Chapter 66 CHAPTER 66

Chapter 66 CHAPTER 66
CELIA'S POV

I sat in the back of the big SUV, squeezed between Jasper and Kaiden, staring out the window. The car was dead quiet. No music, no talking, just the low hum of the engine and their breathing. I didn’t say shit to them and they didn’t say shit to me. Good. They weren’t worth my words anyway.

My arms stayed crossed tight over my chest, legs pressed together. Every bump in the road made their thighs brush mine, and I hated how my skin tingled. Stupid mate bond. I kept my eyes on the trees flying past, but my mind wouldn’t shut up.

Why the hell did Mom make me come with them? She could’ve just sent the five of them to pick up whatever fancy honeymoon shit she wanted. It wasn’t like I was needed. Unless… the rogues. The pendant on my chest felt warm again, pulsing like a warning. She said it wasn’t safe for me to go alone. But sending me with the same guys who tried to kill me? That made zero fucking sense.

I shifted a little, accidentally pressing my leg harder against Kaiden’s. He didn’t move away. Neither did Jasper on my other side. Their heat soaked through my jeans and made my stomach flip.

“What’s wrong, baby?” Kaiden asked low, voice teasing like he could read my mind. “You look like you wanna kill someone.”

I scoffed without looking at him. “Maybe I do. And maybe that someone is sitting way too close.”

Jasper chuckled softly on my left. His hand rested on the seat behind me, fingers almost brushing my shoulder. “Still mad at us, Celia? After last night?”

“Mad?” I turned my head, glaring at him. My voice came out sharp but breathy. “You watched me almost get drugged and gang-fucked by Krystal’s plan and you think I’m just mad? Try furious. Try ready to rip your balls off if you touch me.”

Xavier glanced at me in the rearview mirror, eyes dark. “We’re trying, Celia. No more games.”

“Yeah? Then why am I stuck in this car with you five instead of Mom just sending you alone?” I snapped. “She knows it’s dangerous for me. Rogues want this stupid pendant. So why drag me along unless she’s hoping something happens?”

Ryker, in the passenger seat, turned halfway. “Your mom trusts us to protect you. We’re your mates, whether you like it or not.”

“Mates,” I repeated, laughing bitterly. Heat crawled up my neck. “The same mates who let me fall off a roof. Real protective.”

Zaxer, driving, smirked. “Keep talking dirty like that and I might pull over and show you how protective I can be.”

My thighs clenched. Fuck. Even when I hated them, their voices did things to me. My nipples tightened under my top. I wanted to slap myself for it.

“Try it,” I whispered, staring at the back of his head. “See if I don’t make you regret every second.”

The car stayed quiet after that, but the air felt thicker. Heavy with tension. I could smell them — all woodsy, alpha, making my head spin. I pressed my legs tighter together, trying to ignore the ache building between them. I hated this. Hated how my body betrayed me every single time.

We were on a quiet stretch of road when it happened.

A loud crash slammed into the front of the car. Metal screeched. The SUV jerked hard, spinning a little before stopping. My heart jumped into my throat.

“What the fuck?” Zaxer growled, gripping the wheel.

“You okay?” Jasper asked me fast, his hand finally touching my shoulder. Warm. Strong.

I shrugged it off even though I liked it. “I’m fine. What was that?”

We all got out. The brothers moved around me like a shield, checking the front of the car. A big log or something blocked the road. Looked like it fell from nowhere.

“Stay behind us,” Xavier ordered, voice low and dangerous.

I stepped out anyway, arms crossed. The air felt wrong. Too still. My pendant burned hot against my skin now.

Then I heard footsteps. Lots of them.

We all turned at the same time. Strange men stepped out from the trees, surrounding the car. Ten, maybe fifteen. Scarred faces, cold eyes, weapons in their hands. Rogues.

My stomach dropped. Fear and anger hit me at once, but underneath it that twisted heat flared again. The brothers tensed, bodies ready to shift, eyes glowing. They moved closer to me, shoulders brushing mine, their scents wrapping around me like a promise and a threat.

