According to the address provided by Nick, Jeremy rushed to the place where the rogues were supposed to be.
The place was hidden and elusive, and without Nick's information, it would have been nearly impossible for Jeremy to find. The rogues were clearly vigilant. But perhaps their vigilance was limited, as they let an outsider like Nick learn about their whereabouts and even pass it on to Jeremy.
But Jeremy didn't fully trust Nick. He remained on guard, wondering if this was some sort of trap.
The rogues seemed to be exceptionally busy today, coming and going frequently. They would blend in perfectly in the city, making it difficult for the unsuspecting to notice anything out of the ordinary. Only the occasional glint in their eyes betrayed their true identity.
This was obviously the rogues' current stronghold, and at least Nick had not lied about that. However, Jeremy dared not get too close, for fear that his scent might give him away. He had no choice but to observe from afar.
As he surveyed the area, he caught a faint scent of Celeste in the air. The scent was incredibly weak because of the distance, but it was unmistakable. His heart began to race with excitement. He knew he had to bring Celeste back with him tonight. Although he was tempted to rush in and grab her immediately, there were too many enemies around. If he were to recklessly barge in, it would be suicide.
Frowning, Jeremy contemplated calling the other werewolves to come and help him. But he quickly dismissed the idea. He knew the wolves would take some time to arrive, and already he was growing impatient. He decided that he couldn't wait any longer. He had to see Celeste tonight. Luckily, it was getting dark. He decided to wait until nightfall before slipping in and rescuing her.
As he waited, Jeremy began to realize that things weren't going as planned. The rogues' faces were filled with excitement as if they were preparing for something big. Despite the darkness, they seemed to be getting even busier. And more and more rogues were coming here. What were they planning? Were they preparing to leave this place? Jeremy couldn't help but wonder.
Jeremy stood at a distance, gazing at the brightly lit house, confused and anxious about what to do next. He furrowed his brows, wondering whether to keep waiting for his chance to come or break in to get Celeste out.
As he stood there, he heard the distant strains of music wafting towards him on the wind. He paused and pricked up his ears. After a few moments, it dawned on him that the werewolves were throwing a party inside the house. He couldn't fathom what the occasion was, but he was glad that this could make it easier to get to Celeste.
As the night wore on, the festive mood inside the house escalated, and the sounds of laughter and clinking glasses filled the air. Through the window, he could see the rogues stumbling about, their faces flushed with drink and their eyes glinting with reckless abandon. Jeremy watched them warily from his hiding spot, biding his time until the right moment presented itself.
When he finally saw Celeste, his heart skipped a beat. Even though he had only been apart from her for a few days, it felt like ages to him. His gaze was fixed on her, watching as she chatted amiably with the other wolves, a faint smile playing about her lips.
For a few fleeting moments, Celeste seemed to sense something was amiss and glanced out the window, scanning the darkness outside. Jeremy tensed up, fearing that he had been discovered. But he knew very well that the inside of the house was bathed in light while the outside was shrouded in darkness, making him almost invisible. Still, he couldn't help but feel a sense of relief as he ducked behind a nearby tree, keeping a watchful eye on his mate.
As the party went on, Jeremy's furrowed brow deepened with each passing moment.
The attendees were undoubtedly all rogues, and he recognized a few familiar faces among them – the same ones who had attacked his wolf pack not long ago. He couldn't help but feel a simmering anger inside him at their presence. He was worried about Celeste, too. What would they do to her?
But to his surprise, Celeste was not treated like an enemy or an outsider.
Instead, the rogues seemed to show her great respect, as if she were one of their own all the time. She was surrounded by them, but she didn't seem to be wary or on guard. On the contrary, she appeared perfectly at ease, as if she were among her own pack.
Jeremy's heart raced as he tried to make sense of what was going on. Something was off.
As time passed, Jeremy's patience began to wear thin. He watched as the party continued, and his mind raced with more and more questions. He felt like he couldn't control himself any longer and was about to rush into the house, grab Celeste, and demand answers. But he forced himself to stay hidden in the tree, watching and waiting for the right moment.
Finally, Celeste emerged from the house and sat down by the pool.
Thank Goddess! Jeremy's heart leaped with relief as he saw her figure, and he was about to climb down from the tree and approach her when he noticed Kent, the damn werewolf, coming out of the house too, with a very smug grin on his face.
Jeremy wished the bastard would just go away, but Kent seemed to be spoiling for a fight. He walked straight over to Celeste and took a seat beside her, too close for Jeremy's comfort. Jeremy's fists clenched as he watched Kent sitting next to Celeste. He could feel his own rage building inside him, a fierce protectiveness for Celeste that he couldn't contain.
Now Jeremy wanted to run over and put himself between Celeste and that rogue. He wanted to cover her in his own scent, mark her as his own and warn off any other wolf who dared to come near her.