Chapter Four

Chapter 4

The door clicked shut behind Celeste, but she could still hear Marcus's ragged breathing through the walls.

Twenty-three days until she never had to see this again.

Twenty minutes later, Celeste's chest began to tighten. Her breathing became shallow, each inhale feeling like she was drowning on dust. The basement air was thick with dust and mold—triggers she'd forgotten about in her haste to move downstairs.

Her asthma inhaler was still in the Luna suite. She'd left it on the nightstand when she'd moved out.

Gasping, she stumbled back upstairs. The medication was a matter of life and death—her wolf couldn't heal respiratory attacks the way it could heal cuts and bruises.

She pushed open the door to what had been her bedroom, wheezing desperately as she searched for her inhaler.

And froze.

Marcus was on the bed with Raven, his mouth still pressed to the "burns" on her chest. But the silver marks were gone now—healed by his Alpha saliva, just as Raven had planned.

They both saw her enter. Neither looked away.

Instead, Raven's fingers traced lazy circles over Marcus's shoulders while she maintained eye contact with Celeste. The message was clear: *This is mine now.*

"Having another one of your episodes?" Marcus's voice was cold. "Really, Celeste? Right now?"

Celeste's vision blurred as she struggled to breathe. She fumbled for her inhaler on the nightstand, her hands shaking.

"You're really going to interrupt us for attention?" Marcus continued, his tone disgusted. "First the poisoning, now this dramatic timing?"

"I... can't... breathe..." Celeste wheezed, finally grasping the inhaler.

Raven's voice was sweet with fake concern. "Oh no, Marcus. I think she's really sick. Should we call the pack doctor?"

But her arms tightened around him possessively, making it clear she had no intention of letting him leave.

Marcus's gaze flicked between them. "You've really disappointed me, Celeste. You poisoned Raven. Whatever happens after that is your own fault."

As Raven's fingers traced deliberate patterns across his chest, her mocking gaze slid to Celeste.

Celeste's knees trembled beneath her. She gripped the edge of the dresser, forcing herself upright even as her lungs screamed for air. Her voice came out raspy and sarcastic.

"You seriously think I poisoned her just so you"—she pointed at him with a shaky hand—just so you could play the noble Alpha hero?"

She took a rattling breath, eyes narrowing. "There are dozens of ways to treat wolfsbane poisoning. Any pack doctor could have helped her. But this—"

"Marcus," Raven crooned suddenly, her voice soft and broken. Her nails brushed over the healed skin on her arm, drawing a shallow line that immediately began to silver again. "Just ignore her. Don't let her guilt trip you. Let me... deal with my pain alone."

She turned her head slightly, angling her words toward Celeste. "And don't blame her. I'm sure she didn't mean to poison me. She just loves you so much that she's losing her mind..."

Something snapped in Celeste. Even though she'd already decided to reject Marcus, she couldn't allow Raven to humiliate her like this in her own home.

"My goddess, Raven, do you have any shame left? You're in my house, clinging to my mate, and now you dare to patronize me? What happened to the manners ? Did that French Alpha fuck them out of you?"

Marcus's hand moved faster than lightning. The moment the words left her mouth, he stood up and backhanded her hard across the face.

"Enough, Celeste. Raven hasn't said a single cruel word about you, and yet you keep attacking her! You don't deserve anyone's pity!"

He grabbed her wrist, his Alpha strength making her bones creak. She gasped, stumbling as he dragged her toward the door. "You like poisoning people so much? Then stand here and listen to what happens next!"

He yanked the silk tie from his robe. Cold metal met her back as he bound her wrists to the door, the knot biting into her skin.

Just before shutting the door, he threw one last line at her.

"You brought this on yourself. Don't blame me or Raven!"

The door slammed shut, and she was forced to hear everything from the other side. A low groan. Then a higher moan. The rhythm was unmistakable. Unrelenting.

She squeezed her eyes shut. Tears streamed silently at first. But as the hours dragged on, the sobs stopped and her eyes dried.

All that remained was a quiet burn in her chest.

Every gasp, every cry from inside became another nail in the coffin of what she'd once called love. *This is what happens when you love the wrong Alpha,* she told herself over and over.

Suddenly, pain struck deep in her abdomen tearing something inside her. Her knees gave out. She slid down until her weight hung from her bound wrists, cold sweat pouring down her back.

Her mouth opened, but her voice barely rose above a whisper. The mate bond was screaming in agony, her wolf howling in despair as she felt her mate claiming another woman.

Compared to the pleasure-filled sounds coming from the room, her faint cries were whispers .

The sounds from inside stretched on, one hour bleeding into the next.

When the door opened, it was already dawn. Marcus stood there, adjusting his robe. "Have you learned your lesson?"

It was the first thing out of his mouth. When he didn't get a response, he looked down—Celeste was at his feet, unmoving.

He crouched. His hand touched her cheek—burning with fever.

A flicker of panic flashed in his eyes.

He scooped her up and turned toward the car—but before he could take a step, a voice called lazily from the bedroom.

"Marcus, you were a bit too rough last night. I think something's torn. It's not something I can exactly ask the pack doctor to examine, you know?"

Hearing no response, she added, "Celeste used to get fevers all the time back in college. Just send her to the hospital for some antibiotics. The pack driver can take care of her."

She sounded almost bored. "And you know my position. If the maids gossip about this, people will talk. My reputation would be ruined."

Celeste's lashes fluttered. She couldn't move or speak—but she saw it.

She saw Marcus hesitate.

She saw him turn.

She felt her body lowered into unfamiliar arms... before there was nothing to see but darkness.

When she woke up again, the world was white. Sheets. Lights. And there was a beeping machine at her side.

Luna," the pack doctor said gently, "I need to inform you of some complications from your episode. The severe asthma attack, combined with the stress and physical trauma, caused internal bleeding in your womb where you had surgery days ago. We had to perform emergency surgery."

He paused, his expression grave. "The damage to your reproductive system was extensive. We managed to save one ovary, but... the chances of you ever carrying a pup to term are now less than fifteen percent."

The words hit her like silver bullets.

Once he left, Celeste picked up her phone and sent a message to Damien.

*A month's too long. Three days. Come get me in three days.*