Alpha’s Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 164

Chapter 164: A Desperate Gambit

Chapter 164: A Desperate Gambit

(Celeste’s POV)

Shadow, the infamous Alpha who led the rogues, stood before me, his aura of cruel

dominance suffocating yet sharp as ice. His pacing was deliberate, his boots crunching

against the dirt–covered floor.

Every step sent a ripple through my silver–scarred wolf, who bristled, caught between fear and

defiance.

“The Alpha King will not negotiate for his pathetic nephew,” Shadow sneered, his deep voice dripping with venom.

He turned to glance at Marcus, who lay slumped against the wall like discarded prey. With a

bored flick of his wrist, Shadow kicked Marcus’s side, eliciting a pitiful yelp.

“But you,” Shadow said, his eyes settling on me with an unnerving gleam, “you’re far more

interesting.”

I swallowed hard, keeping my expression unreadable. My wolf coiled tightly, retreating at the weight of his gaze, but I forced her to hold her ground. A flicker of motion from behind Shadow caught my attention. His pack lounged nearby, their eyes alive with menace, like predators

savoring a fresh kill.

Shadow’s lips twisted into a cruel smile as he spoke again. “Let me make this simple,” he said, his voice dropping to a menacing purr. “Kill Marcus. Kill him with your claws, and I’ll consider

letting you join us.”

The room seemed to contract around me. Time froze for a fleeting moment before rushing

forward with clarity.

“Kill him?” I repeated, my voice even and disbelieving.

Shadow chuckled, low and mocking, gesturing toward Marcus without sparing him a second glance. “A fitting end for a royal coward, don’t you think? Use your claws. Isn’t that poetic, considering all he did to you in his private den?”

The words struck like a physical blow, dredging up memories I fought to bury. The silver cuffs that had burned into my flesh. The cruel laugh as Marcus circled me like a vulture, savoring

my screams.

1/5

+ Point

Chapter 164: A Desperate Gambit

I clenched my fists so hard my nails bit into my palms, grounding myself against the flood of rage and nausea those memories brought with them.

Marcus scrambled forward suddenly, a panicked light in his violet eyes. Dirt clung to his once–pristine royal attire, smudging the image of his so–called superiority. He crawled

pathetically toward me, his hands trembling.

“Celeste, please!” he begged, his voice rising into a mixture of desperation and fear. His royal

tone, honed to command all lesser wolves to submission, cracked like fragile glass.

His violet gaze implored me, darting between my face and Shadow’s looming figure. “You can’t

listen to him! Remember our mate claim! I’m your mate! I can protect you from the Winter

Pack’s schemes.”

For a split second, everything stopped. The rancid air of the den seemed to still.

Then a bitter laugh bubbled unbidden from my chest. It tore through the uneasy silence, harsh

and sharp.

“Protection?” I repeated, my voice flat and hollow, laden with disbelief. “Did you just say you’d

protect me, Marcus?”

He froze. The pathetic hope smeared across his face faltered as my voice rose, laced with

scorn so sharp it could cut through steel.

“You dare to speak of ‘protection‘?” I spat, my silver–scarred wolf growling low in my chest. “Do

you think I’ve forgotten? Don’t insult me.”

I stepped closer, my eyes burning through his façade of salvation. “You tortured me in your

private den. You kept me in silver chains. You broke me

–

or at least, you thought you did. And

now, after everything, you dare to beg for a scrap of mercy from me?”

Marcus whimpered like a scared pup, his violet eyes glistening with tears. His wolf attempted

to surface, flickering weakly in a desperate display of dominance that only spotlighted his

pathetic state.

“Celeste!” he cried, desperation stretching his voice tight. “I had no choice! You don’t

understand! Everything I did-”

“Silence,” Shadow growled, his commanding voice cutting Marcus off like a blade slicing

through air. His disinterest in Marcus bordered on outright derision.

“The question,” he purred, his dark eyes shifting back to me, “is not about his excuses. What I want to know, little silver wolf, is whether you’re going to take this golden opportunity I’ve so

215

Chapter 164: A Desperate Gambit

generously offered you.”

+8 Point

He gestured toward Marcus once more, all cruel composure as he continued. “Will you slit his

throat? End his pathetic whining and free yourself from his claim? All it takes is a little spill of

blood, no?”

I didn’t respond immediately. My wolf was trembling, pacing restlessly in the back of my mind. Pity wasn’t an emotion I could spare for Marcus. Certainly not after years of his cruelty.

But I knew better. If I killed Marcus now, Shadow would never let me live. My death wouldn’t be drawn out like Marcus’s; it would be swift, but certain.

There was only one other option.

“Fine,” I said sharply, lowering my stance. My intense violet gaze locked on Marcus, and his broken expression wavered between betrayal and hope. Reaching toward the floor, I flexed my claws deliberately as if readying myself for the act.

Marcus flinched, reflexively scrambling backward. His voice cracked with another pathetic plea. “Wait, Celeste! Don’t-!”

As his trembling voice filled the den, I lunged forward.

Shadow chuckled darkly, already overestimating his effect on me. But as I launched myself into the air, my trajectory veered.

My violet eyes burned with cold defiance as I shifted my weight and aimed directly for Shadow’s exposed throat.

The den erupted in chaos.

Shadow reacted almost instantly, his wolf instincts razor–sharp. His muscled arm shot out, catching my neck mid–strike. The force jerked me backward, the air rushing from my lungs. His wolf aura slammed into mine like a tidal wave, crushing, suffocating.

“Foolish girl,” Shadow hissed through clenched teeth, his grip tightening. “I was going to make your death quick. But now, I think you deserve something slower.”

I clawed weakly against his iron grip as his other hand raised toward my throat, his smirk widening with satisfaction. My wolf braced for the inevitable.

But the killing blow never came.

Shadow yelped in pain, his hand tearing away from my throat as hot blood sprayed across the den. His howl shattered the unsettling silence, a chilling sound that sent his subordinates scrambling in confusion.

3/5

+3 Poin

Chapter 164: A Desperate Gambit