Alpha’s Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 162

Chapter 162: A Wolf’s Sacrifice

Chapter 162: A Wolf’s Sacrifice

(Celeste’s POV)

The room fell unnervingly silent as James Cooper stepped forward. His usual professionalism

was frayed, his face pale from exhaustion. With trembling hands, he extended a small note

toward Alexander, as if the weight of the simple paper had somehow drained the breath from

his lungs.

Alexander accepted it without hesitation. His icy blue eyes glanced over the note, but his

expression darkened with each passing second. His wolf’s cold fury hummed in the air, so faint it sent a chill rippling down my spine.

Everyone waited, the silence pressing heavily against the room.

Finally, Alexander spoke, his voice sharp and controlled. “The location is deep in the Northern

territory… near the border of the Dark Forest.”

The mere mention of the Dark Forest caused unease to ripple through the room. Even Nina,

fierce and composed as ever, stiffened beside me. My own wolf bristled at the name. No wolf

wanted to step into the darkness that enveloped those cursed woods. The forest was a place

of shadows, filled with the remnants of rogue activities and countless untold horrors.

A royal guard moved closer to Alexander, his brow furrowed. Even without words, his wolf’s

unease was visible in the way his hands twitched. “The deadline is incredibly tight, sir,” he

finally muttered, barely louder than a whisper. “Even if we leave immediately, it’s going to be-”

“We’ll make it,” I interrupted, my voice colder than I intended. Conviction underpinned my tone,

but internally, my nerves danced on edge.

All eyes shifted toward me, lingering in a way that made my wolf uncomfortable. Yet, I refused

to waver.

They were assessing my resolve, doubting my ability. It wasn’t said aloud, but the hesitance in

their expressions screamed volumes. Even Alpha James, who had remained silent, looked at me with subtle doubt shadowing his sharp golden eyes.

Let them doubt. It didn’t matter.

As I straightened my posture, Nina took a sharp step forward. Her silver–gray wolf energy surged protectively, her gray eyes blazing with determination. “Miss Celeste,” she declared, her

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Chapter 162: A Wolf’s Sacrifice

voice firm and unwavering, “I’m coming with you!”

Her words were bold and absolute, as if her presence was non–negotiable. My wolf paused,

conflicted between pride for her loyalty and frustration at her stubbornness. Nina’s protective

instincts were unparalleled, but this wasn’t her fight.

“No,” I said firmly, turning to face her so she could see the certainty in my expression.

Nina’s wolf growled softly, a sound low enough that only wolves in the room could hear. “You

can’t go alone!” she exclaimed, her loyalty nearly overwhelming. “You need someone you can

trust to-”

“Nina,” I interrupted, my voice soft but edged with finality. Reaching out, I placed a hand lightly

on her arm, trying to curb her frustration before it spiraled. Her muscles, tightly coiled under

my touch, betrayed just how deeply she wanted to protect me.

“You know what the rogues do to female wolves,” I said quietly, my words deliberate. “You

can’t come.”

Her wolf’s whine echoed in the small room, raw and filled with suppressed anguish. That

sound was enough to tug at my already fragile composure.

“But Miss…” Nina’s voice cracked, uncharacteristic emotion spilling over. Her expression

carried her desperation as she added, “But Miss is also a female wolf!”

Her words hit hard, and not because they were untrue. The vulnerability they contained, the

raw fear behind her plea–it reverberated inside me like a howl too painful to suppress. My

own silver–scarred wolf flinched uneasily, caught in the vice grip of her truth.

For a moment, no one else spoke. Nina’s words hung heavy in the air, and the impact rippled

through the room, reaching even Alpha James. His golden eyes flickered, betraying his inner

turmoil. A faint clench of his hand and the shallow rise and fall of his chest hinted at a deeper

conflict. His wolf stirred under the surface, and though he said nothing, the tension radiated

off him. He was struggling.

Despite everything, there was something painful and vulnerable in the way his wolf yearned to

leap forward–to shield me the way he once had. But it didn’t happen.

Instead, he remained composed, allowing guilt and duty to battle silently within him.

The mounting tension broke as hurried footsteps echoed beyond the room. Five wolves

entered, their presence deliberate but unassuming. Their wiry builds and blank expressions formed a jarring juxtaposition. They lacked the charisma or dominating presence of royal warriors, yet their sharp gazes spoke of ruthless efficiency.

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Chapter 162: A Wolf’s Sacrifice

“Dewarf guards,” Alexander introduced, his tone unwavering, though his wolf energy shifted.

I studied them cautiously, their unremarkable appearance doing little to ease my doubts. How

could these five seemingly ordinary wolves be the final piece to this impossible plan?

Alexander’s gaze flicked toward me. “Choose one as your escort,” he said, his voice laced with

authority.

My hesitation stretched uncomfortably. Their sharp, analyzing eyes flicked toward me, and though they stood motionless, it felt as though they could see straight through my guarded composure. Something about them made my wolf instinctively uneasy.

Yet there was no other choice.

“That one,” I said at random, pointing to the wolf standing in the middle. His expression didn’t change, though he stepped forward smoothly.

“Jack,” he introduced himself, his voice devoid of any

warmth.

Before I could introduce myself in return, he added, “My primary loyalty is to Prince Marcus.”

His blunt declaration landed with the force of a punch. It wasn’t offensive, but neither was it something I wanted, or needed, to hear. My wolf bristled silently as I masked my irritation behind a composed exterior. His loyalty was expected, yet the words stung like rejection.

Swallowing my pride, I nodded curtly. There would be no point arguing–his presence was

enough for now.

Taking a steadying breath, I turned toward the door. My silver–scarred arms tingled faintly, a phantom ache that I forced to the back of my mind. There were no other options, no turning

back now.

As I took my first steps toward whatever awaited in the rogue’s forested darkness, Alpha

James’s voice stopped me cold.

“Celeste.”

That single word carried a weight unlike anything I’d heard from him recently. It wasn’t a command. It wasn’t layered with anger, disappointment, or resentment. It was almost…raw.

I turned slowly, meeting those golden eyes that had once been a source of pride and warmth. For a fleeting moment, I saw the man who had treated me as his daughter–the Alpha who had once claimed I carried the heart of the Winter Pack.