Chapter 66: _Sweet Poison
Celeste’s POV
*****
12:30pm, Pisgah National Forest.
"Stupid rock." I cursed under my breath when a rock nearly tripped me, hugging my arms to my chest.
I sniffled, glancing back as I walked. Maybe Azrael would... Come back? Finally, explain himself instead of pulling away like I was his doom?
But no.
All I saw behind me was the sprawling forest path, which I had been walking on for a few minutes now.
Sighing, I rubbed a hand on my forehead. Fingers got to my eyes and touched something that made me freeze.
Wetness.
Tears.
Gods, no.
"Pull yourself together, Cel," I scolded myself, head lifting to the clear afternoon sky. "It’s... It’s just one of those things. You shouldn’t be—fuck, what’s happening to me?"
The tears spilt against my will, trailing down my cheeks until they kissed my lips. Salty. In the same way, he kissed me and left just when I thought we were getting somewhere.
That final look he gave me before disappearing into the forest still haunted my mind.
Why? Why did he keep insisting that getting close to me would end badly for us?
What was so different about Azrael Vaelmont that he couldn’t just... Accept me?
"Four mates and I’ve let myself get so hung up on one." A dry chuckle left my mouth, broken and shaky. "I guess he truly is perfect. Or... Was."
I couldn’t keep doing this to myself. I knew I couldn’t.
If left to me, I would’ve rejected all men and probably stayed single the rest of my life. Perhaps date them without any emotional attachment.
Sadly, the mate bonds were cruel. The goddess’s path was always cruel and tedious.
"If he’s going to avoid me," I wiped off the last of my tears, eyes falling on the gates leading into the Crimson Expanse ahead. "Then I’ll avoid him. Enough of this back and forth."
Taking in a heavy breath, I quickened my pace, the cheers and noises drowning out my thoughts.
.
.
"Oh..." Willow gawked with surprise when I got back, scooting away from my brother. Her cheeks reddened while Caelum seemed like he barely acknowledged whatever shenanigans she was up to. "Cel. You’re... Kind of back earlier than I expected."
Usually, I would say something sarcastic that only she could get. Instead, I walked past Caelum, sitting beside Willow and resting my head on her shoulder.
She stiffened, not moving an inch.
The holographic screen remained live, displaying Luther and the others on their next quest. It looked like they were struggling to get past an enchanted forest or something.
I couldn’t help myself from smiling, feeling the bond with him thrum with something I couldn’t name.
’Goddess, Luther.’ I thought, subconsciously sticking closer to Willow. ’You were everything at the beginning. Before the bond. Before the complexities that plague my life now.’
’Why?’ I asked myself. ’Why did you throw it all away for... For her? And why the fuck am I still stuck on it? Why can’t I just ignore your existence after all these days?’
It was building up again. The same thing I tried getting rid of in the forest before getting here.
Despair.
"Celeste?" Willow’s gentle voice grounded me, her hand gripping my shoulder. Then her voice lowered. "Are you... Are you crying—"
"I don’t want to talk about it." I shook my head, shutting my eyes to fight the tears threatening to spill again. "I don’t think I’ll ever be able to talk about any of it."
I felt Caelum stretching to get a look at me. "Celeste?" He called. "Are you okay? You—"
"I’m perfectly fine, brother," I tried my best to keep my voice neutral. "Just... Stressing over the upcoming Hybrid trial."
That should be a good excuse, shouldn’t it?
But it wasn’t.
I knew it, and for some reason, I felt like both Willow and my brother knew it, too.
Neither of them said a word after that. They both knew better than to poke further.
The wolf trial went on for what felt like aeons. For most of it, I barely kept focused on the holographic screen, my mind fleeting past memories I’d tried hiding.
Memories of Luther.
From the good ones that made him seem like a saint back then. To the bad. And then... The ugly.
Yelling. Nights spent crying and wondering why he was changing. All leading up to that night when I caught him on my bed with Lysandra.
I felt weak. Even after all that I was still following the pattern of giving it all up for an emotionally unavailable man.
To me now, Azrael was just a different flavour of Luther’s poison. One who hadn’t gotten the chance to truly scar me yet. A poison which tasted so sweet.
With a lazy breath, I pivoted my head to my far left. Toward the spot Azrael had been sitting on before he left me broken.
He wasn’t there, of course. Someone else was.
Silas.
And to my surprise, he wasn’t looking at his brother’s trial.
His hazel eyes were locked on me all this time.
Sharp. Calm. Observant.
My heart stuttered.
Ever since THAT day at the Alpha Heir Haven, it’s felt like I’d given him space. He didn’t. He never did. Despite his brother being chosen to be one of my bodyguards. Despite the craziness surrounding Miss Benedicta’s death.
Despite all of it.
Silas Hale has just been there through it all. Silent but present.
Almost as if he wanted to give me space to decide on my own.
"Is that the end of the trial?!" A stunned voice cracking through the expanse made me jolt, head snapping back to the holographic screen.
Just in time to witness a portal splitting open in front of Luther and the others. While they ran toward it with everything they had, the earth behind them was crumbling rapidly.
"By the moon, what if they don’t make it?" Willow gasped, tapping me. "Did you see how Damien activated that curse formation? I swear, I don’t know why they picked his ass this year."
No—I hadn’t witnessed what she was talking about.
Pulling out my phone, I checked the time.
Fifty-five minutes past twelve.
How long had I been lost in my thoughts?
"It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for, students!" Professor Amelia spoke excitedly from the high table. "And our judges have already made a clean, unanimous decision on our winners this year."
My jaw worked.
Somehow I had a feeling I already knew the outcome.
Eventually, the wolves jumped through the portal, popping out of its exit, which opened above the field. They landed roughly, the holographic screen flickering into light specks.
Silence.
It stretched over the Crimson Expanse for a few seconds too long as the participants got on their feet. Luther, especially, heaved heavily, eyes flicking anxiously to the High table.
Then—
"The Dean and I have decided," Luna Queen Janelle spoke into a mic, tone neutral. "This trial was meant to evaluate team spirit and each wolf’s ability to function in a group. A pack. And only one side had both participants doing that with little or no fail."
Luther’s expression darkened.
Seems he knew as well.
"This year’s winners of the wolf trials..." Luna Queen Janelle’s voice rose slightly. "Is White Flame Academy’s Rebecca Whiteflame and Hudson Fairchild!"
No one moved. The Expanse held its breath, every Bloodoak student present staying still like they couldn’t believe it.
But slowly, they got up, clapping for the winners. I did as well, biting my bottom lip when I saw the disappointment on Luther’s face.
He brushed past Damien, shaking his head as he made his way to the audience section.
My head angled toward Silas again. He had also stood up. Clapping—
—While his head turned to meet my gaze.
