"I'm just still angry that he brought that rogue into our pack and got you injured."
So that was why Jeremy was mad at their Alpha? When he spoke of Kent, the knot between his eyebrows deepened.
Celeste put a hand on Jeremy's shoulder. He stiffened a little, but she could feel him relax beneath her hand. "I'm safe now. And my wolf is recovering. And I don't think Byron meant to let Kent in. He didn't know his true color. Kent even managed to pass the Goddess's test, you know. Who would have thought he could turn against us?"
"Kent? Are you on a first-name basis now?" The words came out of Jeremy's mouth.
Celeste was caught off guard by the sudden question. How did they end up here? Did that even matter?
She didn't feel the need to explain it to Jeremy, but she was a little uneasy under his burning gaze. So she shrugged. "Well, we only talked briefly at a gathering. And before everything went downhill, Kent…" she was going to continue when Jeremy arched an eyebrow at her, so she corrected herself, "I mean the traitor, in your word, asked me and Alan to run."
Jeremy's eyes widened at the new information. "He asked you to run?" he said after a long while. But then he huffed again, his voice laced with annoyance, "Anyway, I don't like the way he looks at you."
The way he looked at her? What way did he look at her, Celeste wondered. He and she had met each other for less than an hour, and what kind of look could he have given her?
Wait. Suddenly a thought struck her. Could Jeremy be jealous?
She let out a light chuckle, catching Jeremy's attention. He snapped his gaze at her in confusion.
"Are you jealous?" she asked, a playful smile dancing on her lips. She tried to put it away in vain.
"Nonsense!" Jeremy blurted out immediately, his ears turning red. "I just can't stand the sight of that asshole."
Celeste couldn't help but feel a flutter in her heart as she heard the possessive tone in Jeremy's voice. But she nodded in understanding, deciding not to press the issue any further. "Anyway, I still think we should talk to Byron about this."
Jeremy shrugged. "Fine. He's the Alpha of the pack after all. I just hope he'll take more responsibility next time."
With that, he returned to his seat and continued playing his losing game. And as she watched Jeremy play his game, she couldn't help but smile at Jeremy's possessiveness. She was glad she was not the only jealous wolf here.
After the arrival of the snooping police officer, the werewolves' caution had increased tenfold. It turned out the man was a legitimate police officer, and that only increased the concern in the pack.
The attack had not raised the hackles of not only the pack but the humans too, as they became warier and alert of their surroundings.
But a few days later, the attention to the attack seemed to have vanished completely. The police were not asking anyone about it anymore, almost as if they were back in their inactive mode.
The pack had been keeping a low profile these days, and they hoped the laid-back nature of local law enforcement would allow this matter to subside for good.
Celeste was hoping for the same because tomorrow was the full moon.
The past few days gave Celeste's wolf some time to recover from its wounds. With Jeremy by her side every day, she felt her wolf's calm settle in. Like a gentle shell of comfort surrounding her, Jeremy's presence seemed to heal her wolf's injuries.
But she wasn't ready to shift into her wolf form completely just yet, and she knew she would not be able to do so tomorrow, even though the full moon was near.
She was sorry about that. After all, she had been craving for years to run freely under the full moon as a wolf. She had dreamed about it so many times, but she couldn't do it yet. She knew she would have to wait.
But she felt a twinge of relief too. The bond between her and Jeremy was tightening day by day. At least one of them would stay human throughout the night, rational enough to control any beastly instincts.
Celeste was happy that she and Jeremy had found solace in each other's company. Simply being in the same room allowed their wolves to regain strength and alleviate any anxiety she had been feeling.
But as the mate bond grew stronger, it was hard and hard to deny their mutual attraction. Whenever they got close, or when their skin touched, Celeste's heart would race violently, leaving no room for anything other than the echoing cries of her own wolf thirsting for her mate, "Mate! Mate! Mate!"
She couldn't help but recall the last full moon when Jeremy had pinned her down to the ground with his fierce claws pressing against her skin and the heat radiating from his body. The memory was still too vividly ingrained in her mind.
As she trembled at the mere thought, Celeste wondered what would happen if they both transformed into wolves. The possibilities left her shaken and uncertain.
So, yesterday Jeremy shifted and had a run in the wild. By doing that, they hoped to wear down the energy of Jeremy's wolf on tomorrow's full moon. Hopefully, both of them would survive the night.
When Jeremy transformed into the towering wolf, Celeste felt the power of the mate bond between them. Her own inner wolf stirred with excitement at the sight of his wolf, only to be tightly restrained by something she couldn't shake off.
As Jeremy turned to leave, Celeste could feel her wolf whimpering with sadness. And though Jeremy was gone for just two short hours, she could sense that the healing power of her wolf had almost stopped.
When Jeremy finally returned, her inner wolf was almost moved to tears with joy.
Learning the strength of their connection, Celeste was glad that she wasn't turning into a wolf tomorrow. Her wolf whined unhappily inside her heart, though.