Chapter 7: He's a wolf.

Celeste POV

Looking back towards Zayden, “I see you all lost your minds!" I let out a loud yell, “I am just a normal human being who just turned 21. I must be dreaming, none of you make any sense! Shut up, all of you!!!"

I rise from the bench and start to walk away. I pass Oliver and Zayden. Just before I get too far, Zayden grabs me and throws me over his shoulder.

“What the f*ck do you think you are doing?” I kick my legs and swing my fist into his back, “Put me down!”

“No, you need to calm down. You shouldn’t treat your grandmother that way either!” He lets out a deep growl that makes my skin crawl.

“Put her down Zayden, let her go, and let her calm down!” Oliver says with an icy tone. They glare at each other.

“No, she must realize what she is now before it is too late. She is also my mate!" As he spoke, he let out a roar.

My grandma's words return to me as I squirm in his arms. It seems I have found my mate. But what is a mate? I can feel my head hurting.

Oliver and Zayden look like they are about to argue when my grandma touches Oliver's arm.

“Let’s go inside, Oliver. Zayden will take care of this.” Oliver looks down at the ground and nods to my grandma.

I see my grandma's hurt smile but she doesn't say anything. As Oliver holds onto my grandma's arm, he glances at me with an expression of anger and sadness. As they walk inside, I am left alone with Zayden.

"Please put me down, Zayden. I whisper.

“I will, but if you try to fight me, or run. I will tie you up until you come to your senses, understand?”

As he places me back on my feet, I think about running, but I believe it when he said he would tie me up. Ultimately, I give up.

As I sit back down on the bench, I cup my hands around my head. The confusion is making me feel sick to my stomach, and my head hurts. It makes me feel terrible for yelling at my grandmother and letting her see me like this.

I feel a hand on my face and look up to see Zayden bent down in front of me. I don’t realize I was crying until he strokes my face with his finger. There is a hint of worry in his facial expression. I have seen him several times recently, and he always looked cold and menacing. That old Zayden is no longer there but has been replaced with kindness.

"Everything will be fine, Celeste. You can trust me to protect you and walk by your side as you discover who you are, your true self. It might seem confusing because you lived as a normal human being with stories of creatures that only existed in books. But whether you believe them or not, those stories are real. The moon goddess gave me you as my mate, my fated love. I will be your protector, your comfort, and your peace." He brushes my hair behind my ears.

Despite just meeting him yesterday, I look him straight in the eyes. What he says comforts me.

He suddenly stands up and puts distance between us, saying, "I hate what I'm about to do, but it's the only way to expose the truth."

What does he mean, what will he do?

“Shift.” He says.

Zayden transforms into a black wolf before my eyes.

Zayden’s POV

I shift into my wolf.

D*mn.

Though I knew it would be a shock, I hoped she wouldn't pass out. I quickly shift back to my human form. Mind linking my beta, ‘Can you bring out some clothes?’ Taking her in my arms, I gaze at her. My anger and desire to do more for my mate consume me as I walk towards the house. My frustration is beyond words that I cannot do more for her.

In the dining room, Oliver and Celeste's grandmother are seated.

Oliver stands up. “What the hell have you done to her?”

"I shifted." I state, without wasting time.

“What do you mean? Have you lost your mind, Zayden? She must have fainted from shock, I assume. Happy now? We needed to introduce her to the world gradually. What the f*ck man!" He slams his fist into the table.

“The idea of doing this didn't appeal to me either. That b*stard Devlin has escaped, so I had no choice but to do what I could. Her safety depends on her understanding who she is and what danger she faces!”

As Oliver is beginning to piss me off, I will do what needs to be done to protect Celeste. She is my mate, not his.

“What do you mean Devlin escaped? He's no longer imprisoned?” enquires Celeste’s grandma.

"As we speak, he is on the move. Specifically, he is hunting down your family. Retribution is what he seeks."

Sighing, I let out a long breath.

"Celeste needs to know everything; there is no time to waste. You may think my method was uncalled for, but I did this to protect her." I gaze at my mate who was still in my arms with eyes closed, breathing slowly. If only I had met her in a different circumstance.

