Chapter 33


    Chapter 33 – Markus


    Markus P.O.V.


    I looked out the window towards the old retrofitted training building and sighed. After passing her GED,


    Celeste had started spending most of her free time over thest two weeks in that little building. She


    was always either training with Ashley, the witch my father had found trying to learn of her gifts and


    lineage, with Brittney, the female warrior that Gillian had assigned to her physical training, or


    meditating, trying to get her pyro ability toe forth at will. She still cooked twice a week, much to


    everyone’s delight. Mrs. Quinn had told me she was ready to take up her Luna duties as she was a


    natural. They still spent time together, but this time it was with Maya as they tried to n everything for


    the Harvest Moon festival. I had been busy getting the entire investigation ready to present to the


    council in two weeks’ time and dealing with security measures for the ceremony. Celeste insisted on


    being at every meeting, insisting that as she had first-hand information on the pack, she might be of


    use. Between everything she had going on, we only had stolen moments to


    ourselves for thest two weeks.


    I knew how important everything she was doing was to her, to us, to our Pack and to her people, but I


    missed my Tuli. She was losing a bit of weight, much to my dismay. I knew she was not sleeping a lot,


    choosing instead to meditate tomand a vision. I could also


    sense her exhaustion when she left her defenses down. She was like a woman on a mission, but she


    wouldn’t share what that was. She


    insisted all she wanted to do was catch up to what everyone else had growing up, but I could tell there


    was more. As was also having


    troublemunicating with Kara through their mind link. It made us uneasy and sad. All we wanted to


    do was be with her but she shut


    us out of her bond. I could tell there was something simmering under the surface, but I had no idea how


    to help her and I had a bad


    feeling that when it finally exploded to the surface, it was going to be bad. Têxt ? N?velDrama.Org.


    “Are you listening to me?” Danny interrupted my thoughts.


    “Huh?” I said.


    “Is everything OK with the Luna? Maya said she hasn’t seen her since the day you took them to see


    the old Sky Moon Territory a week and a half ago. She said she’s responding to her mind links and her


    texts even less.”


    “She keeps saying she’s fine, but I don’t think so. Something is bothering her and she won’t tell me


    what. She cries in her sleep sometimes but just says that she’s having nightmares.” I sigh, still looking


    at the old building. I turn to my friend, “She’s blocking her emotions from me.” He raised his eyes at


    that. “When she sleeps and lets her guard down, I can feel her anger, sorrow and fear, but every time I


    try to talk to her about it. She just says she’s tired and then goes off to do something. I don’t know what


    I did wrong. I thought she


    trusted me, trusted the mate bond. It seems I was mistaken.” That was it. I finally said what had been


    eating at me for thest two weeks.


    Did Celeste not love me and trust me enough to share her thoughts with me? Tell me what was


    bothering her and what she was feeling.


    She had told me she loved me, but maybe not enough.


    “Hey man, we have all seen the way she looks at you. That girl loves you. Even a brute like me can see


    that. We have heard stories but we still can’t know what these girls were feeling for thest 12 years. I


    can’t imagine being kept so weak that you couldn’t defend yourself. Being taken from your home and


    thrown into a pack that not only doesn’t care for you, but tears you down instead of protecting you.


    From the little Maya is willing to talk to me about it, Celeste usually bore the brunt of the beatings and


    mistreatments. Something inside you dies when you can’t fight back. Maybe this is Celeste’s way of


    taking that part back.”


    I shut my eyes and saw her beautiful face sleeping at my side. She always looked like such an


    innocent and precious angel to me. I know she’s been through a lot and she needed to heal, but was


    that inept at helping her that she didn’t even try to share that with


    me?


    Kara has some stories about what happened to them, but all she will talk about is after she woke up.


    That’s 11 years that Celeste had


    to go through it all on her own. Maybe she doesn’t know how to talk about it –


    As suggested. He was desperate to have our Tuli back to


    her normal self.


    I looked back at Danny. I felt like he understood some of what I was going through, being mated with


    Maya.


