Jeremy couldn't believe it. The bastard of the rogue had the audacity to kidnap his Celeste right under his watch!
Rational thinking dictated that he should return to their secret base, rally the werewolves, and stage a full-blown attack on the rogues to rescue Celeste. But Jeremy's instincts led him to their home instead.
As he walked through the door, he immediately noticed the change here.
The scent of Celeste was so pleasantly obvious in the air. His heart thumped wildly in his chest, and his breath caught in his throat. Could she be here? But as he took a deep breath, he realized that Celeste was no longer there. Her scent lingered, but it lacked the vibrancy of a recent presence. He felt a pang of disappointment.
He knew that Celeste had already left, but she had clearly been there for some time as her scent lingered. Did she spend the night here last night? Jeremy took a deep breath, trying to let Celeste's scent enter his nose and chest, to calm his frantic heartbeat.
He already missed her.
Desperately seeking solace, Jeremy made his way to Celeste's room. But he stepped inside and realized the room was almost devoid of Celeste's scent. A wave of sadness wash over him, and he slumped down on her bed, grasping her pillow tightly. He buried his face in the soft fabric, searching for even a faint trace of her scent. But it was futile, and he couldn't help but feel the emptiness in his heart growing.
As he rose to his feet, Jeremy was consumed with an overwhelming urge to find Celeste. He went to the door and caught a stronger scent of Celeste in his room. What?
His intuition led him to his own bedroom, and as he pushed the door open, he was hit with the potent scent of his mate. It was overwhelming, powerful, and all-consuming. His heart skipped a beat as he took in the sight of his disheveled bed. It was clear that Celeste had been here, her scent filling the room with her essence.
Jeremy's heart raced, and his breathing grew ragged. The inner wolf within him stirred restlessly. He couldn't help but wonder if Celeste had slept here last night. Her body pressed against his bed. The thought made his heart swell with longing and desire.
If Celeste slept here, did it mean that she had feelings for him...?
Jeremy couldn't resist the urge to collapse onto his own bed, the familiar scent of Celeste still clinging to the sheets and engulfing him. It welcomed him, comforting yet painful at the same time. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, feeling the memories of last night flooding his mind. The way Celeste had nestled into his arms, the feel of her body against his, the intoxicating scent of her hair and skin, and the warmth of her breath on his neck. The memory was so vivid that he could almost feel her presence beside him.
He couldn't let Celeste leave like this, without a word or a goodbye.
His eyes flickered open, and he saw a pen lying on the bedside table. It was a bright yellow one, not something he would ever choose for himself. He furrowed his brow in confusion. Was it Celeste's? What did she use it for? His mind was spinning with questions, and a knot formed in his stomach, making him feel sick with worry.
Without thinking, he jumped up from the bed and started to search the room, frantically looking for any clue or sign that Celeste might have left behind. He looked under the bed, in the closet, on the desk, and even in the drawers. He found nothing. He expanded his search to other parts of the house, searching in Celeste's room, their parents' room, and the living room. But there was no trace of what she had left.
Feeling hopeless and defeated, he returned to his room, the scent of Celeste giving him comfort. He sat back down on the bed, his head in his hands, feeling lost and defeated. He looked up and noticed the wastepaper basket under the table across from him.
He stood up and walked over to it, peering inside. A crumpled piece of paper. He carefully picked it up and smoothed it out, his heart pounding.
He saw Celeste's handwriting. His heart sank as his eyes scanned the words.
Jeremy, I'm leaving. Don't come looking for me. We don't have a future together. The pack needs you, and it needs a Luna, but I can never be that Luna. I can't deny the pull between us, but both you and I know that we'll never...
Jeremy stared at the end of the unfinished letter. Never what? Celeste didn't finish. But Jeremy knew what she meant.
Jeremy stared at the letter as a tumultuous range of emotions flooded his heart.
He was seething with anger. Furious that Celeste had left without even a goodbye, indignant that she thought Alpha and Luna were more important to him than she was – his family, his mate, his everything.
Yet, as he read through the letter once more, a wave of sadness overtook him. He knew exactly what Celeste had left unsaid – the fact that they could never be together. They were siblings, bound by blood, and any closeness and intimacy between them could only bring agony.
A flicker of doubt lit up within him. Did that mean Celeste had left on her own. So she wasn't kidnapped by that bastard? But he must have said something to her. Thinking about the rogue sent another surge of rage coursing through his veins, but he managed to contain it, just barely.
As he held the crumpled paper in his hands, Jeremy couldn't help but wonder about Celeste's true intentions. Was there a part of her that wanted to ignore the constraints of morality and give in to the primal instincts that had drawn them together? Was that why she had left the letter unfinished and balled up in a heap among the trash?
Jeremy didn't know, but the thought gave him some strength. He read the paper again before crumpling it up and throwing it back into the basket.
No, he couldn't accept that Celeste was gone from his life completely. At the very least, he needed to explain things to her. He needed to talk to Celeste. He had to find her, no matter what the cost.
With this in mind, Jeremy returned to the wolf pack. He had to find Byron, find those damn rogues, and drag Celeste back if he had to.