The Forgotten Mate

Chapter 4: Celeste's POV

The clinking of cutlery fills the silence between us. Breakfast in Cain’s home is… awkward, to say the least. Nara sits across from me, shooting me daggers with her eyes every chance she gets. Cain’s mind is clearly elsewhere, too preoccupied to notice his sister’s jabs.

“You know,” Nara starts disdainfully, “some of us don’t get free rides just because we’re pitied by certain people.” She stabs her fork into her food and barely looks at me.

I bite my lip and stay silent. I've gotten good at that. Silence. It's easier than fighting back, easier than explaining myself to people who will never understand.

This isn't new. My whole life I've taken things in silence. Swallowed my pride. It's what you learn when you grow up like I did.

I think back to those early days. My earliest memories are foggy and mostly flashes of a place I barely remember. I was adopted at age four with no memory of my real parents. Just a birthmark—one on each n****e. A strange symbol I never understood. My adoptive parents were kind to me at first. They gave me a home, warmth, comfort.

Until they had a son.

Everything changed after that. I was a reminder of something they no longer needed. A burden. At ten they kicked me out. No explanation. No remorse.

That's when Miss Hudgins took me in. She was the owner of the pack's bakery, a kind woman with a soft spot for strays like me. I owe her everything. If it weren't for her I don't know what would've happened. She gave me a place to stay and food to eat and taught me how to bake.

And that's how I met Ryker.

He was one of the royal wolves. His family had power and influence. The bakery would deliver goods to the palace and I was often the one making the deliveries. I still remember the first time I saw him; he had this quiet confidence and a strength that radiated off him even as a boy.

I crushed on him from day one but it was never more than that. We were just friends and played in the woods and got into trouble. He liked my tomboyness I think. I wasn't like the other girls. I didn't care about dresses or appearances. I just wanted to be free.

For a while that's what we were. Free.

Until we weren't.

By the time we were fifteen things started to change. I could feel it in the air between us. I knew. Deep down I knew we were mates. But Ryker didn't say anything at first. I thought I was imagining it and maybe I was wrong.

But I wasn't.

My heart tightens at the memory and before I know it someone touches my arm.

“Celeste?”

Cain's voice is soft but it pulls me back to the present. I look up at him blinking.

“I'm fine,” I say quickly but Cain's brow furrows.

“You're crying.”

I touch my face and feel the wetness on my cheeks. I hadn't even noticed. Embarrassment floods through me and I wipe the tears away and stand quickly.

Cain turns to Nara and his eyes narrow. “What did you say to her?”

Nara rolls her eyes, stands up as well and collects her dishes. “Please. Don't blame me for her being weak.”

“Enough, Nara,” Cain snaps more sharply than I've ever heard him. “Leave her alone.”

Nara just shrugs and walks away with clear disdain. I don't even look at her as she goes. It's easier that way.

“Don't let her bother you,” Cain says attentively. “We should get going.”

©©©

The car ride to the camp is quiet. I tune in and out of the radio but I'm not really paying attention to the words or the music. My mind is still wrapped around everything that's happened and everything that's changed.

The training camp comes into view and I can already tell it's different from what I expected. Mostly young men fill the grounds. They move with purpose and their faces look hard and determined. As we drive closer a group of them cross the road and the car nearly hits them. One of the guys—hooded with a strong build—locks eyes with me as we pass.

There's something about the way he stares that unsettles me but I shake it off as we pull up to the registration building.

Cain takes me through the process which is more tedious than I expected. Forms, background checks, even a physical assessment. It's almost military in how thorough it is. I glance at Cain as I hand over the last of the forms.

“Are we going to be recruited for something?” I ask, half-joking. “Feels like they're prepping us for a war.”

Cain smirks and shakes his head. “Not likely. Unless there's a war brewing—and that's pretty unlikely these days.”

I raise an eyebrow. “So who owns this camp? Our pack or Daggerfall?”

“Neither. It's run by the Lucidin Pack Forces Committee,” Cain explains. “A confederate of generals from neighboring packs including ours. They oversee the camp but it's mostly neutral ground.”

Neutral. That's good I guess. It means less politics. Less pressure.

Once the registration is finally done Cain hands me some food and equipment and his gaze softens slightly.

“Why are you doing all this for me?” I ask, unable to hold back the question any longer.

Cain's hand rests on my shoulder and he looks at me for a long moment. “It's the least I can do,” he says simply and bids me good luck then turns to leave.

I watch him walk away and the weight of his words settles in my chest.

©©©

A girl taps me on the shoulder, pulling me from my thoughts. “We're supposed to head to the courtyard for orientation. Day three of the session.”

I nod and follow her through the camp. It's more modern than I expected. It's clean with well-maintained buildings and high-tech equipment. The courtyard is large with training dummies, obstacle courses, and targets set up around the perimeter.

“I'm Becky, by the way,” the girl says and offers me a small smile. She's shorter than me, maybe 5'5", with bright eyes and a quiet energy. “You're tall. How tall are you?”

“5'9",” I answer, surprised she's interested.

“Lucky,” Becky murmurs and looks around the courtyard. “I'll show you the important people to watch out for.”

She points to a group of guys lounging near the edge of the courtyard. “That's Darin, leader of the X-faction. You want to avoid him and his crew. They're trouble. Fax, Martin, and the twins Haram and Harlan—they're all part of his gang.”

My eyes scan the group and I notice one guy sitting a bit apart from the others. His hood is pulled low and he seems quieter than the rest.

“That's Chip,” Becky says, noticing my gaze. “No one really knows why he's with them. He's... different.”

I recognize him. He's the one who locked eyes with me earlier. Something about him feels off but I don't say anything.

“For the girls,” Becky continues, “Tacha and Mimi. They're trouble too but don't underestimate them. They can fight better than most of the guys here.”

She gestures to another part of the courtyard. “Arjun's the top student. Trainers love him. Elisa's second favorite—buff girl, strong as hell.”

I nod and take it all in. There's a lot to process and I can already tell this camp is going to be more intense than I expected.

Suddenly a voice booms from the panel at the front of the courtyard and everyone turns their attention to the trainers. My heart skips a beat as I recognize one of the men standing there.

General Orthon.

A man I thought I'd never see again. A man from my past.