Chapter 46: No Harm
Chapter 46: No Harm
(Celeste’s POV)
The morning light seeped into my quarters, faint and cold. Every muscle in my body felt like
lead.
My arms and back screamed from the silver burns Lucas had left behind the day before.
But worse than the physical pain was Marcus’s voice, still lingering in my head.
His words were smooth and sharp at the same time. “After the ceremony, we’ll leave for the Northern territory. You’ll love it there, Celeste. Cold and quiet. You’ll have all the silence you
need to think about your new life.”
The Northern territories weren’t a home. They were barren, harsh. Isolated. How easy would it
be for him to bury me there, forgotten like the snow itself?
I shook the fear off and stood slowly, staring at my reflection in the small mirror. The scars on my neck peeked from under my shirt. They burned–not from the physical injury, but from the
memories.
The faint scent of violets mixed with honey reached me too late to prepare myself. Scarlett
walked in without knocking, her presence as unwelcome as ever.
“Celeste!” she exclaimed, dragging out my name with mock cheer. Her emerald eyes gleamed,
and her sickly sweet smile filled the small room like perfume gone rotten.
She glided closer, holding onto the edges of her gown as though it would make her look softer, more delicate. “How are you feeling, sister? Oh, I imagine yesterday must have been so
overwhelming for you.”
My body stiffened at the word “sister.” My wolf curled inward, wary and quiet. I clenched my
jaw and let the word hang between us.
“Overwhelming,” I repeated flatly, offering her nothing more.
Scarlett’s grin only widened. “It’s good news, isn’t it? Marcus is such a strong mate. Anyone
would be thrilled to have his protection. And the Northern territory!”
Her voice lifted with false excitement, forcing herself to sound impressed. “You’ll love it there
-so peaceful, so removed from… everything!”
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Chapter 46: No Harm
Her eyes sparkled. It was subtle, and others might mistake it for happiness. But I wasn’t
fooled. Scarlett was fishing–for compliments, for control, for my surrender.
“Interesting how you know so much about his plans,” I said, tilting my head. My voice was
calm, but inside, my wolf growled softly.
Scarlett’s eyes flickered just for a second, but she recovered. Her lips curled sweetly. “Oh,
Marcus didn’t say much to me, but I hear things. It’s hard not to with so many whispers about
yesterday!”
Whispers. Or deliberate plotting? The realization clicked in my mind.
“You told him,” I said. My voice was quiet but sharp enough to break her airy pretense. “You
told Marcus I’d be at the temple yesterday, didn’t you?”
The pretense in her smile slipped, but only slightly. She quickly widened her eyes, leaning
toward me as though she misheard me.
“Wh–what?” she stammered, her voice rising just enough to seem offended. “I would never-
why would you think that?”
“Don’t,” I cut her off. My tone had turned to steel. “Don’t bother denying it. You arranged it,
Scarlett. You knew exactly where Marcus would find me. And what? You wanted him to…
what? Show off? Secure his claim in front of everyone? Tell me!”
Her wolf faltered now. She glanced toward the door as though someone might come to her
rescue. She brought trembling hands to her chest, her emerald eyes glistening with tears.
“I just thought,” she whispered, her voice breaking. “I just wanted to-” She paused, swallowing
hard as though summoning courage to speak through her fake distress. “I thought if he saw
you there at the temple–then maybe… Maybe he’d see how deeply connected you are! Isn’t
that what every mate wants?”
“Forcing a spectacle out of me isn’t connection,” I spat. My heartbeat thundered in my ears.
“Say the truth, Scarlett. You didn’t do this for me.”
Tears spilled freely now, painting her pale cheeks a delicate pink. She clutched the fabric of
her gown tighter. “I just wanted to make things easier for you!” she whimpered. “I thought it
was what you needed. I swear, Celeste, I wasn’t trying to―”
I stopped her with a glare. Any pity I might have felt was drowned by the wave of bitterness
swelling in my chest.
The faint sound of measured footsteps echoed down the hallway. I didn’t need to guess who.
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Chapter 46: No Harm
Within moments, Victoria swept into the room. Her scent of fresh lavender came with her
maternal presence–a presence I used to find comfort in but now only found irritating.
