Chapter 54 FACE OF BETRAYAL
Celestia's POV
I arrived at the bakery sooner than I expected, and the smell of freshly baked goodies nearly lifted me off my feet.
It was like the unpleasant conversation I just had with Raphael didn't even happen at all. I went over and bought myself a large glazed donut filled with cream and settled into one of the empty tables to indulge in it.
Years ago I often frequented this bakery, it was an escape to the craziness that was my life.
A way to calm my senses when they began to spiral.
But it looks like I wasn't going to get the same serenity I usually did from this place in the past.
This was because only after taking two bites out of my donut someone started striding over to me, at first I assumed they were heading to the other table that just happened to be behind me.
All of that was pretty much just hopeful thinking since there were plenty of other tables early in the morning that were not yet occupied.
However, when the person reached me they didn't walk ahead instead they glided into the chair facing me and handed me a stiff 'good morning'. I recognize that voice even if I had not heard it in over 5 years.
After taking a soft breath I lowered my donuts until they were down past my chin and at the same level as my neck.
"Eclipse…" her name slid right off my tongue with deep distaste.
I knew I would run into her eventually, small town, and the only bakery where everyone frequented. It wasn't rocket science that we would cross paths.
"Don't you have anything else to say to me? 5 years and that's all?" She said, and I didn't even know how it was possible but she somehow managed to sound even more shameless than both her sister and brother-in-law combined.
She didn't wait for me to respond, just kept speaking, however, she lowered her voice.
"Celestia I didn't think you'd come back…" she said frankly, "... But it seems like I've underestimated you gravely, if I were you I would have never shown my face here again. I just wouldn't have the stomach to do it, especially after how you were thrown out of the pack on your nose."
I shook my head.
"It's not like I had hoped for anything but it's almost disappointing that not one of you has changed, still up to the same petty tricks as before. Now that you reminded me of what happened do you think I'm going to shrink and run with my tail tucked between my legs?"
For a sliver of a second, I saw how her face fell, but Eclipse was more cunning than her sister, if I were facing media right now she would have exploded and caused a scene but Eclipse just took what I said swallowed it like it was a lump stuck in her throat, and maintained a calm composure.
"Why did you come back?" She asked the same infuriating question that Raphael had asked me earlier, but I noted that with her it was more of an exclamation of frustration than an actual question.
"Celestia ever since you left things have been good for us here, at least it's been great for me. Didn't you tell me that you wanted me to live a good life?"
These people just loved reaching back into the past so when I was nothing but their doormat.
They just couldn't accept that I wasn't tending over backwards to please them anymore.
"That was before you took off your mask and stabbed me in the back eclipse, I was good to both you and your sister and you repaid everything I did with evil."
She shook her head as if what I said made no sense.
"Celestia, I didn't have to teach you the most basic thing in life after you're much older than me but you should have known by then that in this world everyone is either a predator or prey. There is no in between, once you refuse to be a predator you are choosing to be prey. It's that simple." She spoke with such confidence, crossed her arms, and nodded her head as if I was supposed to applaud her.
"I see what you mean…" I said thoughtfully, rising to my feet, considering that I had already given her more of my time than she deserved.
"Trust me this time I'm not going to be any prey for you your sister or Raphael,"
She scoffed as I was walking away.
"You're still full of it aren't you? You think you're better than my sister and me don't you?" Her voice was beginning to pitch higher, but she remained wary of the other customers at the bakery. "If you think because my sister hasn't had a child of her own that we'll be at a disadvantage then-"
"Hasn't she told you yet?" I intentionally interrupted her. "She's with child…"
I had never seen anyone stiffen so fast in my entire life.
"Who?" The question came out of her mouth barely beyond a whisper.
"Find out for yourself," I said, deciding that I wanted to return now.
When I returned to the pack house Lucian had left probably for the meeting he was talking about earlier. I remembered that I had forgotten to get him that snack he wanted from the bakery and I felt so guilty because he hardly ever asked me for anything.
I decided that I would drop by the bakery later another time, the pack House was abuzz with activity servants zooming past me at every second no surprise there because of her pregnancy.
But I was still thinking about the way Eclipse had acted when I told her that her sister was pregnant.
I thought she would be all smug about it but she looked like someone who had been punched somewhere in the guts and hard too.
There was something I was definitely missing here and I had to find out.