We were trapped.
I knew it the second I saw them. Rogues. All of them. Scarred faces, wild eyes, moving like they had one goal. Me. The pendant burned hot against my chest, screaming danger. My heart slammed so hard I felt it in my teeth.

“Fuck,” I whispered. “They’re here for me.”

The brothers shifted fast, clothes ripping as huge wolves burst out. Xavier’s silver one led the charge, smashing into the first rogue with a growl that shook the trees. Jasper’s dark brown wolf stayed close to me for a second, eyes flashing protectively, but more rogues poured in. Chaos exploded—snarls, claws, blood.

I didn’t wait. I slipped backward, quiet as I could, then turned and ran into the woods. Branches whipped my face. My legs burned but I kept going. No way I was staying there like some helpless omega waiting to be grabbed.

“Celia!” Jasper’s voice yelled behind me. Human again. Footsteps pounded after me.

I pushed harder, chest tight, but he was faster. His hand caught my arm and yanked me to a stop behind a thick tree. I spun around, breathing hard, glaring up at him. His shirt was half torn, chest heaving, eyes wild with anger and something hotter.

“Are you crazy?” he snapped, gripping my shoulders. “Running off alone like that? In the middle of a rogue attack?”

I shoved his chest but he didn’t budge. “Crazy? I’m protecting myself! Those assholes are obviously here for me. The pendant, the Moonwolf shit—Mom told me. I’m not waiting around for you guys to ‘save’ me while they drag me away. I’ve had enough of depending on people who wanted me dead two weeks ago.”

Jasper’s jaw clenched. His hands slid down my arms, fingers digging in just enough to send heat racing through me. Even now, covered in sweat and dirt, he looked too damn good. My nipples tightened under my top. Stupid body.

“You’re so fucking stubborn,” he growled, voice low and rough. “We’re fighting for you back there and you just run? How the hell do you expect us to keep you safe if you keep doing stupid shit like this?”

I laughed, bitter and breathless. “Safe? You almost killed me before. Multiple times. I need to protect myself more than anything, Jasper. Can’t you see that? They came for me. Not you. Me.”

He opened his mouth, eyes flashing. “You’re being stu—”

His words cut off. More footsteps. Heavy. Lots of them. Snarls in the distance getting closer. His head snapped toward the sound, face going hard.

“Shit. More coming.” Without another word he grabbed my wrist, strong fingers wrapping tight, and started running, pulling me with him. “Come on!”

I stumbled after him, heart racing, leaves crunching under our feet. His grip was warm and rough, sending little sparks up my arm. Even while running for our lives, his touch made my thighs clench. I hated it. I wanted more. Fuck, I was so twisted.

We crashed through the trees, breathing loud. I kept glancing back, scared but also angry. “What the hell do they want from me?” I gasped between steps. “The pendant? My powers? Why now? I didn’t ask for any of this!”

Jasper didn’t slow down. “Doesn’t matter. They’re not getting you. Not while I’m breathing.”

His voice sounded possessive, almost desperate. It made something warm bloom in my chest even as fear clawed at me. I tripped over a root and he caught me fast, arm wrapping around my waist, pulling me against his hard body for a second. Our faces were too close. His breath mixed with mine, hot and fast.

“Careful,” he muttered, eyes dropping to my lips for half a second. “I’ve got you.”

I pushed away even though part of me didn’t want to. “Don’t get cocky. This doesn’t mean I trust you.”

He smirked, that teasing alpha look that always made my stomach flip. “You will. One day you’ll beg me to hold you like this without running.”

“Dream on,” I shot back, but my voice came out breathy. We started running again, his hand still tight on mine. Every step made my body ache in ways that had nothing to do with fear. The fight behind us, the rogues chasing us, the way Jasper kept glancing at me like I was his whole world… it all mixed together into this hot, messy knot inside me.

I kept wondering what the hell they wanted from me. The power? To use me as a weapon? To make me their disaster queen? Whatever it was, I wasn’t going down easy. Not anymore.