Chapter 63
(Celeste’s POV)
X
–
+20)
I slammed the car door harder than I should have. The chauffeur didn’t say a word; he knew better.
My hands were clenched as I stormed through the gate and into the house, my injuries cleaned but still stinging with shame. That witch. That demon.
“Welcome, Miss-”
“Get out of my way!” I snapped at the maid trying to greet me. She flinched and scurried off. Even Nanny Loren peeked from the kitchen, but I shot her a glare so sharp she disappeared again.
Good.
The last thing I needed was someone asking questions. Especially not my parents; if they’d been home, they would have taken one look at me and demanded, “What happened? Why did you let someone beat you silly?”
The humiliation churned my stomach.
I was Celeste Atherton. I wasn’t supposed to lose to anyone, especially not to Lily.
That girl had no name, no place and yet, she’d stolen the spotlight at Zelda’s party… and now she had embarrassed me during our duel.
I flung my bag onto the floor and yanked off my blazer, pacing the room. I’d planned it so well. After watching everyone tremble at the sight of Lily’s beast, I wanted to remind them who really owned this school.
I’d told Mr Drenor, our Shift Control teacher, to pick Lily for the duel and pair her with me.
“She won’t even last two minutes,” I told him.
He’d agreed, of course. He always did.
It was supposed to humiliate her.
Instead, she knocked me to the ground in front of everyone. In front of Zion.
And what did Zion do? He left with her.
11
My hands balled into fists again. I could still hear Kate’s voice whispering to me before I left school “He snuck out of school with that outcast girl.”
What would my parents say when they found out their daughter’s future husband was choosing a cursed girl over me?
They’d raised me to be his Queen. My entire life had been shaped for this. The parties, the posture classes, the lessons on royal etiquette… everything so that one day, I’d sit beside Zion as Queen of the supernatural realm.
And now? That dream was slipping away, because of a mate bond.
I scoffed and sank into my chair. People thought mate bonds meant everything. Fools.
1/2
O
X
+20
Chapter 63
Zion had a choice. He could reject her. He should. I did.
Yes… no one knew that. No one knew Kade, that the sweet, boring Kade was my moon–goddess ordained mate.
But I didn’t want him, so I rejected him.
་ཙ་ ༤ ཟ ཇ ཅ ཟ ་ྔ
And what did he do? He still clung to me… Did my assignments, followed me around like a puppy and told his father; Principal Thamior everything I asked him to.
Once, I even got Zion summoned by his father, hoping the pressure from school and council would push Zion toward me.
But nothing worked.
Nothing.
I groaned and stood again, my stomach growling in protest. I reached for the bell beside my bed and rang it. Once. Twice. Then again.
No one came.
I scowled and stormed out of my room.
The hallway smelled of polish and roses. A maid walked past, holding a velvet shoe pillow with freshly cleaned shoes resting neatly on top. My father’s.
“Where have you all been?” I barked. “I rang the bell!”
The maid froze. “I–I’m sorry, Lady Celeste. I’ll attend to you right after I drop this in your father’s room-”
“No,” I snapped, marching up to her. I snatched the pillow out of her hands. “Go make my snacks now!”
She bowed and scampered off.
Rolling my eyes, I turned and pushed open the door to my father’s study. I didn’t even glance around. I dumped the pillow onto the desk, muttering under my breath.
“Same old brown shoes.”
I glared at them.
Same ugly pair. He’s had them for years. Big and wide… I’d told him to throw them out so many times, yet he never did because he said it was gifted by someone special.
I tu
2/2
Comment
ind me
AD
