Alpha’s Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16: This Family Owes you nothing

Chapter 16: This Family Owes you nothing

(Celeste’s POV)

Eleanor’s frail hands rested lightly over mine as I sat beside her bed. The soft, golden glow from the lamp beside us illuminated her kind, weathered face.

Her wolf stirred faintly within her, weak but still stubbornly protective. She tilted her head

toward me, her voice gentle but insistent.

“Celeste, child, Alexander… Have you really decided there’s no future between you two?” she

asked, her golden eyes holding traces of hope that immediately made my heart twinge.

I exhaled softly, steadying myself before answering. “Grandmother, Alexander is Scarlett’s

intended mate now,” I said, keeping my voice calm yet firm.

Her wolf whined softly, her displeasure rippling faintly through the space between us.

“But before Scarlett returned, you two had everything,” Eleanor protested lightly. “You were

betrothed. He cared for you. He still cares for you, I see it in his eyes.”

Those words sent sharp pangs through my chest, and my wolf shifted uncomfortably beneath

my skin. I ignored the ache, straightening slightly.

“That was years ago,” I said, pausing before leaning slightly closer to her side. “And if he cared for me in the way you think, he wouldn’t have stood back when Luna ended our engagement.”

My voice softened, my gaze steady. “He’s Scarlett’s now.”

Eleanor frowned but didn’t argue immediately.

She patted my bandaged hands gently, lowering her gaze in thought. “And yet, why did he bring healing stones for you yesterday?” she murmured, her tone inquisitive yet hopeful.

The soft concern in her question made guilt twist in my chest.

“He gave them to me to pass on to Scarlett,” I explained, keeping my tone light but

unwavering.

I leaned closer to her, resting my cheek briefly against her frail shoulder. “Please, Grandmother, let it go. That dream… it died years ago. My only wish now is to stay by your side.”

Her wolf whimpered faintly, but I felt her relax slightly against me. For a moment, the sadness in her eyes softened, and she rested her hand lightly over mine again.

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“You’ve always had such strength,” she said quietly. “I only wish the pack could see it as I do.”

I didn’t respond, choosing instead to sit quietly as her wolf nuzzled faintly beneath her fragile

form.

My wolf curled instinctively around hers, holding onto this moment of peace, however fleeting.

As the evening deepened, moonrise drew near, and with it came the tension I had anticipated

throughout the day.

I walked alongside Eleanor as we made our way to the pack house’s main hall for the family’s

official welcome dinner–a tradition that I had once cherished.

Now, the thought of stepping into that room made my stomach churn.

Eleanor leaned against my arm, her presence and warmth grounding me.

As we entered the hall, I took in the familiar structure–the long dining table, the glowing

chandeliers above, the rich wooden paneling that held so many memories.

Alpha James and Luna Victoria stood near the head of the table, their wolves calm yet

attentive.

They turned toward us, welcoming Eleanor with genuine smiles as they guided her to the head

seat of honor.

My eyes lingered on Scarlett, who sat comfortably beside Luna Victoria–the place that had once been mine. Her wolf whimpered softly, her posture delicate as always.

And then I saw it.

The last vacant seat.

It was placed between Lucas and Scarlett.

My wolf stirred uneasily, instinctively urging me to avoid that battlefront. But Eleanor’s hopeful

smile and the way she leaned into her seat made me push my hesitation aside.

I couldn’t disappoint her–not tonight, not when her heart still clung to the idea of a united

family.

Swallowing the growing knot in my throat, I walked to the empty seat and sat between them

without a word.

The tension pressed against my chest like a heavy stone, suffocating yet familiar.

The meal began quietly enough. Eleanor and Alpha James discussed pack matters casually,

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occasionally drawing Luna Victoria into the conversation.

Scarlett, meanwhile, let out faint whimpers every so often, her wolf curling beside her in

apparent weakness.

Each sound drew concerned glances from Luna and Alpha James, their natural protectiveness

flaring.

I ate in silence, my wolf too tired to engage, my mind carefully distant from the warmth

surrounding the conversation.

Lucas said nothing to me, and I returned the favor, keeping whatever strained peace existed

intact.

But that fragile peace shattered when Alpha James turned to Lucas. His growl was low,

almost imperceptible to the others at the table, but it carried a weight that immediately stilled

Lucas’s movements.

“Offer her something,” Alpha James ordered, his voice laced with unspoken command.

Lucas’s jaw tensed, but he obeyed. He reached toward the platter of moon–blessed meat–a

dish I had once loved, back when I’d been a different person–and placed some in my bowl.

“I remember you used to love this cut,” he said gruffly, his words holding an edge of something

I couldn’t decipher.

The gesture startled me momentarily, though my expression remained locked in polite

neutrality. His gaze flickered toward mine briefly, but I quickly averted my eyes.

Eleanor sat taller, her wolf perking up faintly at the display. Luna Victoria’s gaze softened

slightly as she glanced between Lucas and me.

Even Alpha James seemed to relax marginally, his wolf observing quietly.

But my stomach twisted painfully, and my wolf recoiled from the gesture as though it burned.

I couldn’t eat it.

Not because the food itself repelled me, but because the underlying message of reconciliation.

it carried felt hollow. Forced.

Instead of touching it, I shifted my attention to the other dishes on the table, quietly avoiding

the moon–blessed meat altogether.

Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed Lucas stiffen. His golden eyes flicked toward my bowl

once, twice, before realization struck him.

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The untouched meat stared back at him mockingly.

His wolf bristled visibly, the tension in his frame sharp enough to cut through steel. But he

remained silent–for now.

As the meal drew on, Eleanor excused herself, her wolf clearly weary from the evening’s

energy.

I rose instinctively, moving to follow her.

But she caught my hand gently, her golden eyes full of unspoken hope.

“Stay, my dear,” she urged softly, her tone warm yet faintly pleading. “Spend time with your

family.”

My wolf whimpered faintly at her words, torn between her wishes and the overwhelming

tension that clung to every breath in the room.

But I obeyed.

Nodding once, I returned to my seat, silently watching as she was escorted out by one of the

healers.

The moment she left, the atmosphere in the room shifted.

“Why didn’t you eat it?” Lucas’s voice tore through the quiet, sharp and accusing.

My gaze flicked toward him, finding his green eyes burning with frustration. His wolf snarled

faintly beneath his skin, barely restrained.

Before I could respond, he yanked my bowl away, placing it harshly at the table’s center for all

to see.

Luna Victoria’s eyes darted between us, her wolf whining softly in an attempt to diffuse the

escalating tension. “Lucas, calm down,” she murmured, her voice careful.

Alpha James, however, remained silent, his wolf watching intently as though waiting for

something.

Lucas pressed forward, his voice rising slightly as he snarled, “What’s wrong with it? Is it not

good enough for you? Wasn’t that your favorite?”

His tone cracked slightly, anger bleeding into something rawer.