Chapter 16

“Bring me Celine Wolverine.”

Cassian's voice echoed through the sanctuary.

Celine froze.

For a moment, she was transported back to the ceremony—the cold expression on his face, Lila standing beside him, and the humiliation of hearing him call her weak in front of the entire pack.

But she wasn't that girl anymore.

Something had changed inside her.

Something powerful.

Something awake.

Her fingers curled into fists.

“He came here?” she asked.

Beta Wolverine nodded grimly.

“He must have followed our trail.”

Her mother looked toward the staircase.

“He shouldn't be able to find this place.”

“He didn't,” Lucien said.

Everyone turned toward him.

Lucien's expression was calm.

“Someone gave him the location.”

Celine's eyes narrowed.

“Gamma Voss.”

Wolverine's jaw tightened.

“It appears so.”

“Why would he do that?”

Her mother answered quietly.

“Because he has always feared what you might become.”

Celine looked toward the ceiling.

Voices echoed from above.

Silvermoon warriors were moving through the sanctuary.

Then Cassian spoke again.

“I know she's down there.”

His voice was closer.

“Celine, come out.”

Celine's heart beat faster.

Damon stepped beside her.

“You don't have to answer him.”

Celine looked at him.

“I know.”

Another voice followed.

Lila.

“Celine! Stop hiding!”

Celine's expression hardened.

Of course Lila had come.

She had spent years making Celine feel insignificant.

Now she had followed her into a place filled with secrets she didn't understand.

Her mother touched Celine's shoulder.

“Don't let anger control you.”

Celine looked at her.

“I won't.”

Then she walked toward the staircase.

Damon immediately followed.

“Celine.”

She glanced back.

“I need to face him.”

“You don't know what he'll do.”

“He rejected me when he thought I was powerless.”

Her eyes hardened.

“I'm not afraid of him anymore.”

Damon studied her face.

Then he nodded.

“I'm coming with you.”

They climbed the stairs.

Beta Wolverine followed closely behind them.

The Moon Guard spread around Celine's mother.

Lucien remained in the lower chamber, watching everything.

When Celine reached the upper level, she saw dozens of Silvermoon warriors surrounding the sanctuary.

Gamma Voss stood at the front.

Beside him stood Lila.

And behind them was Cassian.

He looked exactly as Celine remembered.

Tall.

Strong.

Silver-gray eyes.

But something was different now.

He wasn't looking at her like he had during the mating ceremony.

His eyes were fixed on the silver light faintly surrounding her.

“Celine.”

She stopped.

Cassian stared.

“What happened to you?”

Celine almost laughed.

“That's the first thing you say?”

His brow furrowed.

“I came here because you're in danger.”

“You came because you wanted to bring me back.”

Cassian glanced toward Damon.

“You're with him.”

Damon stepped forward.

“She chose to come with me.”

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

“You're a rogue.”

“And you're the Alpha who rejected her.”

The tension between them became immediate.

Lila stepped forward.

“Cassian, don't waste your time.”

Celine looked at her.

Lila's confidence was still there, but something else had replaced her usual smugness.

Fear.

Celine noticed.

“Why are you afraid?”

Lila's face tightened.

“I'm not.”

“You are.”

“Don't pretend you know me.”

Celine looked at her quietly.

“I know you better than you think.”

Cassian raised his hand.

“Enough.”

His attention returned to Celine.

“Come back to Silvermoon.”

Celine shook her head.

“No.”

“You don't understand what's happening.”

“I understand enough.”

“You're being hunted.”

“I know.”

“Your father can't protect you.”

Celine glanced at Wolverine.

Then back at Cassian.

“And you can?”

Cassian hesitated.

“I can try.”

Celine gave him a cold look.

“You already had the chance.”

Cassian's expression tightened.

“That night was complicated.”

“No.”

Celine shook her head.

“It wasn't.”

Lila stepped between them.

“She isn't worth destroying the pack over.”

Damon's eyes flashed.

“Careful.”

Lila looked at him.

“You're the reason she's in danger.”

“No,” Celine said.

Everyone looked at her.

“I am the reason I'm in danger.”

She touched the pendant around her neck.

“This has been happening because of me.”

Cassian stared at it.

“What is that?”

“My mother's.”

He frowned.

“Your mother died.”

Celine's eyes hardened.

“You believed that.”

Cassian looked at Wolverine.

“You knew?”

Wolverine didn't answer.

Cassian's expression changed.

“You lied to the entire pack.”

“I protected my daughter.”

Cassian looked at Celine again.

“Your mother is alive?”

Celine nodded.

Cassian seemed genuinely stunned.

Lila stepped closer to him.

“Cassian, we need to leave.”

He didn't move.

“Why?”

Lila lowered her voice.

“Because those people aren't Silvermoon.”

Cassian looked around.

His warriors were beginning to realize the same thing.

The Moon Guard stood silently at the entrance.

They wore unfamiliar armor.

Their weapons carried silver markings.

Cassian looked toward Beta Wolverine.

“Who are they?”

Wolverine answered,

“People who have protected Celine's family for generations.”

