Chapter 12
But Luca wouldn’t listen, stepping around me toward Celeste with a forced, gentle smile.
“Come here, little girl. Come to me I’m your real daddy.”
At the sound of his voice, Celeste glanced at Luca, then burst into earth–shattering wails.
“Scared! Celeste scared…”
Luca frantically tried to cover the wounds on his face.
“Hey buddy, did Daddy’s boo–boos scare you? No more tears, see? All better now. Come here for huggies.”
But the closer Luca got, the harder Celeste cried.
Luca could no longer deceive himself.
Celeste wasn’t afraid of his injuries–he’d even blown on Alaric’s wounds to make them better.
Celeste was afraid of him.
“Why?”
Luca’s voice cracked.
“Because you got what you deserved!”
“You killed my pup, so your pup will never accept you!”
A vicious voice came from behind as Ash gripped a rock and smashed it against Luca’s head.
Luca blocked the stone and kicked Ash away.
“Crazy bitch! You brought this on yourself!”
“If you hadn’t seduced me, I never would’ve lost my way.”
“You want to go batshit crazy? Fine. Lock her up with the rogues and let them ‘take care of her‘ properly!”
As Ash was dragged away, I knew that even if she wasn’t crazy now, she’d be driven mad soon enough.
I felt no sympathy, only looked at Luca with cold eyes.
“Luca, get away from us. You’re making us sick.”
“I’ll never forgive you–hell, I wish you were dead. And Celeste will never forgive you either.”
“She’s too young to remember details, but her wolf will always remember the pain you caused him.”
“Her last name is Hawke now. Alaric is his father, She doesn’t need a shitty father like you.”
After a long silence, Luca suddenly let out a bitter laugh and pressed the stone into my hands.
“If I’m destined to lose you both, then Sera… kill/me.”
“I know I wronged you. This is the last thing I can do to make it right.”
Luca closed eyes, completely resigned to death.
I dropped the stone.
Luca’s eyes flew open with hope.
Chapter 12
“Sera, you didn’t kill me. Does that mean I still have a
“No.”
I cut him off coldly, I knew this had been his final manipulation.
But.
“I’m not killing you because I won’t dirty my hands with your blood. I have a mate who loves me, I have Celeste. My happiness shouldn’t be tainted by filth like you.”
“If you want to die, go back home and do it there,”
I turned and linked arms with Alaric.
“Come on, honey. Celeste’s first moon ceremony is about to start.”
This was our family’s happiness.
I never saw Luca again after that day.
Though Celeste would sometimes mention that a strange man was watching him.
Whenever I investigated, there was never any trace.
After several incidents, I had my suspicions and hired bodyguards for Celeste, making sure she stayed safe.
Seven years later, a massive sum appeared in my bank account.
While I was puzzling over it, a news alert popped up on my phone.
[Rogue female escapes pack facility, stalks outside Helstone Pack territory for days before fatally attacking Alpha Luca Helstone. Suspect captured and detained.]
I closed the notification without emotion.
None of this had anything to do with me anymore.
The past had healed over like old scars, no longer requiring my attention. My present was filled with quiet joy and gentle love.
And that was more than enough.
