To Be Found ♧ Legacies

21 | not a wave, a tsunami

Rafael's eyes were frantic as he searched her for answers she couldn't give. His fists were balled at his sides as he looked about ready to charge. What for? Celia could hardly comprehend.

"Shouldn't you be out celebrating?" She asked, sarcasm dripping in her voice. "You finally have everything you've ever wanted, right?"

"Did you know?" He sneered, stepping out of the shadows of the door. Now she could really see the fury that seemed to have overtaken his body. His eyebrows were furrowed and his teeth were clenched. Every muscle in his body was tensed. The expression had cut his lip open again.

Celia glared at him. She really didn't feel like playing whatever trivial game he was playing. "I didn't stay for the vote, but I assumed you won the honor council seat." Had he not?

An animal growl came out of him, unlike anyone she had ever heard from him before. "Stop playing games with me, Celia!" He bounded across the gym towards her. In a panic, Celia scrambled backward. Her playing games with him? He was the one being cryptic!

She threw her hands up. "I'm not playing games! I swear I have no idea what you're talking about."

He stopped a foot away from her. His eyes were glowing as anger coursed through his body. Whatever had happened it was bad.

"Don't play dumb. Nothing goes on around here that you don't know about."

Celia shook her head, hoping her confusion was evident. For once, she didn't know what was going on. "Raf, whatever it is I don't know."

His features softened as he finally seemed to believe her. Whatever wall he had put up crumbled. Less than one day into being alpha and he already seemed exhausted. Not that she blamed him.

Celia took a step forward. For a moment she forgot her anger and placed a comforting hand on his arm. She did once say she wouldn't wish the duties of alpha on her worst enemy.

"Raf," she repeated. "What happened?"

His eyes closed as he cringed. "Landon," he breathed. "Landon got hurt. Jed found him and beat him up. Hope is with him now."

Celia's anger spiked as she pulled away from the boy. "I'm going to kill him." This time she was the one growling, though it was to herself. So much for staying where she told him to.

Impulsive. Jed had always been impulsive. But this was taking things too far. Landon was innocent. Someone who didn't deserve the wolf's rage. Celia's teeth ground at the thought of him getting hurt. Part of her found him similar to Maddie, and she knew that if anyone had laid a hand on her younger foster sister she wouldn't have hesitated to hit back. She has done it before.

Rafael seemed caught off guard by her sudden anger, though if anyone should have understood what she was feeling it should be him.

Setting her jaw, Celia set her eyes on the doors behind him. "Thank you for telling me. I'll handle him."

Raf grabbed her arm, preventing her from going anywhere. "It's my problem, Celia. I'll deal with it."

"Your problem?" Celia's eyes burned with all the anger she had momentarily forgotten. "Then why'd you come find me then, Raf? To yell at me again? Remind me that I picked 'the wrong side' today?" She stepped toward him. "Let me remind you that for six years I've been at this school, working with Jed to make this pack function. To make this pack work. To create a family here. And you come trapezing in, what? Three weeks ago? Acting like you know everything with no regard for anyone else, deciding today that you wanted to be alpha because it best suited your needs." By the time she had stopped walking she was so close to him that she could strangle him if she had wanted to.

She glared, hoping that he could see the anger, frustration, and disappointment she felt. "So no, please don't tell me what is and what's not my problem because believe it or not I know what I'm doing. I can handle Jed and if you become a problem, I can handle you too." Celia shoved passed him, before exiting out of the back of the gym. Every ounce of adrenaline fueling through her drove her forward. She was not going to stop until she found Jed, luckily she knew exactly where to look.

-

The last time she was at the quarry she was excited, now the only thing Celia was feeling was dread. For too long now she had let Jed do almost whatever he wanted, and it had gone too far. He had to know that, but she wasn't sure she had the guts to tell him.

When she approached the cliff that not too long ago she had jumped off, she saw his silhouette. His back was to her and he was sitting with his legs swinging over the sides. She used to be able to imagine exactly what he was thinking at this exact time, but now she wasn't so sure.

"This isn't exactly where I left you."

He glanced over his shoulder, not bothering to hide his surprise before a smile lit up his face. He seemed oblivious to her anger, though oftentimes he was.

"Celia." He slid over, making room for her. Reluctantly, she took it.

"Just please tell me you didn't actually do it"

Jed's eyebrows furrowed before he submitted. "You heard."

Celia let out an exasperated sigh before standing. Suddenly all the courage she needed came. "Don't you understand? This is why you got challenged today! Not because Landon got in your way or because Rafael was better but because you always try to bully everyone into submission. You think you can win everything with a fight. But trust me from experience you can't."

Jed watched her as she berated him. His surprise and hurt were evident on his face as he took in the first time Celia ever told him off. She knew that he wasn't sure how to react. She knew that he wasn't expecting this from her.

"I-I'm sorry." A fumbled apology left his mouth, but Celia simply shook her head. She wasn't the one who deserved the sorry.

"I don't want to hear it. Right now, you're going to come with me and we're going to march straight to Dr. Saltzman's office where you are going to face whatever punishment you get head-on."

Ultimately he followed her back, rather he wanted to or not. She just hoped this wouldn't hurt their friendship too badly.

A/N

Quick update since I made you all wait so long for the last one.

I have been adoring all the comments you guys have been leaving on the chapters! I'm glad you are enjoying it!

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Much love,
Kate