“What is going on?” she asked, her green eyes darting first to Scarlett, then to me. She
stepped closer to Scarlett immediately.
Her hand rose to Scarlett’s damp cheek, brushing away the tears with all the care of a
dedicated mother. “Scarlett, dear,” she murmured softly. “Why are you crying? Are you alright?”
She didn’t spare me a glance.
Scarlett sniffled theatrically, immediately leaning into Victoria’s comforting touch. “I was–1 was just trying to help, Mother. I wanted to make things better for Celeste. But now she’s so…
so upset with me!”
Victoria’s green eyes darkened as they finally lifted to meet mine. Her wolf whined audibly, a
sound that was meant to coax submission.
“Was this necessary, Celeste?” she asked, her voice low but tinted with disappointment. ”
Scarlett meant no harm.”
“No harm?” I repeated, the bitterness in me boiling over. “Really, Victoria? She plotted with Marcus and turned me into public theater during the temple ceremony, and you call it ‘meant
no harm‘?”
Victoria flinched at the harshness of my voice but quickly straightened. “Your sister made a
mistake. A practical one. But she did this with your best interest in mind.”
“Sister,” I repeated softly. The word stuck in my chest like a thorn.
My wolf snarled softly beneath the surface, her pain echoing through me. “Interesting how quickly you protect ‘mistakes‘ when it’s Scarlett, isn’t it?”
Victoria froze for a moment, but I didn’t let up.
“You watched me suffer for years, Victoria. In every moment I pleaded–when I screamed begging the truth be recognized–you ‘did what had to be done.‘ But when Scarlett invites me to s*******r, you’re here immediately with comforting words. How lucky she is!”
Victoria’s lips parted, but before she answered, a third scent joined the room: smoke and ash tinged with pine. My jaw tightened as Lucas appeared in the doorway, his commanding presence making Scarlett retreat slightly behind Victoria.
Lucas.
“Marcus intends to move the ceremony soon,” he said without preamble. His tone was sharp,
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Chapter 46: No Harm
his wolf just beneath the surface as usual. Yet his limping frame betrayed him, his step falling uneven under the weight of Marcus’s punishment.
So this was Lucas at his weakest? The familiar sharpness in his glare made me doubt that.
“I came,” Lucas continued, his golden eyes glinting, “hoping for better spirits from you after hearing the royal mate claim was progressing so smoothly.”
I didn’t reply. There was no point. His words were sharp, cutting–a different kind of punishment than the blows I suffered at the temple. But his attention didn’t remain on me for long. His gaze landed squarely on Scarlett moments later.
“Why’s she crying?” Lucas asked, his voice dipping to something coldly aggressive.
Victoria opened her mouth. “Lucas-”
“What did you do?” he interrupted, his eyes snapping back to me like fire blazing through ice. His wolf surged forward, filling the room with dominance. “What did you do to her now?”
I met his sharp gaze without hesitation. “Nothing. I did nothing, as usual.” My arms crossed tightly over my chest as I glared back at him. “Though somehow, I’m always to blame. Right,
Lucas?”
Scarlett sniffled loudly, leaning further into Victoria’s arm. And just like Lucas always did, he reacted to that sound as though Scarlett were his pup. His wolf bristled protectively, his chest puffing out in response.
“You’re using Marcus’s claim,” he spat, stepping closer to me now. Every word boiling with accusation. “You’re using it against your family–against her–to bully your own Luna!”
The room grew smaller. My scars burned so hot that I swore smoke would rise from the silver
itself.
My wolf, still weak, tried to push forward, but I didn’t let it. If Lucas wanted a fight, I’d give him one–but it wouldn’t be with tears or whimpers.
It would be with truth.
“You hear yourself, don’t you, Lucas?” My voice broke past the tension, every syllable sharp,
unrelenting.
My back was straight now, shoulders square. “Do you even care to think how absurd that
sounds? Do you even realize what you’re saying?”
Scarlett gasped softly. Victoria gave out her usual faint, scolding whine. But Lucas? Lucas only squared his jaw, his hands curling tighter into fists as he moved closer.
