"Take it easy, kid," Byron said, picking up his water cup and slouching against the couch.
"Seriously, how am I supposed to take it easy? How many secrets are you still hiding from us actually?" Celeste narrowed her eyes, arms crossed, and stared intently at Byron's face, searching for any subtle signs of deceit. "So spill it already! When did you actually notice the connection between the two of us?"
"You mean your mate bond?" Byron shrugged with a mischievous grin. "Can't say for sure. I started paying attention to the two of you ever since the day you came to me asking about being mates. And I got to say. The thing between you two was pretty obvious."
Celeste's face went pale. That obvious? Okay, she admitted she sometimes stole secretive glances at Jeremy, and she could swear that from time to time, she felt his lingering gaze on her too. But she believed they were masters of disguise, pulling off their hidden bond with finesse, thinking no werewolf in their pack could ever sniff it out.
But to Byron, their act was as clear as day. Then did the whole pack know about their little mate bond? But in everyone else's eyes, Celeste and Jeremy were just twin siblings, even if there was a slightly peculiar twinkle in their gazes when they locked eyes. They probably didn't think much of it.
"But you've been tight-lipped all this time, never dropping a hint or showing any signs of spilling the beans," Jeremy growled through clenched teeth. "Do you have any idea the torment we've been through? Celeste was this close to packing her bags and leaving our wolf pack for good."
As if the sheer idea was dreadful already, Jeremy wrapped his arms protectively around Celeste's shoulders, securing her tightly against his chest, like an overzealous puppy determined to mark his territory.
Celeste found herself in a state of bemused confusion by his actions, unable to decide whether to laugh or not. But she was comfortable with their physical contact.
"Just like I mentioned earlier, I never expected the two of you to endure such a struggle," Byron said, his voice tinged with genuine remorse.
"But why did my parents choose to adopt Jeremy? My mom was carrying twins, right? If Jeremy was adopted, then what happened to my actual twin brother?" Celeste asked with a frown on her face.
Byron simply shook their heads, unable to provide answers. "Jeremy had the same question for me, but I honestly don't know. We'll have to wait until your parents return," he replied.
The mention of their parents seemed to drop the temperature of the air a bit. Celeste had tried her best with the rogues to locate her parents. Although she was assured that they were still alive, she couldn’t find them yet. Being taken by hunters meant they could be enduring unimaginable torment. Each day spent living with the rogues, Celeste tirelessly searched for any trace of her parents, but those elusive hunters seemed to have concealed their tracks too well. They hadn't stumbled upon any promising leads.
Lifting her gaze to meet Byron's eyes, Celeste detected a flicker of complex emotions passing through them. Did Byron truly not know anything? Or was this just one of the many secrets he harbored?
Celeste turned to face Jeremy and then returned her gaze to Byron. "So, why don't you enlighten us about what happened twenty years ago? That's the cause of the rogues' attack on us, right? You still haven't given us a satisfactory explanation."
Byron's reaction to Celeste's sudden question was evident. His entire being momentarily stiffened, caught off guard. But he swiftly regained his composure, shrugging nonchalantly. "I've already told you, it was all just a misunderstanding."
"Misunderstanding, huh? What exactly is this big misunderstanding all about? Care to spill the beans?" Celeste didn't let Byron off the hook that easily. She kept pushing, step by step, like a determined predator closing in on its prey. "I've had it up to here with your shady secrets and evasive maneuvers. Kent attacked our wolf pack over two decades ago because of some past incident. Despite his bone-deep hatred for you, he still kept sneaky contact with you. He didn't want to harm our pack members. He just wanted to shatter your reputation. What the heck went down two decades ago? You better spill the whole damn story to us."
Celeste couldn't help but notice the way Byron froze up, completely caught off guard by her relentless pursuit. The muscles on his face tensed up, stiff as a board. He sank into silence, fixating his gaze on his glass as if it held all the answers.
But Celeste wasn't about to back down. No way. She took another bold step forward, determined to pry out the truth today. "You're slowly but surely losing the trust of our wolf pack. Are you expecting us to lose faith in you too?"
Just when Celeste thought they were heading for an eternal standoff, Byron let out a sigh. He lifted his head and cast a complex gaze upon Celeste and Jeremy, as if a mix of emotions swirled in his eyes.
"Oh, just like I said, it's all just a damn misunderstanding."
Seriously? Was he trying to hoodwink them again? Jeremy leaned in, looking like he was about to say something, but Byron raised his hand, halting him in his tracks.
Byron sighed and finally loosened his tongue. "Two decades ago, Kent's wolf pack was mercilessly wiped out. And I happened to be passing by, just outside their territory. So, he mistook me for one of the ruthless murderers who destroyed his pack."