The next day at university, Estelle’s mind was still a whirlwind of emotions and desire after her heated encounter with Celeste. Her body hummed with the memory of what had happened, and she couldn’t shake the image of Celeste’s dark, possessive eyes from her thoughts. It was consuming her, and she found it impossible to focus on anything else.
But as she sat in class, trying to keep her thoughts from drifting too far into dangerous territory, her phone buzzed in her bag. She glanced down, seeing a message from Mia.
Mia: I think I messed up. Big time. Meet me outside, ASAP.
Estelle frowned, her heart sinking. Mia was always getting into trouble, but this message had a different edge to it—something more serious. Without a second thought, she grabbed her things and slipped out of class, making her way toward the courtyard where Mia usually hung out.
When she reached the courtyard, she spotted Mia pacing nervously by the fountain, her face flushed with anxiety. As soon as she saw Estelle, she rushed over.
“Estelle, I screwed up. Big time,” Mia blurted out, her eyes wide. “There was this prank… and, well, let’s just say it got out of hand.”
Estelle sighed, already knowing this wasn’t going to end well. “What did you do, Mia?”
Mia groaned, running a hand through her hair. “It wasn’t supposed to be a big deal! Just some harmless fun. We were going to mess with the dean’s office—move some stuff around, leave a fake letter, that kind of thing. But someone pulled the fire alarm, and now the campus police are involved.”
Estelle’s eyes widened. “You what? Mia, that’s not a prank—that’s serious!”
“I know, I know!” Mia said, wringing her hands. “But I didn’t pull the alarm! I swear it wasn’t me. But now they’re saying I’m part of it because I was seen near the building.”
Estelle groaned, rubbing her temples as the gravity of the situation hit her. This was bad. Really bad. Mia had a tendency to get involved in stupid things, but this was on another level.
“And now?” Estelle asked, dread building in her chest.
“They want to talk to me. Officially,” Mia said, her voice small. “And if they think I’m responsible, I could get suspended, or worse.”
Estelle’s heart sank. She knew Mia didn’t mean for things to get this out of hand, but that didn’t change the fact that they were in serious trouble. And of course, she would get dragged into it, one way or another. She always did when it came to Mia.
“Okay, okay,” Estelle said, trying to calm herself down. “We’ll figure this out. Maybe we can explain the situation to the dean, tell them it wasn’t you.”
Mia nodded, but her eyes were still filled with panic. “I don’t know if they’ll believe me.”
Just as Estelle was about to reassure her, a familiar, sharp voice cut through the courtyard, making her heart drop.
“Estelle.”
Estelle turned to see Celeste, standing just a few feet away, her arms crossed and her expression unreadable. She had a presence that made the entire atmosphere shift, and Estelle immediately knew this wasn’t good.
“M-Miss Thorne,” Estelle stammered, feeling a sudden surge of panic.
Celeste’s eyes narrowed, flicking between Estelle and Mia before locking onto Estelle with a gaze that sent a shiver down her spine. “What exactly is going on here?” she asked, her voice cold and controlled.
Estelle swallowed hard, feeling the weight of Celeste’s disapproval settle over her. She knew Celeste wouldn’t be happy about this. In fact, she was already bracing herself for the storm that was about to come.
“Mia… kind of got involved in a situation,” Estelle started, her voice hesitant. “A prank that went wrong. And now campus security is involved.”
Celeste’s expression darkened, her eyes flashing with anger. “A prank?” she repeated, her voice dangerously calm. “And you thought it was a good idea to get involved?”
“I wasn’t involved!” Estelle quickly protested. “I just came to help Mia.”
Celeste stepped closer, her gaze piercing as she looked down at Estelle. “You shouldn’t even be near this kind of situation. It’s reckless, Estelle. You’re putting your future at risk by getting tangled up in this kind of mess.”
Estelle felt her heart pounding in her chest, a mix of fear and guilt swirling inside her. She hadn’t done anything wrong, but she knew Celeste was furious. And when Celeste was angry, there was no escaping her wrath.
“I was just trying to help Mia,” Estelle said softly, her voice almost pleading.
Celeste’s jaw tightened, and for a moment, Estelle thought she might explode with anger. But instead, Celeste’s eyes narrowed, and she spoke in a low, controlled voice. “You need to learn how to stay out of trouble, Estelle. You’re too valuable to be caught up in reckless behavior like this.”
Estelle’s breath hitched as Celeste’s words hit her with full force. The intensity in Celeste’s gaze left her feeling both vulnerable and… something else. Something deeper. She didn’t just want to scold her—she wanted to protect her, control the situation. And that protective instinct sent a thrill through Estelle, even in the midst of her fear.
“I—” Estelle started, but Celeste cut her off, her voice firm.
“Follow me. Now.”
Estelle’s heart raced as Celeste turned and walked toward one of the campus buildings, her pace brisk and filled with purpose. Estelle didn’t hesitate. She quickly followed, glancing back at Mia, who gave her an apologetic shrug before running off.
As they entered the quiet hallway, Celeste’s demeanor didn’t soften. She didn’t say a word, simply leading Estelle to a small, empty classroom. Once inside, she shut the door behind them, the click of the lock making Estelle’s stomach drop.
Celeste turned to face her, her eyes dark and filled with a mix of anger and something else—something possessive, something that made Estelle’s pulse quicken.
“You’re reckless, Estelle,” Celeste said quietly, but there was no mistaking the authority in her voice. “You think I didn’t notice how you rushed to Mia’s side, ready to throw yourself into whatever trouble she’s caused?”
Estelle swallowed hard, unable to meet Celeste’s intense gaze. “I was just trying to help.”
Celeste stepped closer, her voice low and controlled. “You should have come to me. You always come to me when something like this happens.”
Estelle’s breath caught in her throat, the tension between them thick in the air. She didn’t know what to say, didn’t know how to explain the pull she felt between doing what was right for Mia and not wanting to disappoint Celeste. But the disappointment in Celeste’s eyes cut deeper than any reprimand.
Celeste moved even closer, her body now only inches from Estelle’s. Her hand lifted, her fingers grazing Estelle’s chin, forcing her to look up and meet her gaze. “You need to learn to stay out of trouble, Estelle. And if you won’t listen to reason…”
Estelle’s heart raced, the tension between them crackling like electricity. She didn’t know what Celeste was going to say, but the way she was looking at her—possessive, intense—made Estelle’s pulse race with both fear and excitement.
Celeste’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Then I’ll just have to teach you how to behave.”
Before Estelle could react, Celeste’s lips crashed against hers, fierce and possessive. Estelle gasped, her hands instinctively reaching for Celeste’s shoulders, holding on as the kiss deepened, the intensity of it consuming her.
Celeste’s hand gripped her waist, pulling her closer, her body pressed firmly against Estelle’s. The heat between them was undeniable, the need in Celeste’s touch making Estelle’s head spin. It was both a punishment and a reward, a reminder of who was in control, and Estelle couldn’t stop herself from melting into it.
“I’m going to make sure you remember who you belong to,” Celeste whispered against her lips, her voice low and filled with promise.
Estelle’s heart pounded, her body trembling with desire as Celeste’s hands roamed over her, claiming her with every touch. She was at Celeste’s mercy, and she couldn’t think of anything else but surrendering to her completely.
This was Celeste’s way of putting her in her place, of reminding her that she couldn’t be reckless, couldn’t let herself be drawn into trouble. And Estelle knew, without a doubt, that Celeste wouldn’t let her forget it.
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