Chapter 59: Don’t Stop
Chapter 59 Don’t Stop
(Celeste’s POV)
The first thing that greeted me was pain. It wasn’t sharp or sudden, but heavy. Burning.
The kind of pain that crawled across your nerves and settled deep, like hot embers burying
themselves beneath your skin.
My wolf whimpered weakly, curling into herself to escape the venomous weight of the ropes
biting into me.
My body throbbed, every movement sharp enough to steal my breath. The ancient wolfsbane pressed against my silver scars, their venom burrowing deep. Each breath I took burned like
fire in my lungs.
I tried to open my eyes. Darkness. Not the kind natural to night, but imposed–the rough texture of a blindfold cutting into my forehead. I turned my head slightly toward the faintest
hint of ambient noise.
There was the sound of water dripping, slow and steady, somewhere in the distance.
The air, damp and earthy, carried the smell of rotted wood. I was somewhere far removed from the safety of the festival.
My hands were bound tightly, the ropes cruelly secured with more wolfsbane than necessary.
Every twitch of my fingers sent heat scorching through the already tender skin of my wrists.
It was familiar–closer to the sensation of the Moon Shadow Prison’s silver chains binding me in nightmares that never completely faded. But this was different. Sloppy.
Rough voices drew my attention, muffled but close.
“Do you think they’ve even noticed yet?” A voice. Male, low–toned, and casual. His words were laced with what sounded like disinterest, but I could hear the slight edge beneath his tone.
“They must have,” came another voice, sharper, with an undertone of confidence. “You think wolves like Blackwood and Steele wouldn’t notice their little prize is missing? They’re probably ripping the market apart right now. Maybe the entire festival.”
The first wolf grunted, a sound of agreement that carried more smugness than concern. “Let em search. They won’t find us. This place? Hah. Nobody comes this far into the Dark Forest.
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Chapter 59 Don’t Stop
Not even rogues without a death wish.”
I froze against the bindings, forcing every muscle in my body to remain still. My wolf stirred
faintly at the mention of their names–Alexander and Marcus. I bit down hard to push back the
flash of emotion that rose within me. I needed to listen.
“Think about it,” the second wolf said, his words dripping with humor. “The Blood Moon. Market’s crawling with them now. Steele probably tearing through stalls, his warrior unit running in circles. Meanwhile, the Blackwood boy’s likely barking orders at anyone within a mile of his precious territory borders. But they’re nowhere near here.”
The names pierced through me like shards of glass. I forced my breathing to steady, careful, avoiding even the softest sound that might give me away. Too much burned from the effort- the wolfsbane searing with every constriction of muscle.
“And us?” the first wolf said after a pause, his voice lazily triumphant. “Sitting here, untouched,
like kings in our own little hole. Nothing beats an easy job.”
The other chuckled, the sound grating in its arrogance. “Easy, though? Ain’t every day you grab
someone like her. Royal ties and all that. Think they’ll double–check she’s still breathing?”
The laughter only deepened. A spark of anger flickered inside me, though I pressed it down
viciously. Anger wouldn’t get me out of this. Not here. Not yet.
“As long as we’re paid,” the first wolf said, the sound of liquid pouring faintly audible. My ears
twitched toward the sound. “Here’s to us. To wealth, easy work, and smart clients.”
I could practically hear his grin.
The second soon joined him. “Never thought moon crystals paid out this big. They’re
practically throwing them at us to babysit her. Weird move, though. Why keep her alive and
untouched just to let her go?”
“Think bigger,” the first replied, his tone shifting. Lowering as if sharing a dangerous secret.
It’s sabotage, mate. Think about what happens if she doesn’t show for some fancy Blood
Moon thing. All this sacred mate–claim law stuff gets messy real fast. Blackwood loses his
clean shot at marking her. The Winters pack? They lose royal ties.”
“Now that,” the second wolf said slowly, his amusement growing, “is clever. No blood spilled,
no messy politics. Just her disappearing for one night. What a way to ruin lives cleanly. No wonder they were so generous.”
The first wolf snorted a laugh. “Clever or not, all I care about is those gems waiting for us once morning hits.”
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Chapter 59: Don’t Stop
A clink of glass followed their words, the ominous chime ringing louder in my ears than it probably should’ve. My bruised wrists twitched faintly against the ropes, a recklessness building beneath the pain as I tested their strength.
The two mercenaries had underestimated me. Their drunken overconfidence was their first
mistake.
They believed I was defeated, squashed beneath years of trouble and now the weight of these
petty bindings. They thought prison and scars had crushed what little will I had left. They
assumed the wolfsbane would work faster, that their half–baked execution of this job would be enough to keep me docile.
They were wrong.
I’d endured silver chains laced with both wolfsbane and moonstone shards, their burning
marks etched permanently into my flesh. I’d survived crueler dungeons than these wolves
could have possibly imagined. And I’d survived without losing my spirit completely.
My wolf whimpered softly within me but didn’t curl away. She still stirred, reserved but
present. There was fight left, no matter how weak it felt now. The memory of Eleanor was
sharp and clear in my mind. Her soft hands gripping mine so fiercely despite how frail they had grown. She had done everything to save me. I wouldn’t let her sacrifices be wasted.
As their drunken laughter grew softer, the conversation slurring between yawns, I flexed my hands slowly. My wrists burned, the sting fierce enough to make my jaw clench and my head
swim with faint dizziness.
“Should we-” a yawn interrupted the second wolf mid–sentence “-move her closer? In case
she… tries anything?”
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