CELESTEI swirled at the door, opening just in time to see Lauren entering the room.She hesitated by the door as our eyes locked. I saw her sucked in a visible breath, her eyes flickering momentarily from mine. She twisted her fingers together before pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.Lauren heaved a breath, looking back up and began to walk forward, her eyes avoiding mine.When she reached my side, she shifted from one foot to another. I wondered if she wasn't comfortable standing in my presence or if it was because she'd testify against me.Yet, she didn't raise her head to look at me any longer.I wouldn't hold her accountable if whatever happened today wasn't in my favour. After all, she wasn't to be blamed. She had been forced to be here. To stand before me. I wouldn't be surprised if Selene had done the taunting.She’d stoop so low as to do such dirty work. Alpha Kieran might not have been involved. That didn't mean he was any better than she was. They were more or less t
CELESTEAs soon as we arrived in what seemed to be the judgment room, Damon left my side and went to sit near the rest of the elders. I could see the Blood Moon Pack House elders here.Elder Morgan’s eyes were particularly locked on mine. I stared back at her, not flinching.I stood in the room’s centre. A fucking ball of nerves. I'd be lying if I said I didn't feel scared about the numerous eyes watching me, waiting to judge me, and ensure I serve all the punishment they meted out to me.Alpha Kieran wasn't in the room. I had left him in the building earlier. I wondered if he'd be coming.I didn't think he'd miss seeing me being punished for anything in the world. It felt like it was a fetish of some kind to him.He always seemed overly excited when I was in pain, either caused by him or someone else.Still, I prayed that he wouldn't appear today. It was enough seeing the elders of both pack houses looking at me with those wicked glints in their eyes; I didn't want to endure staring
CELESTEThat night, Damon and I had dinner, barely saying anything. Just two adults eating and enjoying each other's presence.A lot of things were going on in my thoughts as I wondered what I'd exactly be encountering the next morning.I didn't even need to think a lot about it as morning arrived too soon.I jumped out of bed, showered, and slipped into a new dress, one fitting for my appearance before the elders.A knee-length blue chiffon dress with short sleeves and rhinestones on the bodice. It was one of the dresses I found in my wardrobe in Damon’s pack that I truly liked.I slipped on a black pumps, enough to elevate my appearance and allow movement.I wasn't a servant any longer. Those times in the blood moon pack house were long gone. My dress up was partly to boost my self-confidence and make Alpha Kieran see I was treated fairly and not unjustly, where I was.I slipped out of the room, taking the spiral staircases two at a time, and when I reached the last one, I jumped ov
CELESTE Lauren and I caught up on all the things that had happened in the Blood Moon Pack. For instance, Selene, now in charge of the Omegas' punishment, went around asking about me, and there was a possibility I was alive.However, I still couldn't tell why she wanted such information.Selene was here with Alpha Kieran. She had followed him here. Even as I was told this place, despite being a neutral ground, wasn't where a noble woman should be. Only the damned were allowed to be here and those who would be passing judgement on the damned.Yet she had come. I wanted to believe she was curious and would like to see if I was indeed alive. Or it wasn't about me.She had come because of Alpha Kieran. She was a jealous witch and wanted to see what he was up to.My discussion with her lasted another few minutes until I grew exhausted.We had travelled a long journey to get here. I had barely had a decent sleep. I couldn't because of the bumps on the road and the discussion I was trying to
CELESTEI didn't ask what she was doing here. I didn't even need to. I rushed forward, pulling her into a hug.We stayed in the embrace long enough until we decided to pull away.“Lauren,” I laughed, my eyes brimming with unshed tears. “What are you doing here?”Lauren giggled, wiping the tears that had begun leaking from the corner of her eyes.She didn't answer me right away as she began to sob.I looked around the hall, turned the doorknob, which gave way, pulling her into the darkened room.I pressed the switch on the wall, and light flooded the room.I allowed Lauren to cry while I took the time to look around the room.It was quite spacious yet cozy. The walls were painted in soft pastel colours, and ocean wallpaper covered one side of the wall near the window.Only one window was in the room. But it was enough. Large enough for the wind to drift in and the light from the sun to stream in as well.There was a chandelier, two wall lamps, and a floor lamp. Enough light as well.A
CELESTEIt has been two days since I was informed about meeting with Alpha Kieran again, and two days since I last saw Damon.He wasn't anywhere around the pack house, and even his scent was starting to fade. It had only been two days, but it felt like it had been a while since he had last been in his bedroom.Sighing, I pushed back my hair out of my face as the wind whipped it around. I looked around where I was.They called it the Silent Vale. I believed it was a secluded forest clearing protected by enchantment. The intense energy that enveloped me the moment I stepped in here and the goosebumps adorning my arms suggested that it could only be that.I wasn't the only one here. I saw people in the Blood Moon pack house. I could recognize them by their pack house emblem. They wore it with pride.I could see mostly the deltas and no one else.They walked about the place as if they owned it. They seemed very comfortable here and familiar, like it wasn't their first time coming around a
CELESTE POV“She sleeps in the Alpha’s wing.”“Isn't that illegal? She's not even his Luna!”“What does the alpha see in her that makes her different from everyone else? Sabrina will be the alpha's mate by law, yet he allows another?”I sighed as more words wandered into my ears. It wasn't as if I wasn't used to this kind of murmurs. They tended to talk about me wherever I went and wouldn't even mind if I heard them.I mean, I could do nothing. I was the outsider here. But acting as if I was whoring with the alpha or had intentionally begun to sleep on his side of the pack house was the most amusing.In the beginning, I never had a choice about where to stay. It wasn't like if I were given a choice, I'd know exactly where to choose. I was grateful that Damon had taken charge.Yet, I still wish they wouldn't just assume the worst of me. I was sure they knew how the alpha's building was structured. If not all of them, most of them should know.There were a lot of rooms in there, and the
DAMON“We can't continue living in fear every day of our lives. In only a week, and barely the hunt is over, we've been attacked three times, sent four threatening letters, and warned about an incoming invasion. This has never happened before, and I never thought this would happen until now!” Elder Zara retorted.She paced the room while the other elders were seated.“What do we do? I agree with Elder Zara. We can't keep living this way. When the members see how things are going, they might be forced to migrate to another pack. We particularly need them here.” Elder John chimed.All eyes strayed to mine. No one else spoke. They were waiting for me to input my thoughts, I believed so, but I had nothing to say.Or I did have something to say, but I didn't want to because the solution was glaring.I knew the solution to the problem, and they had been proposing it for a long time. I was sure they'd agree with me without a second thought if I mentioned it.They still wanted Celeste out of
CELESTEI tapped my feet on the floor, glancing at the clock every second, watching as the second hand ticked by. I had been in here for an hour now, and it had gotten even darker, but the lighting in the room didn't make it seem so. Also, the windows were opened, and enough light from the moon streamed inside.Damon was yet to arrive. The table was set, but no food was served, which was a good thing. However, coupled with Damon's absence, I was starting to get hungry, and having the food before me could make it even more disastrous, as I'd be tempted too many times not to eat it.“Did he forget about our meeting?” I mused, glancing at the door once more.There was no indication that he'd be coming here anytime sooner. I didn't hear any footsteps, nor voices outside speaking. The maids who had stepped in earlier were nowhere to be found. Likewise, the guards. I wondered if they had scheduled a meeting for them to be absent today or if it was merely a coincidence, and I was attaching