Chapter 67 The Aftermath 2

Chapter 67: Chapter 67 The Aftermath 2

Talia’s POV

Vivienne laughed out loud with a sound that was bitter, sharp and broken.

"You will not say anything?" she spat at Edmund. "You are a weak coward. You have always been weak and pathetic, Edmund."

But Edmund did not respond.

"Look at me!" Vivienne screamed. "I did all this for you! For our daughter! And you stand there like a fool, saying nothing?"

Edmund’s jaw tightened, but he did not look up.

Vivienne laughed again. "You are pathetic, Edmund. You are a disgrace, and you have always been pathetic."

Kaelen stood up from his seat as his gray eyes swept across the crowd.

"Enough of this drama. Take her away," he ordered.

The guards grabbed Vivienne’s arms and started dragging her toward the exit, even as she struggled, kicked, screamed and cursed.

"This is not over!" she shrieked. "Do you hear me? This is not over!"

No one said a word. They all just watched.

She kept screaming, more insults, and more curses, but no one was listening anymore.

The guards tightened their grip on her arms as she tried to pull away and break free, but they were too strong.

"You will regret this," she hissed at Aldric. "All of you. One day, you will regret this."

Aldric did not respond, and his face was like stone.

Vivienne looked at me, and her eyes burned with hate.

"This is not victory," she said. "You think you have won? You have won nothing. I will find a way back, and I will destroy you."

Her words should have scared me, but they did not. She had nothing left; no power, no pack, and no family.

I did not know if Celeste would be punished too, and follow her, but I knew Edmund would not protect her. She was alone now, just like she had made me alone.

But I was not alone anymore, and I had people who loved me, while she had no one. That was the difference.

I held her gaze and showed her a mocking smile. My face was calm, and I felt relief wash over me at that moment.

But then Vivienne’s face twisted, and she bit one of the guards’ arms. He let go and Vivienne charged forward with rage in her eyes, even as the other guard tried to hold her back. She lunged toward me again, but another guard held her back, and pulled her toward the door.

Celeste ran after her mother. "Mother! Wait!" Tears streamed down her face, as her hands reached out, grasping at air.

A guard blocked her path. "You cannot go with her."

"She is my mother," Celeste cried. "Please. Let me go with her."

The guard did not move or listen to her.

Celeste watched as they dragged Vivienne out of the hall. The doors slammed shut behind her, and the sound echoed through the hall.

Celeste knelt on the floor, with her shoulders shaking, and her sobs filling the silence.

I watched her for a long moment.

This was the girl who had broken my favorite cup just to watch me cry, who had laughed when I was hungry, and who had called me ugly and worthless every day for fifteen years.

Now she was the one crying, and she was the one alone. I did not feel sorry for her, but I did not feel happy either. I just felt tired.

Some wolves looked at her with pity, while others just looked away.

At that moment, as I looked at Celeste, I did not know what to feel. She had helped her mother, she had planned to destroy me, and she had constantly abused me when I was still at Cresswood. But now, she was also crying, broken, and all alone.

I looked at Kaelen. He was watching Celeste too, and his face was unreadable. "What will happen to her?" I asked.

He was quiet for a moment. "She is not banished, or at least not yet."

"What does that mean?" I asked again.

"It means she stays, and she can return to Cresswood. But for now, she remains here," he replied.

Alpha Aldric cleared his throat. "The celebration is over. Go to your rooms and get some rest, before we all leave tomorrow," he said.

Wolves began to file out of the hall, and servants started cleaning up the mess of broken glasses, spilled wine, and ruined fabrics.

I sat at the table, staring at the door Vivienne had been dragged through.

Kaelen stood beside me, and he offered me his hand.

"Come," he said. "Let us go to our room."

I looked at his hand, then at his face. I wanted to remind him that we had separate rooms here. But I did not see the need, because I thought he just wanted to walk with me to my room.

So I took his hand.

He led me through the crowd, and wolves parted as we passed. Some bowed, some nodded, while some just stared, with the shock of Vivienne’s confession still visible on their faces.

I barely looked at any of them.

I did not look back at Celeste who was still crying, and I did not look at Edmund who still stood frozen.

I just walked, with Kaelen’s hand that was warm around mine, and his fingers that were firm.

He did not let go, even as we continued to walk out of the hall together.