Chapter 17


    Markus Chapter 17 – Markus


    Markus PO.V.


    When my father came into the room and confused Celeste with her mother, everything changed. For


    someone that had seemed so


    fragile to me, I felt her Alpha aura snap into ce when she said her full name. It was like her aura had


    also been pretending to be


    something she wasn’t. Her attempt to protect herself went so deep. I believed her when she said she


    had been in danger.


    I was still young when it happened. My father had been outraged and demanded the council


    investigate. He’s been friends with Alpha Cory and Luna Be. I never met them myself, though I know


    their territory had only been a half hour’s drive to from the most southern end of our territory. I should


    take her there sometime if she wants to, I thought to myself as I rubbed her back in little circles as


    Gillian told them of our suspicions. Suddenly she stood up and I frowned at the loss of contact with my


    mate. I looked at her and I


    couldn’t believe what I was seeing. You could feel her powerful aura nket the room, but more


    importantly, her eyes were glowing with


    fire. Not the simple glow that wolves get, but actual fire seemed to rece her pupils. I heard everyone


    gasp and move back. I tried to use


    the bond to calm her, unsure if this would hurt her.


    “Celeste? Are you Ok? Sweetheart can you look into my eyes?” I pleaded. I saw her face move to look


    at me and suddenly the fire in


    her eyes was reced with her striking blue eyes once more. I felt her exhaustion and migraine


    through the bond.


    Gillian alerted us to a fire and he and my father went to stomp on the curtains, which appeared to be


    the origin of the fire. I know Celeste had caused it somehow, but that was something to think about


    I lifted her in my arms. As was happy to be touching our mate once again. The implications of what


    just happened was not lost on


    either one of us. The urge to protect was currently more fierce than our need to mate.


    “Let’s continue this conversation in my room.”


    My private conversation with Celeste as we made our way to our room made we want to tear Alpha


    Geoff in small little pieces.


    ‘Will she think I failed her?’


    ‘Fail her? How could you possibly fail her?’


    I am the Alpha’s daughter. They were still my people and I let the Alpha do this to them’


    I felt my family stop at the growl that escaped my chest.


    “Will you all please wait out here for a moment? I need a moment with the Luna.” I said and didn’t wait


    for an answer. I knew they


    would obey.


    Iid her gently on my bed. Grabbed her face and gently made her meet my eyes. I could see the deep


    sorrow she felt for what was happening to her people and that she believed that she had failed. I


    realized then what Maya had said. She had taken the beating Sandra was going to give both of them.


    She took beatings from the Ranked in Blood Moon in order to be able to feed the other girls. Despite


    being starved, beaten and in hiding, my little tuli had done everything within her limited power to protect


    her people. In that instant, I realized there was nothing I wouldn’t do for her.


    “You were & when your parents were killed. Then you were starved, beaten and practically enved.


    You put yourself in danger over


    and over to protect them. You haven’t failed anyone. You are one of the bravest warriors I have ever


    met and I could not be more proud to


    call you my mate,” I said, showing her with my eyes all the words I was not able to say out loud just yet,


    I saw her eyes scanning my face in


    amazement and gratitude. Suddenly she hugged me. “Markus?”I heard her say.


    “Yes my little Tuli,” I felt her nose scrunch against my chest as she wondered what it meant, but I


    smiled, knowing that was a conversation forter.


    “What’s your dad’s name?” she asked surprising me.


    “What?”


    “You never introduced us” she said, blushing.


    Iughed.


    The door opened and I heard my father, his mate and my beta shuffle in. I went to the other side of the


    bed and pulled Celeste


    against my chest, so we were both facing the crowd.


    “Dad, Marie, allow me to properly introduce you. This is Celeste Derosa, my mate.” I grinned at them


    like an j***t child, “Celeste, this is Alexander Salonen, the previous Alpha and his mate, Marie.” I felt


    Celeste trying to get off the bed but I held her firmly against my


    chest. I could still feel the exhaustion and headache emanating from her.


    “It’s very nice to meet you,” She said shyly, It’s rude not to shake hands,’She chided me. I chuckled


    through our mind link, pleased


    that she had initiated the dialog this time.


    I think he will be alright, she gave me a light growl with no heat behind it.


    “I am very happy to meet you, Celeste. My boy had lost all faith in the mate bond. Happy to see you’ve


    changed his mind so quickly,” I


    could see Celeste blush adorably.


    “We need to talk about how we’re going to handle this new information,” I said, bringing us back to


    business. “The Luna ceremony


    will need to be done using her full name, so that’s the deadline to make some decisions. We need to


    contact the council with this new information, but the word of two women against someone like Alpha


    Geoff won’t be enough. We still need to get proof. I am not sure why Alpha Geoff was looking for her


    after he killed her parents, but we will have to be prepared for a possible act of aggression after he


    finds out she was under his nose all this time. He doesn’t seem the type to let go quick.”


