8: Shadows of Doubt
Celeste’s POV
The council’s murmurs had long since faded, but their words clung to me like smoke after a fire. Even now, back in the safety of my chambers, Magnus’s sharp voice echoed in my mind, his disdain cutting deeper than I wanted to admit.
“Perhaps your Luna’s presence is more trouble than it’s worth.”
I gritted my teeth, pacing the length of the room as if movement could shake his words loose. The man had said it so casually, as though I were some stray thorn in Kaelen’s side–a liability, not an ally.
Magnus didn’t know me. None of them did.
And yet, their doubts settled like a stone in my chest.
The air in my chambers felt stifling, pressing against my skin. I stepped onto the balcony, letting the night breeze cool the heat simmering beneath my frustration. Above Shadow Keep, the moon cast its pale light over the fortress walls and the endless stretch of forest beyond.
From up here, everything seemed peaceful. The kind of peace that could almost make you forget. Almost.
I gripped the railing, closing my eyes, but the memories came anyway–smoke billowing into the sky, villagers screaming, blood streaking faces I couldn’t save.
“Celeste,” Usla murmured, her voice low and steady in my mind.
“I know,” I whispered.
“Do you?” she pressed, her irritation coiled tight beneath her calm exterior. “You’ve been pacing for hours. I can feel your anger, Celeste. It’s burning through both of us.”
“I can’t help it,” I admitted, my grip tightening. “They see me as a liability, Usla. A weak link. Magnus… he think I don’t belong here,”
Usla growled, the sound vibrating deep in my chest. “Magnus is a fool. You’re Luna now. This is your place, whether they like it or not,”
I wanted to believe her, to cling to the defiance I’d felt earlier when I stood nose–to- nose with Magnus in the council chamber. But the doubts wouldn’t stop clawing at
- me.
“What if they’re right?” I muttered.
“They’re not.”
“But what if I fail? What if I can’t protect the pack? Or myself? Kaelen-”
“Kaelen is Kaelen,” she interrupted sharply. “And you’re you. You’ve already survived more than most wolves ever will. Stop doubting yourself.”
1/3
8 Shadows of Doubt
I sighed, leaning heavily against the railing. Usla was right, as always. But knowing it didn’t make the doubts any quieter.
The sound of approaching footsteps pulled me from my thoughts. I turned to see Kaelen standing in the doorway, his broad frame silhouetted against the flickering torchlight.
“You should be resting,” he said, his voice low and even.
“So should you,” I replied, crossing my arms.
Kaelen stepped onto the balcony, his gaze sweeping across the forest. For a moment, we stood in silence, the tension between us as heavy as the cool night air.
“What did Magnus say to you?” I finally asked, the question escaping before I could stop it.
Kaelen’s jaw tightened, his eyes fixed on the horizon. “Nothing I didn’t expect.”
“That’s not an answer,” I pressed, stepping closer.
He turned to face me then, his expression carved from stone. “Magnus thinks you’re a risk. That your presence puts the pack in danger.”
The words stung, even though I’d already guessed as much. “And what do you think?” I asked softly.
Kaelen’s gaze softened, though his voice remained firm. “I think you’re tougher than they give you credit for. But strength isn’t about proving Magnus wrong. It’s about knowing who you are.”
I blinked, caught off guard by the quiet conviction in his tone. Kaelen wasn’t one for encouragement, but his words settled something inside me, even if they didn’t silence the doubts entirely.
“Do you trust me?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
His eyes didn’t waver. “I trust you to do what’s right. Even when it’s hard.”
It wasn’t the answer I wanted, but it was enough.
~
Later that night, sleep still refused to come. The fortress was eerily quiet as I wandered its stone halls, the flickering torchlight casting long, shifting shadows on
the walls.
My steps led me to the library–a vast, cavernous room filled with towering shelves and the scent of aged parchment. It was one of the few places in Shadow Keep that felt truly serene.
I ran my fingers along the spines of the books, the worn leather smooth beneath my touch. There was something comforting about the weight of history here, as though the room itself held the wisdom of every wolf who had come before me.
2/3
S Shadows of Doubt
“Searching for something?”
I whipped around, startled by the familiar voice. Irina stood in the doorway, her dark hair cascading over her shoulders, her sharp eyes glittering in the dim light.
“Trying to sleep,” I replied, though the truth was far more complicated.
She smirked faintly, stepping into the room. “The library doesn’t exactly scream ‘restful.’
11
“No,” I admitted, “but it’s better than pacing in circles.”
Irina studied me with that quiet intensity she always carried, her head tilted slightly to the side. “The council was hard on you today.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” I said, my tone rougher than I intended.
Irina’s smirk grew. “Magnus has always been a thorn in Kaelen’s side. He doesn’t trust anyone who doesn’t serve his interests.”
“And what are his interests?” I asked warily.
“Power,” Irina said simply. “Magnus doesn’t care about the pack. He cares about control. He sees you as a threat because you challenge the old ways. And that terrifies him.”
Her words hit harder than I expected, the truth settling heavily in my chest. “I didn’t come here to challenge anyone. I just want to protect my people.”
“And that,” Irina said gently, “is exactly why you’ll succeed. You don’t need their approval, Celeste. You need their respect. And respect is earned, not given.”
Her words echoed in my mind as I nodded slowly, their weight sinking in. Magnus and the council didn’t define me. If I wanted their respect, I would have to fight for it.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, meeting her steady gaze.
Irina smiled faintly, turning back toward the door. “Get some rest, Luna. Tomorrow, you‘ Il remind them why you belong here.”
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