Chapter 4: Playing for sympathy (Celeste’s POV) Lucas’s fury hit like a cold wind, unrelenting and biting. “Playing for sympathy again?” His words came out sharp, golden-green eyes flashing. His wolf was close, always close, like a beast just under his skin. I leaned against the doorway, feeling exhaustion sink deep into my bones. My legs barely held me, every muscle trembling. My wolf, too broken to do anything else, let out a soft, submissive whine, curling back inside me. “Why didn’t you mention these injuries earlier?” Lucas snapped, his voice demanding, as if the answer was obvious. I forced myself to meet his gaze, even under the weight of his anger. My lungs tightened, but I refused to lower my head. Not now. Not again. “You didn’t give me the chance,” I replied quietly. I didn’t let my voice waver. His jaw clenched, the muscles ticking under his skin. I could see the conflict in his eyes. He wanted to lash out, to make me fold. I didn’t. I exhaled, steadying the whirlwind inside me. “Would you like to know how the guards at Moon Shadow Prison made sure I understood my place?” My voice was calm, too calm. It seemed to make him pause, his glare sharpening further. Victoria shifted beside me, her soft gasp audible even over the crackling tension in the air. Lucas didn’t move, though his body tensed further, and a flicker of discomfort crossed his features. I didn’t wait for his response. “They force-fed me water laced with wolfsbane,” I said flatly. Each word landed heavily between us. “Do you know what that does to a wolf? It makes you too weak to shift. Too fragile to heal.” I could see Scarlett tilt her head slightly from the corner of my vision, her expression unreadable. But I knew. Oh, she was listening. She always did. “And the silver,” I continued, my voice hardening. I could feel the burn again, as fresh as it was years ago. “They pressed silver chains into my skin whenever I resisted. It didn’t matter what I did. If I fought back, they punished others—wolves who didn’t deserve it. Wolves who showed me kindness.” My fingers trembled slightly at the memory, but I steadied them, curling them into fists and burying them in my sleeves. If I felt the tension rise, I didn’t show it. Victoria let out a strangled sob. Her hand covered her mouth as tears began to form in her green eyes. I didn’t look at her. My words weren’t for her. “More manipulation,” Lucas growled suddenly. His sharp tone cut through the moment like a blade. His wolf’s energy flared, hot and dominant. “Of course. Even now, you’re twisting things, trying to gain sympathy.” I almost laughed at that. How could I have sympathy when no one cared enough to even ask? He stepped closer, and I could feel the intensity radiating off him. “Let me guess,” he hissed, venom thick in his words. “Even Alexander believed you, didn’t he? More lies to manipulate him?” The sharp mention of Alexander made my heart twist, but I didn’t let it show. I straightened my shoulders, forcing my chin higher despite the trembling in my legs. “You need to remember your place,” Lucas snapped. “Alexander belongs to Scarlett now. He’s not here for you.” It was bitter. Poisoned words wrapped in fury. I let them hit, let the weight settle for a brief second before I spoke. “You’re concerned about my limp, aren’t you?” I began, my voice low. I didn’t wait for him to answer. “That limp you so conveniently notice now? It happened four years ago.” I saw the confusion flicker across his eyes, though his lips curled into a deeper scowl. My hand tightened on the edge of my sleeve, my voice sharper now, my calm cracking just slightly. “Of course, you wouldn’t remember, would you? You threw me down the marble stairs. Do you recall that? Because I do. Every single day.” Scarlett’s breath hitched audibly. Oh, she was playing her role perfectly—too perfectly. Her pale fingers pressed against her lips, her emerald eyes round with what she likely thought was shock. It was all for show. “That fall broke my wolf’s back leg,” I continued, ignoring the rising tension around me. My words hung heavy between us. “The limp I have? The reason my wolf couldn’t heal fully? That is your reminder, Lucas.” Victoria turned pale, her eyes darting between the two of us like she couldn’t process my words fast enough. Her wolf’s grief could be felt even from here, bleeding out through soft, distressed whines. Lucas’s face darkened further, his eyes blazing fire now. For all the guilt flickering deep behind that anger, his pride refused to admit it. “That’s enough,” Lucas snarled, his voice thick with his wolf’s energy. He took a threatening step forward. “Don’t you dare—” His voice cracked slightly, his fury overtaking his words. “Don’t you dare hurt Scarlett with these lies!” Oh, Scarlett. Sweet, perfect Scarlett. She flinched, just enough to draw attention. A perfectly-timed tremble passed through her shoulders, her cheeks tinged with pink. She was the injured party now, casting me effortlessly as the villain. My stomach churned at the sight. I felt disgusted—not just with her, but with all of them. I had no energy left for this. For playing their games. “I’ll postpone meeting Elder,” I said hollowly. My voice didn’t rise, didn’t soften. It was vacant, cold. None of this was worth it. Nothing I said or did would mean anything. Not to them. Not anymore. Lucas stood tense, rigid like a storm ready to break loose. His silence was heavy, accusing. Victoria’s sobs grew softer, though her pain seemed to drain the air from the room. And me? I turned away from all of them. My wolf lay still, lifeless inside me. There would be no fight today. (Alexander’s POV) My wolf Steelclaw clawed at me, restless and enraged as I stood just beyond the shadows. My hand tightened around the narrow neck of the bottle, the medicine inside sloshing gently as my grip involuntarily shook. I had come here for Elder, for something as simple as delivering this bottle—but now… Now, I stood frozen. Silent. Witnessing something I never should have seen. Celeste’s voice had cut through the hallway like it was laced with silver itself. I could feel every ounce of her pain, every c***k in her defenses. It was there, clear as day, though no one else seemed to notice—or care. Steelclaw growled, a deep, low rumble that vibrated through my entire being. He hated this. The scent of her pain mingled with bitterness and anger in the air. My jaw clenched as Lucas snapped at her again. His careless words only fueled the rage burning deep inside of me. How could he not see it? The weight of what she carried pressed into the room, suffocating anyone who dared look too deeply. Every word she spoke destroyed me. She carried scars I could only guess at, but now she spoke of them plainly. Wolfsbane. Silver chains. And Lucas. I couldn’t stop myself from bristling when she threw that at him: the limp. His hand in breaking her wolf’s body. Steelclaw surged. My nails pressed into the wooden frame. Why would no one protect her? Why did no one stand at her side? Scarlett made a sound, feigned innocence dripping with deceit. My teeth ground together. I fought to keep my stance steady, the bottle cool against my palm. And then, she turned and walked away. Even weak, even frail, she left behind nothing but silence and the heavy weight of her pain bearing down on every corner of the hall. When Lucas turned on me, his molten green-gold glare landing like a spear, my patience was gone. “You’re here again?” His words were barbed with suspicion. I didn’t flinch. My expression didn’t c***k. “Delivering medicine for Elder,” I replied, my tone clipped. He didn’t bother to hide his distrust. “And it had to be now?” Steelclaw surged again, his disdain reflecting my own. Forcing my voice to maintain its calm, I matched Lucas’s sharp gaze head-on. “Unless you’d like to explain to Elder,” I said, my tone flat as ice, “why she can’t have the medicine she asked for?” The tension in his shoulders told me I had him. He turned slightly, annoyance flashing through his features before he scowled and backed down. For now.