Selene’s POVSunlight spilled through the open window and lay warm streaks of light across the wooden floor. The room smelt like wet wood. I hated the smell.I flipped through my spellbook on the old desk. It creaked and looked like it was about to break.My grimoire had an old leather cover and was rough on the tips of my fingers, and the ancient symbol on it glowed faintly. A smile curved on my lips as I whispered the incantation.“Briseadh na gcosc, sruth na cumhachta,oscail an doras, lig an neart sruthlú.”The pulse of energy
Celeste’s POVI felt the afternoon sun on my skin. Vanessa had warned me never to meet Selene alone. I still wanted to learn more from Selene, and I loved the thrill of magic on my hand. I felt powerful, unlike when I was with the pack. I kept glancing between Vanessa and Selene. They were literally on each other's throats, glaring at each other."Ehem," I coughed, taking them out of their silent war. They forgot I was with them. Selene's earlier outburst had turned from a triple staring contest into both of them talking with their eyes."Are you both done? cus I'm going inside," I said, tucking some loose strands of hair behind my ear.
Celeste's POV:His gaze turned dark, hungry and didn't leave mine. I felt his need grow as he held me."I...I've never...done it with...um, I haven't..." I confessed."You're a virgin," he completed.The way he said it made me a little embarrassed.He looked surprised and unknowingly tightened his grip on me.His Adam's apple bobbed as he breathed slowly. I was scared he was going to leave, but instead he spoke. “You should have told me.”I swallowed. "Would it have made a difference?
Celeste’s POVThe morning light filtered gently through the thick curtains, and golden strips bounced off the walls. My body hurt in ways I hadn’t anticipated, a deep ache settling between my thighs.I had slept through for hours and it was already morning again. Every cell of my body felt heavy, and completely exhausted.I shifted, the silk sheets slipping over my bare skin, and for a moment, I lay still, absorbing the bed’s warmth.Last night replayed in my head; the heat of his skin, his body molded to mine, the way he dominated. A hot flush crept across my neck, and I buried my face in the pillow, whimpering.I needed to get up.
Celeste’s POVHis deep, amused voice interrupted my morning daze.“Celeste, you have five minutes, if you don’t come out, I’m coming in to bathe you myself.”I sat bolt upright in the tub, water spilling over the porcelain sides. I panicked and gripped the soap, my heart thudding against the walls of my ribs.Oh, hell no.“Don’t you dare!” I screamed, going for a towel with wet hands.From behind the door, Killian snickered. “You sure? I wouldn’t mind helping you.”My teeth were clenched, my cheeks burning. “I'm comin
Celeste’s POVLogan’s gaze darted from Vanessa to me, his jaw clenched. Something was wrong.“What is it?” Vanessa asked, moving forward.He paused for a beat, then breathed out. “Killian sent me to see how you’re doing.”Shivers of panic coursed through my chest. Did he know?I forced a casual smile. “Check on me? Why?”Logan’s expression hardened. “Because he knows you, Celeste. And he had a premonition you’d do something rash.”Vanessa and I looked at each other.
Selene’s POVCeleste was unconscious on the bed, her breathing shallow and steady.I let out a long breath, distinguishing the energy that had come from the spell I'd used to mend her wounds and rejuvenate her strength; I flex my fingers a few times.There was nothing worse in Lunaris magic than the explosion I had been through. It had nearly torn her apart. Killian would have my head if anything happened to her.She wasn’t ready yet. But she would be if I pushed her hard.Lord, Malthus. She's not what I was expecting.I had brought her to my room, hidden within the depths of the estate grounds where n
Celeste’s POV The room was a trap closing in. Every breath, every heartbeat throbbed too loud. Killian was here. My lungs ached from holding my breath too long, but I didn’t dare move. Neither did Vanessa. We were hidden, stealthed by Selene’s spell, but Killian’s instincts were keener than magic. He could feel us. The corners of his nostrils flared, his head cocked, his narrow-eyed stare holding the space like a predator aware that its prey was just out of reach. His eyes burned with a slow, simmering rage. His voice was low, measured and deadly. “Where is she?” Selene stood there between him and us, arms crossed, enigmatic. “Who?” Killian’s attention jerked to her, a tempest of emotions brewing in his eyes. “Don’t test me, Selene.” His voice cut like a knife through the tension. “I know she’s here.” His words slithered up under my skin. My fists clenched as
Celeste's POVI was so damn sweaty as I woke up. Something must have jolted me awake. At the moment, I couldn’t seem to think clearly.Why am I not surprised, though? Still, I was not as sweaty or out of breath as I tend to be in the mornings these days. Simply put, warm. Like a soft touch, the light brushed the bed as it spilled through the drapes. I buried my head more in the pillow and remained there for a while, listening to the noises of the neighbourhood starting to reverberate.Laughter, footsteps, and voices.Typical.Selene was seemingly nowhere, and that to me was a more than welcome development. No shifting ideas that weren't mine, no whispers in my mind, and no shadows pulling at the edges of my consciousness.I was alone.It was also pleasant.I slowly woke up my limbs by stretching beneath the covers. I felt the little wounds over my palm, traces of something I still didn't entirely recall, when my fingers touched the edge of the blankets. I couldn't bear the thought of
Killian’s POVI sat in my office, eyes on the file in front of me. It was a thick folder, full of names—young pups, barely old enough to walk steady, who were being enrolled into the new training program. The idea was to teach them how to shift safely during full moons, so no one got hurt. Some of these kids didn’t even know what they were yet. And I needed to be sure we picked the right mentors for them.The list was long. But I didn’t mind. This was the kind of work that kept me grounded. Calm. Focused.My pen tapped against the corner of the file as I flipped another page, reading over names, pack lineages, and notes from their parents. I made little marks in the margins—just small things I’d remember later. I didn’t want to rush it.Then, five minutes in, there was a knock.It was soft. Hesitant. Like whoever stood outside the door wasn’t sure if they should be here.“Come in,” I said, without looking up.But the second the door creaked open, I smelled him before I even saw his f
