As Jeremy's wolf drew dangerously close to Celeste, its powerful muscles coiled like springs before launching him straight toward her.
Celeste was caught off guard. As the wolf's sharp claws grazed against her skin, Celeste's mind raced with doubt. Had she been too naive, too trusting of Jeremy? She guessed she could only blame herself for getting under the wolf's skin. Her body went backward. She braced herself for the impact of a fall. She expected the air to get knocked out of her lungs. But the impact or the pain never came. As she hit the ground, she was met with an unexpected softness that cushioned her. The wolf's supple tail had swooped in at the last moment to break her fall. Unlike that night, the wolf had exercised great restraint and didn't land his entire weight on Celeste's body. Instead, with remarkable finesse, the wolf landed beside her, his powerful tail sandwiched between Celeste and the unforgiving ground. Celeste slowly opened her eFor some reason, Celeste was more upset about Jeremy running away from her than the fact that he may have caused her harm. She had no idea why she felt that way. Maybe she was just a bit hurt because she was shut out by the person she cared about. She knew she was being unfair. Jeremy was just trying to protect her in his way. But as she spoke, the words that came out of her mouth were tinged with the raw emotions she couldn't keep hidden. Jeremy seemed to be taken aback by that. "I'm sorry," he uttered, his memory failing him as to how many times he had apologized to Celeste. In the presence of his wolf, he felt like a coward – a spineless individual who could only flee. "In the end, you don't believe in your wolf," Celeste let out a soft sigh, trying to release a heavy weight on her chest. "Yes, at least at that time I didn't trust my wolf at all." He nodded slightly. At that time? What about now? Did he trust his wolf now?
Celeste was ready to talk about her mate bond with Jeremy. Her heart sped up a little. She didn't know what was driving her to say that out loud. Was it the pull of the moon or the unbridled comfort of their closeness that loosened her tongue? Or perhaps it was a sense of reverence that filled her being as she realized the lengths Jeremy went to control his beastly urges for her? She couldn't quite put a finger on it. The thought surfaced in her mind and freed itself from her lips without a moment of delay, like a bird from a cage. But the sudden burst of words didn't leave her with any regret or remorse. Jeremy's wolf stirred in her arms, eyes blinking several times as if he was trying to make sense of what Celeste had just said. Then, in a sudden outburst of excitement, he gazed at Celeste, tail swishing back and forth. Though the wolf's face didn't change, Celeste swore that he was smiling. She couldn't help with the smile on her face,
Celeste felt a whirlwind of emotions before she climbed up to the roof. Was she really going to have a heart-to-heart with Jeremy? The thought made her skin itch nervously. But as soon as she reached the roof, the noises in her mind subsided. She stood on the edge of the roof and gazed at the vast forest that stretched to the horizon and the sun that was slowly sinking behind the trees, painting the sky with a radiant palette of orange and red hues. Wispy clouds drifted across the sky, creating a mesmerizing spectacle of shapes and colors. For a short moment, she was lost in sight. She stepped closer to the edge of the roof, the wind tugging at her hair and clothes. She looked to her side and found Jeremy was also staring at the land and the sky far away from them. They sat on the eaves, leaning against the warm brick wall of the house. They enjoyed the silence and peace that enveloped them. Neither of them felt the need to say anything. T
Rejection… The word carries its own weight. Celeste felt like her tongue was seared by the word. It was as if the word was a hot coal that she had to spit out, or it would consume her. She could feel the lump in her throat, threatening to choke her, but somehow she managed to say it out loud without a pause. Jeremy's body tensed, but he nodded slightly and didn't seem to be surprised. It was as if he had been expecting this, but that didn't make it any less painful. He looked up at her. She caught a fleeting glimpse of sadness in his eyes before he turned away. In truth, they both knew that rejection was the only option. Fate was playing a joke on them. How could she and he be both siblings and mates? They could only choose one. It should not be a difficult decision, and both of them knew very well what they were going to choose eventually. But when they had to choose, it was difficult. And it was somehow painful. But
Celeste was sipping her coffee when Byron's comment caught her off guard. She nearly choked on the liquid, her eyes widening in surprise. At that moment, she felt a rush of fear that their secret was exposed. She shot her gaze at Jeremy automatically, but he seemed surprisingly calm. "Uh, no, we're just curious." "Curious enough that both of you show up at my door at the same time?" Byron raised an eyebrow. Damn! She should have known it would be suspicious. "Uh huh," Jeremy shrugged casually, but Celeste felt his body tense slightly beside her. If she hadn't been sitting so close to him, she might not have picked up on the mask. Byron's gaze lingered on them both. For a moment, Celeste wondered if he had found something. But Byron didn't say anything more. Desperate to change the subject, Celeste urged, "So, what's the rejection ritual like?" Byron smiled slyly, enjoying the suspense. "Well, in theory, it's simple enough. Bu
Ever since Celeste and Jeremy returned from Byron's place, a strange tension had hung in the air between them. It was like they were back to their previous lives. Not that they didn't speak to each other at all, but the conversations were often stilted. They started to avoid each other again, tiptoeing around another invisible elephant in the room. With Celeste's wolf now mostly healed, Jeremy didn't need to be by her side constantly anymore. Yet, this newfound freedom has only served to exacerbate the tension between them. Both wolves were acutely aware of each other's presence as if they were magnetically drawn together, yet also repelled by their humans' reasons. Jeremy now spent most of his days outside, leaving Celeste alone in the house. Celeste understood their need for space, but that didn't dissipate the tension between them, lurking beneath the surface like a dormant volcano. Celeste couldn't help but wonder which of them would lose control first and shatter the de
Celeste blinked her eyes. And just like that, the rogue was gone? So what the heck was he doing here? Celeste was very confused by his sudden appearance and disappearance. Celeste opened the window. As she took a breath of the outside air, more questions were left in her mind. How long had he been staying outside her window? If she didn't wake up, what was he going to do? How did he know where she lived and where her window was? And how much of what he had said could she trust? She had so many questions. She wanted to ask the rogue, but he was long gone. The early morning light cast a faint glow over the window, adding to the surreal and almost dreamlike atmosphere. Celeste stood at the window, her eyes staring into the direction where Kent had disappeared from view. She strained to hear any sound, any indication that he might be coming back. Her mind raced with possibilities. But no sound came. There were no footsteps or rustling of leaves. It was as if Kent had never bee
Celeste was caught off guard by Jeremy's sudden movement. Without warning, his strong hands grasped her shoulders, and she was spun around. Her back was slammed against the cold wall. Before she could wince in pain, Jeremy's weight was right on her. His right hand held her shoulder in a vice-like grip, his fingers digging into her flesh with enough force to leave bruises. Celeste's heart raced as she stared straight into Jeremy's eyes. For a moment, she was paralyzed, unable to move or speak. It was only when Jeremy's grip tightened that she found the strength to struggle and fight back. "Jeremy, let me go! You're hurting me!" Jeremy snapped out of his trance, releasing her immediately and backing away. Celeste rubbed her shoulder. It was not so painful, but the sensation of his grip lingered. She kept her eyes on Jeremy, wary of any sudden movements. "Sorry," Jeremy returned to his stuttering self again, then muttered to himself in a low