KING ELIJAH

CELESTE

I was sitting in the library with my best friend, Anna, and a few of our course-mates as we reviewed some topics for the final exam of the semester. I stayed quiet, not saying a word, because my mind was too far gone—still stuck on the dream I’d had the night before. Not even a dream, really. More like a memory. A cruel one. The kind that showed up uninvited just to mock you when you were finally starting to breathe again.

“You’re a psycho, Celeste. I can’t be mated to you. You’re fat and disgusting. You’re not fit to be a Luna.”

“Andrew, what are you saying?” I had asked, my voice cracking, tears already spilling down my cheeks. I knew what was coming. His eyes gave it away—the disgust, the hatred, the way he couldn’t even look at me without flinching.

“I, Andrew Walter, soon to be Alpha of Crest Fall Pack, reject you, Celeste Sampson, as my mate and future Luna of Crest Fall Pack.”

My eyes stung from holding back more tears. I blinked rapidly and inhaled, trying to steady myself. I looked to my left. Anna was already staring at me, concern all over her face. She didn’t say anything, but I knew she was about to. I shook my head quickly, signaling I was fine. She didn’t believe me, of course, but I was grateful she didn’t push.

I forced myself to focus on the notes in front of me. Anything but Andrew.

---

When I got back to my dorm that evening, I collapsed onto my bed and stared at the ceiling. I reached for my phone and saw seven missed calls from my mom.

“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I already knew what this was about.

I hovered my thumb over her name, debating whether to call back or not. Before I could talk myself out of it, I hit the call button and brought the phone to my ear. It rang a few times before she picked up.

“Hi, Mom,” I breathed out. “How are you doing?”

“Celeste!” she said so loudly I had to pull the phone away before she damaged my eardrums. “I’ve been calling your phone for hours!”

“I was busy with college, Mom,” I said, dragging my hair out of its bun.

“Yeah, yeah,” she replied. I could practically hear her rolling her eyes.

“So… your dad and I were hoping you could come home for Christmas this year,” she added casually, like she hadn’t asked me the same thing every Christmas for the past three years.

I sighed and closed my eyes, rubbing my temples. I couldn’t do this again.

“I can’t, Mom,” I said through gritted teeth, trying not to snap. She knew why I couldn’t go back to Crest Fall. Not with Andrew now the Alpha.

After he rejected me, I moved to New York right after high school and started fresh. I was now in my final year at NYU, studying to become a psychologist.

“Oh, come on, Celeste,” she groaned. “We haven’t seen you in three years. We miss you, sweetie.”

I exhaled hard, eyes clenched shut. Andrew shouldn’t be the reason I couldn’t see my family. He’d moved on. I should too.

“Okay,” I finally said. “I’ll come home for Christmas.”

I couldn’t let my jackass of a mate keep holding power over me. And besides, I needed to formally accept his rejection—to stop feeling that stabbing pain in my chest every time he slept with someone else.

She gasped into the phone. “That’s wonderful, baby! See you in a week!”

“Okay, Mom,” I said, smiling a little at her excitement.

“Love you, baby,” she said.

Before I could say it back, she ended the call. I dropped my phone on the bed and stood up, needing to burn off the anxiety clawing at me. I changed into my running gear and headed out.

As I opened the door, I nearly bumped into Anna.

“Celeste, where are you going?” she asked, confused.

“I’m going for a run,” I said, brushing past her. I wasn’t in the mood for conversation. I knew I could be hard on her sometimes, but I couldn’t help it.

I walked through campus toward the woods behind it. When I got close to the trees, I started jogging. It was quiet, just the way I liked it. The silence felt like a balm.

After about ten minutes, I shifted into my wolf form. It had been a while.

“Fuck,” I groaned as the shift took over, bones cracking and reforming. My senses heightened instantly. I stretched, then took off at full speed, tongue hanging out as I ran. It felt good—freeing.

I ran for about forty minutes before stopping at a stream. I was about to drink when I heard a branch snap behind me.

I turned fast, scanning the area. Nothing. Then I sniffed the air—and nearly gagged. Rogues.

I growled loud enough to echo. I knew they were behind the trees, and I wanted them to know I wasn’t stupid.

Three brown wolves stepped out, red eyes locked on mine.

Fight or flight?

Yeah, I picked flight. I wasn’t dumb enough to take on three fully grown rogues alone. They’d shred me in seconds.

I turned and bolted.

I yelped when one of them bit my tail. That hurt like hell, you motherfucker.

I’d never encountered rogues before, not in a human-dominated area like this. I’d only ever met two lycans in the past three years living here.

I zig-zagged through the woods, using every shortcut I knew. This was my territory, and I used that to my advantage.

Eventually, I lost them. I stopped at the spot where I’d first shifted and sniffed the air—clear. I changed back into my human form, pulled on my clothes, and walked back to my dorm.

---

A week passed since the rogue incident. I’d have reported it if there’d been an Alpha nearby, but there wasn’t. This was mostly human territory with just a handful of lycans scattered around. The only way to handle rogues officially was through the Alpha King, and hell no—I wasn’t doing that.

Now, I was packing. My mom had already gotten approval for my visit from her Alpha—Andrew. Just thinking about seeing him again gave me chills.

Even though I technically hadn’t cut ties with Crest Fall, it never felt like home. No one there ever liked me. I’d always been the fat, weird girl.

Yeah, I’d been chubby, but I wasn’t ugly. I had a damn good figure eight, and I didn’t need anyone to confirm that—I knew it.

I shoved some sweatpants into my suitcase and zipped it up, praying it wouldn’t burst. I waved at Anna to let her know I was ready. She was driving me to the airport.

We pulled up at Delta Airlines and parked. I dragged my suitcase out and zipped my coat tighter to brace against the cold.

I turned to Anna and smiled. “I’ll miss you,” I said, pulling her in for a hug.

“I’ll miss you too,” she whined, squeezing me like a toddler.

“Okay, okay, get off me,” I laughed, nudging her away.

I boarded the plane to Kansas, pulled out my iPod, and plugged in my earpiece. Scrolling through my playlist, I landed on “Someone You Liked” by Jewis Capaldi.

The flight attendant’s voice echoed as she gave the usual announcements.

“Ladies and gentlemen, the Captain has turned on the Fasten Seat Belt sign. If you haven’t already done so, please stow your carry-on luggage…”

I leaned back, cranked the volume up, and shut out the world around me.

This was going to be one hell of a long week.