Chapter 22
Aria’s POV.
The moment I saw Celeste standing by the entrance of the Shadow Claw packhouse, my stomach twisted like someone had tied it in a knot.
Her dark hair was perfect, her smile too bright, like she was hiding something nasty behind it. The dawn light made her look sharper, meaner, and I knew trouble was coming.
Alpha Kael stood beside me, his hand firm on my back, his onyx eyes hard as he stared at her.
"Ignore her, Luna," he said, his voice low, rough from the smoke we’d escaped in the Fang Pack fire. But I couldn’t.
Celeste was my sister, my twin, and I knew how crazy she could be. Her sweet act was a trap, always was, and I wasn’t about to let her sneak up on me.
"I need to talk to her," I said, my voice steady despite the fear crawling up my spine.
Kael’s jaw tightened, his eyes narrowing, but I looked up at him, pleading.
"Maybe there’s trouble at home. I have to know." It was a lie, and he knew it; I could see it in his face; but I was playing the part, pretending to be Celeste, the Luna he thought I was.
If I didn’t face her now, she’d find another way to mess with me, and I couldn’t risk that.
Kael sighed, his hand dropping from my back. "Fine," he said, his voice hard. "I’ll be in the room, Luna. Don’t be long." He gave me a long look, like he was trying to tell me to be careful, then marched into the packhouse, his boots heavy on the stone steps.