Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Celeste’s POV

*****

"Looks like the school’s princess is moving on fast."

"No wonder she wore that red gown at the memorial. She was trying to get the new boy’s attention."

"Who is he anyway?"

"Vaelmont. Sounds like a powerful witch line."

"Has anyone else noticed all the weird things happening since he came to the academy?"

"She’s a slut!"

Before my eyes, tens and even hundreds of comments flooded the Blood Eye site. Willow and I were already moving by the time the headline dropped, my heart racing heavily.

The comments didn’t end on the internet.

All around us, students and even a few academy staff threw me looks that made me want to evaporate. Whispers flew around, most of them loud enough to pierce.

"Cel?" Willow tapped my shoulder, snapping me out of it briefly. "Hey, it’s going to be alright, okay? Let’s just head back to our suite and... Keep a low profile."

Hearing her words was one thing. Focusing on them while my mind swirled like a pool of chaos was another.

Something tightened my chest. A lump caught in my throat, and breathing took effort.

This was beyond "keeping a low profile".

"Willow..." I whispered, pointing at my phone. "Just look at this. Some people are already pushing the narrative of me actually having four mates."

Gods, this was bad. REALLY bad.

"Cel, they’re just making dumb theories." She nudged me reassuringly. "The headlines didn’t even mention anything about you having—"

"No, but I did," I mumbled, eyes falling to the ground in a bid to avoid judgmental looks. "That night at the mating ball. Remember? I blurted out that I have four mates."

"To a hall that was already half empty," Willow countered. "This ’gossip’ is even fucking stupid. And so what if you kiss a new guy? You deserve more after the hell that European trash heap put you through."

We finally got in front of our Dormitory building.

Unfortunately, students were already loitering around it, either glued to their phones or giggling amongst themselves. Others almost instantly noticed me approaching, staring with contempt, pity or both.

"What’re you looking at?" Willow eyed, two girls we walked past, pulling away from me like she was ready to fight. "Goddess, when will people learn how to mind their business?"

I held on to her arm like she was the only thing keeping me afloat.

What if Azrael saw the headline too? Would he even care? Why was something telling me he won’t? Really, what is wrong with this school?

"Look what the cat dragged in," a mocking whistle echoed ahead when we got to the flat terrace halfway up the stairs.

Without looking I already recognised that voice and accent from anywhere.

Lysandra.

Of course.

People made way for her as she and her minions walked down the steps, eyes locked on us. Willow stiffened, clutching my arm tighter while I couldn’t help but feel an odd sense of Deja vu.

"So, it wasn’t enough that you locked the Hale brothers in your mate bond curse," Lysandra air-quoted ’mate’ with scorn. "But now you’ve dragged that poor new guy along with it."

Some students laughed. The rest kept silent, watching the show unfold as always.

Soon, she got in front of me, arms folded before her chest. Her red painted lips were twisted into a cruel smirk, shadowed eyes trailing me with disdain.

Meanwhile, my pulse hammered in my ears, fingers twitching.

"Or... Could the rumours really be true?" She placed a hand in front of her mouth, turning around as if searching for crowd support. "Are you really mated to three of them?"

Mia grinned, playing with her short black hair. "I heard Atlas Stormwood might be part of the equation."

"Fascinating," Lysandra clasped her hands in front of her face. "Two wolves. Two witches... Mated to one wolfless false princess. That’s—"

Unable to stand the insults, I pulled my arm out of Willow’s and brushed past the girls. They gasped, Lysandra quickly grabbing my wrist before I could move two more steps.

"Where the fuck do you think you’re going?" She sneered, spinning me around while still holding my wrist like a vice.

Something sparked in me. I could feel my eyes water but more than that was this overwhelming rage.

"What’s the matter?" She continued, increasing her grip despite my pained winces. "Afraid we’ll poke around your curse too long and find a way to break it? Cause I will..."

Her eyes glinted with something I could only describe as wicked toward the end. And her grip on my wrist didn’t lessen for a second.

But I’d had enough—

"Just," I mumbled, struggling to free myself. "Leave. Me. Alone!"

I flung my arm out of her hold, stumbling back. At the same time, a burst of silver energy pulsed out of my fingers, sending Lysandra and her girls flying until they fell below the steps.

Gasps, shouts and puzzled sounds rippled through the crowd.

Silence.

That’s what rang through my mind as I blinked at the bodies groaning and turning on the ground below.

Raising my hands slowly, my chest heaved.

Did I—?

"What’s the meaning of this?" A voice cut through the air like a katana, making all heads swerve to its direction.

Professor Amelia waltzed toward the scene, expression stern—accompanied by two senior students.

"Cel?" Willow touched my back, making me jolt from my reverie. "Are you—"

It was just too much.

I didn’t look back, running away and heading into the dormitory building.

"Celeste?!" Willow yelled but I didn’t stop.

What I needed was the safety of my bed.

On getting in front of our suite door, I paused, taking in a shaky breath. My fingers quivered, chest still tight with so many emotions at once.

"W–Why?" The word bled out of my lips, tears spilling after. "Goddess, why always me? What the fuck did I do in my past life? W–When will this bullying end?"

The hallway walls closed in all around me. I felt trapped. Suffocated. Alone.

No one else was here so I let myself sob silently, placing my right hand over my mouth.

Caelum called but I hung up without hesitating. I really didn’t need my brother’s questions right now.

However, just when I pushed the door open, ready to turn on the bathroom shower and cry my eyes out—another call came in.

I thought it was either Caelum again or one of my mates and was ready to ignore or hang up.

But it wasn’t any of them—

My sob hooked in my throat, breath hitching.

"M–Mom..."

Thoughts immediately swirled.

This call wasn’t a coincidence and I knew it. I literally just attacked Lysandra—even though she deserved it.

Did a professor or Dean alert my parents right away? Was this about the mate bond rumors?

... Looks like there was only one way to find out. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Exhaling out of my mouth, I picked. "G–Good evening, mom."

Nothing but silence greeted me for a few seconds. Until—

"Celeste," my mother said quietly. "What did you do?"