Fix Me Up, Cece

Celeste’s POV

“What? I was just… telling them to back off!” His eyes darkened immediately. Of course he was mad. The old Celeste he knew was shy and quiet. She was a little scared of his Alpha temper and always tried to please him just to make him smile. We had been best friends since we were ten years old. 

But looking at his handsome face now, all I could see was the cold man who ordered my death. 

"So that's it?" he asked, his voice tight with anger and confusion. "You're mad? At me? After I've saved you a million times from those crazy girls?"

I grabbed my helmet and got onto my bike, keeping my hands steady so he wouldn't see me shaking. "There is no need to protect me anymore," I said calmly. "We are in college, Caius… not in grade school."

He took a deep breath, pedaling easily beside me. "Can you just tell me what I did wrong? Why are you giving me this attitude? I swear I don't know what I—"

"I'm just not in the mood to talk to you. I'm tired," I interrupted. I pedaled faster, trying to leave him behind.

But to my surprise, he didn't stop. He had grabbed a bike from a random student and was now chasing me.

I glanced back at him and frowned. "What are you doing?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? We live in the same house," he said, flashing a dangerously handsome smile. He didn't even look tired. He just looked stubborn, like a little boy who refused to lose a game. "Besides, you can't get rid of me that easily."

I looked behind him. His family's black luxury car was following slowly behind us, guarding its precious Alpha heir. Was he seriously doing this? He was riding a stolen, rusty bike just to annoy me!

"You are acting like a child, Caius. Go back to your car," I snapped. I felt like a twenty-seven-year-old woman scolding a toddler, not a college student talking to her best friend.

"Make me," he challenged. His voice was playful, but his dark eyes held a persistent, intense warning. He was a dangerous Alpha who was used to getting his way. "I'm not leaving you alone until you tell me why you're looking at me like I just ruined your life."

I gripped the handlebars tightly. If he only knew. I couldn't stand this young, childish version of him. He was innocent and incredibly charming, but my soul still hated him. I needed to find a way to move out of the Atkinson manor right now. 

Because I'm absolutely not marrying the same man again!

When we arrived at the manor, it was completely quiet. The Alpha and Luna were not there. They were visiting the main packhouse today to look for a suitable mate for Caius. 

There were dark rumors going around that the current Alpha was very sick and wouldn't survive another full moon. If he died, Caius would immediately take over as the new Alpha of the Feral Pack.

Caius dropped his stolen bike on the grass. "Go change your clothes," he ordered easily, running a hand through his messy hair. "I'm heading to the training grounds in ten minutes."

"Do I really have to go?" I sighed. "Can't you just train without getting ripped apart for one single day?"

He smirked, taking a slow step closer to me. His dark eyes were playful but persistent. "And miss out on spending time with my favorite healer? No way. Besides, if I don't let the Gammas get a few lucky hits in, their egos will be crushed. Hurry up, Cece. Don't make me come up there and drag you out."

"Right," I muttered, rolling my eyes and turning my back on him. I felt like an exhausted older woman dealing with an arrogant teenager.

I walked inside my room and quickly changed into comfortable, normal clothes. I really did have to go. When werewolves fight each other, their claws and fangs leave special wounds that cannot heal on their own. 

Without a healer to use pack medicine, a werewolf will suffer from the open wound for days, just like a fragile human.

A few minutes later, I was sitting on the wooden benches at the training ground. I watched Caius easily dodge and fight the huge Betas and Gammas in the dirt.

While watching, I pulled out my phone from my pocket. A heavy wave of emotion suddenly hit my chest. It was my old phone. I unlocked the screen and just stared at the date: 2019. Seven years ago.

It felt so surreal. I held the small device tightly in my hands, taking a deep breath of the fresh air. My body felt light, healthy, and completely free of the scars and exhaustion of my past life. 

I was really back…

A few minutes later, Caius finished his training. He walked toward me, his chest heaving, his dark hair glued to his forehead with sweat. Even covered in dirt and bleeding, I couldn't take my eyes away from him.

He stopped in front of me and casually held out his arms. They were covered in deep, bleeding claw marks from his wrists all the way up to his shoulders. 

He even turned around slightly to show me the massive scratches on his back.

"Fix me up, Cece," he commanded playfully, expecting me to immediately jump to his rescue.

I glared at him. He really treated me like a walking first-aid kit, acting as if healing these deep werewolf wounds wouldn't completely drain my physical energy.

"Do I look like a magical band-aid to you?" I snapped, crossing my arms.

Caius smirked, looking down at me with those intense, persistent dark eyes. "You are my personal healer. Come on, my back is stinging. One of the Betas actually got a lucky strike. Fix it."

"Maybe you should learn how to dodge," I said dryly.

"I don't need to dodge when I know you are always here to put me back together," he replied, giving me a charming, arrogant wink.

He was being so childish. The old me would have blushed and healed him immediately, happy that he needed me. 

But the twenty-seven-year-old woman inside my soul was just exhausted by him.

I leaned forward, looking right into his handsome face. "Sorry, I can't heal you right now. I used a lot of my energy earlier today."

His smirk dropped. "What? Doing what?"

Instead of answering, I stood up and gave him a bright, completely sarcastic smile. "It's much better to save my energy than to waste it all on you. Because this time, Caius, you need to learn not to get wounded in the first place."

Without another word, I turned around and walked away, leaving the dangerous Alpha heir standing in the middle of the training ground, bleeding and utterly stunned.