To Marry A Monster (by Brey Mitchell) novel Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Chapter 223

Celeste’s POV

“So all of them are healed already?” Celeste asked again, even though the answer had been shoved into her face the moment she walked in. She hated the way the words came out. She hated that she sounded like she was begging for logic to exist.

“Yes,” Lilian confirmed, arms crossed tight over her chest as if she could hold her own frustration in. “But I heard the northerners naturally have stronger bodies, so maybe-”

Celeste cut her off. “So you think they would just shake that poison off like it was nothing? You were there. You saw what Atasha did. You saw the wounds close. She healed her people!”

“We all saw it,” William said, fingers steepling over the table as if he was trying to keep the room from exploding. “But it also showed us something else.”

Celeste’s gaze snapped to him. “Which is?”

“That she has limits,” William answered. “And those limits are now our problem.”

The room they were in was one of the pack’s private meeting chambers, small enough to force them close, warm enough that the torchlight made everyone look harsher than usual.

Outside the door, guards stood on watch, not because Nightfall feared its own people, but because the north had brought its own way of making walls.

Renan sat near the window, jaw tight, eyes narrowed like he wanted to punch something that didn’t have a face. Lilian stayed standing, restless, furious, and far too young to hide her disgust properly.

Lilian took a step toward the table. “The northerners are acting like this is their fortress,” she snapped. “They refuse to let us see her. They refuse to let our healers check her. They refuse to let our guards even stand near the door. We are in the South. This is not their territory.”

Renan gave a short, bitter laugh. “They know that,” he said. “That is why they are doing it.”

“They already are,” Celeste calmly said. “The moment Atasha fainted, they acted like we poisoned her ourselves. They look at our people like we are all Demon Fangs wearing Nightfall skin.”

Then Celeste continued.“Clearly, they do not respect us. They came here already believing they can do whatever they want.” Sadly, they cannot do a thing about it. “I know what you are thinking. However, this is only temporary.”

Renan leaned forward, eyes hard. “So you want us to bow,” he said, like the word tasted rotten. “You want us to give them their demands and let them walk around Nightfall like we are their servants.”

“We are desperate,” Celeste shot back. “And you can either swallow your pride or bury our Alpha. Pick one.”

Renan’s nostrils flared. “If we concede now, they will become worse,” he argued. “They will see it as weakness. They will take more. They will push more. They will start ordering Nightfall guards around like dogs.”

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Chapter 223

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Lilian nodded quickly. “And the representatives from other packs saw it too,” she added, face flushing. “They watched those northerners surround the consort like a wall, and they watched us stand there looking powerless. If we keep giving in, they will start bullying us openly, then the whole South will treat us like a joke.”

Celeste’s eyes narrowed. “They already do.”

William lifted a hand, calm but firm, and the room finally quieted. “Renan is right,” he said. “And Lilian is right. If we feed arrogance, it grows.”

Celeste stared at him, lips pressed tight.

“But Celeste is right as well. We have to endure for now… because we need Atasha,” William replied. “We need her to heal the Alpha. Without her, Nightfall does not recover. Without recovery, we become prey. That is the truth whether we like it or not.”

Renan’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t interrupt.

William turned his gaze to Lilian. “And as for their arrogance,” he continued. “It will not last. Not if we play this correctly.”

Lilian scoffed. “How? They act like she is theirs.”

William’s mouth hardened. “They are using her,” he said. “They will keep using her until she breaks, and when she finally sees it, she will remember who was there before Cassian’s shadow ever touched her life.”

Celeste’s eyes shifted slightly, and William caught it immediately.

He leaned back. “Atasha will soon understand that the North is not family,” William said, carefully. “The ones who cared for her were always here, in the South, even if she refuses to admit it right now.”

Celeste almost smiled, but she stopped herself.

William’s gaze moved between Renan and Lilian. “For now, we pretend,” he said. “We give them the rooms they demand. We provide the supplies they request. We use polite words and controlled faces. We let them think they are winning.”

Renan’s voice was strained. “And then?”

“And then we take back what is ours,” William answered simply.

Lilian looked like she wanted to argue again, but William’s eyes cut her down before she could start.

He shifted his attention to the door. “Leave us,” he ordered. “I need to speak to Lady Celeste alone.”

Renan hesitated, then stood. Lilian looked offended, but she obeyed.

After they left, Celeste turned to William immediately. “Uncle,” she said. “We are running out of time.”

William studied her. “Tell me your plan,” he said. “Not your feelings. Not your complaints. Your plan.”

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Chapter 223

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55 vouchers

Celeste didn’t flinch. “The other packs are looking down on us because of everything that happened,” she said, “They think Nightfall is cursed. They think we are weak. The crown refused to send help, and I suspect that is because of Cassian. He has influence. He has fear. He has power. They would rather appease him than support

us,”

William’s eyes stayed calm, but Celeste saw the calculation behind them.

“The North will never let Atasha go,” William said. “I saw what she can do. She is not a consort. She is a weapon.”

Celeste nodded. “Atasha will listen to me,” she said with confidence that sounded almost forced. “All we need is to separate her from the northerners. If Grace is removed, if the escorts are weakened, if Atasha is isolated inside Nightfall territory, I can control her again. I did it before.”

William’s brow lifted. “How?” he asked. “How do you plan to separate her when the North guards her like a crown jewel?”

Celeste opened her mouth, when a knock hit the door.

William’s head turned instantly. “Come in.”

Renan pushed inside without waiting to be invited. His face was pale, and for a man who rarely showed panic, his eyes were too sharp, too awake.

“We have a problem,” he said.

Celeste’s stomach tightened. “What now?”

Renan’s voice dropped. “The poison,” he said. “The Demon Fangs used something different.”

William stood at once. “Show me.”

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