Chapter 36 pov Mondrian “Why doesn’t her wolf respond?” I mutter frustration laced my words as I pace down the length of the room assigned to me. I barely glanced at the plush beige carpet I stomped on as it swallowed the sound of my steps or the cream-colored wallpapers accentuated with deep brown oak boards. From an untrained eye, it looked good, but I have lived far too long not to notice the hidden insult that is revealed, the wood board, was fake, the carpets old and uncared for. Almost as if Valerie had done it on purpose. I couldn't be bothered, It was after all just a tip of the iceberg compared to the magnificence of my palace back at the white fire pack. Two days have passed since my last discussion with Celene and I still was at my start point. The routine of my stifled steps is broken by Alex's sharp voice, streaming from my phone, “ There must be a reason Alpha Mondrian, we just haven't found it yet. We have to keep looking.” “ I thought about what you said, you
Chapter 37 Mondrian Valerie’s gaze flitted across our hands before it locked onto me, sharp and probing, as her lips curled into a faux smile— too bright to seem genuine. “Your grace, Is there something you need? Any of our amenities not to your liking?” My face stayed neutral, I let Alpha Daniel go rising to my full height, “Nothing of such Valerie. Why do you ask?” Her lips widened even more, her teeth bared, “ Oh nothing, I thought there was a problem, if there was you can always come to me.” She said, her gaze unwavering “ I am sure I can help you out.” “Thank you for the offer, there's nothing I need. I had a few things to discuss with Alpha Daniel, which I have.” “Like what?” “Pardon” My brows arched as a small smirk grazed my lips. “ What were you two discussing about?” she asks, her voice deceptively casual, her steps light as she walks deeper into the room. Despite her cavalier attitude, there’s an edge to her tone. She is curious, she wants to know, to control. I
Chapter 38 Ella The plan was in motion, it was finally time to act out the plan I'd been preparing ever since Christoff broke things off with me. Celene was finally going to pay. I could feel the rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins, whoever took a look at me at this very moment would see the look of excitement on my face. Celene would finally get what was coming to her, never mind Mondrian's insistence that Celene remained safe. “I'll make sure she is safe all right.” I murmured, an eery smile gracing my lips “Six feet underground where she'll be very safe.” As I trudged deeper into the woods, the venue of the trap getting closer. If I had any doubt before, the scathing words from my mother this morning had cleared it all. I watched down from the hall window as the soldiers stole glances at the sandy blonde girl, sitting by the pond. She sat watching a group of ducks playing by the pond, Although she seemed unaware of the attention she was given I knew better. Her pale
Chapter 39 Celene I walked along the familiar trail, as I breathed in the cool evening air letting the forest embrace me in its quiet. This was one of my many forms of escape, the familiar woods remained one of the places where I could find some peace, away from the chaos of that was my life. Away from the nosiness of Mondrian. As the sun began to wane my footsteps never faltered, I could always find my way no matter the time, a testament to how often I trailed this part. I force myself not to think about the other places I had once found peace, spoilt by one man—rather long-lived Lycan. Mondrian had found them all, I wasn't bothered by his persistence to get acquainted, but rather his insistence on saving me from myself that greatly annoyed me. My lips pursed as flashes of our conversation replayed. Who did he think he could save me? Why did he feel like I needed saving? Despite him not knowing anything he continued to forge on, putting me in danger. What would happen if
Chapter 40 Mondrian pov “Damn it all to hell,” I cursed out into the dark, as flashes of green flitted through my eyes, as I hurried towards the location of the noise. Although Ella has sent the location of the ambush, on my arrival I had met no one, annoyance flooded my vein at her mistake. I rushed towards the clearing overhead, hoping that I was not too late. The moment I saw her, something snapped inside me. My nose flared as the scent of blood hit me, and my eyes locked on Celene, sprawled on the forest floor, her hand pressed to her side. The sight of her injury—a deep, purple bleeding gash, sent a wave of rage crashing over me. My vision blurred at the edges, fury boiled in my veins, as the group of werewolves looked on, scared. My teeth bared instinctively, the wolf in me clawed to the surface. “How dare you” I snarled, the words dripping with venom. A burly man, with a scar on his face stepped forward,hands up,with fear written on his face, “We didnt—” I dont wa
Chapter 41 Celene pov “Argh I am so tired nikka,” my screams are muffled by my pillow, as I grieve over the past week's incident, “Each day grows more exhausting from the last. I just can't deal. I don't think I even want to leave my room ever again.” A soft chuckle escaped the speaker of my phone, as Nikka my one and only friend who had managed to escape this pack when she got mated to an Alpha said, ” Come on, it's not that bad Mondrian saved you. You are alive. I'm sure that's a silver lining.” “Silver lining?” I repeated, my emotions surged like an inferno, “What silver lining Nikka? I'm going crazy here. Everywhere I go, danger follows. One moment, I am going about my day, the next, I’m inches away from death. Whether it is a falling tree branch narrowly missing my head or a rogue wolf lunging at me from the shadows, there's always something happening. I am always on edge.” “That seems kind of odd, Despite your wicked stepmother Valerie's constant schemes and her rabid mons
