Celine's answer baffled Calhoun, momentarily forgetting that humans, in their vulnerability, might resort to reckless actions like raiding a vampire coven with guns that had no effect against those undead.
"Don't you fucking dare to do that, Celine!"
Celine did not understand what was wrong with her suggestion. Surely, it was the best way to rescue her sister, "Why not? I can't fight them myself, so it's better to call the police, right?"
"You'll put everyone in danger!"
"Is it because you can't let the world know about you?"
"No, the government already knows about us, and they know all the risks that could happen if they dare to intervene with anything regarding our kind," Calhoun said. "Besides, do you think those vampires will let your sister live if they get attacked?"
"Then what should I do to save her? Surely, you don't expect me to sit still, right?" Celine challenged. "It's been three months since her disappearance. THREE MONTHS! I don't even know what she looks like right now. I don't even dare to think about her suffering at the hands of those vampires!"
"Trust me, she will not be treated badly by those vampires if she followed them willingly!" Calhoun dropped the bomb.
"What?" Celine's eyes widened as she stammered, "W—What do you mean? She walked into that vampire coven because she wanted it? My sister is not crazy!"
Calhoun knew Celine would get overstimulated again, so he took a deep breath to calm himself down. As her temporary mate, he needed to be the sound of logic in this room, at least.
"Did you realize that you were hypnotized by Thomas yesterday?"
"Hypnotized?"
"Yes, once you make eye contact with a vampire, your thoughts blur, and you will agree with whatever they tell you," Calhoun explained. "Their hypnosis preys on your deepest desires, compelling you to act against your better judgment."
Celine tried to recall what happened yesterday. Now that she thought about it, she talked with Thomas in the motel, and after that, she suddenly got so determined to find Monica no matter what, even if she had to enter a deep dark wood in the middle of the night without a proper weapon or at least a companion, something that the cautious Celine would never do.
"Your deepest desire is to find your sister, so you abandoned all the possible dangers to achieve your goal after that vampire successfully put his hypnosis on you," Calhoun explained. He stared at Celine, whose expression turned from confusion to grim realization as she finally allowed the shocking possibility to hit her. "Do you get what I mean?"
"Y—You're telling me that Monica's deepest desire is to date a vampire?"
Calhoun shrugged, "Not necessarily. But her deepest desire must've been related to her disappearance. That's why I told you to let her be and move on. She went to that vampire coven willingly, and there's nothing much we can do about it."
Celine felt lightheaded as Calhoun finally told her the 'truth.'
It was hard for Celine to believe it because of how ridiculous it was.
Why would Monica willingly walk into a death trap? Her sister might be a hopeless romantic, but she was not an idiot!
Calhoun leaned on the door, crossing his arms as he observed his accidental mate. The guilt began to eat him up, as he didn't know how to appease a beautiful damsel who was on the verge of a mental breakdown.
He was a great fighter, but he was never the one who could give someone an encouraging speech.
'Should I call Marc? He is good at speaking,' Calhoun wondered. But imagining Marc holding Celine's hand and hugging her to comfort her was enough to upset him. So he quickly dispelled the thought of calling the youngest member of his pack.
"Move on, Celine," Calhoun repeated. "She wants to stay there with those vampires. There's nothing much you can do."
…
A depressing train of thoughts began running inside Celine's mind again, and she shook her head, "There must be a way to save her. I need to go to that vampire coven to meet her. Maybe I can snap her out of that hypnosis."
"What?!" Calhoun didn't expect Celine to be so stubborn. He had laid a perfect lie to stop her from discovering the truth, yet this woman still tried to save her irredeemable sister. "Don't be a stubborn idiot, Celine. You're going to die!"
Celine looked up and remembered something about Calhoun, "I—I snapped out of Thomas' hypnosis when I heard your howl last night. Maybe if you howl in her ear, Monica will snap out of hers as well!"
"You are so unbelievably stupid," Calhoun gritted his teeth. "That won't work."
"Why not? It worked on me. Surely, it will work on my sister as well!"
"That's because Monica and I have no connection!" Calhoun moved closer to Celine, touching the crescent mark on her collarbones with his fingers.
"Ah!" Celine gasped, jolting as the sudden surge of electrifying pleasure ran under her skin, making her flush instantly.
Her gaze got hazy, and she staggered as the sensation was too much on her body. She was about to fall on her back when she felt a strong arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her into Calhoun's embrace.
Celine's mind cleared up after a while, and there she saw Jaime Calhoun looking at her with the same flushed cheeks. His lips were slightly parting.
"Can you feel it?" Calhoun asked, his chest rising and falling with deep breaths. "There is a reason why my howl can snap you out of that hypnosis, but it won't work on Monica. Because you are my mate, Celine Seymour, not her."