Celine returned to her room and slammed the door, breathing heavily, still in shock from the encounter.
Her skin still crawled where Reese had touched her.
Even after she had scrubbed her hands raw in the washbasin. Even after she had shoved the memory down, deep into the pit of her stomach where all the other unbearable things lived.
But she wasn’t stupid. She knew what that look in his eyes had meant.
And she knew someone who would tell her exactly how dangerous he really was.
Felix.
She found him outside the barracks, rolling his shoulders after a long sparring session. Sweat glistened at his temples, but his ever-present smirk was in place as she approached.
“Came to watch me train?” He grinned. “I know I’m good, but—”
“Tell me about Reese.”
Felix’s smile vanished.
He studied her face for half a second, then exhaled sharply, wiping his hands on his shirt. “Damn. What did you do?”
“I existed,” she muttered.
Felix swore. “Not what I wanted to hear.”
He jerked his head, leading her to a quieter corner of the courtyard. No one paid them any mind.
Lowering his voice, he said, “Reese is Elder Marvin’s son. And if you haven’t figured it out yet, Marvin is one of the most powerful elders in this pack. That alone makes Reese untouchable.”
Celine crossed her arms, still feeling the ghost of Reese’s fingers on her skin. “Leon could touch him.”
Felix let out a dry laugh. “Yeah. And he’s the only person Reese is afraid of. But everyone else? We just have to deal with it.”
Celine swallowed. The words felt like poison.
Felix leaned against the wall, rubbing his jaw. “You’re not the first he’s gone after, you know.” His voice had gone tight. “A few years back, there was this she-wolf. Young. Sweet. He was obsessed with her.”
Celine’s breath hitched.
“She hanged herself after training one night,” Felix said flatly. “The pack did an investigation. Nothing was proven. But everyone knew that Reese pushed her to it.”
Celine’s heart pounded. “And nothing happened to him?”
Felix’s eyes darkened. “He got put on a strict watch. But then his father—and his sister, Sasha—begged for his release. And just like that, he was back.”
Celine clenched her fists. “That’s disgusting.”
Felix sighed. “It’s reality. And if you’re smart, you’ll keep your head down until he finds a new obsession.”
The words made her sick. But she understood what he was saying. Her best bet was to avoid him. To be nothing. To let it pass.
Celine nodded, even though everything in her rebelled against it.
Felix gave her a long, knowing look, then squeezed her shoulder. “Be careful, Celine.”
She turned toward the packhouse, still trying to process everything.
She was met with whispers — whispers again. The news of her standing up to Reese had spread already, and the attention was almost uncomfortable.
“So much for trying to be invisible,” Celine thought. All she wanted after a day like this was to curl up in her bed and get some much needed rest.
But when she stepped into her room—a dark figure was waiting.