KATHERINE “What do you mean, Bryson?” As I asked him, trying to keep my face straight, the rate at which my heart beats escalated by his passing of seconds was alarming. And that’s possibly because he was right and I’m finding a way to deny and pretend I know nothing about what he was talking about. “Where did you go yesterday? Without telling me, Kathrine. I’m sorry for asking but then, don’t you think you’re changing towards me lately?” He asked, his eyes staring deep into my eyes as if wishing he could mop away the confusion I have written on my face. My hands crossed before me, not allowing him see how sweaty they have become because… I’m nervous and I hope he doesn’t see it. Just when I got out of the hybrid’s room, I had collided into Bryson and… I instantly lost my breath. I didn’t expect him to be here or for him to search for me. Neither was I expecting the hurt look I came across on his face. Now he’s asking me where I had gone to and slowly, bit by bit, he would hit
KATHERINE “Wait don’t tell me you’re leaving.” I asked a little scared. He turned and to my surprise he shook his head, “No I’m not. At least not until all of this ends.” It was the first time I heard him sound insecure. “I’m sorry I kept it away from you.” Looking down, I mumbled what came out of my mouth. When I heard nothing from him I was forced to look at him and found him waiting for me to finish so I did, “I wasn’t sure of how that will make you feel. I also don’t want feed you with something false so I decided to wait until I’m sure I can’t sense your scent truly.” I mustered all the physical and mental strength I possessed to answer. I didn’t expect he’d discover I was hiding this from him. I didn’t even tell anyone- expect Marina and she’s not close with him. In fact, it’s no news they are enemies. He must have had his way. It must have been the place he said he would be taking me. I couldn’t have stopped him from ongoing right? Just that him discovering on his own is m
KATHERINE “Yes I called you. But she is the one who wants to see you.” He nodded and his gaze shifted towards me, a finger pointed in my direction and my eyes widened in surprise. I shook my head fervently, trying to say that this was some kind of mistake. But before I could protest further, George had already exited, leaving me alone with Bryson.I closed my eyes, mentally racing for a plan to rectify this situation and get back at my brother for the unexpected betrayal. How could he do this to me? We were just speaking and suddenly, he invited Bryson over? I hope he doesn’t come close to me for the rest of today or else, I won’t have a choice but give him a payback. Just as I opened my eyes, my mouth opened and my voice cut through the thick tension between us. "Uhm, I didn't call you, actually." My words trailed off, leaving an awkward silence when I finished. I looked away from him as fast as possible and hearing no sound from him, my eyes fully snapped open, locking onto B
XAVIERI stood in my chamber, surrounded by the rogues who had once trembled beneath Derek's rule. Their eyes now burned with a hunger for revenge- a reason they didn’t think back on coming to me- and I knew I had them right where I wanted. "Derek's reign ends soon. The throne will be ours." I declared to everyone around. Marcellus, my father, nodded in approval beside me while Vivian, my mother, smiled sweetly, her eyes gleaming at our discussion. The rogues murmured among themselves, their faces twisted with a kind of anticipation and I immediately knew they'd do anything to see Derek fall.As I scanned the room, my gaze fell on Victor, the rogue leader. His scarred face and cold eyes made him the perfect ally."Victor, are your men prepared?" I asked."We are infiltrating the castle guards. Derek's security will be breached. Soon…" He nodded. I smiled, satisfaction coursing through my veins. This was it – the moment we'd been planning for months.My father stepped forward, and
KATHERINEI stood by the corner, watching as Bryson exited his building. His tall frame moved with that calm confidence I had always admired, but today it only got me feeling suspicious. He had told me not to contact him until I had delivered the child growing inside me, as if that would somehow simplify everything between us. But I needed to know where he was going, why he hadn't distanced himself so sharply the moment we learned about the baby but is now because he saw me coming out the Hybrid's room. Maybe it was reckless, maybe even foolish, but I couldn’t help myself. I slipped into the a corner as he walked down the street, then i tried keeping my distance as I followed. His long strides carried him effortlessly, while I struggled to maintain enough distance without losing him altogether. My heart raced, with some kind of fear, but my focus remained entirely on Bryson. I had to know what he was hiding, where he was going now that he had chosen to push me away. He finally tu
KATHERINEWhen we arrived at the pack grounds, I wasted no time slipping out of Bryson’s car. The rain had soaked me thoroughly, but I was too on edge to care. I kept my head down, moving swiftly past the parking lot toward the entrance, my thoughts a jumble. Bryson didn’t say anything as I left, just watched me retreat. Once inside, I shut the door firmly and leaned against it, my pulse racing. The storm outside had picked up, the rain hammering against the windows, but all I could hear was the rush of blood in my ears- the adrenaline..I made my way to the bathroom, peeling off my wet clothes and stepping into the shower. The hot water cascaded over me, washing away the tension, the cold, and the anxiety that had been eating at me since I’d followed Bryson. For a few moments, I just stood there, letting the water soothe me.Afterward, I wrapped myself in a towel and collapsed onto my bed, feeling utterly drained. My mind wouldn’t stop racing, replaying the events of the night. I
KATHERINE ~DAYS LATER~I hadn't intended to go on a walk, let alone drag Bryson out of bed for it, but somehow, I had convinced him—or rather, forced him—to accompany me. His mood was less than pleasant, but I couldn’t say I blamed him.Bryson, who had been silent for most of the walk, finally spoke up, his tone half-joking but still laced with frustration. “Right now, I don’t know if I want to hug you or shove you off a bridge.”I glanced over at him, catching the faint scowl on his face.“Can I pick?” I replied, grinning as I gave him a playful nudge. He didn’t respond immediately, but the scowl softened into a smirk. I knew I was getting to him. “Shoving you off a bridge sounds appealing right about now.”I chuckled. “I’ll tell you, though—jail is no fun.”That got his attention. His eyes narrowed slightly, like he was trying to figure out if I was serious or not. “You’ve been to jail?”I winked. “Once. In Monopoly.”Bryson groaned but couldn’t help the laughter that escaped h
KATHERINE Today...As I stood at my window, watching Derek and Eva walk back toward the pack house, I could barely make out the subtle shifts in their body language. Derek had just finished speaking with Seline outside—again—and though I hadn’t been able to hear their conversation, the swollen, disappointed expression on Seline’s face told me everything I needed to know. She had probably tried to apologize, to make amends, and beg for Derek’s forgiveness. It wasn’t the first time. In fact, it seemed to be a regular occurrence these days, and it never ended well for her.Seline had that look about her—the kind of raw vulnerability and desperation that clung to a person when they were trying too hard to mend something that was already broken. She’d thrown herself into trying to get Derek back, but it was obvious he wasn’t giving her what she wanted. Not today, and maybe not ever. I didn’t know exactly how their conversation ended, but seeing Derek walk away from her so calmly and w