Chapter 89: Invitation
Chapter 89: Invitation
(Celeste’s POV)
8 Points
The moonstone box felt heavy in my hands. My fingers brushed over the smooth surface as I
watched the wolves surrounding me in tense silence. The night air pressed down like a
second weight, one I couldn’t shake, no matter how calm I forced my expression to remain.
Thomas Grey, the elderly tavern keeper, shifted nervously beside me. His weathered face
softened, his hands slightly trembling as he spoke.
“I found it in Moon Lake’s waters four years ago,” he began, his voice low, almost apologetic. “The night they… took you to Moon Shadow Prison.”
His words sent a chill through me, one I masked with practiced ease. I unclasped the box’s lid,
revealing the intricate moon–blessed protection pendant resting inside. The faint glow of lunar
energy rose from the crystal, quiet but persistent, like a ghost refusing to fade.
My breath hitched before I could stop it.
Alexander had crafted this pendant for me years ago. I’d worn it with pride, back when I still
trusted him. Back when I still believed someone would protect me. The memory turned sour,
leaving a bitter taste in my mouth.
“You threw it into the lake that night.” Grey’s voice was soft, his wolf’s elderly aura exuding
quiet understanding. “But it didn’t feel right, leaving it there. Something told me to keep it safe for you.”
Nina hovered beside me, her silver–gray eyes darting between my hands and my face. Her wolf bristled protectively, sensing the inner turmoil I had yet to voice.
I swallowed hard, forcing the tightness in my chest to retreat. I held out my hand, pulling
several rare moon–blessed healing herbs from my pouch.
“You’ve done enough by keeping this,” I said evenly, placing the herbs gently into Grey’s
weathered palms. “Take these as thanks. For your loyalty.”
His eyes widened at the value of the herbs, though he quickly nodded, bowing his head in
respect. “I only wished to do what was right, Lady Celeste,” he murmured.
My attention shifted instantly back to the pendant resting in the box, its soft glow reflecting faintly on my silver–burned hands. My wolf stirred inside me, whimpering faintly at the sight of
+8 Points
Chapter 89: Invitation
the moon–blessed charm. It had once meant safety. Protection. Something I’d clung to when I thought the world hadn’t yet betrayed me.
But now? It was nothing but a reminder of misplaced trust. Of promises broken.
Without hesitation, I turned to Moon Lake. My steps were steady, deliberate. The gathered wolves fell silent, their murmurs fading as they watched my every move.
The pendant and box hit the water with a sharp splash, the ripples spreading wide into the
otherwise still surface. My chest tightened as if I’d thrown a piece of myself into the sacred
waters.
The silence around me deepened, oppressive like a storm about to break.
“You dare!” Diana’s voice rang out, sharp and outraged. Her golden wolf surged forward, bristling with the fury I expected. “Do you have any idea what you just discarded?!”
Her words hung in the air, ricocheting through the clearing. I didn’t respond. I didn’t even look
at her.
Instead, I caught the faintest shift in Alexander. His ice–blue eyes remained fixed on the water where the pendant had disappeared. His white wolf’s aura surged, pulsing hard enough for even the lesser wolves nearby to tremblé.
Diana opened her mouth to speak again, clearly gearing up for another lecture. But one low growl from Alexander stopped her mid–breath.
“Let it go, Diana,” he commanded, his tone colder than I’d ever heard it.
She faltered, her frustration cracking through her tight–lipped silence. But she obeyed.
It wasn’t just her, though. I felt Alexander’s anger, as clear as if it were my own. He didn’t look at me. His white wolf remained locked on the lake, the tension coiling off him like fire desperate to burn.
Then Marcus’s voice swept into the space, smooth and calculated as always.
“My dear,” he began with mock concern, stepping closer. His violet eyes glinted with cruel
amusement, his wolf feeding off the discord. “That seemed rather… dramatic. Such a
meaningful gift deserved better treatment, don’t you think?”
I could feel all eyes turn back toward me. Marcus’s even smile pushed against me, digging toward the cracks beneath the surface.
I refused to let them see my tension.
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Chapter 89: Invitation
“The pendant belonged to the past,” I replied calmly, meeting Marcus’s gaze with deliberate
coldness. “Keeping it would be inappropriate. Not when our mate marking is imminent.”
A flicker of satisfaction danced in Marcus’s expression, imperceptible to anyone less attuned to his games.
“Ah,” he said softly, his tone dripping with understanding. “A reasonable decision, then. Of
course.”
His sharp gaze slid toward Alexander, who’d finally torn his eyes from the lake. The tension in
his ice–blue stare now turned toward me, searing like frostbite.
His white wolf bristled visibly, the muscles in his jaw tightening as Marcus’s words sank
deeper. Those closest to Alexander took small steps back, wary of his volatile energy.
Scarlett, however, wasn’t one of them. She was at his side in an instant. Her emerald eyes
shimmered with unshed tears, her wolf’s aura whimpering for attention.
“Alex…” she whispered softly, her voice trembling with calculated distress. Her hands hesitated
near his arm, her steps careful and submissive.
He didn’t respond. His ice–blue gaze dropped toward the lake again, ignoring her entirely. If he
felt her soft pleas, he didn’t show it.
The tension swirled tighter, pressing into the air like an invisible weight we were all forced to
carry. Lucas, standing near the circle’s edge, clenched his fists.
Through our weakened pack bond, I felt the storm raging within him.
I didn’t need to see his hand shift to know he still held something in his pocket. His aura betrayed the moon crystal there, its presence burning through his conflicted emotions.
Lucas had planned something. A gift. A peace offering. But now, I felt his decision firm.
After seeing my rejection of Alexander’s pendant, he deemed me unworthy of his. His wolf
radiated bittersweet anger, bitterness swirling relentlessly beneath his aura.
He adjusted his stance, stepping backward. Keeping his distance. His green eyes burned as
they flicked toward Scarlett, then back to me, their storm seemingly avoiding resolution.
The rippling waters of Moon Lake didn’t help. If anything, they seemed to echo the discord in
the clearing, the tension rising higher than before.
Diana, pacing like a caged wolf, was the first to break the silence beyond growls and whispers. Her golden eyes snapped toward Scarlett, her words as sharp as a blade.
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Chapter 89: Invitation
“We need to move past this,” she barked, her clipped tone an attempt to break through the air
thick with aggression.
Scarlett remained seated on the rock, her small figure projecting fragile distress. Her soft
whimpers hummed like a siren against the ongoing storm, pulling attention her way.
But Diana surprised everyone when she turned–not to her sister, but to me.
Her lips parted as if tasting the words before speaking them. “Celeste,” she called clearly,
though her tone lacked its usual venom. “Come see. The moon fish are surfacing.”
The wolves around us went still again. Curious this time, not tense. The rare moon fish weren’t
just sacred–they were considered powerful omens. Their appearance signaled blessings,
change, or upheaval.
And everyone now stared at her invitation, voices hushed with uncertainty. Even my wolf
flinched inside me, unsure where this olive branch meant to lead.
I waited, eyes narrowing faintly as I studied Diana’s face. Her golden wolf stood steady, though I didn’t miss its faint tremor beneath feigned composure.
