Alpha’s Regret After Putting Me In Jail novel Chapter 82

Chapter 82: A Wolf’s Bitter Distance

Chapter 82: A Wolf’s Bitter Distance

(Celeste’s POV)

Still pressed against Alexander’s chest after my near–collapse, I felt his hands tighten slightly around my waist. His touch steadied me, but it sent sharp agony through my silver burns. I

fought the searing pain and the humiliation clawing at my chest.

I forced myself to pull back, my legs trembling under the effort. But his hold didn’t loosen. His

fingers gripped firmly, refusing to let me fall or move away.

“Let go of me,” I said through gritted teeth, anger and discomfort bubbling beneath the

surface. My voice barely carried the force of a whisper, but it held all the defiance I could

summon.

Alexander didn’t move. His ice–blue eyes bore into me, unreadable. His white wolf surged

forward, its power filling the hallway. The familiar pine–frost scent around him grew thicker,

heavier, as if his wolf was determined to mark his presence.

Nearby, Nina’s silver–gray wolf whined softly, emanating fear and protectiveness. I could feel her unease, the slight tremor in her hands as she stepped closer, hesitant yet loyal. Her

warrior instincts clashed with her caution, knowing how dangerous Alexander could be if

provoked.

“My Lady,” Nina called softly, her voice tight. “We’re in Elder Eleanor’s sacred territory. He wouldn’t dare cause harm here.” Her tone tried to sound reassuring, but even she didn’t believe

her own words.

Alexander’s aura responded to her presence. His white wolf bristled, its dominance pressing down on everyone present. Even without speaking, he sent a clear warning: stay back.

I took a shallow breath, ignoring the fire burning through my veins, and tried again to pull away from his grasp. “I said, let go,” I repeated, my voice sharp this time. “I don’t need your help.”

His gaze didn’t waver. His hands didn’t loosen. Instead, he leaned in slightly, his voice dropping low. It hummed with quiet authority and a hint of danger. “Either you let me help you to Eleanor’s chambers, or I’ll carry you there myself.”

That tone. I hated that tone. The way his words carried the weight of someone used to being

obeyed.

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Chapter 82: A Wolfs Bitter Dista….

His challenge hung in the air. His wolf’s dominance wrapped around us like a vice. For a moment, even Nina’s breath hitched, her silver–gray wolf emitting a soft whimper under the suffocating energy Alexander exuded.

My wolf stirred weakly beneath the surface, more angry than fearful. But she too felt the weight of the white wolf who once guarded us so fiercely, back when his loyalty was something we could trust. Back when his arms catching me didn’t cut deeper than the silver

burns searing my skin now.

“No,” I said firmly, tilting my chin upward despite the exhaustion anchoring my body. I couldn’t

let him win. Not here. Not now. “I don’t need anything from you, Alexander.”

Something flickered in his eyes. Annoyance? Disbelief? I couldn’t tell. What I did see was the

faint tightening of his jaw, a tell that only I would probably notice. He didn’t like being defied,

that much was clear.

“You’re being reckless,” he said, his voice colder now. “You’re barely standing. Stop this prideful nonsense before you collapse again.”

“My condition is none of your concern,” I snapped, forcing myself to stand straighter. My knees

wobbled beneath me, but I locked them in place through sheer will. “You don’t need to carry

me, or help me. Ever.”

His grip finally loosened, but not before his ice–blue eyes narrowed, flashing a hint of silver as his wolf stirred angrily.

“Stubborn as ever,” he muttered under his breath, stepping back slightly. He didn’t offer more

support, but his presence remained right there, shadowing me, suffocating in ways it hadn’t

been before.

Nina quickly moved to my side, her hands hovering as if she feared touching me might hurt

further. Her silver–gray wolf remained tense, clearly aware of Alexander’s growing frustration.

“My Lady, are you sure-”

“I’m fine, Nina,” I interrupted, making my voice steady even as the dizziness from the poisoning tugged at my mind. “This distance between us is appropriate now,” I added, throwing the biting

remark directly at Alexander.

His white wolf bristled, its dominance flaring again with renewed intensity. For just a split

second, he let out a breath that sounded almost like a bitter laugh.

“Appropriate, is it?” His voice cut through the space between us like a blade. “Does the future royal mate think I’d compromise her claim? That’s what you’re worried about? Marcus’s fragile

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Chapter 82: A Wolf’s Bitter Dista….

ego?”

The mockery in his tone stabbed harder than I’d anticipated. My wolf flinched, and my scars

burned as if in response. Every fiber of me wanted to lash out, to fling back something equally

sharp. But I didn’t. I couldn’t.

Instead, I maintained an icy silence, my gaze drilling straight into his, refusing to let myself

falter.

He stepped closer, too close, until his pine–frost scent enveloped me again. My breath hitched

involuntarily as memories clawed their way up. The way that scent used to calm my wolf after a long run. The way it used to signify safety. Home.

Now, it only felt like a betrayal. A painful reminder of what was lost.

“You always did let your pride get in the way,” he said, soft yet biting. “I wonder, Celeste. What

hurts more? The silver burns I can see… or the ones you refuse to admit exist?”

His words hit their mark, scraping against brittle walls I thought I’d fortified. But I didn’t let my

expression shift. My wolf stirred weakly, keening beneath the surface, but I remained still.

When I finally spoke, my voice was colder than frost, every word deliberate and sharp. “Thank

you, Beta Alexander, for your unwanted concern. But as you can see, I’m capable enough to

continue without your assistance.”

Formality. It was the only shield I had left.

His jaw tightened again, and for a moment, I thought he might argue, might push his point

further. But then his gaze shifted. Something cold and distant flickered back into those

ice–blue eyes. His wolf retreated, leaving behind only the stoic Beta who’d perfected hiding

anything resembling emotion.

I turned sharply, not leaving him the chance to say more. Every step toward Eleanor’s

chambers seemed heavier than the last, but I refused to let myself stumble again. Not in front

of him.