My heart jerked once, hard, like it wanted to leap out of my ribs and run far away from this conversation.
Slowly, I turned.
Celeste was still standing where I’d left her, but now she had my jacket in her hands, condemnation tightening her features.
“I smell her,” she whispered, her voice trembling despite the sharp edge. “You saw her. Didn’t you?”
There it was-the inevitable.
I sighed, running a hand down my face. “It was a coincidence, Celeste. I didn’t plan it. She happened to be there, same as me. That’s all.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line. She studied me like she was trying to peel me open and see what was written inside.
“Celeste.” I forced my voice to stay calm, not to betray the exhaustion and irritation I was feeling. “It was nothing, okay?”
“Then why can I fucking smell her on you?” she hissed.
“I’ll go take a shower right now,” I countered. I stepped forward and grabbed the jacket out of her hand. “I’ll burn all my clothes if you want.”
Something flickered on her face-determination. And the next thing I knew, she was pressing herself against me, clutching at my shirt with a desperation I recognized. Here we go again.
“I do want her scent erased,” she breathed, her voice dropping low and sultry. “But there are…other ways.”
Her mouth grazed my neck, her fingers tugging at the buttons of my shirt.
For a moment, I let her, waiting to see if my body would react to hers like it should. I waited for the spark, for heat, for every nerve ending to come alive with maddening want.
But…nothing.
I caught her wrists gently but firmly, holding them still.
“Celeste.” I kept my voice gentle but let warning permeate it. “Tomorrow is the finals. The evidence of what you want to do can’t be washed away by a simple shower. And if anyone finds out you’ve been staying here, it’ll ruin everything. You’ll be disqualified before you even set foot in the Arena.”
“I don’t care about the finals,” she snapped, pulling against my hold. “I care about you. About us. Do you even realize how humiliating it feels to wait here for you, while you come home with my fucking sister’s scent clinging to you like a mark?”
The anguish in her voice might’ve struck me deeper once. Now, it only pressed against a part of me that was growing more numb by the day. As if my ability to feel-at least where she was concerned-was fading.
I loosened my grip, forcing calm into my words. “Celeste, you’ve trained too hard to throw it all away now. Don’t let needless jealousy rob you of what you’ve worked for.”
I cupped her face and gently caressed her cheeks. “My promise to you still stands. My parents are preparing the announcement. Once the rogue situation is resolved, we’ll be officially engaged. I’ll keep my word.”
Her breathing slowed a fraction, though the tension in her shoulders lingered. Her eyes searched mine, and I hoped to the goddess she couldn’t see the conflict in them. “You swear it?”
I bit out the words. “I swear it.”
That soothed her, if only partially. She exhaled, a trembling laugh slipping out, then pivoted, gliding toward the side table at the living room entrance.
Her fingers brushed across the sleek music player there, and within seconds, soft piano notes filled the air.
She turned back to me with a small, almost wistful smile. “Do you recognize this song?”
I didn’t, but thankfully, she didn’t give me a chance to answer. “It’s my favorite. I used to play it all the time when we hung out.”
“Right.”
Then she held her hand out. “Dance with me. For old times’ sake.”
The request was harmless enough; it was the least I could do after rejecting her yet again. Yet something in me bristled. I didn’t know if it was my wolf or my own conflicted humanity.
Still, I stepped forward, resting my hand lightly against her waist as she pressed close. She tilted her head back, eyes shining, lips curved as the music wrapped around us.
She leaned into me, her warmth undeniable, the jasmine of her scent purging the lavender that still lingered around me. “This is nice, right?” she whispered.
It should have been more than nice. It should have been perfect. Celeste was beautiful. Familiar. Mine-supposedly.
But as we moved slowly across the polished floor, my chest stayed hollow.
The truth gnawed at me. It had felt so easy with Sera, natural. So blissfully effortless.
And now?
With Celeste in my arms, I felt only the effort of holding together an image that was already cracking.
Now I was caught between duty and desire, between a promise I’d made and a bond that seemed to grow stronger the harder I tried to sever it.
Celeste rested her cheek against my chest, humming contentedly with the music, her arms tightening around me as if she could tether me in place.
And all I could do was wish she were someone else.
SERAPHINA’S POV
The final challenge.
The air itself carried a weight that morning-heavy with expectation, anticipation, the unmistakable tang of nerves sharpening every inhale.
I remembered back when the LST had seemed like some far-off mountain I couldn’t possibly climb.
And now here I was, standing at the base of the last summit.
The Path of the Great Wolf.
One last obstacle. Two days. One of three wild terrains.
The officiant’s voice rang across the stone platform, each nugget of information hammering anxiety further into my pounding heart. “Each team has been randomly assigned to one of three simulated wildernesses-Snowfield, Lavaland, Stormridge. Within each lies a Gatekeeper Boss. They will be the final test of your worthiness. Each of them, portrayed by a powerful Alpha, bears a talisman around their neck. Your goal is not victory in combat. It is cleverness. Speed. Unity. Locate the Gatekeeper Boss and claim the talisman. Reach the endpoint before forty-eight hours run out. The first team to pass this challenge wins the Latent Spark Trials.”
The crowd roared from the stands. They were loving the Trials-the spectacle of wolves pushed to their limits, of rank and strategy colliding in brutal landscapes.
Oh, what I would give right now to be a spectator instead of a participant.
Judy’s shoulder brushed mine, steady and grounding. Finn stood at my other side, and I could practically hear the gears in his head turning. Roxy cracked her knuckles, as usual, looking far too eager for a fight. Talia stood quietly, but her eyes darted between her teammates like she was drawing strength from proximity.
“Snowfield,” the officiant called out. “OTS Team One, Team Frostbane.”
My stomach twisted.
But I wasn’t even surprised in the least. Of course, my team would be paired with Celeste’s. What other outcome could there possibly be?
A ripple of whispers tore through the spectators. They knew what this meant. My history with Celeste was no secret, especially after the encounter that had followed the last challenge.
This had become more than OTS versus Frostbane.
This was now Sera versus Celeste.
Lovely.
Celeste’s smug face appeared across the platform, framed by golden hair that caught the sunlight like it was spun to blind.
She strutted forward with Elara and the rest of her team in tow, cockiness infused in every step.
They aligned next to us. Elara gave me a curt but friendly nod, and I returned it before turning to my team.
Around us, the officiant continued to announce which of the remaining teams would end up in which Arena, reiterating each assignment as he did so.
“We’ve had several trials thrown at us, and we’ve survived them all, okay?” I said, adding as much confidence into my voice as I could. I met each of their gazes firmly, surely. “This one isn’t going to be any different.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Celeste’s voice carried just enough volume to slice through the chatter around us
I sighed. Here I thought the last humiliation she’d faced would deter her from making another pass at my team.
But I guess a snake just couldn’t resist spewing venom wherever it could.
I turned, and her lips curled as her gaze locked onto me.
I mirrored her sneer. “Yes, Celeste? Any juvenile jab you’d like to direct towards me or my team?”
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