Chapter Three 2. Celeste

Celeste was glad she’d decided to take a run before trying to head back to try and do work. Even though she couldn’t get out of the city, parts of it were still green enough for her. Coupled with some decent headphones she was able to zone out and clear her head.

Being away from Sally’s scent helped too.

One day soon she would take all three of them out of the city, somewhere on a walkabout. It’d make her mother insanely happy if they went up to her sheep ranch for a while and just be for a bit.

Between North Industries and Clan business she was becoming run down. Now the addition of a new mate added it’s own level of stress to her exhausted body.

Yes, once Sally was hers they would take some down time and she would show her the bushland she had grown up in.

With her mind calmer she headed back towards the building.  She had run far, but less then she thought she’d need to to calm it all down.

She is lovely Cel.

Just feeling Hunter brush the words against her mind was delightful.  He sounded so playful, Celeste couldn’t think of the last time she’d heard him so.

She blushes so sweetly. I wonder how far down her body it goes. He purred in her mind. Now he was teasing her, Celeste only just kept from moaning out loud at the thought. There was a soft chuckle before he left her to the run, the tart, but she was enjoying the time to herself. It was likely things would get out of control before they settled, so she was going to take what she could get.

When she finally got back to the building Celeste needed a shower. The feeling Sally had ignited in her had dimmed, she assumed the girl had finished the interview and headed home. Celeste was disappointed, but considering how she reacted, it was more then understandable that she hadn’t tried to search Celeste out.

Celeste came in through the garage. She knew it would get her to a shower area with the least amount of people. Dealing with the Clan right now would likely destroy her buzz and she didn’t need that right now.

As she’d hoped, the bathroom with the shower cubicle was empty and she’d stashed a spare outfit in a locker in there so she didn’t have to worry about wandering around in smelly workout clothes. She was turning on the water to warm it when a familiar presence made itself known.

“Hello sister.”

Celeste sighed and turned off the water and turning to face her twin.

When they were kids Celeste wished they’d looked the same like the twins in movies. Then when they were teenagers she wanted them to be polar opposites like twins in books. Instead they were stuck being obviously sisters, but surprising everyone who found out they were twins.

She was the same height as Celeste, and their skin colour was very close. Celeste’s was always a darker coffee colour, but simply due to the amount of time she spent outside. Celeste’s hair was also a darker colour with a frizz she worked hard to tame while her sister’s was finer, straighter, lighter and longer. She was slim to Celeste’s slight curves and muscular arms and legs.

Luna North was smart and driven. A staunch defender of the clan and Celeste’s unwilling rival.  She hadn’t liked the changes Celeste had enforced to begin with, but when things went well she would accept them. She didn’t like change and Celeste revealed in it.

Celeste also know that Luna would likely be her loudest opponent when it came to Sally. A human second Mate? Unheard of. Especially for the Clan’s head. She had been vocal about Hunter too, though it had receded with time and the way the clan had flourished within the North Industries structure.

“Afternoon Luna,” Celeste lent against the shower cubical, grateful she hadn’t gotten out of her gym ware yet.  Sparing with her sister while she was so immaculately dressed and Celeste naked would have been irritating. “To what do I owe the visit?”

Luna’s chocolate eyes narrowed a little before she schooled her features. “It’s not like you to take a lunch run, what happened?”

Straight to the point, as always. Celeste rolled her eyes. There was no middle ground with Luna.

“Nothing to concern you Luna, I am allowed to go for a run should I choose.”

“Everything that affects the head of my Clan affects me,” Luna counted. “Especially right now.”

Celeste’s eyes narrowed. “What do you mean Luna?”

A slight lift of her shoulder. “The family talks Cel, and a lot of changes have happened in the last few years.”

Celeste also shrugged, stepping forward. In her heels Luna was taller, but there was no deny the power in Celeste. She was leader of the clan for a reason.

“Changes happen Luna. And I’m sure you agree that most of them have  supported more then hindered our family.”

Luna grudgingly inclined her head in agreement, watching her sister. “Very true, but how long can that last? Your changes aren’t small and when you go for a run in the middle of important meetings they notice things are up.”

“They? Or you?”

Again, another nod. “I am part of ‘They’, as you put it. You know we will only put up with it for so long. Eventually your changes will misstep, and then where will the clan be left? Do you really want to mess so much with millennia of tradition and stability? Does your ego really mean more to you then the family’s safety?”

Another step pushed Celeste right up against her sister, her golden eyes flashing with fury.

“You have a problem with the way I change things? They want me to slow down, to limit our combined potential?” She was right in her sister’s face now. “Then you do it right. You or ‘They’ can challenge me for leadership. I will not give on our clan and the future we have because you’re too scared of the changes happening.”

And Celeste stepped around her sister, seething.

“Just watch your back,” Luna called from behind her as she moved to the doorway. “You are only a misstep or two away from pushing them to that.  Just a warning.”

Furious Celeste’s fist collided with a tile on the wall, cracking it in multiple places.

“Fuck your warning, Luna. I will meet any challenge ‘They’ throw my way and you know it. Nona chose me for a reason and I’m not about to let anyone shit all over that.” She looked over her shoulder at her sister, “now, if you’ll excuse me, apparently I need to go and run out some tension, again, before I finish my work day.”

With that she left, headphones back on and pounding her way back onto the streets, all calm having left her in the wake of her sister’s words.

***

Author's Note: I have been steadily working through Jane Knight's works. I am currently fangirling over 'Her Fae Lovers'. NO ONE does polyrelationships like Ms Knight. search her out if you have time