Chapter 3

Celeste wasn't surprised by Marcus's cruelty anymore. He'd always chosen Raven over everything else—including their dead pup's memory.

She'd expected this moment eventually. The only surprise was how little it hurt now.

"Alright," she said simply.

Marcus froze, clearly expecting tears or pleading. He'd thrown out those harsh words in anger, expecting her to fight back so he could play the victim.

But Celeste just called the pack servants to clear out the destroyed nursery. They carried every broken piece to the garden and burned it all.

Everything that had represented their future turned to ash.

"I feel terrible about staying here," Raven said, though her smile suggested otherwise. "Maybe I should find a hotel?"

"Nonsense," Marcus replied quickly. "You're family. Stay as long as you need."

He turned to Celeste. "Move your things to the guest room on the first floor. Raven can have the the Luna suite."

Since Raven had "nowhere else to go" after her European adventure, Marcus offered her the Luna suite—the rooms that should have been Celeste's by right.

"Of course," Celeste agreed without hesitation. "I'll have the servants prepare it immediately."

She even personally arranged for Raven's favorite silk sheets and had the room filled with red roses, then quietly moved her own belongings to the small servant's quarters in the basement.

As she packed her few remaining possessions downstairs,Marcus appeared in the doorway.

"You're being awfully understanding about this," he said, arms crossed. "I know you're upset about Raven staying here."

He stepped closer, his voice softening slightly. "Look, about the nursery... maybe I was too harsh. When you're feeling better, we can talk about trying again. For a pup. I mean."

He reached for her, expecting the usual embrace—but she stepped away.

"I'm not upset," she said, meeting his eyes with startling clarity. "You've made your priorities clear. I respect that."

Marcus's face hardened. He wasn't used to this version of his mate—calm, distant, unaffected by his moods.

"What was that document you had me sign yesterday?" he asked suspiciously.

"A gift," Celeste replied. "For our fourth mating anniversary. You'll understand soon enough."

That seemed to satisfy him. He still thought she was just going through a phase, that she'd come crawling back once Raven got settled.

"Get some rest," he said. "Tomorrow's the pack meeting. I'll need you to handle the financial presentations."

As he moved to leave, he held out his arms for their usual goodnight embrace. But Celeste walked past him without a glance.

Something was different about her. He just couldn't figure out what.

For four years, Marcus had been decent enough to her. He'd provided for her, protected her, even showed her affection—when Raven wasn't around. There had been moments when she'd almost believed they could make it work.

But every single time Raven appeared, he abandoned her without a second thought.

Celeste had loved him. Truly. But she was tired of fighting for scraps of attention from her own mate.

At 2 AM, Celeste was ripped from sleep by claws digging into her arms. She was dragged upstairs and thrown against the wall, her healing injuries screaming in protest.

"I knew you were jealous, but poisoning Raven with wolfsbane? That's attempted murder, Celeste."

Marcus's voice was deadly calm—the tone he used before ordering executions.

Through her dazed vision, she saw Raven on the bed, writhing and gasping. Her skin was flushed, her pupils dilated, and silver burns were appearing on her arms where she'd touched the doorframe.

"I didn't poison anyone!" Celeste gasped.

"You gave me that herbal tea," Raven sobbed. "Said it would help me sleep. Now I'm burning from the inside out!"

Celeste's mind sharpened instantly. "I offered you chamomile tea from the communal pot. We all drank from it tonight—why is no one else affected?"

"And why would I poison you with wolfsbane? I'd be executed for that!"

But Raven just cried harder. "If she says I'm lying, then maybe I am. Maybe I poisoned myself just to get attention."

The manipulation was masterful. Celeste felt like she was fighting smoke.

Marcus's eyes blazed with fury. "Enough. This isn't the first time you've done something like this. You know exactly what happened four years ago."

The accusation hit like a blow.

"You really think someone with a history like yours deserves the benefit of the doubt?"

One sentence. That was all it took to convict her.

"I'll say it one more time," Celeste said through gritted teeth. "I did not drug you four years ago."

The night they'd mated, she'd found Marcus alone and drunk after Raven's departure. Someone had already slipped him something—aphrodisiac herbs mixed with alcohol.

Yes, she'd loved him. Yes, things had spiraled out of control. But she hadn't planned it.

He'd never believed her, though. In his mind, she was the calculating woman who'd trapped him into a mating bond.

"Marcus, please," Raven moaned, clawing at her burning skin. "It hurts so much. I can feel the wolfsbane eating through my wolf."