Cassian's eyes narrowed.

“Then why are they here?”

Before Wolverine could answer, Lucien's voice came from the stairs.

“Because she has awakened.”

Cassian turned.

Lucien slowly walked upward.

The Alpha immediately shifted into a defensive stance.

“Who are you?”

Lucien smiled.

“Someone you should not challenge.”

Cassian's wolf growled.

Lucien didn't react.

“You're the Alpha of Silvermoon.”

“Yes.”

“You rejected the Moonborn.”

Cassian's expression changed.

“What did you call her?”

“The last Moonborn heir.”

Silence.

Lila's face went pale.

Cassian looked at Celine.

“You're Moonborn?”

Celine said nothing.

Lucien continued.

“She carries an ancient bloodline that your pack knows nothing about.”

Cassian shook his head.

“That's impossible.”

Damon laughed bitterly.

“That's what everyone says before they see it.”

Cassian looked at him.

“What do you know?”

“Enough.”

Cassian stepped toward Damon.

“You've been manipulating her.”

Damon's expression hardened.

“I haven't manipulated anyone.”

“You're a rogue.”

“And you're an Alpha who rejected his mate.”

Cassian's face tightened.

Celine felt something strange inside her at the word mate.

She pushed the feeling away.

“That doesn't matter anymore.”

Cassian looked at her.

“You still feel it.”

Celine didn't answer.

He stepped closer.

“I can still feel the bond.”

“Then why did you reject me?”

Cassian's jaw tightened.

“Because I thought I had to.”

“You thought?”

“There were negotiations with Riverfang.”

“You chose Lila.”

“I made a political decision.”

Celine stared at him.

“You made me feel worthless for a political decision.”

“I know.”

“You let everyone laugh at me.”

“I know.”

“You said I wasn't worthy to stand beside you.”

Cassian looked down.

“I was wrong.”

Celine's expression remained cold.

“Your apology comes too late.”

Lila suddenly grabbed Cassian's arm.

“Cassian, we have to go.”

He looked at her.

“Why?”

She didn't answer.

A low growl came from the corridor behind them.

Everyone turned.

A Blackfang warrior stood at the entrance.

Then another appeared.

Then another.

Gamma Voss looked toward the warriors.

“What are they doing here?”

The first Blackfang warrior smiled.

“You brought us exactly where we needed to be.”

Celine's eyes widened.

Gamma Voss stepped back.

“I didn't bring you.”

The warrior laughed.

“You opened the way.”

Damon immediately drew his weapon.

“Everyone prepare.”

The sanctuary erupted into movement.

Silvermoon warriors raised their weapons.

The Moon Guard formed a circle around Celine.

Celine's mother rushed upstairs.

“Celine!”

Her daughter turned.

“Mom!”

“Stay with the Moon Guard.”

“What about you?”

“I'll be fine.”

The Blackfang warriors attacked.

The first clash sent weapons ringing through the sanctuary.

Celine stepped back.

Damon fought beside her.

Cassian joined the battle.

For the first time, Celine saw Damon and Cassian fighting on the same side.

They moved differently.

Cassian fought with the discipline of an Alpha.

Damon fought like someone who had survived too many battles to waste a single movement.

Neither trusted the other.

But both protected Celine.

Lila stayed behind the warriors.

Her eyes remained fixed on Celine.

Then one Blackfang warrior broke through the line.

He rushed straight toward Celine.

Celine lifted her hands.

Silver light exploded outward.

The warrior was thrown across the room.

Everyone stopped.

Celine stared at her palms.

The light faded.

Cassian looked at her in shock.

“You did that?”

Celine didn't answer.

The Blackfang warrior slowly rose.

He looked terrified.

“She has awakened.”

His companions immediately backed away.

Their leader appeared at the doorway.

Celine recognized him.

The same man who had hunted her through the forest.

He smiled.

“Not completely.”

Celine's pendant began to glow.

The Blackfang leader looked toward Damon.

“Your bond is growing faster than expected.”

Damon stepped forward.

“Stay away from her.”

The leader laughed.

“You still don't understand what she is.”

Celine's wolf growled.

This time, the sound was so loud that everyone heard it.

Her mother stared at her.

“Celine…”

The Blackfang leader smiled.

“The second awakening has begun.”

Celine's vision suddenly blurred.

The sanctuary disappeared.

She saw a forest.

A full moon.

Damon standing beneath it.

Then Cassian.

Then her mother.

Then a black wolf and a silver wolf standing side by side.

A voice whispered:

When the two bloodlines unite, the old war will return.

Celine gasped and returned to the sanctuary.

Damon caught her before she fell.

“What did you see?”

She looked at him.

“A war.”

His expression changed.

“Between the Moonborn and the Black Moon?”

Celine shook her head.

“No.”

She looked toward the Blackfang leader.

“It wasn't between us.”

Everyone became silent.

Celine's voice dropped.

“It was against someone else.”

The Blackfang leader's smile disappeared.

For the first time, he looked afraid.

Then the sanctuary doors slammed shut.

And from beneath the floor came the sound of something waking again.