Page 7 of Knot in My Wildest Dreams: Part 2
“Of course. Or she’ll turn up somewhere in an alleyway behind a bar. That would track with her record, anyway. She’ll soon be someone else's problem. Once she’s out, her claim to the company will transfer to me, and she’ll have no other choice but to find a pack to support her. Then our real work can begin.” He crowed, and I raised my glass to him, working as hard as I could not to let my body shake with rage. He was going to force her out of her birthright. Push her to find a pack to rely on. I had to intervene.
“Sir, you’re a genius, I’ll give you that much.” I said, shaking my head with a smile.
“I told you, stick around and you’ll get very far.” He said as he took a long drink from his glass.
“I’m very much looking forward to the vote.” I replied, but for a much different reason. I was going to make it my mission, no matter how much the odds were stacked against me, to make sure that she made it through unscathed.
I was able, through the wonderful tool of alcohol mixed with Gideon’s ego, to get enough details about the operation. Therewere apparently backdoor passages to Celeste’s room at the ball, from which she would be taken. A hired pack would take her from her room, drugged, and then keep her until after the vote.
But I had plans of my own.
Chapter 7
Celeste
I struggled against Sterling, who despite being a beta, was still extremely solid, not to mention much stronger than me.
“Calm down, Celeste!” He whispered into my ear, and I tried to shake my head and fight against him. How dare he grab me in my own home! I tried to keep my wits about me, and looked around. We were in a secluded room, one that wasn’t used much, and one that was far enough from the main halls that I was worried about what he was going to do to me.
“Look, if you calm down, we can talk. I’m not going to hurt you. But you can’t be here right now, you’re in incredible danger. Now let me explain?” His voice was stern, but almost pleading at the end. I paused, then nodded.
Sterling shuffled us into a deep closet within the room. His tall body was pressed against mine, and I fumed at his audacity. Slowly, Sterling removed his hand from my mouth. “Celeste, don’t draw any attention to us. There are people here right now, and they don’t expect you to be here.” I paused at this. He might actually know what I was up against. He reached for the light switch, and soon the room was filled with a dim glow as he slowly let me go. I spun around.
“It was you! You drugged me at the ball!” I said, looking at Sterling with shock. He looked back at me with those unreadable silver eyes, our bodies so close that I could feel his heartbeat. “Say it!” I demanded. He looked at me for a moment, still holding onto my arms with a firm grip as a flicker of emotion crossed his face, as if he was deciding what to do. I didn’t doubt he’d be able to shut me up if I fought or screamed. Finally, he spoke.
“Yes. I was the one who was in your room that night. Please, Celeste, let me explain. You’re in danger.” His words came out low and rushed. “If you fight me, I won’t hurt you, but I’ll have to restrain you until you understand.” He said. I didn’t want to trust him. He’d been the one signing off as a witness on all the documentation that I’d never approved of. So far, he hadn't tried to hurt me. And I needed to get answers.
“Start explaining.” I said, my jaw clenched. He swallowed, then took a breath.
“There was a plan, as you know, to kidnap you and force you to miss the vote.” He started, and I looked him in the eyes, trying to determine if I could tell if he was lying. “I knew about thoseplans beforehand. Wait, Celeste, please let me finish, it will make sense.” He begged, and I stopped squirming. “If I let the plan happen, you would lose your rightful seat and be removed from the company. I knew around the time that the kidnappers would arrive, and that you’d have to be in your room. So, I got into the castle and waited until I knew you were alone. I used the chloroform to get you out of there quietly. They couldn't know I’d taken you. I wanted you to make it to the vote.” He was pleading now, but I had so many questions. He was the one who helped me secure my seat - but what was his role in all of this?
“Well, they took an omega anyway!” I spat out. He looked chagrined, his eyes flickering down to the floor.
“That wasn’t part of the plan. That was a mistake. But it helped, I suppose. No one knew the plan wasn’t working until enough time had passed that you could make it to the vote.” I remembered the voice, urging me to wake up and get to the building, telling me to alert no one. Telling me that there was a conspiracy against me, and that no one was to be trusted.
“Who is it?” I asked, my voice wavering. “Who’s behind all this?” If he was telling the truth, he knew enough to get me answers.
“I’ll tell you, and I’ll explain as much as I know. But Celeste, you have to trust me. You can’t speak of this to anyone, even when you find out the truth. There are too many people working against you, and I don’t know who all the players are yet.” He said, his face etched with worry. Why was he helping me? And why hadn’t he come forward all this time?
“I’ll be the one to decide if I trust you. Right now, being grabbed and silenced by you for a second time isn’t putting you at the top of my friend list.” I said with annoyance. Sterling’s face showed no surprise at my admission. “And why are we hiding? Is this another kidnapping attempt? I’m in my own house for God’s sake.” I snarked.
“Celeste,you are in danger. More danger now than ever before.” He said, and I rolled my eyes.
“Yeah, you keep saying that. Tell me!” I said with irritation. Sterling looked at me, pausing for what felt like forever. Then, he nodded.
“Right now, your uncle is in a meeting. He thinks you’re busy and out of town. I can show you, we can listen in. You need to see proof yourself - I don’t think you’ll believe it otherwise. But no one can know you are here, do you understand? And no one can know that we spoke, or that I’m helping you. Can you agree to that?” His voice was urgent, and something inside me wanted to trust him. I was hoping beyond hope that this wasn’t a stupid decision.
“Alright. Now some honesty, please?” I nearly begged. Sterling swallowed, his jaw tight as he looked at me with his silvery eyes, in a way that I realized was sympathy.
“It’s Gideon.” The words rocked me as my world fell away. Even as Sterling told me the words, I couldn't believe it. My uncle, the one who came to raise me when my parents died, the one who helped me secure my spot as CEO, the man who I thought hadmy back because of our blood. Could he really be the one behind this? Or was Sterling playing us both?
“I know what it looks like. But you have to trust me, I only want your best interest.” He said, and I glared at him. So many men in my life claimed to have my best interest at heart.
“Why in the world would you care about my best interest?” I asked. Sterling just gave me a pained look.
“Come with me, they are meeting right now. Be very quiet, there’s something you need to see.” He said, and I thought for sure he was going to lead me off somewhere to get rid of me. But something in my body felt no fear when I was with him. The same way I felt the first time he took me at the Ball. I nodded slowly, and he took me gently by the arm. “I know you grew up here, but did you know there are ways to overhear the office?” Sterling asked as we quickly went through the servant’s quarters.
“Yes, I used to spy on my dad when I was younger. But his meetings were boring to me as a child.” I replied. “And there are no listening spots for my uncle’s office anyway.”
