Chapter 96: _Coming Out
Celeste’s POV
*****
9:51 am, Blood Oak Academy campus
When Silas and I stepped out of the restaurant—we did it hand in hand.
A bright smile curved my lips as we moved through the academy together. The waitress back in the restaurant had given us some free samples to celebrate our new relationship.
It was sweet. Perfect even.
"Yo, Silas!" A voice boomed when we got to the academic buildings.
My head swung, eyes taking in the form of the voice’s owner.
Tall. Early to mid twenties with black tousled hair, donned in the academy’s crimson uniform.
One of Blood Oak’s most notorious Alphas... Damien.
He stood at the middle part of the stairs leading into an academic building, two other guys flanking him. A sly grin played on his rough features as his eyes followed us.
"Oh, la, la." He chuckled. "Look at you two being all cute. Does this mean the rumours and that headline from Blood Eye were all true? Are you—"
"Yes, Damien." Silas took me by surprise, wrapping an arm around my shoulders before pulling me close. He paused intentionally in front of the building, tilting his head at the Alpha. "They’re all correct. Celeste is my girlfriend."
Hearing those words made my cheeks heat with a violent blush.
Gods, I still wasn’t used to him calling me that. Especially in public!
"Holy shit!" One of the other guys exclaimed. "Dude, really? What? Her performance at the Blood Trials changed your mind about her?"
All three of them laughed like a pack of hyenas, draining the little excitement in my chest. My blush dropped, heart beat picking up with a new but painfully familiar feeling.
Embarrassment.
Flicking my gaze to Silas, I tugged his arm. "Let’s go. I—"
He didn’t let me finish, slipping away and facing the guys squarely. His hands were in his pockets, posture confident. "What did you say?" He intoned calmly, like he didn’t care if the guy answered.
The person who made that comment wasn’t exactly someone I’d notice in a crowd. He was most likely a wolf—Damien rarely mingled with other races.
His eyes were cobalt blue, auburn hair made in a buzz cut. He also had the school’s uniform on—telling me he was a senior year student like Damien.
"No offence, Silas." The guy raised his hands. "I’m just saying. It seems ever since last night this runaway princess has gotten all the spotlight. You’re in it for the publicity, right? Or—"
"If I recall correctly," Silas folded his arms, his calmness taking a lethal edge. "Didn’t your mate, who enrolled into this academy alongside you, reject you after you were caught cheating?"
My eyes widened while the guy’s tanned face paled in real time.
He coughed, brows furrowing. "That..." He stuttered. "That’s not... It wasn’t—"
"If you’re trying to say I’m lying," Silas pulled out his phone casually, "I can bring out proof with a phone call. What was your name again? Uhm... Oh! Yes! Gilbert."
Good old Gilbert’s face contorted into such a frown you’d think he just ate dog shit.
As for the other guy and Damien, they both stayed silent, almost like they were afraid Silas would pull out something about them too.
I shifted my full attention to Silas now, warmth blooming in my stomach as he added:
"Why I chose Celeste as my girlfriend is none of your concern. None. She chose me too and that’s all that matters," he turned, smiling warmly at me. "Maybe you boys should fix your houses first before throwing stones."
The air suddenly felt chilly when he whipped his head to Damien and his friends again. "... Unravelling your darkest skeletons won’t take effort. Know this and do with it as you will."
With all said and done, he moved back to me, fingers entangling mine. We strode away from there, their intense stares and hushed whispers barely fazing me now.
Again—what a man!
.
.
Female Dormitory Building
"You didn’t have to do that." I broke the silence when we finally got in front of my suite. A wry smile stretched my mouth. "Really. I’m used to—"
"You’re joking." He arched a brow, resting a shoulder against the wall beside my door. "If I don’t put twats like that boy in their place, who will?"
He looked at either side of the hallway—noting the lack of people—before leaning close. "And you don’t need to get used to any of that. Okay? No one deserves to be bullied for being different."
When he placed a hand on my shoulder, our bond shook with something soothing. Something pure that brought the biggest blush to my cheeks.
"T–Thanks, Silas," I ended up mumbling, resisting the urge to just rest my head on his hand. "You have no idea how happy you’ve made me today."
Two steps forward was all it took to make the distance between us minuscule. His hot breath touched my face, scent charged with a masculine musk that made my knees wobble.
Grabbing my cheek with a palm, he made my eyes meet his. "Just boyfriend duties, love."
Then—he kissed me, his lips sucking mine in a way that sent warmth snapping down my spine. My shoulders relaxed, hands trailing up his shoulders as the kiss deepened.
The moment he let go, I was breathless but satisfied, looking away to hide my blush.
Silas rubbed a thumb over his smirk. "Well... I guess I should leave you to—what will you be doing today?"
It took a few seconds too long to come back to my senses. "Uh... Sleep maybe. I need to prepare for tonight." I paused. "My mother said she’s coming."
His eyes widened with surprise. "Oh... Wow. Luna Queen Odessa herself."
The one and only.
"It’ll be a good chance to introduce us," he gave me a wink but quickly added. "Of course, only if you want to. We shouldn’t rush coming out to the public if you aren’t comfortable."
I couldn’t help rolling my eyes. "After that encounter with Damien, I bet you the whole school and probably people in Asheville will get to know by dusk."
That made us both laugh.
"I need to prepare for an important class coming in thirty minutes," he rubbed the back of his head. "We’ll catch up later, yes?"
I nodded with a smile, watching him turn around before walking down the hallway. It was only when he was out of sight that I swerved my head to the suite door.
However, when I swiped my key card on it—I felt something off.
A frown furrowed my brows as I pushed the door open.
"What the...?"
