Chapter 158 He Had Held Back

Holden crouched down before Caleb, grinning from ear to ear.

“It seems you have gotten yourself in quite the predicament,” Holden said.

Caleb clenched his jaw but held his growl deep inside. He tried once more to right himself, but it was no use.

“Oh, careful, you’ll hurt yourself even more if you keep trying to force it,” Holden smiled.

Holden stood up. He moved behind Caleb and cleared away the chairs that blocked Caleb from flipping his chair on his own.

“We met once before, you know,” Holden spoke as he picked up the chairs. “At the Blood Moon.”

“If you’re going to help me, then do it,” Caleb growled.

He pushed back against the floor once again. Without the chairs in his way, he could push his chair further up. Though it still fell back, slamming his shoulder into the ground.

“Oh no, you must be more careful,” Holden said, feigning concern.

Caleb clenched his jaw, fighting the urge to shout angrily. Holden lifted the chair, leaning far too close to Caleb’s face.

After he was upright, Holden seemed to consider Caleb once more. His mouth was turned up in a grin that only made Caleb want to hit him.

“You know,” Holden said, tilting his head as he spoke, “I almost wondered if your injuries might not be as severe as they had been made out to be.”

Holden laughed, eyeing Caleb carefully.

Caleb looked away from him, clenching his jaw.

“My Alpha spoke of how you struggled during your meetings. Your stamina was so low that you were bed bound for days,” Holden tilted his head to the other side, his smile never changing. “I thought he must be exaggerating.”.

“It’s good that a peace treaty has already been agreed to,” Caleb growled through gritted teeth.

Holden’s eyes widened playfully, and he pulled back from Caleb.

“Oh?” he said. “Are you saying you wish you could hurt me?”

Caleb did not respond.

“But all I need to do is step back,” Holden laughed, taking a step back. “Can’t reach me anymore.”

Holden laughed loudly. Then looked back at Caleb with serious eyes.

“I truly considered that you might be playing a game,” Holden smiled. “Pretending to be injured when you were not.”

“But,” Holden’s smile grew wider as his eyes trailed down Caleb’s body, “it looks like I was wrong.”

Caleb followed Holden’s crazed gaze, surprised to see a fork stabbed into his thigh. Caleb growled and ripped the fork out of his leg, throwing it furiously.

“Oops, it must have happened when you fell.”

Caleb looked away from Holden once again. He was at least glad he had listened to Galen and taken the paralytic before the ceremony. Not because of the fork, but because he might have already killed this fool without it in his system.

“No, it’s clear you are well and truly broken,” Holden said. His grin was wide, but his tone was much darker, angrier.

It drew Caleb’s attention. There was something in his words, something more than he was showing in his eyes.

Caleb suddenly felt angry, angrier than he had already been feeling.

“After all,” Holden continued. “What self-respecting alpha would allow themselves to be seen flopping around on the floor like a captured fish.”

Caleb felt a surge of white-hot rage. But before he could act on it, he saw Holden’s expression change.

Holden felt the soft pressure on his shoulder that quickly turned painful. He let out a pained grunt. The hand let him go.

He turned to face whoever dared to touch him.

His anger was swallowed in an instant. When the force of her presence pressed down against him, pulling the air from his lungs.

He felt his body moving for just a moment, trying to kneel before her. He struggled to fight the urge.

Holden looked into her hazel eyes, blazing with an incandescent fury like he had never seen before.

‘Impossible!’ he thought with a mix of anger and awe.

“Get away from him,” her voice was eerily calm and several octaves lower than it should have been.

It took all he had to keep from submitting to the overwhelming presence. He swallowed down his fear and nerves. Giving her a twitching smile and brief nod.

Holden felt her let him go.

She. Let. Him. Go.

Holden’s shame fueled anger pushed his feet from their place, frozen before her.

Though the first few steps took genuine effort, he did not stumble. Clenching his fists and jaw, he walked away from them with dark thoughts filling his mind.

“Caleb, are you alright?” Ashleigh asked, moving to her knees before him when Holden stepped away from them.

Caleb stared at her. The threat in her eyes was gone. The presence she had put off had been contained and directed purely at the tiny little man bothering him.

She touched his cheek. Concern and care were all that shone in her eyes.

Caleb glanced around. No one else had noticed.

“How did you do that?” he asked quietly.

“What?” she asked.

“You shouldn’t have been able to do that, not yet,” Caleb said.

“What do you mean?” Ashleigh asked.

Caleb could see the genuine confusion on her face.

“Is everything alright?” Corrine asked, approaching from behind Ashleigh.

Ashleigh looked back at her mother with a gentle smile.

“Can we announce our bond now?” Ashleigh asked, looking back at Caleb. “I don’t want to wait anymore.”

Caleb touched her cheek and smiled back at her.

“Of course,” Corrine said. “I’ll get Axel and your father.”

Corrine stepped away, leaving Caleb and Ashleigh alone once more.

“Ashleigh,” Caleb began. “What you just did… How did you do that?”

Ashleigh looked back to where Holden had been standing.

“I don’t know,” she answered honestly. “I was looking for my mother, then I felt the smallest touch of anger from you. When I looked back, I saw him standing in front of you… he leaned down. He was too close. I didn’t like it.”

Ashleigh clenched her jaw at the memory.

“So, I came back. As I got closer, I heard his voice, the way he talked to you, the things he said. It made me angry. Very angry.”

Ashleigh took a breath.

“When I reached for him, I wasn’t trying to do anything exactly,” she continued. “But when he turned, I saw his little sniveling face….”

Ashleigh stopped, clenching her jaw.

“When I saw him, I just….” Ashleigh took a deep breath. “He needed to leave.”

Caleb nodded.

“You imposed your will on him.”

Ashleigh gasped; her heart quickened. She looked into Caleb’s eyes, hoping for more of an explanation.

“That’s not possible,” she said.

“It shouldn’t be,” Caleb agreed, “not before you become Luna.”

“Then how?” she asked.

“I don’t know.”

Before they could discuss any further, Ashleigh’s family returned.

Axel spoke to the party. He thanked everyone for their attendance and for welcoming him into the fold. He told them what an honor it was for him.

“Now, if I can ask for your attention, there is one more announcement that my family would like to make. And with all the alphas gathered, this is the most appropriate time.”

Axel stepped aside and allowed Ashleigh and Caleb to move forward. All eyes fell on them immediately. Whispers and mumbling filled their ears.

“Thank you, Alpha Axel, for allowing us to share in your special day,” Caleb smiled, giving Axel an appreciative nod.

Axel nodded back, taking a drink from his glass. Though a particular set of eyes glued to him smiled as she noted his unhappiness about what was being announced.

“I am Alpha Caleb of Summer,” Caleb continued, “and I am here to announce my Luna.”

There were gasps from the crowd. Caleb reached his hand out to Ashleigh, who took it with a bright smile.

“I am Ashleigh of Winter, daughter of former Alpha Wyatt and Luna Corrine, sister to Alpha Axel,” Ashleigh said, focusing on Caleb. “And the mate of Alpha Caleb of Summer.”

Ashleigh could feel the hungry eyes of ambition staring at her bare back without even looking. She turned her eyes into the crowd. Noting the alphas she already recognized in her mind.

“We would also like to announce one more thing,” Caleb continued.

Ashleigh looked down at him, unsure what he was going to say.

“You are all invited to Summer in five months,” Caleb said with a charming smile. He turned to look up at Ashleigh. “When we will be married.”

Ashleigh’s eyes widened.

Caleb tugged on Ashleigh’s hand, pulling her down to his lap. He kissed her with all the passion he had held back since the moment she had walked into the hall.