All Chapters of Alpha Marcel: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

Marcel:I hadn’t planned on going.That much was clear to both my wolf and my patience.I was still standing by the balcony doors, staring into place as I got lost in my thoughts, when Lia spoke behind me, her voice quieter than it had any right to be.“You should go.”I turned slowly, caught off guard enough that I didn’t hide it. “What?”“I mean, you should go to the mating ceremony.” She said, looking me in the eye. I frowned as I looked at her, processing what she was asking me to do before she sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.“Do you realize what you are asking, Lia?”She stood near the bed, arms folded loosely around herself, expression conflicted but steady. “You might not want to,” she continued, “but you have to. If you don’t… this won’t end well. Not for you. Not for the pack. And I know what I am saying, very well, Alpha. But you are forgetting yourself into something that would hold consequences that you will not want to hold.”I let out a short breath. “I don’t en

Marcel:I didn’t go to Elara.Not once did I walk toward her throughout the hour that I spent here.She knew that I wasn’t here for her.I stood where I was, just far enough from the ceremonial markings that no one could pretend I’d taken my place. Murmurs rippled through the hall, confusion sharpening into unease. Elara’s eyes searched for me once, then twice, before she looked to my mother.That was when she came to me.“You need to go and be beside Elara. She is your betrothed. This celebration is about the two of you, and you have not chosen to be by her side once since it started.” She said, quietly, stepping into my space. Her tone was controlled but edged, letting me know that she was only controlling it because there were guests around. “People are talking, and you don’t want her to be embarrassed. She is your pride, Marcellus.”“You go and join her, mother.” I said, giving her a cold smile as I took a sip of my drink. “It was you who arranged this whole thing to begin with. Y

Marcel:She didn’t answer me.Not yes. Not no.But she didn’t reject me either.And I knew that it was a good sign. To say the least, she wasn’t pushing me away completely.The silence sat between us, thick and volatile, her eyes guarded, her body coiled like she was waiting for me to make the next wrong move. I let it breathe. Let her breathe. Let her understand that she wasn’t going to be harmed. Not while I was around.“Are you hungry?” I asked instead. “I think that we could get something to eat. You know, with everything that is going on and what is going to happen eventually.”The question caught her off guard.“What is going to happen eventually?” She blinked. Then laughed, soft, incredulous. “You just walked out of a ceremony. In front of guests that would expect you to be beside that woman that you have assigned as your Luna.”I grimaced. “Don’t talk about it. She is never going to be my Luna. Not in this world or the next.”She tilted her head. “You seem rather confident abo

Elara:I didn’t want to leave the room.I didn’t want to be seen by anyone today.The curtains were still drawn, the light outside too bright, too honest. The bed beside me was cold, untouched, undisturbed, a silent reminder of everything that hadn’t happened.He had left me.And he had done it in front of people who were coming to see us together.Not quietly. Not gently.He had simply… walked away.As if was nothing more than something to fill the gap, and suddenly, I was no longer worth the trouble.My hands trembled as I smoothed the fabric of my nightdress, my reflection in the mirror unfamiliar. Pale. Exposed. Smaller than I remembered being. And for a second, I found myself not knowing how I could react.A knock sounded, taking me by surprise despite me catching her scent.Then the door opened without waiting for permission.“Get up.” Luna Isobel’s voice was calm. Commanding. “You shouldn’t be laying on your bed all day.”I didn’t turn. “I don’t feel well. I didn’t get any slee

Lia:Luna Isobel summoned me before I could catch my breath.And as Theia walked me toward her room, and I could tell that she was keeping a close eye on me, not wanting me to run off.“You are going to be respecting the mother Luna. Alpha Marcel might let you get away with your shenanigans, but she will not.” Theia said, and I looked away from her.She didn’t bother, she simply guided me toward the room, knocking on the door twice before opening it, allowing me inside. She didn’t even walk in with me.Her chamber was colder than the rest of the hall, stone, restraint, authority pressed into every surface. She stood near the window when I entered, her back straight, her reflection sharp in the glass. When she turned, her eyes took me in piece by piece, slow and thorough, like she was weighing something fragile and dangerous all at once.“I want you away from my son,” she said without preamble. “I will not try to sugarcoat the matter with you. I think that you understand very well.”Th