Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Celene's POV

The tears that I had been holding back since spilt out with full force as I stood riveted to a spit, watching him quickly step into a pair of trousers.

"Celene, you have to calm down. It was only---"

"What are you doing in the pack?" My voice was surprisingly calm.

"I can explain, Cel. It's not what it looks like."

"It's not what it looks like? I just saw you banging on another girl. My sister!"

I choked back another anguished sob, hating how weak and pitiful I sounded. I hated that he had brought me to these depths of humiliation after all the lonely, hopeful months I had waited for his return.

"I was going to tell you, but..." he trailed off, biting into his lips.

"But you didn't." My voice broke out as I wiped the corners of my eyes. "You sneaked into the pack to bang my sister; how could you do this to me? You promised to never hurt me!"

He conceded with his fist. "Listen, Celene. I promise it will never repeat itself." He reached out to touch me.

"Don't you lay your filthy hands on me, Chris!" I bellowed angrily as I took a step backwards.

"Mind the way you speak to my mate, Celene!" Ella warned.

I frowned in confusion. "Your mate? Have you no sense of shame? How could you call my boyfriend your fucking mate? How dare you!"

She scoffed. "He's my fated mate, bitch! You're only a pathetic excuse for a wolf. Christoph is a full-fledged wolf, and he has found his fated mate, unlike you, who'll never find one!"

I exhaled sharply. "Christoph, tell me this isn't true! Ella is your mate?"

Ella snorted a laugh. "You think you deserve to be Christoph's girlfriend? I mean, just take a look at your spineless self. He deserves better, and he's mine now, so deal with your fucking loss!"

I gasped incredulously. I knew Ella had always hated me, and she had always wanted everything that belonged to me, but how could she be so pompous even after wronging me so much?

"How dare you, Ella! Do you even have a conscience? Do you even feel sorry?"

"Feel sorry?" She sneered scornfully. "You're only a wolfless bastard birthed by your filthy omega bitch of a mother! Why should I feel sorry for you?"

My mind emptied as fury ignited in me like a wildfire, burning through my veins as my eyes blazed red. Anger snarled in my gut.

"How dare you speak that way about my mother? You shame-backstabbing slut!?" I lunged at her and raised my hand to smack her hard across the face.

Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed my wrist, stopping me from delivering the blow. It was Christoph, and he had a complicated look on his face as he raked his fingers through his hair.

He bit into his lips. "Cel, Ella is my fated mate. I just found out two months ago."

My heart shattered into tiny shards. He had found his fated mate, and now I was useless to him? Why did the moon goddess have to do this to me?

"And now you're protecting her? You said you didn't need a fated mate, Chris. We were going to get married as soon as you returned!" I choked.

"I know, Cel, and that's still going to happen. We can still settle this. I did this for your sake. For us! I was going to reject Ella as soon as I found out, but she begged for one last time, and

"What?" The words rippled out of my throat. "You did what for me? You cheated on me, and now it was for me?"

He suddenly grabbed my shoulder. "Get your facts straight, Cel. We can still do this. Just relax, please. Let's be civilised about this. I'm sorry, okay?"

I didn't know whether to laugh or cry. I just caught him with my worst enemy, and he expects me to cut it? Was that how he saw me? A corn-for-brains moron?

He sighed in frustration as he slumped back on the bed. "We have to find a way to fix this. This is so messed up!"

"Fix what, Chris?" Ella asked. "There's no fixing this, Chris. We are mates, and some wild runt is not going to separate us! Or should I tell mom about it then?"

Chris groaned. "Okay, let's do it this way, Cel. I don't want to break up with you, but she's also going to suffer if I reject our marriage. How about a two-way relationship?"

"Shut your trap!" My voice was a mix of anger and disgust. "Is that what I am to you? How could I have foolishly loved you all these years!? We are done, Chris. I can't do this!"

I shoved past him and went out the door, tears rolling off my face as I ran down the stairs. I just wanted to be in my personal space. I had to think.

I was so immersed in my thoughts that I didn't notice the man standing at the last landing of the stairs. Too late! I bumped into him.

"I'm so sorry!" I apologised as I recoiled out of his arms.

He merely spared me a raise of his brows before looking away. But in that split second, I couldn't fail to notice how deep his rich brown eyes were.

He was tall, elegantly masculine with his finely chiselled chest, and heart-stoppingly handsome, with just an edge of danger to him to keep everything from being too smooth and sexy.

He cleared his throat. "You know it's rude to gawk at strangers!" His voice was so cold that I thought it could actually freeze hell.

"Luna Valerie," he called out as he strolled to the centre of the room. "Where is the girl?"

And that was when I noticed my stepmom peering her disdainful eyes into my skin.

"Sorry for the delay. The girl's a bit clumsy. I guess she was packing her stuff."

Confusion seized my mind. "What are you trying to do? What are you talking about?"

The man trained his heated gaze on me, and a slight chill rippled through me. I had to fight the urge to fan myself, and I suddenly felt like he could see through me.

He bit into his lower lips, and that gesture alone was enough to make my blood feel hot. What the hell was wrong with me?

I had just suffered a heart-wrenching breakup. I shouldn't be thinking of another man this way. But it was as though I was not in control of my body and mind anymore.

Snap out of it! I chided myself, but that did nothing to stop my wandering thoughts as my gaze raked over him. His finely chiselled face and his broad chest had muscles that seemed to bulge out through the finely tailored suit he wore.

"This is the girl?" He assessed me as though I were a bag of dirt.

Fucking rude jerk! I swore inwardly, not a bit happy about the unwanted attraction I felt towards him. But how could he be so sexy with such a shy demeanour?

"Celene?"

I almost jumped at the sound of Valerie's voice. I had let my mind wander away from the present, and now I realise they were waiting for me to say something, but I had no idea what the question had been.

Great, I thought dryly. There is nothing like first impressions.

My gaze met his own, and I could immediately discern the flicker of disdain in those dark brown depths.

"Luna Valerie, I must say I'm disappointed. This is the best you could give me to marry."

For some reason, his words stung. It was a slap to my pride, and before I could stop myself, I snapped at him.

"And who said I was interested in this goddamn marriage or whatever you and my stepmother are planning?"

Shock skirted across Valerie's face as she slanted the man an apologetic look. "You can't speak to him that way. He's the---"

"I don't care who he is. I'm not going to marry anybody!"

With that, I stormed out of the living room and went straight for my room. As I lay on my bed, a mental image of Christoph lying in bed with Ella flashed through my mind, and I burst into uncontrollable sobs.

It shouldn't be as painful as this, but it was. It hurt so much, as if my heart would burst out of my chest.

I cried my heart out till I drifted to sleep.

Suddenly, the door hinges popped, jolting me out of my sleep. Two burly-looking men barged into my room, and I felt my heart leap into my throat.

"What the hell do you think you're doing by barging into my room?" I asked them as they approached me.

Their gazes grew darker as they ignored my question, wielding their swords like I was some dangerous criminal.

Before I could react, they swiped at my feet so that I doubled to the floor, letting out a groan of pain.

They clamped cuffs around my wrist and dragged me out of the room.

"You're under arrest for the murder of your sister, Ella!"

My world came crashing down. Ella was dead. What the hell happened?