She was a talented actress, Celeste had to admit. The silver burns were real—but they were self-inflicted. Raven had clearly brushed silver powder on her skin before calling for help.

Marcus knelt beside the bed, his face twisted with worry. "I'll get the pack doctor—"

"No!" Raven grabbed his wrist. "The wolfsbane... it's affecting my wolf differently. Only an Alpha's healing saliva can neutralize it. Please, Marcus. I'm dying."

Celeste watched in disgust as Raven pulled Marcus's hand to her mouth, sucking on his fingers while maintaining eye contact with her.

"I know this is inappropriate," Raven whispered, "but I don't want to die. Please help me."

Marcus hesitated for exactly three seconds before leaning down to lick the "burns" on Raven's arm.

The moment his saliva touched her skin, Raven arched against him with a moan that had nothing to do with pain.

"Thank you," she breathed. "I can feel your strength healing me."

Celeste felt something die inside her chest—not heartbreak, but the last fragment of respect she'd held for the man she'd called mate.

"I'll be in the basement if you need me," she said quietly.

Neither of them looked at her as she left.

But as she reached the door, she heard Raven's voice, sweet as poisoned honey:

"Marcus, I'm still burning. The wolfsbane is spreading. Can you... can you help me with the burns on my chest too?"

Chapter 4

The door clicked shut behind Celeste, but she could still hear Marcus's ragged breathing through the walls.

Twenty-three days until she never had to see this again.

Twenty minutes later, Celeste's chest began to tighten. Her breathing became shallow, each inhale feeling like she was drowning on dust. The basement air was thick with dust and mold—triggers she'd forgotten about in her haste to move downstairs.

Her asthma inhaler was still in the Luna suite. She'd left it on the nightstand when she'd moved out.

Gasping, she stumbled back upstairs. The medication was a matter of life and death—her wolf couldn't heal respiratory attacks the way it could heal cuts and bruises.

She pushed open the door to what had been her bedroom, wheezing desperately as she searched for her inhaler.

And froze.

Marcus was on the bed with Raven, his mouth still pressed to the "burns" on her chest. But the silver marks were gone now—healed by his Alpha saliva, just as Raven had planned.

They both saw her enter. Neither looked away.

Instead, Raven's fingers traced lazy circles over Marcus's shoulders while she maintained eye contact with Celeste. The message was clear: *This is mine now.*

"Having another one of your episodes?" Marcus's voice was cold. "Really, Celeste? Right now?"

Celeste's vision blurred as she struggled to breathe. She fumbled for her inhaler on the nightstand, her hands shaking.

"You're really going to interrupt us for attention?" Marcus continued, his tone disgusted. "First the poisoning, now this dramatic timing?"

"I... can't... breathe..." Celeste wheezed, finally grasping the inhaler.

Raven's voice was sweet with fake concern. "Oh no, Marcus. I think she's really sick. Should we call the pack doctor?"

But her arms tightened around him possessively, making it clear she had no intention of letting him leave.

Marcus's gaze flicked between them. "You've really disappointed me, Celeste. You poisoned Raven. Whatever happens after that is your own fault."

As Raven's fingers traced deliberate patterns across his chest, her mocking gaze slid to Celeste.

Celeste's knees trembled beneath her. She gripped the edge of the dresser, forcing herself upright even as her lungs screamed for air. Her voice came out raspy and sarcastic.

"You seriously think I poisoned her just so you"—she pointed at him with a shaky hand—her just so you could play the noble Alpha hero?"

She took a rattling breath, eyes narrowing. "There are dozens of ways to treat wolfsbane poisoning. Any pack doctor could have helped her. But this—"

"Marcus," Raven crooned suddenly, her voice soft and broken. Her nails brushed over the healed skin on her arm, drawing a shallow line that immediately began to silver again. "Just ignore her. Don't let her guilt trip you. Let me... deal with my pain alone."

She turned her head slightly, angling her words toward Celeste. "And don't blame her. I'm sure she didn't mean to poison me. She just loves you so much that she's losing her mind..."

Something snapped in Celeste. Even though she'd already decided to reject Marcus, she couldn't allow Raven to humiliate her like this in her own home.

"My goddess, Raven, do you have any shame left? You're in my house, clinging to my mate, and now you dare to patronize me? What happened to the manners ? Did that French Alpha fuck them out of you?"

Marcus's hand moved faster than lightning. The moment the words left her mouth, he stood up and backhanded her hard across the face.

"Enough, Celeste. Raven hasn't said a single cruel word about you, and yet you keep attacking her! You don't deserve anyone's pity!"

