Chapter 04: The Past Is Catching Up Quickly

CELIA’S POV

“You are marrying who?” I asked, hoping I had somehow heard my mother wrong.

She didn't even blink. She stood in front of me, casually admiring her freshly manicured nails as though she hadn't just dropped a bomb on my already ruined life.

“I asked who you said you were marrying,” I repeated, still struggling to process what I'd heard.

“Celia, I'm sure you heard me clearly. I'm getting married to the Alpha of this pack, Alpha Theo, and we're moving in with him today.”

My jaw nearly hit the floor.

“Wait, what do you mean you're getting married? When did you even meet the Alpha, not to mention date him?”

Her gray eyes narrowed as she finally looked at me. “That is none of your business, Celia.”

“Are you serious right now? You're uprooting our entire life for a man you barely know, and I'm supposed to go along with it like some puppet?”

“Don't be ridiculous,” my mother replied with a cold smile. “I'm not asking you to go along with anything. I'm the one getting married, and you have a choice. You can pack your bags and come with me to the Alpha's mansion, or you can stay here and figure out how you're going to pay next month's rent by yourself. The choice is yours.”

I stared at her, stunned. “You're serious?”

“Of course I am.”

She patted my shoulder before walking away, leaving me standing there in disbelief.

She was definitely serious.

My mother had always been selfish, living for her comfort without caring much about how her decisions affected me. 

It was one of the reasons I worked so hard at school. I needed a good job, a stable life, and enough money to eventually get us out of this place.

Apparently, my mother had found her own shortcut.

I glanced around our living room, taking in the peeling wallpaper, the dying plant in the corner, and the old couch that smelled faintly of despair, before realizing that I really didn't have a choice.

With a heavy sigh and a stomach still carrying the effects of last night's alcohol, I dragged myself to my room and began packing.

---

We rode in silence in the back of a sleek black SUV, watching the familiar streets disappear behind us as we entered the wealthier part of the city.

The houses became larger, the roads cleaner, and the security tighter until we finally passed through a pair of towering iron gates.

I stared through the window as the mansion came into view.

It was enormous, with cream-colored stone walls, tall windows framed with gold, and a massive fountain standing proudly in the center of the circular driveway. Flowers surrounded the property, filling the air with the scent of roses.

The entire place looked like something out of a fairy tale.

I knew the Alpha's mansion would be impressive, but I hadn't expected this.

“Oh my God,” I whispered.

My mother smiled smugly. “Beautiful, isn't it?”

“Beautiful is an understatement.”

The moment we stepped inside, another wave of disbelief hit me. A massive golden chandelier hung above the entrance, while two grand staircases curved toward an enormous double doorway on the upper floor.

“This place looks like a palace,” I muttered, dragging my suitcase behind me.

“I can only expect the best as the future Luna,” my mother replied arrogantly.

I rolled my eyes.

Before I could respond, footsteps echoed from the hallway.

A tall man entered wearing a perfectly tailored black suit. His salt-and-pepper hair was swept neatly away from his forehead, and his commanding presence made it obvious that he was used to being obeyed.

Alpha Theo.

The moment his eyes landed on my mother, his stern expression softened.

He crossed the room, cupped her face, and kissed her deeply.

I immediately looked away.

I had already seen enough.

When they finally separated, my mother adjusted her lipstick as though she hadn't just been caught making out in front of her daughter.

“Oh, Theo, this is my daughter, Celia.”

His attention shifted toward me.

“Welcome to your new home, Celia.”

I gave him an awkward nod. “Thanks... I guess.”

Before I could ask where I would be sleeping, footsteps sounded from the staircase.

“Dad, I'm heading to the training grounds.”

My entire body went still.

That voice.

My heart gave one violent beat.

No.

It couldn't be.

I slowly turned toward the stairs.

And there he was.

The same black hair that had fallen carelessly across his forehead last night. 

The same strong jaw. 

 The same striking blue eyes that had watched me from across the bar before making me forget every reason I should have gone home.

The man I had a one night stand with only hours ago.

My stomach dropped.

But something was different.

Last night, those blue eyes had been warm and playful. He had teased me until I smiled, laughed when I tried to deny staring at him, and looked at me as though I was the most interesting person in the room.

This man didn't smile.

His face was unreadable as his gaze landed on me, and the warmth I remembered from last night was nowhere to be found.

Instead, his eyes narrowed slightly with something else I couldn't quite identify.

Fear crawled up my spine.

Did he remember me?

Of course he did.

How could either of us forget?

For one horrible second, I wondered if he was going to tell them.

I could already imagine the look on my mother's face if she found out I had spent the night with a stranger and that stranger had somehow followed me into my new home.

Then Alpha Theo smiled.

“Come over here, son.”

Son?

My heart stopped.

The man walked down the remaining steps, and with every step he took toward us, my panic grew.

Alpha Theo turned to me.

“This is my son, Ronan.”

Ronan.

The name echoed inside my head.

Ronan looked directly at me.

His jaw tightened, but he said nothing.

There was no teasing smile, no playful remark, no trace of the man who had kissed me in that motel room.

He looked at me like I was a problem he had already decided he didn't want.

My chest tightened.

I had slept with the Alpha's son.

Worse, he was now my mother's future stepson.

My stomach twisted painfully.

“Isn't this wonderful, Ronan?” Alpha Theo asked, completely unaware of the storm raging between us. “Very soon, we'll be one big happy family.”

Ronan's eyes remained on mine for another second before he finally looked at his father.

“I'm sure we'll manage.”

His voice was calm, almost emotionless.

Then he walked past me without another word.

I stood frozen, watching his back disappear down the hallway.

Last night, he had made me feel wanted.

Today, he looked at me as though he couldn't stand the sight of me.

And somehow, that hurt far more than it should have.