Chapter 10 Celeste
Celeste's POV
Benedict died two weeks ago. I still couldn't believe it.
He never appeared in my dreams. Either because he didn't want to, he couldn't, or he didn't want to make it harder for me to forget him.
Looking at photos and videos of us and Levi, who looked just like him, could certainly ease my longing for him, but I still wanted him to come to my dreams, and it was okay if he didn't say anything.
Unbeknownst to me, my two sons and I weren't the only ones still in disbelief over Benedict's death.
The rest of the group also couldn't accept the tragic death of their leader.
They struggle to find the person responsible for Benedict's death to calm the storm of guilt raging in their hearts for not being able to protect their leader and failing to ensure that the path Benedict was going to take was safe from wild animals.
They were absolutely sure that Benedict and the five warriors would not be attacked by the hungry tiger.
The forests they had chosen as secret paths that would not be detected by anyone were free of wild animals.
I knew nothing about this big world, so I could only admire their determination and respect their hard work.
Finally, we caught four wild werewolf men who that night brought the tiger in a truck and released the tiger in the forest a few minutes before Benedict and the five warriors entered the forest.
Yep, everyone in this group walked when they were outside the base, so they couldn’t be tracked and could quickly run to hide.
"They still won't admit to their crimes, even though we've presented so much evidence," the head warrior said, his face both annoyed and frustrated.
We listened to their growls and the crack of whips striking their backs.
I hated the sound of those voices echoing in this room, how terrifying and painful they were, but they were the cause of my mate's death. They deserved severe punishment.
"I believe in the evidence we have." I glanced at the papers in the head warrior's hand as he stood before me. "They won't admit to their crimes. Why should we hesitate to punish them?"
"Yes, of course, this evidence is valid." The head warrior raised the file in the air, his eyes gleaming with pride. "We never fabricate evidence. Everything we say is the truth."
Those were the words this group lived by. We never let our clients down.
I walked toward the four prison cells. The four perpetrators were placed in separate cells.
I watched the warriors whip them cruelly and with vengeful gazes.
No one was stopping them from using their full strength, but if possible, the four suspects wouldn't die on the first or second day. We wanted to continue torturing them.
The four wild werewolves sat on their knees, shackled hands resting in their laps. Their heads were bowed, their bodies drenched in sweat and blood.
Anger bubbled in my chest, burning me from within. My fists clenched tightly, and my jaw clenched.
In contrast, my eyes welled with tears as I remembered Benedict's corpse and imagined the agony he must have felt before the grim reaper took his life.
I don't know if Benedict hoped I wouldn't be angry with them—he was the one who taught me not to hate Alpha Eiden—and would leave the punishment they deserved to Beta Dylan.
But their actions were unforgivable. They brought a tiger they had captured in the forest in a truck just to attack Benedict and the five warriors, resulting in Benedict's death.
They did it boldly and confidently because they had carefully planned it.
“Who ordered you? Who paid you? Who? Tell me!” I shouted like a man possessed. My index finger pointed at them as I glared at them.
No more whips, no more growls. Only my scream thundered through the room, like it could bring the walls crashing down.
“What’s the matter? Can’t speak, huh? Have you lost your tongues? Do you want to feel it?” I spat out whatever came to mind in my anger.
No one answered. My anger rose to my head. My brain and face felt incredibly hot.
"What did Benedict do wrong? Did he deserve such a death? Did he have to suffer before his death? Why did you use that mad tiger to kill him?" I screamed until my voice was hoarse.
I touched my tight chest. The tears flowed freely. The grief tore down the tall, thick wall I'd built to show I was no longer grieving.
“Alpha.” Beta Dylan embraced me in his arms. My tears refused to stop as he made me long for Benedict’s warm, loving embrace.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make them confess their sins,” Beta Dylan whispered to me. I couldn’t bear to imagine what he would do to them.
'Calm down, Celeste.' My wolf reassured me. 'Trust him.' Then she grinned teasingly. 'Aren’t you ashamed to cry in front of them?'
My cheeks heated. I shouldn't have shown how vulnerable I was after Benedict died.
I left the prison, leaving the four suspects to Beta Dylan and the head warrior. I told them not to only whip those bastards.
I went to the bathroom to wash my face and do my makeup to hide the fact that I had been crying hysterically just a few minutes earlier.
Liam and Levi always knew I was lying to them.
I didn't want to see them cry again over Benedict, but I was curious how they would react when they met the four suspects.
What kind of punishment would they give to the people who caused their father's death?
I immediately went to Liam and Levi in the playroom when I got home. A male warrior had been with them while I was gone. I thanked him.
"Mommy." Liam and Levi ran into my arms. I crouched down to greet them.
"My beloved sons." I kissed their cheeks.
A coolness, peace, and tranquility enveloped me, banishing the sadness and anger. They were my little angels. Without them, I would have been devastated.
“Not sleepy yet?” I sat with them, my eyes on the toy train.
There’s only one train in this world, and it only has two carriages. Tickets are hard to get, and the passenger screening is strict. They’d know we were rogue assassins right away.
"I'm not sleepy yet." Liam shook his head.
"Me neither." Levi shook his head, his face making it clear he would throw a fit if I told him to go to bed.
"You have school tomorrow, Liam." I stroked my first son's soft, blond hair. My brows knitted together, and I looked confused as I remembered Alpha Eiden's message.
"Yeah, I'll be in bed in 30 minutes." Liam grinned broadly.
I hadn't found the right time to bring up Alpha Eiden, wanting Liam to stay with him at his house for a day.
However, I thought I could discuss something else. If Liam responded positively, then I would discuss Alpha Eiden's expectations.
“Liam, you meet with Alpha Eiden every Sunday,” I said, my heart beating fast as if a spear tip was in front of my stomach.
“Would you mind if Alpha Eiden came to your school sometime? He’d like to have lunch with you and chat.” I was relieved to be able to tell Liam, but I was anxiously awaiting his answer.
Liam stared at me intently, expressionless, and I could tell he was considering many things. He was just over five, but he acted like he was fifteen.
“I don't mind.” Liam nodded. Then he went back to playing with Levi.
Liam was trying hard to accept that Alpha Eiden was his biological father.
I told Alpha Eiden. He replied to my message in less than a minute. He'll be here tomorrow. He's the only one excited.