56. Chapter 56
Chapter 56
Celeste
Green hills and bursts of wildflowers slipped past the window, calm and beautiful in a way that made the world feel still. A cruel contrast to the chaos unraveling inside me. The betrayal I’d uncovered sat heavy in my gut, bitter and cold.
The mountain range that divided the two provinces of our country created a majestic and looming backdrop to my view. I’d always wondered what it would be like if I’d just been born on the other side, where omegas could be taken seriously and live a life without having to constantly worry about the wrong step.
I thought I could change things.
I’d wanted to prove that being an omega and being a leader weren’t mutually exclusive. And for a time, I thought I was succeeding. I believed I was in control. That I’d earned the respect I’d fought for.
But seeing the truth - the horrors that had been carried out in my name, the betrayals woven into the very foundation of my leadership - it shattered everything. I had been sabotaged, deceived, and used as a puppet for atrocities I never condoned. My life’s work had been twisted into a lie, and worst of all? I had no idea who was pulling the strings… or who I could still trust.
Who was behind all of this? I couldn't exactly go home and ask. I saw at least two signatures that I knew were likely real - Arnault and Sterling. But did anyone else know? Did the board approve of what was going on? I doubted it, but it was possible.
And my stomach churned as I thought about the one person who I was worried about the most - my uncle. He was one of the only family members I had left, and he’d always supported me, even though he was more traditional. Could he possibly know what was going on? My heart didn’t want to consider it. But I had to keep up appearances until I knew more.
And the pack? Were they planning on using the evidence against me? They sounded like they were going to, at least from what I heard in the clubhouse. But when they saw the evidence I’d left, and maybe, just maybe, they would understand that something bigger was going on. I didn’t have much hope though. They still didn’t trust me, after all we’d been through.
I sent a text to everyone on my team letting them know I wasn’t feeling well and needed some time off.
My heat was coming soon, and I needed a place that was safe. In no world could I ever have my heat with Pack Lockwood, even if my body and heart wanted them more than anything. No, I couldn’t go to them. Not with my body vulnerable. Not with my heart still aching for men I could never trust again.
So I’d reached out to the only people I knew I could trust completely. The only people who I knew would give me a safe place to stay, keep my secrets and help me through anything.
The car slowed as we pulled into the long driveway. The house was just as I remembered it - grand and welcoming, the ivy creeping up its white stone face like a familiar embrace. I stepped out with my small bag slung over my shoulder, exhaustion weighing down every step.
The front door opened before I reached it. A man stood in the doorway, shoulders squared, but eyes soft with something like sadness. His smile was gentle.
“Hey there, stranger,” he said, stepping forward. “Let me help you with that.”
I dropped the bag without thinking, relief crashing through me as he caught me in his arms. The weight of everything - the betrayal, the fear, the heartbreak - momentarily lifted as I let myself lean on someone who meant it when he said he had my back.
And just like that, I stepped inside the home of Pack Valence.
Here, in their mansion, I was safe. I could recover. Go through my heat without fear.
And when it was over?
I would rise. I would fight like hell to uncover the truth, and find out who was really behind my sabotage.
And I’d have to do it alone.
To be continued…