Chapter 301: Apologise properly

The entire gymnasium was completely silent; every eye was locked onto Celeste as the heavy, suffocating weight of Kaden’s Alpha presence settled over the room like an invisible physical barrier. Celeste couldn’t manage to string together a single coherent defence, her throat tightening against the sheer, predatory chill radiating off him.

“I—I… I’m so sorry, I didn’t…” Celeste stammered, her voice cracking painfully as the words stumbled over one another in a broken, panicked mess. “I was… I was speaking out of turn; I didn’t mean—”

“Cut the stuttering,” Kaden interrupted coldly, his tone smooth as glass. He tilted his head, his golden eyes narrowing. “Tell me, exactly what was it you said that was wrong?”

The crushing, oppressive weight of his suppressing aura bore down so heavily that Celeste’s knees buckled. With a soft gasp, she collapsed entirely onto the polished gym floor, sinking onto her knees as her inner wolf whimpered in stark terror.

Cold sweat beaded instantly across her forehead. Nearby, her closest friends shrank back against the bleachers, too terrified to breathe. Marie and Garrett stood frozen several rows away, their lips tightly sealed in absolute self-preservation.

Celeste trembled violently, her hands flat against the cold floorboards as she struggled to form the words. “I… I shouldn’t have made those snide remarks… about Yuki,” she choked out, tears of humiliation springing to her eyes. “I’m sorry. Please, I’m sorry.”

A soft, profoundly unnerving smile still curved across Kaden’s lips. He didn’t budge an inch. “Keep going,” he drawled softly. “What else did you say?”

Celeste swallowed hard, her voice dropping to a miserable, humiliated whisper. “I… I shouldn’t have spoken badly of her… insinuating she was using her looks to get ahead. I was just… speaking out of envy.”

Kaden let out a short, cold snort of amusement, his hands slipping casually into the pockets of his dark trousers. “Don’t you ever dare spread spiteful, pathetic rumours against a Ravencourt again,” he warned, his voice dropping an octave into a dangerous murmur. “You weren’t just disrespecting Yuki; you were disrespecting the entire ruling house. Do you have any earthly idea what the exact punishment was for speaking ill of the Ravencourt family under the old pack constitution?”

Celeste squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head frantically from side to side.

Kaden smirked down at her, a cruel, calculating glint flashing in his eyes. “You could lose your tongue.”

The brutal threat made Celeste’s stomach violently flip over. High up in the back row, Yuki winced, a cold shiver of absolute terror tracing down her spine at the sheer cruelty of the statement.

“Of course, I wouldn’t actually resort to something so barbaric,” Kaden continued smoothly, letting out a light, mocking breath. “But actions carry consequences, and unfortunately for you, you’ve just been made the scapegoat.”

Realising the terrifying gravity of her position, Celeste began sobbing openly, pitching forward until her forehead nearly touched the ground as she begged frantically for mercy. “Please—please, Kaden, I’m sorry! I’ll never say another word, I swear it! Please have leniency!”

Kaden didn’t even blink. He tilted his head toward the back row, his expression chilling. “You’re apologising to the wrong person.” he chimed.

Celeste froze. A sharp flash of pure, unadulterated humiliation crossed her eyes as the agonising realisation hit her. Without a moment’s hesitation, she scrambled awkwardly across the floor on her hands and knees, dragging herself backwards before turning and scurrying like a broken animal straight toward the row where Yuki sat.

To Celeste’s bitter, resentful core, Yuki still didn’t deserve to hold the Ravencourt name—she was nothing more than a manipulative vixen hiding behind a pretty face. Yet here she was, crawling in the dirt before her.

Celeste collapsed at Yuki’s feet, pressing her forehead against the wooden bleacher step as she choked out the forced apology. “I am…sor..ry. “Her entire body shook with sobs, though anyone listening closely could easily sense the bitter, toxic unwillingness dripping from every syllable.

Yuki sat entirely paralysed; her mind was blank. She stared down at the weeping girl, having no earthly idea how to handle the surreal, suffocating spectacle unfolding around her.

“Be audible,” Kaden’s sharp voice cut through the gymnasium from a few paces away, demanding perfection.

Celeste swallowed a violent sob, forcing the words out one last time in a shaking, humiliated rasp. “I am sorry, I shouldn’t have spoken ill of you. It was all out of envy. Please forgive me.”

When she finally finished, the gym remained dead silent. Yuki’s gaze drifted slowly across the room, meeting Kaden’s eyes as he finally turned and began making his unhurried way down toward the front of the gym.

His voice echoed crisply off the high rafters. “Consider this a formal warning for everyone in this room. If I ever hear so much as a whisper of this garbage again, you won’t be dealing with me—you’ll be speaking directly with the university Senate disciplinary committee.”

At the mention of the dreaded disciplinary board, the colour drained entirely from the faces of every student seated in the bleachers.

Kaden reached the front of the gym and stopped near the mats. He let out a slow, heavy breath, his dark mood still simmering just beneath the surface—having overheard every word echoing from the hallway before he even stepped inside. He didn’t know if hearing about the engagement or Celeste’s snide remarks which got on her nerves more.

He swept his cold, piercing gaze across the assembled students. “Class is officially cancelled for today,” Kaden announced flatly.

The entire room froze in utter disbelief. Kaden had never, in the history of the faculty, cancelled a single training session.

Before anyone could move, Kaden’s eyes narrowed dangerously, a dark challenge in his tone. “Unless, of course, the lot of you would rather run thirty brutal laps around the outdoor training field instead?”

That was all the motivation the students needed. Everyone immediately scrambled to gather their bags in a chaotic, stampeding flurry of movement, scrambling for the exits in absolute terror, not a single person daring to utter another word.

Celeste slowly pushed herself up from the floor, her face burning a violent humiliating red. She fought desperately to swallow the venomous glare she wanted to throw at Yuki. Garrett quickly rushed to her side, wrapping a protective arm around her trembling shoulders and guiding her weeping form toward the exit doors.

Yuki remained seated for a moment, entirely dazed by the whirlwind of chaos.

“Come on. Let’s get you out of here,” Xavier’s warm, steady voice spoke softly from beside her.

Yuki blinked, turning her head upward. Xavier was standing right there, his expression remarkably calm despite the explosive scene. He extended a hand toward her, offering a reassuring smile. “Are you alright?”

She swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a slow breath as she placed her hand in his. “I… I’m just a bit overwhelmed,” she whispered honestly.

Xavier pulled her gently to her feet, his thumb brushing reassuringly over her knuckles. “It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about any of them anymore,” he murmured softly.

Yuki stood up, her legs feeling slightly unsteady. The class was mostly empty aside from Kaden standing in front, staring in her direction. She quickly tore her gaze away from him, letting Xavier guide her out of the suffocating gymnasium and into the quiet corridor beyond.

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Sorry if the story is dragging. I am trying cover everything as fast as I can