Celeste didn't understand why Jeremy was avoiding her. Were they playing hide-and-seek again?
Was he really hiding her? Right after everything they had just gone through? Hell! She couldn't even be sure of that. She looked over at him, trying to figure out what was going on, but Jeremy wouldn't even meet her gaze. Instead, he kept walking as if nothing was wrong. Celeste's wolf came to a stop and let out a disapproving growl. It was clear that she wasn't happy with Jeremy's behavior, and his wolf seemed to sense that. He stiffened for a moment, but then kept walking, assuming that Celeste would follow. But she didn't. Instead, Celeste stood her ground and glared at Jeremy's back. When he realized that she was determined not to move, he slowed down a bit and took a few steps forward before he finally stopped. He didn't turn around, though. Celeste was left wondering what was going on between them. It was frustrating, to say the least. And sBefore she knew it, Celeste was trapped between Jeremy and the wall, again. Her mouth twitched. Her mind raced, trying to make sense of the situation and figure out what he was talking about. But Jeremy's expression was hard, his eyes fixed on her with a fierce intensity that made her skin crawl. "Let go of me, Jeremy!" she growled, trying to push him away. But he didn't budge. He was like a rock, unmoving and unyielding. And as she strained against him, she felt a rising sense of unease, like a trapped animal desperately fighting for her life. For a moment, she thought she saw a flicker of doubt in Jeremy's eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by a burning anger that seemed to consume him from within. Celeste was now too familiar with the anger. It had been following them all the way here, after all. The anger had been building for a long time, simmering just beneath the surface until now, it finally boiled over. "What's your problem?" she shouted, her voice echoing of
The knocking at the door froze both of them, but Jeremy still didn't let go of Celeste. They both looked towards the door, hoping that the knocking would stop. However, it only grew louder and more insistent. Celeste looked up and saw Jeremy's frown deepening as if he already knew who was on the other side of the door. "Jeremy? Jeremy! Are you there?" Nancy's voice came through the door, sounding more grating than Celeste remembered. She wondered if Nancy's voice was designed to irritate her. She stayed quiet and looked at Jeremy, unsure if they should go back to their previous conversation. She could see the same impatience and annoyance in Jeremy's eyes, but he didn't say anything. "I know you're in there, open the door, there's a fight outside!" Nancy's voice was insistent, and it made Celeste's head throb. Jeremy muttered a curse under his breath and let go of Celeste. As he moved away from her, the sudden cold air took over his body heat and made Celeste shiver. She su
Alpha? Jeremy was Alpha?! Celeste turned to Jeremy. The words echoed in her mind as she stared at Jeremy, her eyes wide with shock. How could this be? How had she never known that Jeremy was an Alpha? She recognized the same disbelief and astonishment in Jeremy's eyes. But… How could this be possible? Their parents were both Beta, so the likelihood of him being an alpha was almost zero. And if Jeremy was an Alpha, why hadn't Byron identified and trained him earlier? It didn't make sense. Byron had always treated Jeremy like any other Betas in the pack. Or was he? A thought crossed Celeste's mind. She remembered her mother mentioning that Byron had asked her to inform him the moment Jeremy turned into a wolf. Did Byron know all along? Did her parents know? Celeste's gaze swept across the other wolves in the room, and she noticed that they, too, looked surprised when they absorbed the information. However, there was more to their expr
Jeremy gave Nancy a quick look before returning his gaze to the pack. Celeste's wolf whined instantly within her again. For what reason? She didn't want to acknowledge it. Her eyes followed Jeremy's, trying to catch his attention. But his gaze did not move to her, and she felt a strange twinge of disappointment. She knew Jeremy was only responding to Nancy's question. But that knowledge did not ease the inexplicable annoyance that had been brewing within her. It was like a knot in her stomach that refused to unravel. Nancy, on the other hand, seemed to puff up with pride at the attention, standing a little taller and jutting out her chest. It was like she had received some kind of confirmation, a validation of her worth. Celeste's lips twitched. She lowered her head, biting her bottom lip. That was when Jeremy's voice landed in her ear. His voice was still the same as before, but there was a hint of composure, confidence, and authority that made
Celeste went out of the room where the werewolves were engaged in the discussion to get Sarah and Byron back. The wolves were so absorbed in their conversation that Celeste guessed they didn't even notice her exit. As she neared the doorway, her footsteps slowed down a little. She couldn't fathom why her body was doing this, but her wolf had a different idea. It was as if her wolf had picked up on something in the air, and was listening with rapt attention, waiting for something. Celeste was hesitant to follow her wolf, but she couldn't help but pause for a second. The second felt like an eternity to her. She held her breath, waiting for something – perhaps the sound of footsteps that followed behind her, the familiar scent of grass, or the warmth she was used to. But the second ticked by and nothing happened. There was no sound of footsteps, no scent of grass, and no familiar warmth. A sardonic smile flickered across her lips. For a moment
Celeste's heart was pounding very fast in her chest. Her thoughts were racing as she tried to recall every detail of the wolves lying on the floor. Maybe... Maybe her parents were still alive! Maybe the hunters had kept them alive! The idea gave her a sudden surge of hope. The weight on her shoulders seemed to have lifted a little. For the first time in what felt like so long, she could breathe a little easier. Celeste paced back and forth under the tree. She could hear the sound of her own heart racing in her ears. Her wolf, too, seemed to be energized by the possibility that her parents might still be alive. She could feel the wolf's presence in her, pacing back and forth. She lost track of time under the tree, lost in thought. When she finally looked up, she realized that the birds that had been perched on the tree had flown away. Taking a deep breath, Celeste turned her gaze towards the path that she and Jeremy had taken to get here. The path looked
The sudden grip that seized her wrist caught Celeste off guard. The force was so unexpected and abrupt that she felt like a coiled spring, pulled tautly and then suddenly drew back. She couldn't believe that Howard had run up to her and grabbed her so forcefully. But when the angry and familiar voice entered her ears, the protest and accusation at her tongues froze. Celeste looked up and saw Jeremy's equally angry gaze. The anger in his eyes pierced through her and sent shivers down her spine. Celeste pursed her lips and held his gaze. His grip tightened around her wrist, hurting her a little. "Where the hell do you think you're going?!" the man repeated, his voice low and menacing. The anger and warning were clearly audible in Celeste's ears. Anger and warning? She was somehow ignited, and the emotion that had been suppressed seemed to flare up again. Her wolf whined in her heart, but Celeste chose to ignore her. "Let go of me!" Celeste struggle
Celeste made it back to her room, feeling drained from the eventful day. She plopped down on her bed and took a deep breath, trying to have a moment of peace. She looked around the room. Jeremy was not here. He did not return with her. Celeste closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted to their encounter in the forest, where he had stopped her from leaving. She shook her head and tried to push the memory aside. After Jeremy left, Celeste ran into Howard again. She expected Howard to ask questions about their relationship, or at least arch a curious eyebrow at her. But the man acted as if he hadn't noticed the way they interacted with each other at all. Whatever Howard thought about them, Celeste was glad that the man kept it to himself instead of bringing it up. She didn't have the energy to explain things. As night fell, the werewolves gathered together to prepare for their mission. And to her surprise, Nancy was among them. Celeste couldn't help but