Chapter 178
Chapter 178
Finished
Third Person’s POV
Caelum’s right hand was now encased in a stark white cast, the bandages wrapping tightly around it like a cocoon. He held it carefully, his eyes dark and stormy, the physical pain mingling with an anger that simmered far deeper.
Aurora’s violet gaze sharpened, flicking between him and the shadow of Freya she could almost still feel lingering in the room. Her Beta pride flared with indignation. “Freya Thorne–using Silas Whitmor to hurt you? That is beyond malicious!” Her voice rang out, betraying the fury she tried so hard to keep in check. “Caelum, this… this cannot go unpunished! You must do something p>
Caelum’s jaw clenched. He flexed the fingers of his uninjured hand, staring at the casted one as if it alone could explain the tangled web they were caught in. “Do you want to sue Silas Whitmor?” he countered sharply, the edge of disbelief cutting through his words.
Aurora’s indignation only sharpened. “Of course! He injured your hand–your hand, Caelum! Surely you’re not afraid of that man, are you?” Her voice dripped with a mixture of anger and frustration, not at Silas so much as at Freya herself. If it hadn’t been for Freya, Aurora would never have been left humiliated, scrambling, and exposed in front of so many witnesses at the Orphanage event.
Caelum’s glare softened, conflicted. He massaged his casted hand absently, the lingering sting a constant reminder of the chaotic encounter. “If I sue Silas… then I would be setting myself against the entire Whitmore legacy. I am not foolish enough to do that lightly p>
Aurora’s frown deepened, her lips pressing into a thin line. She understood the implications all too well. Caelum might be Alpha of SilverTech Forgeworks, fierce and commanding, but against Silas Whitmor of the Ironclad Coalition? Any legal battle would tilt in Whitmore’s favor long before the first gavel struck. Companies partnered with him could easily withdraw, contracts evaporating like mist at dawn. The cost would outweigh any satisfaction of vengeance.
Yet the sting of injustice refused to abate in Aurora’s chest. “So your injury just goes unnoticed, then?” she asked, the sharpness of her voice carrying a faint tremor of wounded pride.
Caelum forced a bitter smile, twisting the casted fingers as if in silent apology to some unspoken standard. “ Consider it… the cost of Freya’s interference,” he muttered. There was truth in the words, a begrudging acceptance of the chaos Freya had brought into their lives. He would never have grasped her wounded arm, never caused this injury, had he known what was at stake.
Aurora’s eyes narrowed. “Are you still … concerned about her?” Her voice was pointed, almost scornful. “Even knowing she might have crossed you, even knowing she tried to humiliate me, you still… care that she got hurt p>
Caelum’s chest tightened. “I do not care about Freya Thorne in that sense,” he began, defensive, “but three years of marriage … I never imagined I would see her injured like that. And, yes, you are certain she sent that WolfComm message to the reporter p>
Aurora’s breath hitched slightly, a flicker of triumph in her eyes. “If it wasn’t her, then who else? The incident with the island electronic billboard, the orphanage event–she was always there. Always. This… this is jealousy, plain and simple. She envies me because I have you, Caelum. She has been plotting all along p>
Caelum fell silent, uncertainty gnawing at him. Could it truly be so calculated? His wolf’s instincts bristled, ears twitching as he sifted through scents and subtle tensions, trying to untangle truth from perception.
Aurora’s voice rose in desperation. “And she has no proof! No evidence of your so–called neglect of colleagues, no truth to her slander. She has nothing–yet she dares to speak as if she owns the facts. Caelum… you trust me, don’t you p>
He met her gaze, unflinching “Of
determination and cunning that belied the hurt pride she tried to mask. Why would he not trust her? She was Bluemoon Pack’s Beta–born, sharp, capable–and undeniably his.
determination and cunning course I trust you,” he said firmly. His wolf sensed the sincerity in her scent, the
Aurora’s lips curved in satisfaction, a calculated smile that mixed affection with ambition. She leaned against him lightly nestling into the warmth of his presence as if to stake claim to both his body and attention. “ So now that we are together, when shall we announce it to the world? ” Her question was soft, but beneath it, the steel of her intent was unmistakable.
Caelum’s pulse hitched, a flicker of hesitation crossing his features, Announcing their union. less than three months after his
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Chapter 178
Finished
divorce. The thought alone carried weight, consequences tangled with perception, reputation, and pack politics. He could feel his wolf bristle, cautious and protective, warning him of exposure and potential attacks.
Aurora noticed immediately. Her smile faltered for a fraction, frustration prickling at her composure. “You mean to say… you do not want to go public? If that is the case, why not refuse me that night? If you had, I would have accepted it, and we could have stayed apart.” She stepped back, as if to storm away, the curve of her hips and the tilt of her chin a subtle show of control.
Caelum’s strong hands caught her before she could retreat fully. “Aurora,” he said, tone firm but gentle, “I do not refuse you. I want this… us. But I have only recently emerged from my divorce. Public scrutiny… rumors… it could hurt your reputation. It is better to wait, to find the proper time p>
Aurora’s expression softened slightly, though her calculating mind did not cease. “Very well,” she murmured, masking her ambition behind a veil of compliance. “We will wait for the ‘proper time p>
Inside, she knew better. The so–called protection of her reputation was merely an excuse; Caelum cared more for his empire his company, and the perception of power than for her personal whims. But Aurora had a plan. She would engineer circumstances that forced the timing into her favor, making it impossible for him to refuse public acknowledgment. She would ensure that when the world finally saw them together, it would be on her terms.
And as Caelum held her there, unaware of the silent plotting weaving itself around them, Aurora’s wolf–quiet, calculating, ever–hungry–waited, ready to strike with precision when the moment arrived.
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