Chapter 24 Twenty four

• "You should apologize to mom" My brother mumbled as we both walked outside the beautiful rose garden. I sighed, nodding my head at what he said for he was right. I do need to apologize to mother for shouting at her. "You' re right, I shouldn't have spoken to her the way I did" I said as we stopped next to a beach. I watched as a green butterfly landed on one of the roses before moving to another. "This garden is really beautiful, but strange as it is only filled with red roses don't you think shorty?" My brother asked and I snorted and the nickname. "I'm not short," I said, emphasizing on the word short. "But I think the garden is beautiful as it is" I answered his question about the garden. He nodded, sitting on the bench behind us,dusting it with his hand either checking if there was any dirt on it or just'doing it for doing sake'. I followed, sitting next to him and crossing my leg over the other. "So," I started and Simones' head turned towards me waiting for me to continue. "How did you become Alpha?" I asked and he sighed, resting his back on the chair. "Well, after uhm, Andrew was-err.." He trailed off, scratched the back of his head searching for the right word. "Well, after he was killed, the elders of the pack sent words to palace to approve of the beta being Alpha but the King chose me instead" He finished in one breath. "I guess being related to the soon to be queen has it's peak" he added with a chuckle. I stared at my brother, I mean really stare at him. "Do you want to be Alpha?"I blurted out and he was taken aback by my question, not expecting me to ask him such. "Why won't I be?" He asked adding a nervous laugh after his words. "Well, you don't look happy about it ." I asked now resting my back on the bench and taking in a deep breath. He sighed and run his hand through his hair and turning his head in my direction. "I'm not. I don't want to be Alpha but everyone seem so happy about it I just couldn't bring myself to tell them." He whispered sadly. "You could have just rejected it." I mumbled with a frown and my brother laughed at what I said like it was the most craziest thing he's ever heard. "Celeste, you don't reject a direct order from the King. That's like treason or something" he murmured. "I can help you talk to the king i-" "-No no just drop it" He mumbled with a sigh. "I can manage" He added giving me a smile. "What about you.. Are you happy?" Simone asked . "Yes, I am" I replied with a big smile on my lips as I twirl the ring on my finger. °°°°°°° Simone and I talked for a while before he had to leave. I was now sitting on the bench alone with my eyes closed listening to the birds sing.when I heard footsteps of someone approaching me. I opened my eyes to see the man from the library... What was his name again? Ah yes, Cedric. His footsteps stopped in front of me and I initially sighed. What does he was now? He sat on the same spot Simone sat on not saying anything as he just started ahead. I never trusted this man the first time I saw him. He gave out this dark vibes like he's always planning evil. I was about to stand up and leave but halt when he spoke. "This was her favorite flower," He started, looking at the flowers and smiling sadly. "I know that. She was the kings mate." I mumbled with a shrug like that is what everybody already knows. "She was also my love" He said and his words shocked me. "What do you mean?" I asked now giving him my full attention. "We were lovers Celeste, before she was mated to Elijah" He mumbled but all I could do was blink. I shook my head getting to my feet not wanting to hear what he has to say again. "He's using you Celeste, Elijah is a manipulative man and I wonder how you Can't see that!" Cedric yelled bringing his face close to mine. "God dammit. Stop" I rasped, moving backwards but he gripped my arms,caging me against him. I looked around but there was no one except Cedric and I. I tried breaking free from his hold but it was too strong. "You ran away from him Celeste" He said. His breath fanning my face and his spit landing on my nose. "No I didn't, I was kidnapped by the rouge king" I argued opposing what he said. "Yes,... You were kidnapped but you ran away from him before that Celeste." He whispered, his eyes pleading with me to remember. "Ii d-don't-" I stammered shaking my head as I closed my eyes. "He cast a spell on you, that why you do not remember" He murmured with a sigh. " I'm sorry, but I have to do this to help you remember" He added and I looked at him confused. I watched as his right leaves my arm and goes into his pants pocket.He pulls out a glowing yellow substance in a syringe and my eyes widen when he stabs it in my neck. He let's go off me and it felt like I was being pushed in the ocean, sinking and gasping for air. Cedric's blurry Silhouette knees down to my paralyzed and I could feel his cold hand on my cheek rubbing away the dirty that's there. "I pray to the Goddess you leave him when you recover your memories" He mumbled before getting up and leaving my weightless body on the ground. My eyes soon closed and I felt like I was being transported back to the time I woke up in Elijah's bed.'What's happening?' I asked myself when I saw that I was in Elijah's bedroom then my eyes zoomed in to the sleeping figure of. .. Myself? I watched myself get up from Elijah's bed and got out of the room,making my way down the hall in search of the king. How's this possible? I initially thought when I followed the'past me' out of the room. I literally walked through the door like a ghost but shook my head still following'myself' down the hall. She (myself) was peeking through a door and I frown, standing next to (me) before putting my hand through the door. I was in the same study room that holds the magic mirror and I listen as Elijah and the witch conversed amongst themselves. "She's the perfect vessel Elijah," The witch Evanora said. "You can have your mate back Elijah, you can have Samantha back" What the hell is happening? His mate? Samantha? The King rubbed his temple in frustration. Evanora placed her slender fingers on his shoulder from behind. "You could have her forever,all you have to do is sacrifice Celeste after all, this was your plan to start with." The witch said. I woke up gasping for air with my eyes wide open. Elijah was kneeing in front of me with the worried look. "Celeste are you okay? I was-" I cut him off with a slap on his cheek and his head jerked to the side. He turned to look at me with disbelief in his eyes. "You lied to me"