Chapter 65 - The Protection

CELESTINA VILLARAMA'S POV

The path that I took was too foreign to me. It's the first time that I've stepped foot in this area where there seemed to be a lot of villagers and warriors that were scattered all throughout the place, which made it quite difficult for me to cross to the other side. I continuously asked for them to let me pass, but none of them listened to me. They were all occupied in their own worlds; they didn't care about the people that surrounded them.

"Ah!" I gasped when I hit my own feet, causing me to lose balance. But before I could fall, I felt a strong grip of a hand on my arm, catching me with my eyes shut.

"What are you doing in this place? It's pretty crowded here compared to any of the places you've been to." A familiar voice of a man expressed his concern for me as he carefully assisted me in standing straight.

"Master Kristoffer?" I wasn't expecting to see anyone I knew here, so I looked surprised. "How are you always the first one to meet me in these types of situations when I'm feeling down?" I couldn't help but be emotional.

I'm certain that Kristoffer has an idea about what his brother did to Stella.

The beta of the Crimson Moon Pack was flustered. "Judging by your statement, you probably heard the rumor circulating around our pack," he said. "What's your plan? I doubt that Stella would be an easy opponent. She'd definitely do everything she can think of, if it's for the sake of her claiming the title as the pack's Luna," he added.

"I just have to make her surrender," I seriously said, even though my mind was completely blank.

Kris sighed as he stretched out one of his arms in front of me, gesturing to me to follow him around. "Let's talk in a private place; this topic shouldn't be spread elsewhere any further," he uttered as he invited me to a small cafeteria nearby.

The beta made sure that no one would be able to eavesdrop on our conversation, so he chose to sit in the farthest part of the cafe. He was also the one who ordered our drinks, and while waiting for them to arrive, he initiated the conversation.

"How did Stella even get back to our turf? Wasn't she supposed to stay by Lucas' side? As far as I know, Lucas still doesn't tolerate anyone from his pack who intends to betray him," Kris mumbled.

I shrugged both of my shoulders. "Lucas got cursed; he's not in the right condition to bother forcing anyone to stay. There's a huge probability that his members would turn their backs against him to claim his spot."

The staff served our drinks on our table, and we thanked her before Kris replied as I sipped on my cup.

"I don't sense Lucas in your pack house, Celeste," Kris coldly said, causing me to almost choke myself. "Did Leo kill Lucas?" he asked, filling up the tension throughout the small cafe.

I told him that it wasn't the case, then calmly told him about everything that occurred as soon as I returned to the Silver Moon Pack. The beta's eyes were burning with the desire to annihilate Leo, thinking that it was the only way for him to avenge the death of his former ally, Lucas.

"Everything is going smoothly according to my plan, Master Kristoffer. You shouldn't worry about losing Lucas. It's for the best," I said, trying my best to let him know that Lucas was alright and was just hiding. But my message seemed to not cross him, as he still looked like he was carrying all the burdens that the world had.

"Why didn't you fight alongside Lucas instead? Why did you have to do that to him? Lucas is such a powerful guy; there's no way that he could've died from decapitation!" Kris yelled at me, refusing to believe my story.

I shook my head, biting my lower lip as I fought hard not to spill the truth. I have to be cautious of every word that I utter; Leo's men might be lurking around.

"Forgive me, Master Kristoffer. I had no other choice back then. I can't let Ice die; I've known him much longer than I knew Lucas," I replied with a soft voice to make my apology sound genuine.

Kris slammed the table, which almost caused our cups to shatter into fragments. He was literally on the verge of shifting; his rage was about to be released. I had to think of a way to divert his attention to something else, so I reverted the topic back.

"Do you think that Siege and Stella would hold the ceremony right away?" I curiously asked with my troubled heart.

The beta heaved out a loud sigh of frustration. "If you're that curious, you should just go visit them and hear them say the answer to your query themselves," he coldly replied.

I tightly held the edge of the fabric of my shirt, preventing myself from randomly bursting. "I can't visit them face-to-face, Master Kristoffer. I have a deal with the Moon Goddess, Sarina, that I should infiltrate the pack house instead."

I had to finish the entire cup when the beta stood up from his seat in an attempt to leave me all by myself. Catching up to his speed, I stood right beside him, hoping that he'd be helping me with my plan.

We continuously marched for half an hour until we reached a destination that was quite far away from the Crimson Moon Pack's mansion but was in sight. I could see some of the warriors and butlers that were doing their respective tasks. Most of them were cleaning, while the rest of them were setting up for the upcoming ceremony.

"This is the only route that you can use if you're planning to conceal your presence and get inside our turf," Kris whispered as he slightly bent both of his knees, almost crouching on the ground.

Kris gave me a small scope that he got from his pocket. Upon using it, I looked for the spot where Siege's room was located.

"Is Siege out of the mansion?" I asked when I couldn't see him either in his room or his office. "Where is Stella staying?"

"It's safe to assume that both of them are together right now," Kris mumbled, which didn't really answer my question. "So, are you going in?"

I nodded my head at the same time that I returned the scope to his hands. Seeing that there's no turning back, I had to make a decision at this very moment, considering that I only have a few hours left before I return to the Silver Moon Pack.

"That divine punishment you gave me before... Is that still valid until now?" I inquired, referring to the first time that I was banished from their pack and when Kris swore that he'd always defend me. "Can you still protect me as I infiltrate your pack and destroy the Luna ceremony?" I added.

Kris' eyes widened. He definitely didn't assume that I would bring that up. "Things have changed already, Celeste. I'm no longer the one who can and should protect you. We're not mates after all," he said, turning me down.

I held onto his left shoulder, forcing him to face me and make eye contact with me. "Master Kristoffer, I'm begging you. I'll do anything in return if our plan is successful. All you have to do is guard my back and make sure that no one sees me going in. It's not that hard, isn't it?"

The beta seemed to have given up. "We can only do this once, Celeste. There's no second chance; you have to succeed in a single try. Or else, I would be forced to abduct you, if ever my brother sees us. Understood?" He took consecutive deep breaths as he placed his palm on the back of my hand, which was on his shoulder, then brought it down away from him.

I gave him a single nod of my head as a response, saying that I heard him loud and clear.