Chapter 3: Pitiful Act (Celeste’s POV) The guest room they had given me felt like a cell dressed up in fine fabric. Polished furniture gleamed, and an ornate chandelier cast a warm glow over everything. It was a far cry from the damp, shadowed corner I had called home for the last four years. But it wasn’t mine. I sat on the edge of the too-soft mattress, my hands gripping the thin wool blanket spread neatly over it. The soft ticking of a nearby clock filled the silence, each tick a reminder of how far I had fallen. My old room had been alive, vibrant. The walls had been bathed in silvers and whites, lined with shelves that carried books on every corner of wolf history. In the evenings, moonlight had streamed through the large windows, illuminating the lush garden of moonflowers just outside. Moonflowers only bloomed during full moons, their petals glowing faintly under the night sky, and their essence amplified a wolf’s strength and sharpened our instincts. That garden had been my sanctuary. But now, it was Scarlett’s. Now, I was surrounded by winter roses. Dying ones. Out in the small, lifeless yard that this guest room faced, forlorn bushes swayed lightly in the wind, their withered petals fanned across the dirt like whispers of long-lost beauty. It was fitting. The girl who had lived in that garden filled with moonflowers had been cherished, loved. Respected. But that person didn’t exist anymore. A knock on the door startled me. I stiffened immediately, my body instinctively bracing for—well, for anything. “Come in,” I said, my voice sharper than I intended. The door creaked open, and in walked a wolf. Silver hair cropped short, sharp gray eyes, and a stance that screamed an elite warrior. The Winters insignia was stitched crisply onto her black uniform. “You’re Nina, correct?” I asked, already knowing the answer. My gaze narrowed. She nodded, her movements precise. “I’ve been assigned to assist you, Miss Celeste.” Assist? No, this wasn’t assistance. This was surveillance. I could see it in the way her eyes flicked over me, memorizing every detail—noting the angle of my shoulders, the tension in my posture. If Lucas had sent her, it wasn’t without purpose. “That’s very kind of you. But I don’t need help,” I said curtly, folding my trembling hands in my lap to hide their weakness. Her expression didn’t waver. “My orders are to remain with you.” Her voice was steady. Neutral, even. But I detected the sharp undertone of duty—it wasn’t about what I wanted but what Lucas demanded. Cold fury sparked deep in my chest, but I held it back. Arguing with her would only waste my energy. “So, what? You’re here to report everything I say and do back to my dear brother?” Something flickered in her eyes—surprise? It was gone before I could tell. “I’m here to ensure your safety,” she replied evenly. I laughed bitterly. Safety. No one had ensured my safety when I begged for help in that prison. When the icy silver chains burned my arms, when my wolf whimpered and shrank under poisons designed to cripple her. My wolf stirred faintly, whimpering beneath my skin. She was too weak to snarl or protest. I met Nina’s guarded gaze, letting my violet eyes shimmer faintly under the room’s dim light. “Fine. Do your job. But don’t expect gratitude.” Her lips quirked slightly—a grim sort of acknowledgment—before she stepped aside and gestured to the door. “The Elder is waiting to meet you.” Grandmother. A pang of longing swelled in my chest. But before I could say anything, I caught something else. Heavy footsteps approaching. Lucas. He stormed through the open doorway, his presence an immediate assault on the room. His jaw was tense, his green eyes blazing with impatience—or anger. Likely both. My stomach churned. “What is this?” he demanded, his voice sharp. His emerald gaze raked over me, narrowing at my worn, frayed prison uniform. “You’re going to see Grandmother like this?” I clenched my fists, my nails digging faint crescents into my palm. “This is what I have.” “You’re doing this on purpose,” he hissed, stepping closer, his wolf barely restrained beneath his skin. His golden energy radiated, oppressive and suffocating. “Excuse me?” I said flatly, standing my ground despite the tremble in my legs. “Don’t act stupid,” Lucas snapped. “It’s a manipulation. You’re trying to wring sympathy out of her. Out of all of us.” Everything inside me twisted. Manipulation? Him, of all people, accusing me of manipulation? After everything— “Careful,” I warned, my voice tight and low. But he didn’t stop. He loomed closer, the heat of his frustration building in the already tense room. “Do you think this—this pitiful act—makes you righteous? That it erases the fact Scarlett suffered for you? That—” “Stop,” Nina interjected firmly, stepping between us. Her movement wasn’t aggressive, but there was strength in her stance. It was too late, though. My wolf, injured and timid, reacted instinctively to Lucas’s dominance. Her broken spirit surged forward in defensive submission, bending beneath the force of his wolf’s presence. The impact was immediate. My knees buckled, and I stumbled back. My legs gave out before I could catch myself. I fell. Pain shot through me as my already weakened body hit the cold floor. My hands trembled as I tried to push myself up, but my arms weren’t strong enough. A sharp intake of breath sounded from the doorway. “Lucas!” Victoria’s voice sliced through the charged air like a whip. She pushed past him, her eyes wild with fury. “What are you doing?” she demanded, kneeling beside me. She reached for me, but I flinched away before her hands could brush my arms. My heart pounded in my chest, my breaths shaky and uneven. “Why haven’t you changed into your new clothes?” Victoria asked, her voice soft but urgent. I stilled. My chest tightened painfully as anger and humiliation boiled beneath my skin. She wanted answers? Fine. I rolled up my sleeves. The breaths in the room collectively stopped. Silver scars crisscrossed my arms, the burns angry and jagged even after all this time. “What—” Victoria started, her hands trembling as they hovered over my scars. The venom lingered beneath my skin even now, dulling my wolf’s ability to heal. The lines shimmered faintly, unnatural and alien against my skin. I didn’t say a word. My silence spoke loud enough. Tears welled in Victoria’s eyes. “No wonder…” Her voice broke. “No wonder you flinch away…” Her pain cut into me almost as much as the silver chains once had. But I’d long stopped feeling sympathy for her misery. Scarlett gasped behind her, the sound loud and dramatic. “Why would they do this to you?” Scarlett’s voice trembled, perfectly measured, perfectly false. I stiffened, refusing to look at her. “Why?” she asked again, louder this time, as though she was truly horrified. “Why?” My voice was bitter, the sarcasm in it sharp. “Because I broke the Sacred Moon Crystal.” The room seemed to hold its breath. Even Lucas—always so quick to speak—stayed silent. “Or so the Alpha King’s daughter said,” I continued, casting a sharp glance at Scarlett. “And for breaking it, they chose to punish me this way. Prison wasn’t enough, apparently.” Scarlett pressed a delicate hand to her lips, her green eyes shimmering with tears as she bowed her head. She looked like the picture of regret, shoulders slouched in self-pity. But I saw it. That flicker of satisfaction in her gaze before she lowered them. I wanted to laugh. I didn’t know who I hated more in that moment—her for pretending, or myself for being too weak to tear her charade apart. Victoria collapsed beside me, her silent tears slipping down her cheeks as she finally let her hands fall into her lap, away from the scars. Away from me. Lucas turned his back to us, his hands curled into shaking fists. Even he couldn’t meet my gaze. And Scarlett cried. “`