    “I know why,” my father spoke up then and all heads snapped to him. He sighed and sat on the chair


    near the living room. Marie was next to him a secondter and he seemed to rx a little when she put


    her hand on his shoulder. I was amazed that I had never noticed


    the effect the bond had on him. Maybe if I had, I would have looked for Celeste sooner. Maybe I could


    have saved her from the suffering she endured a lot sooner. “When Alpha Geoff challenged Cory for


    Be, there had been rumors that he’d barely even met her before that.


    The challenge was a cover for something else.” He looked at Celeste, “There was a rumor that your


    mother was from an ancient line of


    Alpha wolves. A line that still retained gifts from the moon goddess Selene. And that every heir from


    that bloodline would retain these gifts.” He frowned and I saw him gulped back emotion. “When he


    challenged your father and won, he did it with the intention to take your mother as his chosen mate,


    produce an heir and provide him with more power. When your mother chose to take her life, his next


    best choice was to take the current heir, but you disappeared. Everyone concluded that you had been


    killed in the chaos. I knew the rumor to be true but I had no proof. I could do nothing.”


    “How did you know my parents,” she asked, wiping a tear away from her eyes. I gave her a gentle


    squeeze, letting her know I was here. As and I were both pondering what my father had said. If the


    rumors were true, it meant that Celeste was a target. One that I


    would protect until myst breath.


    “Your father was a good friend of mine. Our parents were both Alphas and we shared the same


    upbringing. When your father met your mother, he was instantly in love with her. Duties kept our


    friendship after we took over as Alphas to mostly phone calls, but when you were born, I was there. I


    had been on my way back from a meeting at another pack when your father called me. He was so


    excited


    and nervous. He was rambling like a little boy. I went there to support him and I witnessed the power


    your mother had get out of control


    during the delivery pains. She could conjure the winds. I thought the Pack Hospital would get swept


    away by the tornado. Almost s**t my pants,” heughed, “That’s when he told me about her blood line.


    I was sworn to secrecy, I never quite managed toe see them as much as I hoped. It was mostly


    quick 10mins stops on the way home from somewhere. When I found out what happened…” He closed


    his eyes. One tear fell from his eyes, “I am sorry my dear, I should have looked for you harder.”


    “It’s not your fault. We were held in the dungeons for two months after it happened. I never knew why,


    but now I see that he hid us


    so they thought there were no survivors,” she said.


    “So what do we do now?” Gillian asked.


    “We protect her. We will schedule the Luna Ceremony for two months from now. That should give us


    enough time to find some


    proof to bring the bastard down. We find proof of what he did to her parents.”


    “No, our priority is the girls still at the Blood Moon Pack,” Celeste pleaded. “I’ve seen thest of my


    people disappear one by one over thest 12 years. We need to save them first. What happened to my


    parents can’t be changed. We need to save my friends.”


    N?vel/Dr(a)ma.Org - Content owner.


    “I agree. I’ll contact Daniel and ask him toe back. We will need a new strategy,” Gillian said then


    he smiled at my mate and I


    You will make an excellent Luna,” He bowed his head and added via mind link, Down Cujo. I have no


    intention of getting between


    you. She is definitely your perfect mate. Just as protective of her people as you,’l rolled my eyes, but


    agreed with him.


    “I think that’s enough for now. It’s been a long day,” I said as i saw Celeste blink to keep herself awake.


    “I don’t think I have to remind


    anyone here the importance of keeping her fire ability a secret?” I said, knowing the answer but also


    needing to say it anyways. “Of


    course son.”


    “There’s one more thing” Celeste said.


    “Maybe tomorrow?” I said.


    “No, I’ve kept this a secret all my life. I don’t want to have any more,” she said.


    “What is it my dear?” My dad said.


    “I have never had the power of fire before today, but I’ve had premonitions since I was a little girl. I think


    it’s broken, it only gives me premonitions a couple of seconds before they happen, and they give me


    migraines. I think it broke after my mother passed. I saw her death seconds before she acted and it


    was the first time I had a migraine after.”


    “We will keep this a secret as well, but if you don’t mind? I might know a witch that may help you


    control it or at least help you have


    them without the migraines,” He looked at me with the question. I nodded


    “Probably a good idea, but she will need to be vetted first.”


    “Of course, son, I’ll forward the details to Gillian so he can begin the vetting process. Good night.


    Celeste, it has been a pleasure to


    meet you.”


    “Alpha, Luna, Good night.” Gillian said and left the room.