Well, screw him.
I didn’t need his fucking permission to do anything.
And if he thought the dynamics of our relationship-or lack thereof-had changed because I’d agreed to be Gatekeeper Boss, he had another thing coming.
“Come on, Dad!” Daniel’s excited tug drew my attention, and I let him pull me along to where everyone else gathered for photos.
I kept my expression neutral, though inside, my chest thundered.
Standing beside Sera-our son between us-felt like…trespassing. Like breaking into a house I used to live in, but was now sold.
The photographer fussed with angles, lining us up: my hand on Daniel’s shoulder, Sera close at his other side. Her team flanking us, families filling in.
“Perfect,” the photographer chirped, snapping flash after flash. “Smile!”
Daniel’s smile could have lit the whole damn hall, and the only thing that rivalled it was Sera’s.
I tried to smile too, though mine felt heavier. their
For just those few seconds, though, I let myself pretend-pretend this was normal. Pretend we hadn’t fallen apart. Pretend we were still a family, posing for a picture.
The last flash popped, leaving spots in my vision.
“Wonderful,” the photographer declared. “That’s a wrap!”
Before we could break apart, Daniel turned to me, his voice bubbling with excitement.
“Dad, you’re coming to Mom’s victory celebration, right?” he asked, tugging at my sleeve.
The question caught me off guard, and I glanced over his head at Sera, looking for an answer in her eyes.
Did she want me there?
She winced almost imperceptibly with every movement, and I knew that underneath her gear, she bore bandages-thanks to me.
There was no way she wanted one of the obstacles to her victory at her celebration.
So I braced myself for the rejection. I would deserve it; as Lucian would say, it was only fitting.
But before Sera could deliver the blow, another voice cut through-sharper, dripping with malice.
“You see! Look at him!” Celeste’s voice cut through the bum around us, drawing everyone’s attention. “Smiling with them, standing with her-you expect me to believe he didn’t throw the fight?”
The hairs on the back of my neck rose.
CELESTE’S POV
I’d never hated the sight of a smile more in my entire life.
My team had come in dead fucking last, barely crossing the exit zone before time ran out, battered, bloodied, and humiliated.
And Ethan-our fucking Alpha-instead of directing his fury at the one responsible for our failure, he’d smiled at Elara with something dangerously close to approval.
“You led well,” he said, pride infused in every word. “Win or lose, you upheld Frostbane’s honor and spirit.”
Those words struck me worse than any of Ashar’s blows.
Elara, propped up on a bench in the resting room with her ribs bound, still managed a satisfied smile. “Thank you, Alpha.”
That look, so smug, so self-assured, was like a knife twisting in my chest. She’d stolen everything from me-my command, my authority. my rightful place as fucking champion.
And my own brother praised her for it.
I clenched my jaw, hands balled into fists at my sides, as the medics wove quietly between the teams, kneeling with their packs and carefully tending wounds and distributing bandages to those slumped on benches or sprawled on the floor.
The sterile scent of herbs and salves made me sick. I could still taste the iron of blood in my mouth, and the ache in my ribs throbbed with every shallow breath.
But it wasn’t pain that made my hands shake.
The central screen glowed red through the haze of my anger, and the sight of the gold medal twinkling around Seraphina’s neck made me want to burn the building-hell, the whole fucking world-to the ground.
One of the medics-a worthless Omega-crouched before me, holding out a small box of tinctures and gauze. “Lady Celeste, if you’ll just hold still-
I slapped the box from his hands. Its contents clattered across the stone floor, rolling and scattering like broken teeth.
Gasps erupted around us.
The Omega recoiled, stunned, his wide eyes shimmering with hurt. “M-my lady-“
“Don’t touch me!” I snapped, rising unsteadily to my feet.
The movement sent sparks of pain arcing down my side. The thought that it was Kieran himself who had inflicted this agony made it hurt ten times worse.
“I don’t need your pity ministrations,” I hissed down at him. “What I need is justice.”
“Celeste,” Ethan snapped.
His Alpha tone cracked like a whip across the air, but it only stoked the fury bubbling in my gut.
“Aren’t you the least bit pissed?” I whirled on him, the world swaying for a heartbeat before righting itself.
Confusion furrowed his brows. “What are you on about now?”
I stabbed a finger at the exit. “I’m talking about the blatant fraud we witnessed out there!”
The murmurs thickened.
Across the chamber, I saw the members of OTS stiffen. Their uniforms gleamed, pristine compared to our ragged, snow-crusted gear.
Two of the top three placements, snatched by their people-inferior Omegas and deficient outcasts.
It was so ridiculous I could laugh. Fate wasn’t so blind, so derelict that it would let this joke of an injustice occur.
It was clear to anyone with a working pair of eyes that the Trials had been cleverly scripted for their glory.
“Fraud?” Ethan’s voice dropped, dangerously low.
“Yes!” I threw my arm toward the OTS groups. “Two of the top three-two!-and we’re supposed to believe that’s coincidence? That’s skill? Don’t be na?ve, Ethan. They’ve been favored from the start. The judging, the challenges-it’s all been stacked in their favor.”
One of the OTS members, a tall male with an angular jaw, stepped forward, his grey eyes flashing. “Careful, Frostbane.”
“Or what?” I spat. “You’ll cheat louder? Gods, you people couldn’t even be fucking subtle about it!”
A ripple of outrage surged through the room.
“You dare insult the LST’s integrity?” another snapped-a brunette woman whose voice carried the weight of authority. “Every result was reviewed by a council of impartial elders-none of whom bear any allegiance to OTS. Every second of the challenges was broadcast for all to see. The entirety of the Trials was transparent.” Her hazel eyes narrowed. “If you cannot accept your failure, then choke on it silently. Do not smear our honor.”
“You wouldn’t know honor if it clawed your throat out,” I hissed.
Ethan’s hand clamped around my arm, tight enough to bruise. “Enough.”
I yanked at his grip, twisting my arm, but his hold was unyielding. When I couldn’t break free, I settled for a glare.
“Enough? You should be furious! You should be demanding answers, not standing here like some spineless diplomat. Frostbane was humiliated out there. I was humiliated!”
“You humiliated yourself,” Elara muttered, not looking up as her bandages were tied.
My head snapped toward her. “What did you just say?”
“You heard me.” Her gaze stayed steady, unflinching, even as her knuckles whitened on her knee, “You wanna know why we lost,
Celeste?” She leaned in, still seated. “It wasn’t because the other teams were better. Not because anyone cheated. And certainly not because of judges.”
She pointed a finger straight at me. “We lost because we were slowed down by the deadweight on our team. Take responsibility for once in your cushioned life.”
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