The next morning, Celeste was determined to avoid Hunter Blackwood at all costs.
After last night's disaster, the whole mate bond reveal, the rogue situation, and the absolute humiliation of being carried around like a sack of potatoes, she had no interest in facing him.
Unfortunately, the Moon Goddess apparently had other plans.
Because, as soon as she walked into the Summit's grand dining hall for breakfast, the first thing she saw was, Hunter, sitting at her table, and in her seat to say the least and looking as smug as hell
Celeste groaned. "Are you serious?"
Hunter took a slow sip of his coffee. "Good morning, mate."
She scowled. "Don't call me that."
"Why not?" he asked, setting down his cup. "It's true."
Celeste ignored him, turning to a beta warrior. "Where's my food?"
The beta cleared his throat. "Uh, well…" he looked at Hunter. "Um... Alpha Blackwood may have… confiscated your plate." The Beta was on his nerves.
"He What?!" Celeste's eye twitched, she huffed. "I should have freaking guessed."
Hunter casually speared a piece of bacon with his fork. "I figured since we're mates, we should share."
Celeste snatched the bacon off his fork, glaring daggers at him.
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Rude much."
Celeste chewed aggressively. "You wanna talk about rude? You stole my breakfast."
Hunter grinned. "I prefer the term 'took the initiative.'"
Celeste grabbed a new plate and started piling food onto it, aggressively stacking pancakes as if each one was a personal attack on Hunter Blackwood.
Hunter watched, amused. "Do you always eat this much?"
Celeste glared. "I burn a lot of energy. Unlike some people! I actually fight my own battles instead of sitting on rooftops getting hit with shingles."
Hunter choked on his coffee. "Wow. That was low."
"Not as low as your climbing skills."
A nearby Alpha, overhearing the debate, snorted into his orange juice.
Hunter sighed. "You'll never let me live that down, will you?"
Celeste smirked. "Not in a million years."
Hunter shook his head. "Unbelievable."
Celeste grinned in victory.
And for a brief, fleeting moment, amidst the bickering, stolen food, and sarcastic remarks, they almost looked like a normal couple.
ALMOST
But of course, as usual, the peace didn't last. Because, just as Celeste stuffed a pancake into her mouth, a beta rushed into the hall, looking flustered.
"Alpha Rivers!" he gasped, rishing up to her. "We have a problem."
Celeste groaned. "Of course we do."
Hunter leaned back in his chair. "This should be good."
The beta hesitated, then blurted out, "Your wolf broke out."
Absolute Silence filled the room as Celeste stared at him.
"My wolf," she repeated slowly.
The beta nodded nervously.
Celeste blinked, then exhaled slowly. "Luna. That absolute menace. She's looking for..." She stopped in her tracks, angrily dismissing that thought.
Hunter perked up. "Wait. Your wolf ran off?"
Celeste groaned. "She does this sometimes."
Hunter grinned. "Oh, this I gotta see."
Celeste shot him a look. "You are not coming with me."
Hunter stood up, grinning wider. "Try and stop me, sweetheart."
Celeste wanted to throw her plate at his face, but instead, she grabbed her jacket and stomped toward the door, Hunter happily following along.
Tracking down Luna wouldn't be difficult because Luna wasn't exactly the subtle type. The moment Celeste stepped outside, she heard screaming.
"Oh no," Celeste muttered.
Hunter perked up. "Oh yes."
They followed the noise to the Summit's main garden, and there, in the middle of a flower bed, surrounded by panicked Omegas, was her Luna, lying belly-up with her tongue out, rolling in the mud like a damn puppy.
Celeste covered her face. "I am going to die of secondhand embarrassment."
Hunter was laughing so hard he had to lean on a tree.
"This—" He gasped between laughs. "This is the great Luna Rivers? The terrifying Alpha wolf? Rolling in dirt?"
Celeste glared. "She has… moods."
Hunter wiped a tear from his eye. "Oh, this is priceless."
One of the Omegas looked up, desperate. "Alpha Rivers, please, do something!"
Celeste sighed and marched forward. "Luna! Get up!"
Luna flopped over dramatically.
Celeste pinched the bridge of her nose. "You are an Alpha! Act like it!"
Luna wagged her tail, and Celeste exhaled sharply.
Then, because she knew how to handle her own wolf, she crouched low and whispered, in an almost threatening tone, "If you don't get up right now, I am going to make you eat salad for a week."
Luna froze for a second, and then, with the speed of a wolf who had just heard the worst threat imaginable, she scrambled to her paws and bolted toward Celeste.
The Omegas stared.
Celeste shrugged. "She has priorities."
Hunter was still laughing. "You're telling me the great Alpha Rivers controls her wolf… with the threat of salad?"
Celeste crossed her arms. "She's a carnivore. It makes sense."
Hunter grinned. "You know what? I think I like Luna."
Luna wagged her tail.
Celeste groaned. She was surrounded by idiots.
By the time they got back to the Summit, Luna had finally calmed down, and Celeste was exhausted.
Hunter, however, looked way too entertained.
"That," he said, still grinning, "was the best thing I've ever seen."
Celeste rolled her eyes. "Glad my suffering amuses you."
Hunter winked. "Oh, it does."
Celeste scowled. But, annoyingly, her wolf was purring.
"Damn it, Luna."
She turned to walk away. "I'm done with you for today."
Hunter called after her, "See you at dinner, mate!"
"You're not my mate!" she half growled.
"Say it like you mean it, sweetheart." Hunter smirked.
Celeste huffed, spun on her heel, and stormed off, leaving muddy paw prints and an overly entertained Alpha Blackwood in her wake.
Hunter chuckled, watching her go.
"Oh yeah," he muttered to himself. "This is gonna be fun."
Celeste caught the backend of the last comment but pretended that she heard him. Because if she had turned around, she might have done something stupid - like kiss him, and that would have been way worse than a rogue on a roof.