Kent and Jeremy locked eyes, their expressions a mix of surprise and irritation. Then they both turned their heads simultaneously, their gazes landing on Celeste.
Celeste couldn't help but be amused by their reactions, a mischievous glint dancing in her eyes. But she quickly suppressed her laughter, maintaining a serious demeanor. Her gaze fixed on Kent as she spoke, her voice laced with playful taunting, "You know, you said wolf pack could handle anything on their own. Yet, didn't those hunters take you by surprise? Maybe it's time to reconsider our alliance between the two packs, don't you think?"
As Celeste voiced her thoughts, she could feel Jeremy's intense gaze searing into her skin. She knew he was secretly delighted about not having to team up with Kent, and now she had reopened the topic. Clearly, he was not very happy about that.
Under the table, Celeste nudged Jeremy's knee with hers, prompting a low grunt from him. Then, her hand stealthily found his, fingers intertwining, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. Instantly, Jeremy's visible annoyance dissipated, replaced by a playful smirk that tugged at the corners of his lips.
Celeste fought back a snicker, realizing Jeremy was simply craving her attention. He was clever enough to grasp the bigger picture. It was evident that Jeremy understood the need to set aside their differences, forge an alliance between their wolf packs, and seize the golden opportunity to dismantle the hunters' stronghold.
Returning her attention to Kent, Celeste anticipated an immediate refusal, without a moment's hesitation. But she was surprised to see a flicker of contemplation in Kent's eyes. This unexpected turn of events infused their potential alliance with a renewed sense of optimism.
"Well, considering the fact that I managed to squeeze this information out of your captive hunter, it's fair enough if we form an alliance. If we don't, we won't just sit idly by without leveraging that information against the hunters." Celeste remarked, a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "Besides, now that you've also had one of your own snatched by those hunters, why not join forces with us and launch a fierce counterattack? After all, it's a convenient detour on our path."
"Hell, you were the one who barged into our pack and asked Cel to interrogate the hunter. Didn't that signify the start of our cooperation?" Jeremy chimed in.
Celeste couldn't contain her smile at Jeremy's words, the corners of her lips curling upwards. In response, Jeremy squeezed her hand, as if silently protesting against any doubts about his commitment to stand united by her side.
Kent seemed to pick up on the subtle exchanges between Jeremy and Celeste. His eyes squinted a little, scanning back and forth between them. Then, he tilted his head down, taking a moment to ponder.
With a thoughtful expression, he spoke up, "You know, I hate to admit our weaknesses, but after this little incident, I can't help but reconsider the possibility of us teaming up."
Jeremy impatiently drummed his fingers on the table, his annoyance thinly veiled. But he kept his mouth shut, refraining from saying anything at the moment.
Kent furrowed his brow, fixating on Jeremy's restless hand. His gaze then shifted between the two of them, as he continued, "I suppose we can work together, but here's the deal. Our wolf packs gotta be equaled. We're just playing the cooperation game, with each pack having their own Alpha. And once those pesky hunters are out of the picture, our packs will naturally part ways."
Jeremy answered quickly, his response dripping with sarcasm, "Well, naturally. I wouldn't want you guys sticking around in our pack forever."
Celeste nodded at Kent's words, her understanding going a step further. While Jeremy might have missed it, Celeste caught on to what Kent meant behind that last statement. Kent still held a grudge over the whole Luna thing, where he believed Celeste was his Luna pointed by the Moon Goddess. That was why he had to mention the packs separating later on.
Regardless, it seemed like the groundwork for a cooperative relationship between the two wolf packs was now set in stone.
Kent and Jeremy each sent out a trusty Beta to sniff out the hunter's trail, following the coordinates Raymond provided. They needed to make sure if the hunter was telling the truth or spinning a web of lies.
And the two wolf packs had a brief encounter soon.
It was as if they were still trying to adjust to this newfound alliance. When the wolves met the rogue pack, the air crackled with tension, like a scene from an intense showdown.
Considering the shenanigans the rogues had pulled on their fellow lupine friends in the past, the werewolves couldn't shake off their deep-rooted suspicion and wariness. However, since Jeremy and Celeste were the leaders of the pack, the werewolves respected their decision to team up with the rogues.
The rogues seemed to be the same. They couldn't believe their former adversaries were now willing to join forces against a common enemy. Still, they respected Kent's move and refrained from stirring up unnecessary trouble.
But deep down, Celeste couldn't get rid of an uneasy feeling in her gut. She couldn't help but wonder if this alliance was as shaky as a house of cards.
Take the present situation, for example. Although the two wolf packs were in the same place, they didn't mix and mingle. They stood apart, like two separate camps, with rogues sticking together and werewolves forming their own space.
Just by watching the interactions between Jeremy and Kent, she could tell there was still an unmistakable air of dislike between them, like two magnets repelling each other. Despite the absence of direct verbal clashes for now, she could sense the tension building up, ready to explode.
And there it was again. When Kent's eyes lingered on Celeste for an uncomfortably long time, Jeremy's brows furrowed with a hint of irritation.
And given that Kent had put Jeremy under a snooze spell not once, but twice, Jeremy was still waiting for the time to deliver another solid punch to the gut of the rogue leader. Celeste had no doubt that Jeremy was itching to even the score with Kent, ready to pounce and demand justice at any given moment.
But Kent, seemingly oblivious to Celeste's worries and Jeremy's piercing stare, wore an annoyingly self-satisfied grin. He swaggered towards Celeste as if he owned the fucking place.