And yet, despite the barriers Marisol herself had wedged between them, the pull she felt towards Cedric remained, brewing and threatening to boil over with every other second in his presence. His presence loomed over her like a shadow, his apparent disapproval of her, a heavy weight that hung in the air between them. She could sense his disdain. It was a silent reminder of the divide that separated them.
Like now, as she moved through the castle, Marisol couldn't shake the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of her stomach. The walls seemed to whisper secrets, their ancient stones bearing witness to the turmoil that plagued the pack.
Just as Marisol is about to slip into the pack house, she is met with the unmistakable sight of Caleb and Sophia, blocking her path, their expressions tense and expectant.
It was clear that they had been waiting for her, judging by the impatient tapping of Sophia's foot and Caleb's own pinched brows. Marisol raised a curious brow, wondering what could have prompted their sudden interest in her. After all, she had come and gone from the hidden castle countless times without any interference from them.
"What's up?" Marisol asked casually when their silence stretched on a little too long for her liking.
Sophia rolls her eyes almost immediately, clearly annoyed by Marisol's nonchalant demeanor. "Have you finally figured out your role in the prophecy?" she spits out, her voice dripping with disdain.
Marisol frowned, a scoff leaving her lips at the question and attitude, resisting the urge to roll her eyes back at Sophia. She makes a move to walk away, but Caleb steps forward, blocking her path.
"What did you do to keep Cedric at bay?" Caleb's voice is firm, his eyes piercing as he studied Marisol intently.
Marisol shrugs nonchalantly, unwilling to divulge the true nature of her relationship with Cedric. The last thing she wanted was for anyone to even get wind of the fact that they were destined mates.
They were already bound by a prophecy neither of them fully understood and revealing a further entanglement would only worsen the case. That would be no help to Marisol. She had to leave Redwood no matter what.
"Why are you being secretive? Tell us! What did you do to him? You've been spending too much time in there, are you trying to tell us that nothing happened?!" Sophia finally snaps, her frustration boiling over.
Marisol remains tight-lipped, her own irritation growing, but Sophia refuses to back down.
"It's our right to know. We are Alpha and Luna. We deserve to know everything that happens here!" She was screaming at this point.
Annoyed, Marisol glares at them both. "Stop bothering me and ask Cedric yourselves. I'm not a pack member, remember?" she retorts, her voice tinged with irritation and with that, she made to walk out of their presence again.
In a sudden burst of anger, Sophia grabs Marisol's arm, yanking her towards her with a force that makes Marisol stumble, a startled yelp leaves her lips and that is when a low growl echoes through the space, freezing everyone in place.
Marisol's heart skipped a beat as her eyes widened in recognition of the sound, a cold breeze sweeping past the stiff figures as Cedric emerged from the shadows, his presence commanding and intimidating.
He moves towards Marisol in slow menacing strides, his eyes fixed on the point where Sophia still holds onto Marisol and snatches her arm away so swiftly that it causes Sophia to stumble, Marisol herself almost loosing her footing with the force of his pull, his eyes blazing with fury as he addresses her, "The day you lay your hands on her again will be your last day alive, and you can mark my words on that." The air crackles with tension as his words are delivered in a growl, low and dangerous, sending a shiver down everyone's spine.
Marisol felt her heart flutter in her chest, her body responding instinctively to Cedric's proximity. All she could think about was the way he had pulled her into his chest, his warmth enveloping her like a protective shield and his touch sending jolts of electricity through her body. She couldn't help but revel in the warmth of his embrace.
"Now get out."
Without another word, Caleb and Sophia scampered away, blindly seeking for the other's hands as they did.
Marisol watches them leave in hurried steps, laughter bubbling in her chest. Just then, she realizes that they are now alone. She looks up to find his eyes already on her, sending another tingle down her spine that lingers on her skin, and just like that, she finds herself missing his warmth as Cedric steps away with a dismissive grunt, not uttering another word as he begins to walk in the direction of the hidden castle.
Marisol remained rooted in place, her thoughts still muddled with images of the way Cedric had just looked at her, his eyes filled with a fire that ignited something deep within her soul.
"Are you coming or waiting for another round of bullying?" His gruff voice calls, piercing through her haze, and Marisol finds herself moving before she can think any differently, following Cedric back into the hidden castle against her better thinking.