Alpha Markus and Celeste

Chapter 16

Celeste Chapter 16 – Celeste

Celeste P.O.V.

“Bella?” He whispered. I stared in shock at the gentleman in front of me and heard the shattering of a

bottle.

“Who is Bella?” Beta Gillian asked.

I started hyperventilating and felt the room spinning. How did this man know who my mother was?

Wastin danger? I felt my eyes

glow and then flip back and forth to black as Kara tried to take over. My flight or fight response forcing

her forward even though she kept

telling me to breathe.

We’re safe. Markus won’t let anyone hurt us. He is our mate. He can protect us. Breathe Celeste. –

Kara said gently, trying to push

herself back into the recesses of my brain.

“Celeste? Are you OK? Talk to me. Dad, what did you do to her

?” heard Markus growl. And then it hit me. This was his father. Of

course he must have known my parents. He would have been Alpha at the same time as my parents. I

felt tears flow from my eyes as I realized I must look like my mother. I could barely remember her, my

mind having pushed those memories back in order for me to live. I

suddenly felt my body jerk backwards and I could see my mother and father laughing and playing with

a 4-year-old version of myself by a lake. My mother looked like me, but she had straight brown hair

whereas I’d gotten my hair color, curls and eyes from my father. I felt myself jerk back to the present

and an instant migraine hit me. I tried not to cry out. “Celeste! What’s wrong?” Markus lifted me and

placed me on the couch as he felt my pain. It was so overwhelming, but his scent was beginning to

soothe it. I hung on to him for dear

life.

“Who is Bella, Dad?” he asked this time.

“Bella was my mother.” I said, knowing that I had hit the point of no return. I worked hard to get my

breathing under control. It was time to come clean about who I was. I gently extricated myself from

Markus’ arms and stood up, looking at everyone in the room. “My name is Celeste Aurora Dellarosa,

daughter of Alpha Cory and Luna Belta Dellarosa, the last leaders of the Sky Moon Pack,” I said with a

raised head, my eyes glowing. I then saw everyone’s eyes go wide as they realized who l was.

“You’re the spitting image of your mother. Except for the hair and eyes,” Markus’ dad said. His brows

furrowed, his eyes watered, “I thought you were dead. We looked for you among the bodies. We were

told there were no survivors that day. How is this even

possible?”

“My father’s Gamma saved me. He warned mel would be in danger if anyone knew who I was. He gave

me his last name. He tried to get help,” I said, and then, because I needed the warmth of my mate, I sat

back down on the couch and leaned against him. I felt his arms go around my waist before I continued,

“They killed all the mated werewolves in my pack and most of the male children that would remember

the slaughter. I heard them looking for me, but as I was one of the few ranked pups at the time, not

many knew who I was. I lied about my age and my name. The unmated women were taken back to

Blood Moon Pack. The ones that didn’t find a mate there, disappeared shortly after. The few of us pups

that were taken before we had our wolves, were basically slaves until we came of age. We

know once one of us reached the age, they were sent to be introduced to the unmated warriors on the

next full moon. The ones that

didn’t find a mate were never seen again.”

I felt rage building in the room as I talked. Markus’ fingers were almost digging into my hips as he tried

to restrain himself. His eyes

were black.

“That’s illegal! How is he getting away with this!” Markus’ dad raged. His mate was silently crying while

clutching him tightly. “What is

happening to these women? How has no one noticed this happening? Why has no one denounced

these heinous behavior?”

I was about to begin talking when I felt Markus shift. I looked back up at him and he was looking at

Beta Gillian, “Tell them.” He said calmly while stroking my back.

“We have been noticing some strange behavior from the Blood Moon Pack for a couple of months. We

had suspicions that they have

been trafficking she-wolves in the black market for a while now. We have been trying to figure out

which Alphas can be trusted and which

can’t, but we also need to find proof. It is the only way to bring other packs in as allies and to make

sure the council will take our

of the trafficking.”

Itensed, “Trafficking?”

“On the black market,” He nodded.

Everything made sense then. The reason why we were treated so poorly, why they disappeared once

they had their wolves. Why they

never bothered to include us into the Pack fully and why it only seemed to happen to the people of my

pack. I felt Kara trying to push forward. I hadn’t realized I had stood up. I felt my eyes glow but it felt

different. I felt a pain starting to form behind my eyes. Everyone

seemed to be moving away from me except Markus.

“Celeste? Are you Ok? Sweetheart can you look into my eyes?” I looked at him then and the pressure I

had been feeling behind my eyes disappeared. There was a small shriek and Gillian said, “Firel” in

alarm. They grabbed the curtains behind me and stomped on

them, putting the small fire out.

I suddenly felt very tired. I could barely hold my head upright. Markus lifted me up bridal style, “Let’s

continue this conversation in

my room. The office is sound proof but we need to be 100% sure we’re not being heard.” He pushed

past and went towards the elevator

and turned around at the last second. “Marie, could you please grab something to help with a migraine.

I can feel she’s got one,” His dad’s

mate nodded and hurried off as we waited for the elevator to arrive.

“Got it,” She came running back, just in time to hear the ding of the elevator.

‘Are you OK?’ Markus asked

I am not sure. This is all….it’s a lot,’ I answered honestly.

I felt him kiss my head and I smiled.

‘We will get through whatever together, he assured me.

‘My friends…the other girls that were taken from my parent’s pack. I knew they were disappearing but I

had no idea this was

happening. We need to go back for the ones that are left.’

‘We will. Do you know which of them turns of age next? We can focus our efforts on tracking her. We

hadn’t been able to figure out

where he was getting the she-wolves.’

‘Yes, I think it was Ruby. Next month, since Maya was next, but she’s safe

‘We will need you and Maya to work with a friend to get a composite of her together. Will you be able to

do that?’

‘I think so. Markus?”

‘Yes?’

‘Do we have to tell Maya who lam? She will be mad Ilied to her. She’s the closest thing I’ve had to a

friend’

I don’t think we should hide who you are anymore, love. You are safe. I won’t let anything happen to

you. I will let you tell her on

your terms though.’

‘Will she think I failed her?” I asked, voicing the one question that I asked myself when I was in the

deepest holes of despair all these

years.

Fail her? How could you possibly fail her?’

Suddenly I heard a low growi coming from

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

Markus. We were headed towards the rooms now but everyone stopped and looked our way.

“Will you all please wait out here for a moment? I need a moment with the Luna,” He said as he opened ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

the door to his room.