Celeste’s POVI walked across the wide lawn of Midnight Moon Paradise under the pale glow of the moon. The grass was very cool and soft beneath my bare feet. I kept my eyes on the ground, as If I was lost in my own thoughts, though I did not know what I was thinking about.I felt very restless, like a bird trapped in a cage. Vanessa’s face kept floating in my mind, but it was a half-remembered image, blurred at the edges. I knew I didn’t trust Vanessa, but I was worried even more about my own self. Somewhere inside me, something had gone wrong. My memories felt extremely thin, like they could slip away at any moment. I tried to hold onto a single clear thought, but it dissolved before she could pin it down. Every time I tried to remember a name, a place, or a promise, the words would just drift away.That confusion, that fear, was pressed down on my chest. I knew I needed a break from my own mind. I kept walking until I found a smooth concrete stone in the middle of the lawn. It l
Vanessa’s POVCeleste was losing touch with reality.I saw it happen for a week, her laughter absent, her warmth lost. She avoided conversation and seemed to forget what she wanted to say in the middle of a sentence. Her eyes became dull, and she stayed alone. Tonight, I followed her.She paced alone through the dark corridors, almost robotically. When she stepped out into the open air, I stayed put, back there behind the tall hedges. She drifted, her hair brushing the moonlight as she moved across an empty field.Then she stopped.Her body was tense, and her head was tipped to the side. I could see her lips moving but heard nothing. My stomach twisted. It was unnatural and eerie. She was muttering to herself in a low, detached voice as if she were addressing someone only she could see."Celeste?" My voice called gently as I got closer to her. She spasmed violently, her head whipping toward me.
Killian’s POVThe walls of my office had felt too confining, the metal cage of it closing in all around me.Celeste’s voice was running in my head, cutting like a knife. It cut deep enough that I couldn’t focus.How could she see me as a monster?My fists were clenched. I wanted to punch something.I flew out of my office and stalked down to the private training room, shouldering the door open with enough force that it slammed into the wall. The noise hardly penetrated. I grabbed the nearest heavy bag I could find, set my feet, and punched it with abandon.The opening pu
Celeste’s POVI gasped for breath, my chest heaving as I sat up straight. My hands grabbed at the sheets, soaked with sweat; my pulse thumped so hard it vibrated in my skull. Darkness surrounded me, it was close and suffocating. Quickly, I turned on the lamp by my bedside. Something was wrong with me. Every night I woke up sweating with blood on my palm sometimes. I never remembered what I did and was scared I had hurt someone. I balled my fingers into fists, my nails biting into my palms, searching for a tether on the ground. But the nightmare continued to cling to me, unwilling to set me free.Killian’s voice echoed in my head. It was bitter and cruel.“I was never, ever going to let you go, Celeste. You were mine to break."I pressed my eyes shut tight, but images sizzled and burned behind my eyelids. Every time Killian's bloodied hand would reach for me.I couldn't take this anymore. “Leave me alone. Go away!” I yelled, covering my ears as the eerie whispering voice continued
Selene’s POV: Celeste was slipping.I watched her from the mirror every day, fighting against the seed of doubt I had put in her mind. It made me furious to see she still had the spirit to refuse me. I needed her to be done with Killian as fast as possible. Only a great heartbreak could fully awaken her power, and since she was under my spell. I would have access to her powers and be rewarded with immortality.She was almost there. I just needed to add more flame. Something to make her act out and lose Killian's trust. Each time she defied my instructions, I increased the spell’s effect. Twice, she fell off the bed, and I felt my blood boil when Killian came to check up on her just when I started. I made her attack him in her sleep, and he pinned her down till the next morning. She was pathetic, as I expected. On the seventh day, I had completely invaded her mind and made her stay longer doing what I asked. I kept creating and heightening her father's death at the hands of Killi
Celeste’s POVThe darkness lay out before me, waiting still. They reeked of gunpowder and of gas, of memories of where I was and what sort of world this was that I was a captive in. Killian vanished into the dark alley. I had been observing him for days, building up his actions, waiting to get the timing perfect to reveal him for who he actually was.A murderer. The man who killed my father.The image burned my mind, pushing me on as I crept noiselessly down the manor corridors. I easily moved past the room leading to the doorway. The lower I descended, the more I felt smothered. I kept following him, and almost gave up when he walked into another hallway. I remained behind, resting against the courtyard wall as Killian stood beneath the faint illumination of the overhead light bulbs. He was not alone. There were other men around him, and they were standing too close. His tone was low, and each sentence softly commandingly declared. "The delivery will be made at dawn. Any hindra
Killian’s POVCeleste's body trembled in my arms, her breath turned irregular, her chest became cold. The moment I saved her back from falling, something within me twisted. It was the sick, disgusting awareness that I had nearly lost her.I had saved her from committing suicide, but that was not what unsettled me. When I pulled her away from the hug gradually, I noticed her eyes. They glowed…green.No normal wolf had eyes like that, and even if she weren't a normal wolf. I had first seen her eyes when her birthmark had glowed and they were blue.She floated in and out of consciousness from the second I drew her away from the edge of the stairs."Celeste," I whispered, shaking her lightly. But She gave no response.Her lashes fluttered, and her lips opened, but she was held by whatever nightmare pulled at her below.My jaw tightened as I dragged her back in. As her body tensed in my arms, a harsh whisper fell from her lips."Please…don't…kill him."Kill who?I was scared for her. She'd