to still them.

you

“What’s the truth, Celeste?” Diana demanded louder now. Her ice–blue eyes gleamed. “Call me

a liar.”

Before anyone could intervene, my wolf–or perhaps my own frustration–snapped like a cord

stretched too far.

My hand moved faster than thought.

The sharp c***k of the slap seemed to echo like lightning striking through the temple. Diana’s

head snapped to the side, her cheek instantly flaming red as she stumbled back.

The gathered wolves froze in stunned silence. All around us, whispers and gasps filled the

space.

O

Diana’s hand shot up to her cheek. Her expression twisted with fury and disbelief, her wolf

growling violently beneath her skin.

Lucas’s cold indifference finally broke as his golden eyes widened in slack–jawed disbelief. His

steps faltered as if he hadn’t believed I could do it.

Scarlett’s emerald gaze darkened faintly, but her lips twitched in a tight line, unreadable.

Emma’s mouth hung open, stunned by my unexpected defiance.

Even Alexander tensed visibly, his ice–blue gaze locked onto me, though his wolf didn’t stir as much as Lucas’s rage–filled presence clearly wanted to.