Chapter 56 - The Risk

CELESTINA VILLARAMA'S POV

Biting my lower lip with my fists formed into tight balls, I lowered my arm as I faced the two, who somehow ambushed us by not letting us detect their presence from early on. It was Master Kristoffer, together with someone whom I least expected to step foot on the Crimson Moon Pack's turf.

"Stella? What the heck are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in the Silver Moon Pack? And why are you standing beside Master Kristoffer as if the two of you are close?" I consecutively questioned my sister, who was having a smug expression on her face.

The omega of the opposing pack shrugged her shoulders. She let her hands roam above the beta's shoulder, trailing her fingers down to his arm. "Who knows? Kris was the one who barged in our pack, begging me to accompany him here. He told me the details while we were on the way," she replied.

I approached the two of them, and we were only a few inches apart from one another, though Siege didn't come with me. "Master Kristoffer wouldn't join forces with anyone from that pack, Stella. If you're just going to lie, it would be better for you to shut your mouth," I muttered together with a stern gaze.

Master Kristoffer pushed me away from Stella. "Everything that Stella said is true, Celestina. Stop accusing her of being a liar if you haven't even heard the sides of all the parties involved," he coldly said, humiliating me right in front of the woman I never want to be embarrassed by.

Stella cracked a laugh. "You're still a pathetic lady, Celestina. Haven't you had enough of playing with Alpha Siege? I'm sure he's already tired of you. The guilt from killing our parents is probably the only thing that makes him want to stay with you, since he's feeling sorry for killing those who you used to treasure," she mumbled while slightly bending her back forward to close the distance between our faces.

I continuously shook my head, refusing to believe what she said. "There's no way that Siege would stick around with me just because of mere guilt. That event has been years already; there's no point in feeling sorry anymore," I uttered to turn down her provocation.

Glancing my way to Siege, I noticed that he could barely maintain eye contact with mine. It was like he couldn't defend himself from what Stella said and at least tell me that she's mistaken.

I expected that he would at least shake his head once to reassure me that Stella was just provoking me and that he wasn't simply guilty of his sin.

"See? Alpha Siege isn't even trying to hide the fact from you," Stella further said, which made me sip air through my mouth.

My vision darkened at the same time that I sensed my wolf growling in the depths of my mind. “Siege just doesn’t want to prolong this argument or whatever this is,” I muttered, even though I was unsure if that was really the alpha’s intention.

The thought that Stella doesn’t care about the deaths of our parents makes me infuriated. I couldn’t help but grit my teeth at her, blabbering all the curse words in my mind.

“Why are you glaring at me like that?” Stella raised both of her eyebrows, as if she knew that she was already getting on my nerves. “Surely you’re not thinking about your parents in that world, are you?” She scoffed.

I attempted to launch an attack on her, but before I could take a step forward to their spot, Siege managed to grab my forearm to stop me from what I was planning.

Looking at him, he repeatedly shook his head. “If you hurt your sister here, you would just give her the satisfaction that she successfully provoked you,” he said briefly, so I tried to calm myself down, thinking that the alpha had a point.

Kristoffer intervened to stop the tension from growing further. "I brought Stella here because I knew damn well that she's the only person living here that won't ever permit you to leave this realm, Celestina," he mumbled, followed by a short sigh. "She has her own reasons, and the same goes for me. I'm sure that everyone back in the pack house also shares the same reason," he added.

"Reason? For what?" I asked, slightly tilting my head sideways.

"The Crimson Moon Pack has always been weak because Siege couldn't have a Luna, right? And since you came here, the one who has the potential to be Siege's Luna, I doubt that someone would even give you their approval to take your leave," Master Kristoffer explained.

I furrowed my eyebrows at the same time that I brushed Siege's hand away from my arm. "I want to hear your reason at the very least," I told Kristoffer, then glared at Stella. "I don't care about Stella's reason why she won't let me leave with Siege." I rolled my eyes.

The beta briefly glanced at Siege, as if they were having another conversation through their mind-links. "You still haven't told her about the risk, Siege?" he questioned the alpha loudly.

"I was never given the chance to tell her about it. The only thing stuck in my head was the thought that I had to bring her back to her real world, no matter what," Siege answered seriously.

I couldn't comprehend what they were talking about. If there was a risk in going through the portal that's about to be summoned in a few days, then it would probably not be great for us. Knowing the moon goddess, she would definitely make the risk complicated enough for us to think twice about whether to still pursue entering the portal or not.

"Then, can you give me your permission to let me do the honor to tell Celestina about it?" Kristoffer respectfully asked his brother, and Siege only gave him a nod of his head to let Kristoffer proceed. "I know that you're thrilled to go back to where you belonged, Celestina, but..."

"But, what? Am I going to die the second that I step in the portal? Will my parents still be dead? Or would I be the cause for their deaths this time around?" I consecutively asked the beta, hoping the risk wasn't that brutal.

Master Kristoffer shook his head, glancing at where the portal had been destroyed. "There's a risk that your memories will be permanently erased, and worse, anyone who steps into the portal might die," he replied.

The beta further explained that the bodies of those who would pass through the portal would be slashed inside, and the moment we arrived at our destination, the dead body would appear along with its blood. The people there would surely be shocked to witness such a horrifying sight.

"Isn't there any way to avoid that risk?" I worriedly asked.

"That's basically what the moon goddess wants, Celestina. Once judgment day comes, the portal will appear, and there's no guarantee that we can get out safely and in one piece," Siege responded, pulling me away from the two and heading back near the edge of the cliff. "The portal will still go back; don't worry about how your sister destroyed it a while ago," he assured me.

I caught a glimpse of a small dot, and I think that was the portal.

"Celestina, you should return to the Silver Moon Pack instead of trying to get Alpha Siege out of this realm with you. Stop bothering Alpha Siege; he has his own life to deal with," Stella mumbled, causing me to turn around to look at her. "Haven't you heard about the alpha's health there? He's been worried sick about you ever since you came here. He couldn't find any way to reach you, and he couldn't even ask Ice to pay you a visit," she added.

My lips slightly parted upon hearing about Lucas' condition. "What do you mean? Lucas has been waiting for me?"

Stella shrugged her shoulders. "I guess so. He hasn't been able to eat regularly, and he's just been staring out through his room's window, waiting for your arrival. I heard from the maids that he still hadn't slept before I came here with Kris."

I shook my head, refusing to believe everything she said. I'm guessing that she's bluffing just to let me go back to their pack and stick around with Lucas.

Who knows? She might end up trapping me there until before the portal summons.

"I'm not obligated to return there, Stella. Lucas clearly gave me his permission to stay here with Siege in the meantime," I confidently said.

Stella approached me, and I immediately panicked, thinking that she might suddenly push me. However, my fears were removed the moment that Stella held both of my hands as she gently pressed them.

"I'm telling the truth, Celestina. Alpha Lucas' health is worsening day by day, and he might pass out anytime soon if you still refuse to go back." Stella looked at me with her eyebrows slightly curved, and her eyes were watery as her tears began to roll down her cheeks. "You're the only one who can cure him; please go back to the Silver Moon Pack as early as possible," she added, wiping her tears with her index finger.

I looked at Siege, wondering if he would give me permission to go back there.

"You don't have to wait for my approval, Celestina. You're not mine to begin with, and Lucas is still your alpha. You only came here to visit us anyway," Siege coldly mumbled.

For some reason, I could sense how his wolf was in despair through the depths of his soul as I stared at him for a whole minute.