Chapter 42 Author pov I waited in my room, watching the sunset in a wonderful range of red hues as I sat perched on the edge of my seat. My heart raced, not a mix of fear and guilt, but also anticipation of what had happened a few hours ago. Celene had been hurt. Mondrian would soon come looking for answers, and I was prepared to give him answers—crafted for this very purpose. My door swung open, and I straightened, as I allowed my expression to shift into one of worry. Just as expected, Mondrian entered the room, his face dark with anger, his eyes sharp as they landed on me. “Ella,” he growled, his voice a low, dangerous rumble. I blinked up at him, all innocence. “Your Highness!” I greeted, my smile warm and welcoming. “Did everything go as planned?” The muscles in his jaw twitched, as I felt the weight of his glare. “What do you think you are doing? Playing with fire?” I tilt my head to the side my eyes wide to show my surprise, “Your Majesty, is something wrong? Have I o
Chapter 43 Mondrian The smell of smoke hit me first. Thick, acrid, and choking. My senses flared instantly, heart raced at the thought of something so terrible happening. I pushed open the heavy doors of the palace office, where a few minutes ago I had been in a meeting with a few of my delegates, Valerie included. “What is going on?” Alpha Daniel said, his belly jiggled at each word as Valerie eyed the corner. “Probably just a small mishap.” She said we should head back inside. No one moved as the elders continued to stare at the smoke as they shuffled around, murmurs of their confusion filled the air yet none moved to find out more. My eyes narrowed as I gazed at budding flames licking at the far corners of the pack. Chaos erupted all around me—sentries and servants running, yelling, doing everything they could to contain the fire. “Alpha!” a voice called out towards Daniel, panicked and breathless. I spun around face to face the young wolf, his face ashen. “What happened?”
101 Celene The thoughts of the previous night kept replaying in my head, couldn’t stop replaying the moment in my mind. Mondrian walked away from me, his face a myriad of emotions that I could place, walking away from me after that hug that left me wanting him to stay, yet too embarrassed to do anything. What was that all about? It wasn’t like him to act so cold, Mondrian always made sure to savor every single moment of our time together. That hug should have lasted for quite a while before breaking it with a kiss. Although I tried not to think too deeply about his actions, I couldn't help but feel his walking away had to do with the promise he had made to me. Did he not want to do it or was he having second doubts? The thought ate at me all night. Twisting and turning in bed all night, pulling the blanket tighter, then throwing it off entirely. Sleep eluded me no matter what I did or how hard I tried. My mind kept circling back to him— his expression, him walking out without so
100 Mondrian I stepped into my office to find Alex my beta and best friend waiting for me, his arms folded and his face set in his usual calm and unreadable expression. Although It was his usual look, but something about it annoyed me. Maybe it was the tension in the air, or maybe it was the way my own guilt over Celene—walking away from her—still clung to me like a heavy cloak. Either way, I wasn’t in the mood for pleasantries. “Alex,” I greeted curtly, nodding as I took my seat at the head of the desk. "Alpha," he responded, his tone even, but I caught the flicker of Amusement in his eyes. He knew something. Before I could say anything more, Arlen walked in, his boots clicking against the floor as he joined us. His young face showed none of the excitement he usually eluded instead the shadows under his eyes and the way he sighed told a different tale. It was not surprising, considering the mission I’d sent him on. "Arlen," I said, leaning forward. "Any News young one? Are t
99 Mondrian “What the heck was that?” Zara’s sharp voice followed me as I turned towards the stairs leading to my office. “Do you even realize how harsh you were?” she asked, walking in tandem with me, arms placed hastily on her hips. I stopped mid-step and turned to her, my jaw tightening. “I was harsh for a good reason.” My voice was cold and fiand rm, Zara’s eyes held mine, “She disobeyed me, Zara. She could’ve gotten hurt or worse.” “She didn’t, though,” she countered, her voice calm but firm, her arms crossed across her chest. “And yelling at her like that isn’t going to make her listen to you. If anything, you’re just going to push her further away. I thought you wanted her to fall for you. This isn't the way Mondrian.” Her words hit me like a blow to the chest. I hated to admit it, but she was right. The look on Celene’s, face when I had scolded her—hurt, betrayed, and shocked kept replaying in my mind. It made me feel sick to my stomach. The thought of Celene shifting
