Page 18 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
“If you took her down publicly, there would be no question she’d get voted out, her name sullied and most importantly, her claim to the trust withdrawn. Celeste would lose everything, and depending on what was leaked, likely have a prison sentence as well.” Sterling continued, and I reared back at the audacity of the conspiracy. What kind of monster was her uncle?
“And as for you three, well, I can’t say for sure, but in order for Elijah to get control of Manticore Tech, I strongly believe that their plan was for an ‘accident’ to occur. Tell me, who is next in line after your pack? Who is set to take over if anything were to happen to you?” Sterling asked, his eyes already guessing at the answer.
“Elijah.” Vigo said quietly, sitting back and letting out a deep sigh. “Fuck.”
The truth settled on us as I felt my soul being crushed. I wanted to deny all of this, but everything Sterling said made sense. Elijah did feed us both the plan for the Darlington Ball kidnapping, and the idea to blackmail Celeste with the documents he’d procured in order to find out more info on her. Thinking back, it was out of character for him to have such devious ideas.
Sterling went on. “I can only surmise that Elijah, like many betas, feels that he cannot compete with alphas, and cannot get power without a pack. I don’t know all the details, but I know he wants control. And believe me, when Gideon wants someone gone, he can make it happen. I don’t have any loyalty to you. But Celeste wanted me to warn you. So, you’ve been warned.” Sterling finished speaking, then looked at Celeste, pulling her in more tightly.
I’d never felt so low in my life. I looked at Vigo, the truth hitting us both. We’d been betrayed. And Elijah would probably have succeeded, if Celeste hadn’t intervened. Vigo’s face was forlorn, but his eyes were determined.
“Celeste, what can we do to get you to forgive us? We want to help you. Name it, we’ll do anything.” He pleaded, and she just sighed.
“How could you help me? All you did so far was fall for every trap my uncle and Elijah set for you. I’ll have to get out of this myself, without your help.” She sighed, and I nearly panicked.
“Please, put us to work, we can help!” I cried out, and she got a curious look on her face.
“Actually, Sterling and I were talking earlier. There’s a safe in my uncle’s study. He doesn’t know the code, but I saw it once. If it’s still the same, then we have a unique opportunity to gain access to some of his physical documents. I can’t go there, my uncle thinks I’m out of town. And Sterling can’t go on his own without help.” She held a hand up to her face, pondering. “So, if you can go and help get evidence that helps prove what my uncle is up to, then maybe -maybe- I'll consider forgiving you.” She said, and I nearly fell down in relief.
“Yes. We’ll do it.” I said, just as Vigo agreed.
“Fine. But go now. We’ll call you back with details once we figure out our strategy. And don’t tell a soul where I am!” She said, waving us away.I didn’t care what we had to do. We needed to get back in her good graces, and out of this pack’s house before I went insane.
Chapter 20
Celeste
Once Pack Lockwood, I turned to the members of Pack Valence, who had been watching from afar, just to monitor in case things got out of hand.
“Thank you,” I said, the enormity of my gratitude too large to convey with words. Owen stepped forward, a faint smile tugging at his mouth as his gaze moved between me and Sterling.
“Don’t mention it. You’ve helped us more times than I can count. Plus…” He chuckled. “This is the most interesting thing that’s happened all year.” He sobered just slightly. “Will you be okay, though?”
I nodded. “I’ll find a way through this. But first, I need to rest.”
“Sure. The guest house is all yours.”
Owen led Sterling and me out through the back, down through the garden, and past the edge of the yard to a two-story guest house, tucked behind a row of swaying aspens. A white wraparound porch framed the front, its railing draped with vines. Owen smiled and handed me the key. “I’ll let you two be. We’re nearby if you need anything.”
Sterling opened the door for me, his hand resting lightly on the small of my back as I stepped inside. I was already craving his touch, the scent match working its magic on my biology. Light streamed in from the tall windows on both levels, and I felt at ease for the first time in days.
Once the door was shut, I felt myself sink into Sterling’s arms. The adrenaline was gone, leaving the heavy weight of everything pressing down on me. He caught me without hesitation, holding me like it was the most natural thing in the world.
His brow furrowed. “Are you alright?”
I nodded, though I knew my answer was only half-true. “I will be.”
Then he simply held me, letting me drink in his growing scent as I let myself feel. So many things had happened, and my emotions were running ragged. I still felt the sting of betrayal, and Dante’s continued allegiance to his friend pained me more than I wanted to admit. Pushing away my scent matches was nearly impossible, but with Sterling here, it eased the pain.
Once I’d calmed enough, I straightened and glanced toward the kitchen. Sterling saw and led me to the couch. “I’ll make us some tea. You should sit.”
I did, but even though I finally had a moment to decompress after dealing with my scent matches, I was also curious. I knew next to nothing about Sterling, and he knew so very much about me.
My eyes caught on him as he moved through the kitchen. He had broad shoulders under the rolled sleeves of his shirt, and I wasn’t surprised by the precise way he moved. He’d always been like that. But watching him in this new situation, caring for me and knowing that he’d been living in the same pain I’d felt during my time at Pack Lockwood’s house - it was incredulous.
Having a scent match and not acting on it was a slow, continuous torture for me. But it had barely lasted weeks before Pack Lockwood knew. Sterling had been living like this, without letting it slip, for a year and a half. And still, even with it known between us, he was so careful. He didn’t mob me or try to rush me. Even now, he gently handed me the cup of tea as he sat across from me, the picture of absolute restraint.
I gripped the cup, looking at him with questions in my eyes. “You kept it from me for a year and a half,” I said finally, my voice steady but quiet.
