Celia‘s POV

“Please! Please believe me!” I beg. I approach Soren. My hands reach for his but immediately retract when I realize what I am doing. Soren’s gaze follows my hand, a flicker of confusion flashing across his face, before he looks back up at me.

“Please explain to us the situation, Celia,” Healer Anderson interjects. I sigh and pull away turning to face him.

“We were all standing out here on the deck like his Highness instructed us to do. All of us wanted to come up with solutions to help the former Luna and they asked me what my idea was after sharing their own! I shared mine, they shared theirs, but Bianca didn’t.” I turn to face Soren. “How was I supposed to know that she also thought of using a mind link?”

His gaze is scornful, his upper lip curled into a snarl. He looks to Bianca and she magically appears at his side, his arm snaking around her waist. Soren turns his attention to a nearby guard, waving his hand at us.

“Take them away. They are not needed anymore,” Soren commands. The guard immediately nods.

I feel a weight form on my shoulders. Lily comes to my side, taking my wrist and pulling me away from the deck and towards the villa’s dock. I pull my wrist from her grasp and step back to the Alpha King.

“I’m telling you the truth,” I plead. I rest my hand on my chest, my eyes stinging from tears. “This is all one big mistake! It’s didn’t know that Bianca had the same idea as me! I promise on my Grandmother’s life that I am not lying!”

Soren’s expression shifts. He shuffles through many emotions; confusion, hurt, sorrow, and understanding all flash across his face. My heart skips a beat, a flicker of hope igniting in my chest. His eyes burn into mine. It’s as if he is trying to find the answer in my eyes, like the answer to all of our solutions lies in my irises instead of believing the words that come from my mouth.

Please believe me, I internally beg. If I could get down on my knees, I would.

Soren’s face twists into anger. All hope that I once felt fades away. My shoulders slump and I take a step back, his lips turning down into a snarl.

“Leave.”

Soren turns away from me, looking down at Bianca. Tears roll down her cheeks and she clings to him. They enter the villa and lock the doors behind them.

“Celia, my dear,” Healer Anderson’s soothing voice permeates my ear. I swivel on my heels and look up at him, a big frown on my face.

He rests his hand on my shoulder as we are escorted out from the lake villa. Once we are on the boat, he turns to me, a serious expression on his face.

“I’ve been thinking about your method…the mind link one. It is the traditional Lycan healing method,” he informs me. I nod along with his words, hanging onto every syllable. “It is, however, a very risky method. Nobody knows how the wolf of another person will affect them. We only know of the healing properties of one’s fated mate, not a stranger.”

“I know,” I begin with a sigh, “that’s why I didn’t bring it up earlier, before the whole Bianca situation.”

I turn my chin to the openness of the lake. The only waves and ripples that are made come from the boat. I lean down and dip the tips of my fingers into the cool water.

I wonder what it would feel like to dip into someone else’s mind. Will their consciousness accept or reject who wishes to enter? Will they know if the person has good intentions? Or will the mind automatically fight off the wolf who lingers in their conscience.

What if someone like me, who is wolf-less, were to enter? Will I be able to slip in unnoticed? Maybe this is our only shot at saving the former Luna. It’s worth taking the risk!

Soren’s POV

Celia’s saddened and disappointed expression lingers in my thoughts. The image would not leave me alone, forcing me to stare at her tear brimmed eyes, the way her bottom lip trembled when I dismisses her and the other Healers.

My inner wolf has grown so rabid and restless after the encounter. He bites and nips at the back of my mind. His growls and barks add to the sharp pain behind my eyes, rendering me useless for minutes at a time.

Mate! It barks and howls at me. Fated mate!

It’s nonsense to me. As time tricks on, the word imprints itself in my mind.

Mate…is that what Celia is to me?

Before, I thought she was only with me because of her financial situation. My immense amount of money is something that not everybody has. An unlimited line of credit and wealth is sure to make any woman swoon and fall at my feet. It’s what made her fall to my feet, right?

Does Celia love me? Does she still harbor positive affection towards me?

She fought so valiantly to gain my favor earlier, wanting me to know the truth. I didn’t believe her, though, and chose to stand by my fated mate instead of her. She’s just a common woman…

I look at Bianca. She stands not too far away, her fingers typing away on her phone before she brings it to her ear. Bianca glances at me and smiles before disappearing behind a wall.

This is my chosen mate. Someone who doesn’t even recognize the immense amount of pain that I am subjected to. If Celia were here, she would be massaging my scalp and would have already put a cold compress over my eyes to ease the heat that formed under my skin.

“…the lost princess…no!” Her voice is faint but just loud enough for me to hold onto some of the words she says.

I stand from the bed, silently making my way to the door. Her voice grows louder and louder the closer I get to her. I stand outside the door, tilting my ear towards the crack.

“Yes, I understand. I will not let anyone know. Yes! Nobody will find out! I promise!” Bianca’s voice rises before she suddenly goes quiet. I make my way back to the bed and plop down, the pain behind my eyes growing by the second.

Bianca enters the room, hands on her hips. She stands at the foot of the bed and I watch herm raising an eyebrow.

“Soren?” Bianca says my name too easily. “You still think of Celia as my substitute, right? You hold no feelings of love or affection towards her.”

No words come out of my mouth. I’m unable to form a sentence, let alone an excuse, for how I feel towards Celia. I blink at her, my cheeks heating from the pain inside my skull.

Staring at Bianca’s face, my mind replaces her image with Celia’s.

“So,” Bianca scoffs, circling the bed. She stands next to me, looking down. “You really do care about that substitute, don’t you?!” Her voice is loud, making my ears ring.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Bianca,” I respond, stunned by her sudden confrontation.

“Face it, Soren! You have feelings for her! You would have never given her the chance to explain herself earlier today when we visited your mother!” Bianca screeches. I wince. “You always look for her whenever we enter a room too! Don’t think I haven’t noticed that, either!” I avert my gaze and stare at the ceiling.

Could Bianca be correct? Have I all of a sudden found myself entangled with Celia? Do I care about her?