98 Celene I stared at her, my hand still raised, my chest heaving. The energy I’d felt when I had merged with Alera surged through me, I could feel the electric tension as my hands trembled from the rush. What the heck was that? My mind whirling as It struggled to process what had just happened. Pecan’s stunned face didn't change as she stared at me, and I couldn’t shake the image of her flying. Albeit satisfying that should have been impossible, I shouldn't be able to do that…not with Pecan who had a place in Mondrian's army, rumors about her slaying mountains of men had welcomed me on my very first day, despite her nasty attitude, she was someone Mondrian had acknowledged and I had thrown her with a flick of my wrist. The hallway grew eerily silent, for a second it all felt like a dream, but my heartbeat pounded loudly in my ears telling a different tale. Then, out of nowhere, Zara appeared, her face full of worry as she hurried toward me. “What happened? I heard a scream,” s
97 Celene I woke up to find Mondrian sitting by my bed, his head in his hands. His shoulders looked heavy like he was carrying the weight of the world. The dim light of the room made his dark hair gleam, and his expression, when he finally glanced up at me, was nothing short of pained. My heart skipped at his forlorn expression. “Mondrian?” My voice came out hoarse, barely above a whisper. My throat burning, and everything felt… off—dull. Still, I reached out to him “What’s wrong?” He exhaled slowly like he was relieved just to hear me speak. “Celene,” he said, his voice soft but laced with tension. “You’re awake. I'm glad.” But his expression still didn't change. “Of course I’m awake,” I said, frowning, as a soft groan escaped My lips. My head was pounding, and my memories were foggy. Before I could ask what had happened, a single memory turned sharp in my mind, and it made my heart leap, excitement fueled my voice looking towards him “I turned! Didn’t I?” His face fell fur
96 Mondrian “Why would you say that, Mondrian?” The voice startled me. In the chaos of trying to save Celene and then battling Maria's words, I had forgotten about the people around me. I turned around, and there he was, glaring at me like I’d just committed some sort of crime. His arms were crossed over his chest, and his expression was sharp a far cry from his usual expressionless face. “You think this is your fault?” he demanded, his voice harsh. “Celene turning and then her fever? You think you’re the reason she’s like this?” I didn’t say anything for a moment. How could I explain? He wouldn’t understand. “If I had been paying a little bit of attention, I would’ve noticed something was wrong,” I finally said, my voice quiet but firm. “if only I wasn't so selfish…I could’ve done something to stop it.” Alex shook his head, frustrated. “Stop it? Stop what, Mondrian? The fever? The turning? What exactly?” His voice rises with every question, “Celene is an adult, she can make h
95 Mondrian “Aren't you in love with Celene?” Zara's words replay in my head on a continuous loop, her words hit me like a punch to the guys, her eyes boring into mine as she stared at me with a look of assuredness. She followed up by stating her efforts towards bringing I and celene together. I had been too shocked to defend myself, too unsure of what was in store for me, I could only stutter, Zara had looked at me with a face tinged with a shock that I hadn't realized before patting my shoulder urging me to think about my next steps before leaving me to my thoughts, with a simple excuse. Too shocked to function I walked back into the room, and her pale unconscious face came into view. Was I in love with Celene? Had I been very obvious in my interest in her? Did Celene like me too? The thoughts ricochet around my mind, mixing in with my feelings of worry towards Celene, until it becomes a giant pile of nerves. With a huff, I fall back on the bed. “What am I doing?” I muttere
94 Mondrian “Celene!” Horror overwhelms me watching her wolf fall in slow motion after finally turning puts my heart in reverse, catching her fall, I pull her into my arms, “What's wrong with you Celene?” She doesn't respond. She had fallen unconscious. This was all my fault, I had no one else to blame, I should have stopped her when she wanted to try again, and I should have been more strict. Despite her being unconscious, her body begins the painful process of turning human. I winced at every crack, her weak body made even when she didn't acknowledge them. Pilling her close to my chest I waited out the turning process murmuring sweet meaningless nothings, while I prayed for it all to be over. At the last pop, I pull off my jacket to cover her semi-naked body, she had been in her underwear during the transformation, and she had feared ruining the sportswear she had walked in with. Her body flushed red from the pain and soaked with sweat, glistened under the sweltering sun. With
93 Celene My talk with Zara put my thoughts in line. To learn more information about my history I needed to ask my father, which I couldn't do on my own, so another goal was created— I needed to overpower Luna Valerie and my father to become strong enough so they respect me. To do so I needed power— more than I already had. Which could only be gotten if I learned to turn, the history book clearly stated the silver wolfs were blessed with powers, and even Alera could confirm, but for some odd reason she couldn't unlock it. Further solidifying my reasons to become stronger, I needed a teacher. I need Mondrian. There was no one more fitting of the role other than Alpha Mondrian. He understood my problem and wanted to help, moreover, I was comfortable a bit with him. I held my breath, my hands growing sweaty, waiting for him to give me an answer. His deep grey eyes bore into mine, holding me in place, “Are you sure Celene? I thought we agreed you should take things slow.” He asked,