Alpha’s Regret After Putting Me In Jail

Chapter 6 : Rejected Mate Bond

Chapter 6 : Rejected Mate Bond

(Celeste's POV)

The gentle ticking of the clock filled the silent room, but I didn't feel a wink of sleep. Such a soft bed and delicate silk sheets didn't make it any easier to sleep than the stone bed I'd slept on for the past four years, I thought to myself, mockingly.

Upon returning to this house, the memories of the past have been invading me and it's impossible to sleep.

I lifted the thin blanket off my legs and stood up, it was still cold, not bone chilling cold like in prison, but it still made me wince.

My wolf stirred weakly inside me, a faint, pained whimper echoing in my chest. I ignored it.

I couldn't stay in this room. The walls felt like they were closing in.

The pack house was eerily silent at this hour, the time before dawn when the world seemed to forget to breathe. My footsteps echoed softly along the polished floors as I moved as quietly as I could down the hallway.

I didn't need a guide to find my destination. My body moved instinctively, as if drawn there by a pull stronger than my pain.

My grandmother, Elder Eleanor's chambers.

The door to the room was slightly ajar, a sliver of amber light spilling into the hallway. I was righteous as I walked in, but as I reached the door, I began to hesitate, my chest tightening. Should I go in? Is she still awake? Would she want to see me? Would she want to see me like this?

At this moment, a faint breathing sound reached my ears. This sound was laborious and weak, but familiar. Cece whispered in my mind, "It's her, Grandmother," and I choked up.

I took a long breath, slowly pushed open the door to the hidden room, and stepped inside, each movement careful and deliberate. The room smelled faintly of herbs and burning candles. The fire in the corner flickered slightly, casting long shadows on the walls.

There she was.

My grandmother.

Eleanor clutched a thick shawl tightly around her, her once-proud frame diminished by sickness.

But her eyes—those golden eyes that had once commanded a pack—still burned with quiet strength.

The slamming of the door caught her eye and she looked to the doorway, and the moment our eyes met, both of our wolves reacted.

A low gasp escaped her lips, surprise and amazement in her eyes?

My chest tightened at the sound. It wasn't loud or obvious, but it was filled with years of suppressed anguish, of guilt, of longing so sharp it made my breath hitch.

"Oh God, Celeste," Eleanor whispered. Her voice was a little shaky and she sounded weak. She exerted herself violently, trying to rise from her chair, and I rushed forward without thinking." No, sit still," I said, my voice quivering, and my hand holding her up trembling.

She reached out and grabbed my hand, hers thin and weak but steady." Let me look at you, child," she whispered, her eyes slightly red, and there was a weight in her tone that made me weak in the knees.

I hesitated, I didn't know how she would react when she saw it. But her eyes pleaded with me, and I found myself unconsciously kneeling beside her, my hand clasped tightly in hers, and I couldn't fight these eyes, these eyes that had consistently looked at me for eighteen years, these eyes that had only love and heartache in them.

"My little baby," she murmured, her voice full of love. Her hands ran through my hair, brushed my face, traced my shoulders, and lifted the shirt off my arms with precision. She let out a gasp as her thumb brushed lightly over the silver scar on my arm, the faint firelight making the crisscrossing scars visible, and for the first time anger appeared in those golden eyes, "What did they do to you?"

My throat felt tight, the words lodged somewhere between my chest and my tongue.

"I'm fine," I managed, though the words sounded hollow even to me.

Eleanor's grip on my hand tightened - not much, but enough to show what she meant. One of her hands touched my face, "No, I know you're not okay, honey," she said, her tone soft and firm.

Her eyes searched mine, as if trying to find the Celeste she had once known. I wanted to tell her that girl was gone, erased by time and pain, but the words wouldn't come.

"I fought for you," Eleanor said, her voice trembling now. "I fought the Alpha King's council. I nearly lost everything. They said I was wasting my strength on a traitor, but I didn't care. You're mine. Do you understand that? You'll always be mine."

My chest ached, a deep, sharp pain I didn't know how to process.

I nodded slowly, my eyes felt sore, the aggravation of finally being understood, but over the past four years I had learned well how to hold my tears back. For me, tears did nothing but show weakness.