    “Have you had any trouble with Maya because of what she’s been through?” I asked.


    continue. He sighed,


    “Maya is sweet, kind and a little kinky.” He smiles. “She is perfect for me.” His eyes darken. “But there’s


    been a few things that havee up as we get to know each other. I can’t sneak up on her. The first


    time I tried to surprise her by wrapping my arms around her from behind while she was looking for


    something to wear, she basically jumped to the ceiling in fright and then cried for 30 minutes. The


    second time it happened, she finally told me that she almost got raped in a pantry by one of the


    warriors that had gotten drunk. If Luna hadn’t found her and knocked the guy out with a frying pan…”


    His voice shook with anger, “She refuses to be near me when I drink beer,


    so I’ve switched to scotch. She said she associates the smell with the warriors of the pack and doesn’t


    want to remember what they


    would do to them. She has night terrors at least once a week.” He smiled. “but then I also found out


    she’s been asking every Omega’s pups if they had enough supper. She only uses the credit card I got


    her to buy toys and books for them. She is always kind to the staff, helping them gather things up.


    Scolding me for leaving the towel on the floor for them to pick up.” He looked at me, “She’s a hell of a


    woman. I know it will take time for her to ovee 12 years of suffering but my grams taught me that


    when a woman needs time, nothing good wille from trying to rush it, so that’s all I can do. Let her


    take her time.”


    “Well now who’s fallen hard?” I tease, then more seriously, I add, “but perhaps you’re right. I can’t do


    anything but give her time.


    Hopefully I don’t f**k it up enough to get shut out entirely.”


    ”


    ely.


    “Celeste loves you. Just be next to her and eventually she will let you in. I would prepare you though,


    she had it worse than Maya.


    The way she and Ruby tellit, Celeste was everyone’s shield against the entire pack. When she does let


    you in, be prepared to want to tear


    apart that pack, but you can’t. It won’t be about you then. Celeste will need you to control your s**t and


    hold her. I’ve broken my fair


    share of heavy bags trying to calm Dash after Maya will share something that happened to her.”


    “Thanks for sharing. It makes it easier to know someone else understands what’s happening to our


    mates.”


    “If you ever tell Maya I told you about all this s**t, I will absolutely deny it and poison your drink,” Danny


    saidughing He gets up to leave and turned at the door. “These women are warriors in every sense of


    the word. How did we get so f*****g lucky to end up with


    them?”


    “Beats me man.”


    I finished some paperwork and then mind linked the cook to have a pic basket ready tomorrow. I


    was going to take Celeste to a


    .


    pic by the river. Wooing mate is always a good idea. Maybe Kara and I can also go for a run?-


    As suggested.


    The next morning, I woke up and the bed was empty. I looked at my phone. It was only 4am. I got up


    and went to look for Celeste. I


    followed her scent out the door to the old training building. She was standing in the middle of the floor,


    her back to me.


    “Celeste?” I asked as I approached. She did not respond. Something felt off.


    “Baby, are you OK? It’s very early,” I said as came around to the front of her. I stopped. Her eyes were


    on fire. She was looking at something in front of her. I followed the direction of her gaze, but there was


    nothing there. I approached her slowly. I was getting close


    when she winced as if someone had pped her. She looked back at the empty space and raised a


    hand. “I WILL KILL YOU,” she said,


    eerily calm and fire flowed from her hand and hit the wall, singing the entire concrete wall. I could feel


    the heat of the fire flowing toward


    the wall. “YOU WILL KNOW THE PAIN YOU HAVE CAUSED.” The fire was slowly creeping up her arm


    and up her shoulder. She was slowly


    being covered in fire.


    I realized then that she must be sleep walking. Looking at this ce, it was clear that it wasn’t the first


    time she’d done this,


    although she said she still wasn’t able to call up her power, it seemed she had no problem calling it


    while sleeping. I slowly brushed my


    hand against her other hand, allowing the sparks to soothe the rage I was feeling through the bond.


    She shivered and her fire ceased


    from her hand, her eyes returned to normal. She looked at me then. “Markus?” she asked and then


    fainted. I managed to catch her


    before she hit the ground. I carried her back to our bed and texted Dr. West, thinking him asleep.


    Text: Celeste seems to be sleep walking. Can we do anything to help her get a restful sleep?


    He responded right away.


    Text: We can get her some sleeping aids. How long has this been happening?


    Text: I am not sure. I only noticed it today. I’ve noticed she’s been tired for about a week now. Perhaps


    this is why? Text: Possibly, would you like to bring her to get checked outter today?


    Text: See you then Alpha


    id in bed and caressed her arm. She sighed and curled into my arms. I sighed, remembering what


    Danny said. All I could do was be there until she was able to let me in. This wasn’t about me. This is


    about her being able to talk about what happened to her. Tinhaled her


    scent and listened to her heart beat. Slowly, I went back to sleep, hugging her closer.