80 Celene I stood so quickly that my chair screeched against the floor. The room goes quiet and I could feel everyone’s eyes on me, but I didn’t dare to look up. “Bathroom.” I bolted for the Exit, ignoring Zara as she popped up from her seat, and hit on my heels. “I’ll come with you!” As soon as we turned a corner, Zara caught on, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “Celene,” Zara said, her tone teasing but soft, “you’ve got to relax. You’re acting like Mondrian just sprouted a second head.” I shot her a look, even as a small laugh escaped me. “It’s not that. It’s just... the way he looks at me. It’s intense.” “Well, yeah,” she said, leaning casually against the wall as I fidgeted. “If you didn't notice. You are stunning tonight. It would take a dead man not to notice that.” I blinked at her, caught off guard. “What?” “Stunning,” she repeated, smirking now. “Don’t tell me you didn’t notice how the crowd kept stealing glances at you. Heck, even Mondrian couldn’t keep his eyes
81 Celene I woke up the next morning with a smile, a combination of nerves and excitement swirling in my chest. Last night's talk with Mondrain replayed in my head, I couldn't believe I and Mondrian had more in common than I thought or that Mondrian had such a sweet side to him. The past twenty-four hours spent with him were beginning to make me wonder why I had never given him a chance before. I guess it was all the goddess will, to act the way I did back at Purple Pack. At least now I'll get to know him better without the distraction that was my sister or stepmother. Today was the day Mondrian promised to help me with my wolf. I’d never had any proper training before—mostly because of the curse and the fear holding me back after the last time I went on a rampage. However I still feared the worst Mondrian had offered, and I wasn’t about to waste the opportunity, even if the thought of losing control again made my stomach churn. The sun had barely begun to rise when my door wa
81 Celene The cheerful chirping of birds was the first thing I noticed, but it barely registered over the pounding of my heart. The second was the blood rushing to my head, and the third was the warm, rich scent of cocoa and earth— of Mondrian that wrapped around me. Pulling me into comfort. His chest cradled my head as if it were the safest place in the world, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to melt into his embrace. Clearing my throat, I shifted slightly, placing my hands against him to create some distance. I expected him to let go, but instead, another arm slid around my waist, pulling me even closer. My breath hitched in surprise, my body now fully pressed against his. “I’ve missed you,” he murmured, his breath breath brushing my ears as his deep voice vibrated through his chest, scattering my thoughts. “We met last night,” I managed to reply, my voice barely steady. My fingers twitched against his chest, betraying the war inside me—the urge to lean into him and le
83 Mondrian The sound of hurried footsteps approaching shattered the moment between Celene and me. I stilled turning around to face the threat pushing Celene behind me. She looked up at me, her wide eyes full of curiosity and concern, but I had no time to explain. A soldier emerged from the corner, his face tinted with worry and his breathing ragged. This could have been avoided if he'd warped towards me, but I had the wizards cast a spell voiding the warping magic from working for this practice. I wanted to make sure Celene was protected in every way. Watching the soldier run towards me reassures my decision. I immediately straightened, my senses sharpening at the sight of him. “Alpha Mondrian,” he said, bowing slightly, his voice taut with confusion. “You’re needed at the gate. There’s... trouble?.” “Trouble?” The word hung in the air and I pondered over his tone. “What's going on?” The soldier bowed, his emotions flashing on his face with confusion evident, “Alpha I
84 Celene The training ground grew quiet after Mondrian left, the sounds of rustling leaves and chirping birds do little to fill the space he left behind as he rushes away. I stayed exactly where he told me to, searching around I settled down sitting cross-legged on the soft earth of the training ground, my arms resting on my knees. Despite my curiosity about what was happening, I decided to follow his instructions. He’d seemed... worried, and I didn’t want to add to his burden besides I felt it would be a good opportunity to trust in him. Still, my mind raced with questions. What could be so urgent that it pulled him away like that? And why had the soldier looked so tensed and confused when he had approached us? I sighed, brushing a wisp of my hair that had escaped my hair band back from my face. Focus, Celene. This was my chance to work on what we had started earlier. Maybe this time around my wolf would listen and I could turn. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, letting
85 Mondrian A sudden silence engulfed the area, my voice echoing through the trees, the rogues in tandem reacted to Celene's name, causing the warriors around to stand on guard. Alex’s head snapped toward me, his eyes narrowing. “Are you sure?” “Look at them,” I said, gesturing to the rogues. “They aren't attacking. Barely doing anything but the moment they heard her name. See how they acted—wild. See their eyes, it's not on us is it?” Alex shook his head, turning to access the rogues. The longer I thought the surer I felt, “When I arrived we thought they were staring at me. We were wrong— they were staring behind me. And when they reacted the first time, it must have been to Celene's scent.” Alex cursed under his breath, his fists clenching. “What do you want to do, Alpha?” “Protect Celene at all times,” I said without hesitation. “Even if there's no chance of them getting to her, I want her protected. Issue a guard to follow her in hiding at all times.” Alex nodded, already
86 Celene The singing birds and Zara’s presence seem so far away, the once bright day and thoughts of hope dashed with the heaviness of pecan words. She was right. Her meaning was evident between the lines of words she never said, and yet I heard it. I had brought my terrible luck to White Fire, putting its people in danger. “Are you okay?” Zara's words of concern break into my thoughts drawing me out of the sadness that was quickly engulfing me, “I don't know what she said, but you shouldn't be listening to Pecan, Celene she is filled with spite. You know that don't you?” She asked, covering the space between us in large strides, her face etched with concern. Tears, large and hot well in my eyes ready to fall at any second, pecans eyes widened, pulling me Into a hug, “ Oh Celene. No. Don't cry. Whatever it is she said, you shouldn't believe her. Pecan is nothing but a manipulating wit—” “Is it true?” I interrupted, my voice trembling. “Is what true?” Zara asked, her chin pr
87 Celene Trust. It was such an easy word to say, yet so heavy. A word that could either make or break the toughest of situations. A word I had given freely and had gotten punished for it, Although I had learned my lesson with Ella and Christoff I find myself staring into the warm grey eyes of Alpha Mondrian. Thinking would it be wrong to trust one more time? Although the tension between Mondrian and me eased after the kiss, Although I couldn’t ignore the pain and guilt I had felt at Pecan's accusations, the need to defend myself grew deep within my heart. I couldn’t ignore the sincerity in his eyes when Mondrian held onto me, begging me to trust in him. Something about it all felt too real, or maybe It was my heart yearning for the warmth of a mate, the hope that this time around it would be different. Either way, I decided—throwing caution to the wind—to trust him. After all, hadn’t I clung to hurt and mistrust for long enough? Ella’s venomous words and Christoff’s betray
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,