Chapter 3
1221 Words
**Chapter 3**
Her eyes snapped open.
A sharp gasp tore from Celeste's lungs as she jerked upright— only to cry out, a broken hiss escaping her lips as pain ripped through her side.
"Ah—!"
Her body collapsed back onto the bed. Her hand flew to the wound, eyes wide with panic.
"Easy—” Callum was there instantly, gripping her shoulders gently but firmly, stopping her from moving further.
"You're going to tear it open again," he warned, voice tight.
She breathed hard, dazed, reality slowly returning. Recognizing the familiar walls—she was Callum's apartment. The nightmare still clung to her like smoke.
"…Callum," she whispered.
"I'm here.“ His voice was rough with exhaustion, stubble shadowing his jaw. He had clearly stayed by her side the entire time.
Her grip on his shirt was still tight, still rattled by the dream.
Callum's face softened, something protective flashing in his gaze.
His hands, still on her shoulder, slid slightly—before settling more firmly, grounding her.
"It's alright, take deep breaths," he said gently.
He helped her sit up carefully. Their faces ended up dangerously close. His hands lingered on her shoulder, warm and grounding.
Celeste's breath hitched. For a moment, the safety he offered was tempting. Callum's green eyes darkened as his gaze dropped to her lips. He leaned in slowly—
*Ring ring!*
The phone shattered the moment. Callum cursed under his breath and pulled back, irritation flashing across his face.
"You've got to be kidding me," he muttered, dragging a hand down his face before pulling out his phone.
It was his sister, Aurora. Her loud, worried voice burst through the speaker.
"What?" He said flatly.
"Don't 'what' me, Callum! I just heard something happened and you didn't tell me?!"
He winced slightly, pulling the phone away from his ear.
"She's fine," he replied.
"I want to hear that from her," his sister snapped immediately. "Put her on the phone."
Then he glanced at her. "She's awake," he admitted.
"Of course she is—give her the phone!" He handed it over reluctantly.
After some teasing and reassurance, Celeste handed the phone back with a small, tired smile. But the smile faded quickly. That strange heat in her chest was back— burning hotter, her skin feel too tight.
---
The city stretched endlessly, light glittering like fireflies—restless.
In the luxurious penthouse, overlooking the glittering city, steam hung thick in the air, clinging to the marble and glass, rising from the surface of the bath where he laid.
Theron Virek lay still in the deep tub, head tilted back against the rim, water sliding over the hard lines of his powerful frame.
A sharp knock broke the silence.
"Enter."
Reis stepped inside,calm and composed."The search came up empty, Alpha. "We covered the whole area twice. No sign of her."
Theron remained silent.
Reis continued. "But… we found something else."
The man finally made some movement, there was a faint ripple of water when he moved slightly.
"She has no official records with any packs or syndicates… but she's close to Callum Draveth.
Theron rose from the water in one fluid motion, completely naked.
Water streamed down his sculptured body, built with lean muscle layered under his explosive frame and broad shoulders tapering into a narrow waist.
Across his back, a ferocious, snarling wolf head centered between his shoulder blades, with its gaze directed down towards the spine.
The fur was rendered in heavy black and grey shades blending into a sinister forest scene that wraps around the torso.
The wolf eyes were the only color—a piercing, vivid amber appearing to glow against the dark ink.
As he moved, the muscles in his back tightened, the massive snaring wolf tattoo on his back seemed to come alive, its amber eyes glowing. He wrapped a robe around himself loosely.
"Punish those who let her escape, he ordered coldly. "Make them remember their failure.“
He moved to the floor-to-ceiling window, staring out into the night, overlooking the city. The mate bond was growing stronger.
He could feel her— her confusion, her pain, the way her body was beginning to awaken to him. It made his blood burn with raw possession.
“Find her,” he said quietly. “She belongs to me.“
---
Back at the apartment, the doctor delivered the shocking news: Celeste had been unconscious for three full days.
"Three days." She blinked.
"…What?"
The doctor adjusted his glasses slightly, clearly uncertain.
"You were unconscious for approximately seventy-two hours," he repeated. "Your vitals were unstable at first, but then they normalized faster than expected."
Callum leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching her closely.
She sat there in silence, trying to process it. Three days…Gone?
"How's that possible?" She asked quietly.
The doctor hesitated.
"…I don't have a clear answer."
And that didn't help at all.
After the doctor left, Celeste stood alone in the bathroom, staring at her reflection in the mirror.
She looked pale, exhausted. Her fingers lightly resting on the edge of the sink as she leaned in closer.
Her eyebrows creased. Flashes from the nightmare returned — the altar, the chants.
Mother—
A blinding pain exploded behind her eyes the moment she tried to dig deeper.
"Ah—!"
She cried out softly, gripping the sink harder as the pain intensified, like something inside her head was rejecting the memory.
The pain finally receded and she breath out a sigh, slowly opening her eyes.
It's gone.
Celeste hands slowly moved to her temples, massaging them gently.
"What the hell… was that…?"
Feeling much better, her gaze dropped down to the bandaged wound. Shaking, she peeled back the bandage on her side.
The wound was stitched neatly with a thread, but was itchy, crawling.
She grabbed the antiseptic, her hand slightly unsteady, and cleaned it carefully —and them watch in horror as the skin began moving on its own.
The edges drew together rapidly, sealing itself.
Her breath hitched and her eyes locked on it, waiting, to prove what she had seen was imagined.
The skin smoothed over slowly, leaving behind only a faint scar.
“What… is happening to me?" She whispered, hands trembling.
A sudden overwhelming wave of heat crashed over her body. Her skin flushed deep red. Her pulse thundered.
Between her thighs, an aching need bloomed so intensively she had to bite her lip to stop a whimper.
Through the mirror, for just a split second, she swore she saw a pair of silver eyes staring back at her.
A deep, velvety voice brushed against her mind like dark smoke:
"You feel me, don’t you?"
Celeste spun around, heart hammering. No one was there.
But the feeling didn’t fade. Somewhere out there, *he* was getting closer.
---
Callum knocked softly on the bathroom door. "Celeste? You’ve been in there a while. Everything okay?"
Before she could answer, her phone — resting on the sink — vibrated with an unknown number. A single message appeared on the screen:
"Open the window, little mate. I know you’re burning for me."
Celeste’s breath caught. Her body reacted against her will — a fresh rush of heat flooding through her as she stared at the message, equal parts terrified and shamefully aroused.
- Writer