"Let me put her down to rest, we can talk about Devlin later."

Turning away, I leave the room.

Oliver and Celeste's grandmas both show worry and unrest.

"I believe Devlin escaped not so long ago. He showed up at my estate in New York filled with hatred for your family. The truth is, I came here to find your family. I was hoping your family would have a powerful weapon that I could use to seal Devlin back."

With each word I say, Celeste's grandma becomes whiter and whiter.

“Oh, so you don't really care for Celeste. You just want to utilize her!” Oliver stands up and his voice rings through the room.

“Using the witch would have been my choice, but I won't put my mate in danger! It may be that I am a heartless b*stard, but the bond between us..." with my hand, I touch my heart, "changes everything for me. The pain of my mate learning who she is and the process of shifting hurts me. I'm angry and I wish I could do more for her." I look at Oliver with a glare.

"It might have been you who shielded her for most of her life, but now she has me and I will never ever harm her.” I strike the table hard.

Oliver gives me that icy look he has been giving me lately. Regardless of his opinion, I will do whatever is necessary for Celeste, even if it means cutting him out of her life.

A hand touches my arm and I look down to see Celeste’s Grandma looking up at me.

“Zayden, how long until Devlin regains all of his strength?”

She reminds me of my mate. Even though she is scared, she has the look of a warrior. It comes from her mother's side.

"A month at most. It worries me that he might be on the hunt now. Several of my wolves are seeking him out."

She nods, "I think you should take Celeste away from here and leave immediately." Celeste is no longer safe here." She drops her hand from my arm, looking lost in thought, and turns back to look at me.

"I assume Oliver told you about our family history. There is one thing nobody, not even Oliver, knows about."

Her words fill me with uneasiness.

"When our descendant sealed Devlin, she left behind a charm that we kept as a family heirloom. It would alert us if Devlin escaped. The hair loom was a necklace that Devlin would have worn. It is likely that he already knows where we are located if he managed to escape. Because he is powerful, he will be able to find the other piece of the charm. Celeste is in danger."

I mind link my beta, 'We will increase patrols, and nobody should enter this estate without a full identity check. Increase guards around Celeste as well!’

‘Yes, Alpha.’

F*ck.

I wasn't planning to leave so soon, I would let Celeste tie up loose ends here, say goodbye to her family and friends, and then take her with me. As soon as we can, we must depart.

Grabbing my hand, Celeste's grandma looks at me with her green eyes.

"I'll go home and pack her things. It's great she found you. I know you will protect her.”

"Please talk to your parents, I think you should go with Zayden," she tells Oliver. "She will need to learn magic."

“That won’t be necessary, Oliver. I have many people who are able to train her.” I turn to Celes’s grandmother. “Oliver can stay here to protect you. Someone will take you home and help you get things ready for her.”

"I know you dislike Oliver, Zayden. However, he is her best friend, and she needs someone she knows to be around her. She will face many challenges in her new life. Listen to this old woman." she tells me with a smile.

“Fine, I’ll agree.”

The look on Oliver's face is one of smugness. B*stard.

"I'll be leaving then, and please call me when she wakes up. Do not discuss Devlin with her for the moment. At this point, she does not need to know about him."

She leaves after that. I mind link one of my warriors to let them know that Celeste's grandmother needs to go home and Celeste's belongings need to be collected.

This trip has been nothing but stressful. Oliver walks to the door.

"I'm heading home to talk to my parents and pack. “Don’t f*cking touch her while I am not around. I don’t care if she is your mate.” He hisses.

I chuckle, "If it weren't for her grandmother, I would throw you outdoors and you wouldn't see her again. She is my mate, not yours."

He turns away from me and leaves without responding.

Walking into her room, I sit on the bed. The black hair around her head looks like a waterfall. She breathes slowly and steadily. What a beautiful woman! With my finger, I trace her lips. It makes me want to taste her lips. As I think about it, my wolf practically dances. As I stare at her sleeping, I ignore the urge. I swear, I won't let Devlin touch her.

No matter what, she is mine and she will be protected.