He grabbed her wrist, his Alpha strength making her bones creak. She gasped, stumbling as he dragged her toward the door. "You like poisoning people so much? Then stand here and listen to what happens next!"

He yanked the silk tie from his robe. Cold metal met her back as he bound her wrists to the door, the knot biting into her skin.

Just before shutting the door, he threw one last line at her.

"You brought this on yourself. Don't blame me or Raven!"

The door slammed shut, and she was forced to hear everything from the other side. A low groan. Then a higher moan. The rhythm was unmistakable. Unrelenting.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Tears streamed silently at first. But as the hours dragged on, the sobs stopped and her eyes dried.

All that remained was a quiet burn in her chest.

Every gasp, every cry from inside became another nail in the coffin of what she'd once called love. *This is what happens when you love the wrong Alpha,* she told herself over and over.

Suddenly, pain struck deep in her abdomen tearing something inside her. Her knees gave out. She slid down until her weight hung from her bound wrists, cold sweat pouring down her back.

Her mouth opened, but her voice barely rose above a whisper. The mate bond was screaming in agony, her wolf howling in despair as she felt her mate claiming another woman.

Compared to the pleasure-filled sounds coming from the room, her faint cries were whispers .

The sounds from inside stretched on, one hour bleeding into the next.

When the door opened, it was already dawn. Marcus stood there, adjusting his robe. "Have you learned your lesson?"

It was the first thing out of his mouth. When he didn't get a response, he looked down—Celeste was at his feet, unmoving.

He crouched. His hand touched her cheek—burning with fever.

A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.

He scooped her up and turned toward the car—but before he could take a step, a voice called lazily from the bedroom.

"Marcus, you were a bit too rough last night. I think something's torn. It's not something I can exactly ask the pack doctor to examine, you know?"

Hearing no response, she added, "Celeste used to get fevers all the time back in college. Just send her to the hospital for some antibiotics. The pack driver can take care of her."

She sounded almost bored. "And you know my position. If the maids gossips about this, people will talk. My reputation would be ruined."

Celeste's lashes fluttered. She couldn't move or speak—but she saw it.

She saw Marcus hesitate.

She saw him turn.

She felt her body lowered into unfamiliar arms... before there was nothing to see but darkness.

When she woke up again, the world was white. Sheets. Lights. And there was a beeping machine at her side.

Luna," the pack doctor said gently, "I need to inform you of some complications from your episode. The severe asthma attack, combined with the stress and physical trauma, caused internal bleeding in your womb where you had surgery on days ago. We had to perform emergency surgery."

He paused, his expression grave. "The damage to your reproductive system was extensive. We managed to save one ovary, but... the chances of you ever carrying a pup to term are now less than fifteen percent."

The words hit her like silver bullets.

Once he left, Celeste picked up her phone and sent a message to Damien.

*A month's too long. Three days. Come get me in three days.*

Chapter 5

Damien's response came within seconds. *[Okay. I'll come pick you up in three days.]*

Seeing his agreement, Celeste finally felt a weight lift from her chest.

Her body had always been fragile for a she-wolf, and after the emergency surgery, she'd stayed in the hospital for another three days to recover. The doctors said the damage to her reproductive system was extensive—her wolf's healing abilities couldn't repair everything.

It wasn't until the day she was discharged that Marcus finally showed up.

"Hey. I'm sorry I couldn't visit sooner. Raven's been having nightmares about the wolfsbane poisoning, and she gets panic attacks whenever I'm not around," he explained, not meeting her eyes.

With her back to him, Celeste continued packing her things and replied flatly, "Mm."

Sensing her indifference, Marcus stepped forward and placed his hands on her shoulders—but she flinched away from his touch. The mate bond felt corrupted now, tainted by what she'd been forced to witness.

"What happened with the poisoning incident—yes, maybe I was too harsh. You went too far, but I've been reflecting too. I shouldn't have lost control like that... But don't worry, something like that won't ever happen again," he promised.

"I get it. You hate Raven because you love me, but I swear, there's really nothing between us. We're just old friends. And don't forget, you're still my mate. What exactly are you afraid of?"

If Marcus could've seen her face just then, he would've caught the disdain in her eyes.

‘Friends? You slept together. What kind of friends fuck around?’ she thought bitterly. ‘Would it only count as “something” if Vionnet ends up pregnant?’

But Celeste no longer cared. In a few days, she'd be gone for good. There was no point arguing over things that didn't matter anymore.

"What's in the past is in the past. I don't want to talk about it anymore," she said. "Aren't you here to pick me up? Let's just go."