For a moment, there was silence between us. Just the quiet sound of the fire crackling, and the faint, steady rhythm of her breathing. I squeezed her hand.

But the soft peace of the moment didn't last.

The door creaked open, and I turned sharply.

Victoria stepped in, her presence as elegant as always, though her green eyes darted nervously around the room as if she were looking for something—or someone—to blame for the unease that lingered in the air.

Scarlett followed close behind, the perfect picture of innocence as she moved delicately into the room, her emerald eyes wide and her auburn hair cascading over her shoulders like she had wandered out of a painting.

"Good morning, Mother," Victoria said to Eleanor, her voice carefully measured. Her gaze flicked to me briefly, but she said nothing.

Scarlett offered a soft smile, the kind that looked sweet but felt like poison. "Grandmother, I hope we're not intruding."

If Eleanor was affected by their arrival, she hid it well. Her hand didn't loosen its grip on mine.

"What is it that brings you here so early, Victoria?" Eleanor asked, her tone polite but cool.

Victoria hesitated just a fraction of a second before speaking. "We wanted to discuss Scarlett's upcoming mating ceremony."

My stomach turned at the words, but I forced my expression into one of practiced neutrality.

"Alexander and Scarlett make such a perfect match," Victoria continued, her smile tight. "And with the ceremony approaching, we wanted your blessing…of course."

Eleanor's sharp gaze shifted slightly to Scarlett, and for a brief moment, her lips twitched downward.

"Ah, yes. The union of betrothed wolves," she said softly, her tone far too neutral to be casual.

Her next words were directed at me.

"Celeste," she said, her voice growing sharper. "Do you still love her?"

The air seemed to grow colder.

Victoria's body visibly stiffened, her body tensed, her usual soft smile cold on her face. Scarlett tried to hide her reaction, but I could see her hands gripping the edge of her dress tightly, the fabric twisting under her fingers.

"No," I said sharply. The word fell heavily into the silence.

I turned my attention to Eleanor, and even though Cece was stirring uncomfortably inside me, I could feel her disapproval. But I still held my ground and said firmly "I've long forgotten what it feels like. My wolf felt nothing when he saw him again either."

Scarlett's eyes darted toward me, her expression wide-eyed but calculated.

Before anyone else could say anything, I added, "Not to mention that it doesn't fit with the agreement between Winterpack and Steelpack, since I stopped using Winter's last name four years ago."

Victoria inhaled sharply, the sound loud enough to be heard.

"What is this madness again? This is not something you can simply discard," Lucas' voice rang out.

I turned sharply, my jaw tightening as he stepped into the room alongside Alexander.

As Lucas crossed the threshold, his power began to gather around him again, his golden eyes narrowing into slits as he stared at me." Don't even think about it! You will always be a daughter of Winters, a member of the pack, and your blood rights are still on record!"

A bitter laugh escaped me before I could stop it. The sound echoed sharply in the tense room, filled with nothing but cold derision.

"An interesting claim," I said, my tone dripping with venom. My gaze locked onto him, and I could see the faint flicker of uncertainty behind his anger.

"In fact, three days after you threw me into Moonshadow Prison, Alpha James has officially declared to the Council of Alpha Kings that I am not related to the Winters pack by blood."

The color drained from Victoria's face.

"Keeping me in the registry," I continued, my voice sharp and unwavering, "would be deceiving the Alpha King himself."

The room descended into stunned silence.

Eleanor lets out a heavy sigh, a heaviness I've never felt in all the years I've known her.

Victoria's lips parted, but no words came out. Her hand shook slightly as she gripped the back of Scarlett's chair for support.

Scarlett's expression wavered, though she quickly ducked her head to hide the flicker of satisfaction that crossed her features.

Alexander stayed silent, his arms crossed over his chest, his cold expression as usual, but as a lover of many years, I could still see the tense muscles in his arms.

Shocked by my words, Lucas stood frozen in place, his golden-green eyes wide, almost as if he were genuinely shocked, and in a rare moment of silence.

Eleanor's golden eyes turned to me with a soft gaze that I couldn't help but reach out and take her hand.