Chapter 40 - The Hunt II

CELESTINA VILLARAMA’S POV

When I first saw those ocean eyes of the alpha, I knew that he was someone to be feared. He didn’t claim the title of alpha just for fun, and he definitely was the only one deserving of that rank, which even Lucas could not reach.

It has been about an hour or two since we began our search. I initially assumed that Siege would be leaving me behind, but he didn’t. Though I wanted to leave on my own and search at my own pace, he just kept on following me around. It was like he wanted to let me feel that he wouldn’t abandon me, just like Kristoffer did to him.

“Why are we even finding him in the woods?” I asked him, breaking the silence between us. “Are you sure that he can be found here? What if he traveled to the opposing pack and was just looking for me?” I added to my query.

“Kris isn’t an idiot. He’d never go there without my permit, and besides, he has no reason to pay you a visit,” Siege answered briefly, not batting an eye at me. “Focus on your surroundings; stop looking at me,” he said, causing me to widen my eyes at the same time that I turned around to pretend like I wasn’t staring at his face.

I partly bent my knees to look at the ground, which kind of had a footprint that didn’t belong to us. “Alpha Siege, come here…” I murmured, swaying my hand to gesture to him to look at what I found. “Isn’t this… Master Kristoffer’s?” I pointed at the footprint, making him bend his knees as well.

“It is…” Siege held onto his chin, thinking about whether it was a recent one or not. “I finally got a lead.” He sighed. “If I hadn’t brought you with me tonight, I would’ve gone home empty-handed again."

The alpha walked ahead of me, so I followed him as if we already had a clue where the beta might be lurking. Tilting my head upwards, I saw the sky that was slowly getting covered up with dark clouds. I couldn’t get a sight of the moon, so it was quite impossible for both Siege and I to shift with our wolves.

In a distant space, I noticed a figure of a man lying on his back, so I hurriedly ran up to him without telling the alpha. “Master Kris—” I gasped when the man caught me in his arms, and it was too late for me to realize that it wasn’t the beta after all. "L-let go!"

Despite my continuous attempts to nudge the man's body with my elbow, it was a futile effort, as he wouldn't even get hurt by it.

"What are you doing in my territory again, Leo?" Alpha Siege asked the man behind me, and based on the atmosphere, I can take a guess that they weren't fond of one another. "Surely, I don't have to repeat myself that you're not going to beat me no matter what dirty tricks you try, right?" he added.

I heard the man, Leo, hissing. "You're still as arrogant as the last time we met, Siege," he murmured before he released my arm, but still refused to get me out of his reach. "Did you come here in the woods in search of Kris? Give it up, I already killed your good-for-nothing brother... He's a complete weakling compared to you; I don't even understand why you chose to make him stay as your pack's beta... Someone as incompetent as him shouldn't be with you, Siege," he said in provocation to the alpha.

My eyebrows furrowed just at the simple thought of someone discriminating against Master Kristoffer. He was the most gentle person I've met since I came here in this realm, but that doesn't make him a weakling.

"Excuse me, Leo..." I gritted my teeth before I faced him, moving backward a little bit, which caused my arm to be stretched as he still held it. "I doubt that we've met each other before, but let me tell you this..." I raised my eyesight on him, sending him the deadliest glare that I could show. "Master Kristoffer is not just anyone that you can belittle. If you're going to insult him behind his back, then what difference does it make you? Can you still proudly say that you're stronger than him if you're bluffing about his death?"

I gulped the instant that I finished my statements. My rapid heartbeat caused my lips to tremble, but I tried my best not to make it visible to Leo. I had high anticipations for the beta's arrival, and I wasn't mistaken when I detected his presence nearby.

"That's my Celeste..." Master Kristoffer appeared from the other side of the woods, launching a direct ambush on Leo as he attacked his nape with his bare hands. "You're already old enough, but you're still a liar?" he scoffed, pulling me together with him as he landed beside Siege. "Me? Die in your hands? That won't happen even after a couple of centuries."

The alpha glanced at his brother with curiosity, and I saw how Master Kristoffer slightly nodded his head as if it were a sign of his apology. "You should've told me that you were stolen by this random dude out in the woods," Siege uttered, purposely making his voice loud to reach Leo.

"This won't be the last time that I'll bother the two of you..." Leo looked at me furiously instead of the Wongs. "You're an amusing woman... Which among them is your mate?" he asked, but I couldn't feel the sincerity in his tone that he really wanted to know just for the sake of being informed.

I sensed that he had an ulterior motive for knowing if I was their mate.

"Celeste is mine, Leonardo. Once I see your hands on her again, I seriously won't let it slide," Master Kristoffer answered before I could part my lips to speak. "Let's go back." He invited Siege and me, turning around to face the route back to the pack house.

Since when have I become Master Kristoffer's mate?