Marcus felt a faint heaviness in his chest—she hadn't even looked at him once. Her wolf wasn't even responding to his Alpha presence.

*Fine,* he thought. *When Raven gets settled and moves out, I'll surprise Celeste. We'll finally start fresh. Whatever she did before, I'll let it go.*

*Everything that happened over the past few days had only made one thing clearer—Raven's just a friend to me. What I feel for Celeste...* His gaze lingered on his mate. *It's love.*

With that thought, he grabbed her bag and walked her out of the hospital.

Unfortunately, just as they reached the hallway, her attending doctor came walking toward them.

"Luna, is this your mate? I thought you said you were divorc—"

Afraid the doctor would reveal the fertility damage, Celeste quickly cut in. "Thanks for taking care of me these past few days, doctor. I'm doing much better now, so I won't keep using pack resources."

With that, she pulled Marcus away, hurrying out of the hospital.

But as soon as she stepped into the pack house, Raven's mocking voice rang out.

"Oh, Celeste, it's been four years and you haven't changed a bit!"

Celeste shot her a glare, clearly warning her to back off. With that, she turned to head upstairs to pack.

But what Raven said next made Celeste stop in her tracks.

"Four years ago, I was the one who drugged him. I was also the one who told you Marcus was drinking alone at that bar.

"I knew Marcus loved me. But after I left for Europe, who knew if he'd fall for someone else? I knew you liked him too. So, I figured, why not just set a little trap?

"Marcus... He's an honorable Alpha. If he slept with you, he'd definitely mate with you. But with the drugging involved, he'd never truly love you."

She walked over to Celeste with a smug look, casually letting the collar of her robe slip down.

Fresh mating marks on her throat were hard to miss—marks that should have been Celeste's alone.

"You looked after him for four years. I appreciate that. But now that I'm back—it's your turn to leave, Celeste."

She smirked.

"You've got no park member on your back . You parents are dead, remember? You can't afford to cross the Sterling family. Take my advice: leave while you still can."

Celeste's entire body trembled with rage as she processed her so-called sister's revelation. *So it's all been her plan from the very beginning, huh?*

Without hesitation, Celeste raised her hand and slapped her across the face with enough force to leave claw marks.

She looked Raven dead in the eye. "As long as I'm still his mate, you'll always be the homewrecker. Push me too far, Raven, and I'll make sure the entire pack knows what you really are."

Raven was stunned, her head buzzing from the blow. Her eyes narrowed with malice as she raised her hand to strike back—but just then, Marcus returned.

In an instant, her vengeful eyes welled up with crocodile tears.

"Celeste, Marcus and I are really just friends! That night was a total misunderstanding! Please! I'm begging you! Don't tell the pack elders!"

The next second, she dropped to her knees and started begging for forgiveness, almost kissing the floor.

Before Celeste could even react, Marcus rushed over and shoved her aside.

She was still recovering from the surgery, and the sudden push sent her crashing to the floor. Pain shot through her healing abdomen.

But it was Raven he helped up. When he turned to Celeste, his eyes shot her daggers. "You're being completely unreasonable, Celeste! I already explained everything. Why can't you let it go?"

"If you spread rumors about what happened that night, how do you expect Raven to live with the shame?"

Tears brimmed in Celeste's eyes as she struggled to stand. She bit her lip and said, "You didn't even ask me what really happened, Marcus. Are you seriously going to believe anything she says?"

His fists clenched at his sides. Seeing her so fragile did make his Alpha instincts twinge—but in the end, he still chose to take Raven's side.

"I only believe what I see with my own eyes," he said firmly. "Apologize to Raven. And swear on your wolf's honor you'll never lay a hand on her again."

Celeste let out a cold laugh, her neck stiff with pride. "I did nothing wrong. I'm not apologizing," she said, her stance unwavering. "You two are the ones in the wrong."

Whatever guilt Marcus might've felt before evaporated in an instant.

He looked down at her from above, his Alpha aura pressing against her like a physical weight. "No. This time, Celeste, you will admit you're wrong."

He called for his guards. Within seconds, they stepped in and grabbed hold of her.

"If you won't apologize, I'll carry out the traditional punishment for attacking a pack member. Ninety-nine lashes with a silver whip—you won't survive them."

He thought he could force her to give in.

But Celeste stood her ground, her wolf rising to meet his challenge despite her physical weakness.

"I hit her, yeah—because she deserved it. But I never threatened her!" she shouted. "Marcus, if you dare lay a hand on me, even just once—you're gonna regret it for the rest of your life."