Byron let out a deep, heavy sigh, his breath seeming to carry the weight on his shoulders. "Yes," he finally replied, "Kent was the one who warned me about the hunters."
Celeste furrowed her brow. "Why? Why would Kent tell you that? He was the one who attacked our pack, wasn't he? And you trusted his info immediately?"
Byron hesitated for a moment, his eyes flitting nervously around the corridor. He seemed to be lost in thoughts as if struggling to come up with an answer. Finally, he shook his head, his expression pained. "I can't say," he murmured. " It's complicated. No matter what, he didn't mean to harm our pack. "
That was what Kent had said to her, too. But it didn't make sense. Did Byron and Kent reach a deal or something?
"How many more secrets are you keeping from us, Byron? Aren't we your most trusted companions?" Her frustration was clear in her voice. "We're supposed to be a pack, a family. Why can't you be honest with us? Only if you are honest with us, can we be prepared and fight against the enemy together."
But to her disappointment, the only response she got was another long sigh from Byron. His brows were furrowed.
"You are our Alpha. You should be leading us and making the wolf pack stronger," Celeste muttered to herself.
Byron looked up at her, his eyes dark with emotion. "I wish I could," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I wish I could be the Alpha who deserves your love and trust. But I'm not. I'm not even a qualified Alpha."
"But you are a good Alpha! You are a good Alpha to me, to Jeremy, and to us all! You are an Alpha who deserves our love and trust." Celeste looked deeply into Byron's eyes, her expression unwavering. She had grown up in this pack. Since she was a child, the only Alpha she knew in the wolf pack was Byron. He had led them to this town and made the pack thrive for nearly two decades. If all of this could not make Byron a qualified Alpha, then who could be?
But Byron only went stiffer at her words. It was as if there was something he didn't want her to see. A flicker of guilt flashed across his eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it had appeared.
Finally, Byron said with a deflated tone, "You say that only because you don't fully understand me. There are too many things you don't know, kid."
"Then tell us! Try me. Probably I can help."
Byron shook his head, and Celeste seemed to see despair in his eyes.
She felt a pang of sadness. She had always looked up to Byron and admired him for his strength and wisdom. But now, she sensed a deep sadness and disappointment within him, something that she couldn't quite put her finger on.
"You can't help me. No one can. The only person who could help me has already left," he mumbled.
"What do you mean? Who are you talking about?" Celeste was confused. "No one can help you, so you chose to let Jeremy take your place?"
Byron sighed, his shoulders slumping in defeat. "You can't understand. There are things I've done, mistakes I've made, that I can never make right. I will always be indebted to this pack, and the only way to repay them is to step down as Alpha."
Celeste felt a surge of anger rise within her. "You can't just give up like that! What about all the good you've done for this pack? What about all the wolves who rely on you?"
Byron hung his head. "I've thought long and hard about this, Celeste. It's time for someone new to take over. Jeremy is a good choice, and unlike me, he can bring new Luna and new hope to everyone. A wolf pack without Luna can never become strong and complete. I can't give the pack what they need. But Jeremy can and will."
Celeste was stunned, feeling as if someone had slapped her across the face.
A wolf pack without Luna can never become strong and complete.
Would Jeremy be a good Alpha to them? Undoubtedly. His wolves are strong, and he was a natural leader.
And could Jeremy bring a new Luna to the pack? Celeste laughed in her heart – he could, of course.
It was just that this Luna would never be her. If anything, her disappearance would even facilitate the process of the pack getting a Luna.
Celeste knew that if she were to leave the pack, Jeremy's connection with her would weaken. It might be suffering for them both at first, but eventually, they would get used to it. And Jeremy could have the freedom to choose his own Luna. At this point, Jeremy can choose any she-wolf without a mate bond as his Luna. And in their wolf pack, Jeremy is not short of options. At least Nancy has shown obvious interest in Jeremy, and Jeremy had known her well enough these days. Maybe they can work together to make the pack stronger.
The place where Jeremy's lips fell on her cheek earlier suddenly became burning and hurting. Jeremy's lingering scent on Celeste now seemed like a ghost, separating her from the air around her, making it difficult for her to breathe.
Suddenly, it was all too much.
Celeste was hit by a sense of shame she had never experienced before. A voice behind her head was laughing at her, telling her like she didn't belong there. She shouldn't be an obstacle to Jeremy and the whole pack. And the mate bond, which had been weighing heavily on her mind, was something she wanted to escape from. Both she and Jeremy deserved to be free.
Yes. Free.
Her heart was racing.
Byron was saying something to her, but Celeste couldn't bear to hear any more of his words. Her mind was in turmoil with the feeling of being trapped by Jeremy, the fact that Jeremy and she had almost kissed, and Byron's words about the pack not being strong without Luna. All the thoughts flooded into her mind, making it hard for her to breathe.
Celeste ran out of the base and into the night.
The moon was not quite full, but its light shone on her as she tilted her head up towards it, feeling the power of the moon. She hated how the moon played with her destiny, but she was helpless before it.
Her wolf gradually climbed up her skin in the moonlight. Her skin was covered in snow-white fur. And her vision became lower. She fell onto all fours and ran towards the moonlight in the distance, disappearing into the forest.