Bloodbound to the Witch Heir: Claimed By Four

Celeste’s POV

*****

"Has either of you heard from Silas yet?" Atlas asked when he walked into the bedroom.

I stood hesitantly at the door, too anxious to even look out into the hallway. First it was Azrael now it was Atlas. Two men showing up in the girls’ dormitory and then nesting in my room was bound to ruffle feathers.

Or worsen this whole scandal.

Swallowing, I glanced at the left and right sides of the hallway, cheeks heating up when I saw the curious, judgmental eyes already expecting me.

"Celeste?" Atlas’s worried voice was what made me give up, shutting the door. "Come on, did you hear from—"

"No, I’ve not heard from Silas since we all last saw each other." I shook my head, turning around after placing the last click on the locks. "He said he’s going to check on Luther or something. Why? Is whatever you found really so serious?"

Atlas’ lips parted right when Azrael snorted. "Luther? The mutt occupied with his ’date’?"

I blinked, brows crumpling.

Huh?

"Luther and Lysandra," Azrael folded his arms in front of his chest, form highlighted by the moonlight behind. "They’re on a dinner with Lysandra’s father. Should be back in an hour from what I heard."

For the first time since the bonds awakened, I felt something nauseating. Something that made me want to claw out my own heart and fling it into a fucking blender...

Jealousy.

"Aye," Atlas shook his head with a disappointed look. "I fail to grasp how a wolf—an Alpha nonetheless—can frolick with another while he has a mate. Isn’t he supposed to be territorial?"

Sparks shot up my arms, from the tip of my fingers to my tightened shoulders. And not in a good way.

My emotions were reacting so violently that they drew from my magic. I needed to control that—like dear mom said.

"Can we," I shook my head, forcing a smile, "can we forget about Luther? Also, we can fill Silas in once we’ve gotten a hold of him. Just tell us what you discovered... And if I need to move countries."

That last part was meant to be funny but no one cracked even a smile. Neither did I. The atmosphere and the sour cum drop called "Luther" made that possible.

"Very well," Atlas nodded, giving me one controlled look before turning his head to Azrael. "Miss Benedicta has two children. A twenty-one-year-old daughter and an eighteen-year-old boy. Both of them took over funeral planning and final rites with help from their local pack elders and—"

"Pardon, Atlas." Azrael raised a hand, his head lowered. I didn’t notice at first but he’d somehow found a way to put his glasses back on before I ever opened the door. "Is this information dump going to lead to something?"

Well... Ouch.

Atlas’ expression twisted for a second but he didn’t react. "Forgive me, Azrael. Just trying to make sure we’re clear on some things before the actual reveal." He paused, golden eyes flicking to me.

An uneasy silence stretched between us. Even the air seemed to chill by several degrees, making me rub my arms subconsciously.

Then—

"Miss Benedicta’s family got the body, but she was never buried," Atlas said, as if he couldn’t fathom it. "And the worst part is her children? Vanished. No traces. No notes or calls to their pack or mother’s family. Just... Vanished as if the earth itself swallowed them."

For a moment I didn’t move, eyes unfocused from everything in the room. It took my brain seconds to process—

An entire family.

Mother gets murdered mysteriously. Children disappear without a trace. And her body reappears with a note, leaving us confused and... Fuck, who cast me in a Stephen King movie?

"H–How sure are you that they disappeared?" I questioned, voice breaking. "Maybe their father took them. And even if they disappeared maybe it’s Vein beasts. Or—"

"Their father has been dead for three years already." Atlas shook his head. "And I got the news from their pack elders and resident Alpha. Their house was found empty this morning. No signs pointing at Vein beasts being involved either."

Suddenly, every corner of my bedroom felt haunted. My lungs burned with anxiety, eyes scanning the place for the light switches.

Before I took a step however, the lights turned on, seemingly by themselves. Even my blue bedside lamp.

I instinctively turned to Azrael, just in time to see him lowering his fingers. He didn’t even say anything, only stepping forward until he stood by my side.

That was enough to chase away any unease.

"Sadly, I have a little revelation of my own." He breathed after a drawn-out pause. "Miss Benedicta’s body is no longer in my suite. I—"

"What?!" Atlas panicked while I felt like sitting. It was just too much. "No longer in your suite? But... But my wards. They were supposed to alert me in case anyone tampers with it."

Azrael didn’t respond to that, pulling out a white piece of paper from his front pocket.

Flicking his wrist made the paper float in front of him, visible to everyone. "Thankfully, the word on this one didn’t disappear," he muttered.

Boldly written with blood on the note was a single word. Similar to what Azrael explained last time... Except now I got to see it.

"Choose?" Atlas and I read out simultaneously, exchanging a solemn glance. Then I blurted. "First ’confess’. Now choose? What? Is this a twisted game show now?"

Atlas moved, grabbing the note. He squinted at it, turning both sides between his fingers. "It’s legit blood. These aren’t riddles. They’re clear messages."

Clear?

I’ve never seen anything more vague in my life!

"Whoever this person is... Is definitely powerful." I rubbed my forehead.

"And probably not working alone," Azrael added. "The academy should’ve gotten word of how one of their staff’s bodies got handled."

"Perhaps they’re aware of what happened to the kids." Atlas pondered out loud. "They did say we shouldn’t let Miss Benedicta’s death spread out."

"My point exactly," Azrael mumbled, head turning slowly to me. "They either know something or they’re hiding something. Or..."

Somehow, I knew what he was going to say next. So I did, "... Or they’re just as clueless as us."

The loud chime of my phone notification made my heart drop. I quickly brought it out, eyes dimming at the message on the screen.

Azrael looked over my shoulder as I read.

FROM THE DEAN’S OFFICE:

Kindly report to the Dean’s desk now.

That was it. No directions or expectations.

"Well," Azrael said. "This doesn’t read as ’clueless’ at all."