Alpha's Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 21

Chapter 21:Trapped Between Wolves

Chapter 21: Trapped Between Wolves

(Celeste’s POV)

The air in Regina’s sacred territory was heavier than before, pressing me down. My legs began to tremble as exhaustion bit into my muscles.

The silver scars scattered across my arms seemed to burn anew, as if the weight of the

atmosphere targeted them directly.

I tried to steady myself, but it was futile. My knees buckled without warning, and dizziness

blanketed my vision.

Before I hit the ground, an iron grip caught me..

Marcus’s hand clamped tightly onto my wrist. His grip was deliberate, crushing against the

long–healed silver burns with precision that wasn’t accidental.

Pain flared through my body, but I kept my lips pressed shut, swallowing the cry that fought to

escape.

“Careful,” Marcus murmured, his tone syrupy but void of real concern.

His fingers tightened marginally, not enough to snap bone, but enough to remind me who held the power in this moment. “You wouldn’t want the Alpha King’s nephew thinking you’re weak, would you?”

I froze under his touch, my wolf curling inward deeper than ever before, whimpering uselessly. My breaths were shaky, every inhale labored. I couldn’t pull away; he’d made sure of that.

A flicker of movement drew my wavering focus. My violet eyes met Alexander’s ice–blue ones,

sharp and cutting even from a few paces away.

His gaze wasn’t on my face but on Marcus’s hand, where the pressure was concentrated over

my scars.

Alexander’s white wolf pulsed faintly through his aura. The energy smothered the grove,

almost challenging the dominance Marcus exuded. Alexander’s jaw tightened, and his fists

curled briefly at his sides.

“Marcus,” Alexander began, his voice low, steady, but trembling with barely restrained

aggression. “Is that how you handle a potential mate?”

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Marcus glanced down at his hand still clutching my wrist. He smiled. It wasn’t friendly. If

anything, it sharpened with amusement. His hand slid down slightly, releasing my wrist,

though his fingers brushed the edge of another silver scar near my elbow.

“I apologize,” Marcus said lazily, his violet eyes darting back to Alexander. “She stumbled. I

was simply helping her.”

His words dripped with mockery disguised as civility.

Alexander’s expression darkened, though his posture stayed perfectly controlled. His aura,

however, betrayed him. It grew colder, denser, snuffing out what little warmth the grove held.

My hand instinctively withdrew from Marcus’s lingering touch, though not without him

squeezing one last time before letting go.

“Thank you,” I whispered, though I couldn’t tell if the thanks was sincere or conditioned

compliance.

My voice quivered faintly, my throat constricted by the building weight of two powerful wolves

combatting over a space I could barely hold myself upright in.

Marcus’s head tilted slightly, observing me like a predator amused by its cornered prey.

“You don’t need to thank me, Celeste.” He leaned in closer, his so–called concern mingling with

false sweetness. “After all, I’ll always be here for you. Soon, that will be my role as your mate.”

The word mate sent a chill down my spine. My wolf cringed inwardly, refusing to believe the

inevitability his words conveyed.

“Are

you alright?” Alexander’s voice cut through before Marcus could continue. His sharp tone

didn’t invite Marcus to respond, but rather demanded an answer from me.

I glanced briefly at Alexander, whose ice–blue eyes narrowed, waiting. “I’m fine,” I said quietly,

though my hands betrayed me as they trembled faintly even in their balled–up fists.

“See?” Marcus drawled, his tone bordering on patronizing. “She’s tougher than she looks. Aren’t you, Celeste?”

Shame and anger warred inside me, but my wolf stayed silent. It was safer that way.

Marcus adjusted his stance, turning his attention fully to Alexander. The amusement in his

expression hardened slightly, though it retained its edge of mockery. “What brings you here, Beta Alexander? Important matters for the Alpha King?”

*

Alexander kept his icy gaze pinned on Marcus, his wolf bristling just beneath the surface.

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“Rogues have been spotted near the Northern borders,” he replied curtly. “Exiled wolves

turning violent. My team has been dispatched to monitor the situation.”

The news made my shoulders stiffen. Rogue wolves had always carried chilling rumors: former pack members abandoned by law or loyalty, stripped of their identity, often driven mad

by isolation.

Their reputation was one of brutality.

I opened my mouth slightly to ask more, but Marcus shifted, his attention snapping back to

me before I could find the courage to question further.

“Don’t worry, Celeste,” he murmured, his voice suddenly low and heavy with mock

reassurance. “My Northern territory remains perfectly secure. Any rogues foolish enough to challenge it wouldn’t survive the attempt.”

His words were meant to comfort, but they only trapped me. To Marcus, I would have no fears if I lived beneath his rule. A mate bond with him would offer me nothing but safety.

Safety at a cost I wasn’t willing to consider.

“I’m not worried about myself,” I said softly, my voice shaking nonetheless.

Marcus froze briefly, though the reaction barely registered before his smile widened once again, his violet eyes gleaming.

“No need to pretend bravery for my sake,” he said, leaning closer to me. “A mate of mine will never need to fear. Isn’t that right, Alexander?”

Alexander’s composure faltered briefly, just for a moment. His white wolf surged, visible in the faint way his aura sharpened, cold enough to steal what breath I’d regained.

“Has she agreed?” Alexander asked, his voice deadly quiet. “To your mate claim?”

I snapped my face toward Alexander, alarm sparking briefly. Why was he asking directly? Did he think I-

Alexander’s question froze further in my chest as Marcus chuckled.

“Oh, she will,” Marcus answered, barely looking at me this time, his eyes focused on the annoyance that was Alexander. “We’ve already discussed it, haven’t we, Celeste?”