Chapter 30 Chapter 30: Confrontation at the Temple Chapter 30: Confrontation at the Temple (Celeste's POV) The walk to the Sacred Moon Temple felt endless. Each step was heavy, weighed down by the sinking feeling in my chest. A sea of wolves surrounded me, their voices low but pointed. "Look at her, someone whispered from the edge of the crowd. "Has she no shame?" another sneered. Their words sliced through me as if carried by the cold breeze. My hands clenched into fists. I kept my chin up, refusing to show the slightest c***k they were itching to see. Nina was beside me, her silver-gray wolf practically radiating protective energy. Her sharp glance darted between whispering wolves, daring anyone to step closer. "Just keep walking, Nina muttered under her breath. "Don't let them get to you." "Easier said than done," I replied quietly, the knot in my stomach twisting tighter. The Sacred Moon Temple loomed ahead, its stone staircase shining under the moonlight. But so did two familiar figures waiting at its base-Emma and Diana. My shoulders tensed automatically at the sight of them. Trouble was practically etched into their smug faces. Emma's piercing green eyes locked onto me first, narrowing with obvious malice. Her stance dripped with smugness, her wolf energy flaring. "Well, look who finally decided to crawl out of her hole," Emma called out loudly, her voice designed to draw attention. Wolves paused what they were doing to watch. To listen. "Celeste," Emma continued, her lips curving into a sneer. "I didn't think you had the audacity to return here. Let me guess, you're looking for scraps of respect that aren't yours anymore?" I froze briefly, her words hitting harder than I wanted to admit. But I quickly pushed the emotions aside and kept moving. forward. The last thing I wanted was to give her power over Nina, however, stiffened beside me: "Ignore her," she said firmly. Her voice was tight, and I could feel her wolf bristling with restrained anger. But Emma wasn't alone. Diana stepped up beside her, her ice-blue eyes scanning me with the Chapter 30: Confrontation at the... O same coldness she always carried. Her wolf, bigger than Emma's, radiated dominance. Just being near her made the hair on my arms stand. "Pathetic," Diana said suddenly, her voice cutting through the chatter like a blade. +8 Points She folded her arms against her chest, her lips twisting into a cruel smile. "Here I was, expecting the Celeste of old. The one who acted like she owned everything. And yet..." She glanced pointedly at Nina. "You come crawling here with only a guard? How far you've fallen." The crowd murmured. The sting of their laughter was sharp and mocking. Nina growled low in her throat. I feared any moment she was going to step forward and attack. "Say that again," Nina challenged, her eyes flashing with steel. "You don't want this fight," Diana snapped back, her dominance pressing toward Nina like a storm, oppressive and heavy. I stepped between them quickly, raising my hand toward Nina. "Don't," I said firmly. She blinked at me, bewildered. "Celeste, you can't let them talk to you like this." "It's not worth it," I said quietly, keeping my tone controlled. Emma and Diana exchanged sly smiles, their confidence growing when I held Nina back. To. them, it probably looked like surrender. Diana tilted her head mockingly. "Afraid your guard dog won't win this time, Celeste?" I ignored her. I had to. Their words were venomous, designed to provoke a reaction, but I would give them nothing. Diana's expression shifted, her eyes narrowing as if sensing a weakness in my silence. "I wonder..." she began, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. "Did the Moon Shadow Prison teach you'humility? Or did the silver whip do its job?" Emma snickered loudly. "Definitely the whip," she added. "It's what she deserved, wasn't it?" The words hit me like a whip themselves. The painful memories from prison flooded my mind. The silver chains, the cold cell, the endless nights of agony. My scars burned beneath my sleeves like they were fresh all over again. My wolf whimpered faintly in the back of my mind, curling up tighter. But I exhaled slowly, grounding myself. I wouldn't let them see how deeply the memories pierced me. Not here. 94 +9 Points Chapter 30: Confrontation at the... Instead, I straightened my spine and took a single, deliberate step forward. Diana hesitated for just a moment as I raised my eyes to meet hers. The look wasn't defiant. It wasn't furious. It was calm-a kind of stillness that I knew unnerved her. Then, I did the last thing she expected. I lowered my head briefly in a traditional pack greeting. A gesture of submission. A quiet gasp rippled through the growing crowd of onlookers. Even Emma appeared caught off guard, her sneer faltering for just a second. Diana's nose wrinkled. Her dominance faltered, confusion mixing with her arrogance. She didn't know what to make of it. To her, I had always been fierce, proud. Now, I chose submission. Not out of respect, but because I understood it placed her on uneasy ground. Emma recovered quickly, her smile returning sharper than before. "Look at her," she said loudly, addressing the crowd rather than me. "Humility suits you, Celeste," she said, her wolf's aura moving toward mine in a show of mock dominance. "Though I suppose prison will do that to a wolf." Diana's confidence returned, her icy demeanor sharpening once more. She stepped closer, studying me with her calculating eyes. "You've learned your place," she said quietly, her voice. cold. "But don't think for a second that means you're welcome here. You're tolerated. Nothing more." Her words added to the weight pressing on my chest. My wolf shrank further inside me. Years ago, I would have snapped back. I would have fought tooth and nail to defend myself. But now? Fighting would only prove them right. Instead, I just stood there and took it. Emma's voice cut in sharply. "Do you lie awake at night thinking about those chains, Celeste? I'd say they suit you. Wolves like you were made for cages." The taunts kept coming, each one digging deeper into my wounds. My silence only seemed to make Emma bolder. She stepped closer now, her green eyes flashing with cruelty. "Answer me!" she demanded, her wolf projecting dominance onto my weakened one. My scars burned like fire. I could feel the sharp claws of old memories clawing through my mind. The sound of the guards laughing. The snapping of the whip. My breathing hitched, but I forced my face to remain impassive. I had learned long ago to hide 314 +8 Points Chapter 30: Confrontation at the... everything. More wolves gathered, their whispers growing louder. They were waiting, hungry for drama. Suddenly, everything stopped. 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