Chapter 3

Catherine's POV:

My mind got easily bombarded with questions as I felt Easton slowly change the position of his lips from my neck moving forward to my cheek. The stinging pain from Jessica's slap earlier instantly got replaced with a tingling sensation evidently caused by Easton's warm breath. I panicked. My body was shaking, my hands were sweating, I can't even feel my legs. Just when I wondered when this was going to end and where it would lead me, Jessica reappeared. And for the first time, her sudden appearance made me feel relief rather than fear or dismay.

"What the fuck are you doing with that little bitch?!" She screamed. I can tell from her eyes that she was about to explode with intense rage, threatening to pounce at me anytime.

I looked at Easton, and from the look of his calm expression I can't even tell if he was annoyed or at least worried that his chosen mate just caught him sniffing another she-wolf right under her nose.

He didn't turn his gaze away from me. Instead, he displayed a cocky grin and released my hands slowly as he turned towards where Jessica was standing nearby. I swear I saw him roll his eyes before facing Jessica who was merely two feet away behind him. I didn't understand why Easton would suddenly appear and grab me for no reason at all when he for sure kept his distance from me for the past couple of months. I was a confused lamb. His strange behavior and actions just now only added to my confusion.

"What are YOU doing so early in the morning honey? You shouldn't sneak up to other people's business just like that." Easton straight up answered her question.

Jessica's face and ears turned completely red after hearing what Easton just said.

"But i'm your chosen mate!" Jessica replied, her blue sapphire eyes threatened to burst into tears with the coldness in Easton's voice.

I stood very still in my position, not daring to move a single inch after what had just transpired between me and Easton.

"What is going on here?!"

I looked at the direction where the question sounded from. To my horror, it was Alpha Norman and Luna Grey of the Silver Moon pack.

The alpha's intensely domineering aura filled the entire room in that very moment where his presence was made known, and it made everyone freeze. We immediately lowered our heads in submission, as a sign of respect. He studied us as if trying to analyze the whole situation we were in. The luna, on the other hand, looked calm and collected as she stood elegantly by his side. Her face revealed no sign of emotion and simply stood there, watching.

I prepared myself for whatever pain and punishment was going to come my way.

I glanced at Easton whose face went from a cocky grin to a frown, all because of the sight of his own father.

"It's nothing to worry about." Easton said.

"What exactly is nothing?" Alpha demanded. His tone screaming danger and trouble for all of us.

Alpha Norman caught my stare and glared at me viscously with a dangerously threatening look on his face.

My heart skipped a beat. I swallowed.

Oh goddess. Everything seems to be going  wrong this day.

He took a huge step forward, followed with more steps that quickly made their way towards me. I glued myself to the floor, completely unable to move.

"Slave."

The way he stated the word I was called by all of the wolves in the Silver Moon pack utterly sounded like he was referring to the most disgusting thing he had ever seen.

I slowly raised my head and look at him carefully in the eye.

"Yes, Alpha?" It took all the courage in me to give him a not-so-clumsy response. I don't want to mess this up. I'll hold on as much as I can until tomorrow, my eighteenth birthday, then I'll get the hell out of this stinking place.

PAAAAK!

I stumbled backwards letting my ass fall flat on the hard floor. At that same moment, I heard the sound of ringing in my ears, so loud and almost deafening. The impact I received from his painful strike must have caused the loud ringing sound which temporarily suspended my ability to hear. My eyes went blurry, and I was truly fighting the urge to just lay down on the floor and let them devour me, little by little, piece by piece.

But I can't. Not in this place, and most definitely not now that I am only hours away from my own freedom.

With a renewed vigor and strengthened resolve, I gathered my bearings and managed to get my feet to raise me up until I was facing the overbearing alpha of the pack that enslaved me since I was just ten years old.

He wasn't looking impressed with my renewed strength. Rather, he was looking even more pissed than he did only seconds ago when he showed up in the room.

My tongue suddenly caught a metallic taste which travelled down my throat and eventually settled in my stomach. It made me feel slightly uncomfortable inside in addition to the pain inflicted by the Alpha himself.

Only then had I noticed the blood that spilled from my mouth, brought by the unexpected violence I wasn't supposed to endure. I smiled inwardly, trying to be positive so as to encourage myself not to give up. Why am I even surprised? I should have been used to this by now. Jessica and the Alpha were not the only ones who treated me like dirt. In fact, I was constantly beaten up and made fun of by every single werewolf in this sorry excuse of a pack. Despite all that, I didn't break.

So why should I now?

Alpha Norman raised her hand and pointed his index finger straight to my face.

"I ask the questions, you answer."

I nodded in response.

"Was it you causing all the commotion?" He said each and every word loud and clear that his words might have even resonated across the entire room.

I thought deep and hard for what I should answer him. Why should I be the one to tell him his son was technically harassing me, a slave, a short while ago? My position is innocent.

"No, Alpha." I said truthfully.

"You fucking liar! She was the one seducing my mate minutes before I came in! Who knew if she would have forced Easton to sleep with him had I not been here to stop her!"

I looked at Jessica in utter disbelief. She clearly saw that I was struggling under Easton's grasp. She must have known it was really Easton who had been the seductive one. Instead, she decided to blame all this on me. Even the fact that Easton was being forceful.

Jessica met my stare and displayed a wide grin. What a hopelessly despicable woman.

The Alpha opened his mouth and was about to speak when Easton suddenly made a shameless remark.

"You're being too extra fucking dramatic about all this."

Alpha Norman raised his brows and revealed a frown. He turned to face his son, the next-in-line for the position of Alpha, and moved in close.

"Have you got something you want to say, son?"

Easton still looked as expressionless as he did before.

Jessica ran towards him and clung tightly on his arms, shoving me to the side forcefully in front of the Alpha. I moved to the far side away from her and Easton but I was still facing Alpha Norman where I stood.

"Go ahead, love. Tell Alpha Norman what that disgusting little slave was doing to you." Jessica encouraged Easton expectantly.

Easton furrowed his brows, looking annoyed with Jessica's clingy behavior. He did not seem to enjoy it.

"Shut up, Jessica."

Easton rolled his eyes then aggressively yanked his arm away from Jessica, whose face now resembled the color of a whole sheet of bond paper. She turns her head and stared daggers at me that I could feel her raging aura as she looked at me furious.

I was a bit surprised, but I was more surprised for the fact that what Easton did had actually given me a sense of satisfaction and relief deep inside. Seeing that he was straight up being mean towards Jessica oddly gave me mixed positive and negative feelings about the situation.

I shook my head, cringing at the positive feelings I admitted to have.

At this point of time I shouldn't be thinking of less important things. Instead, I should focus on the situation I threw myself in when I accidentally bumped to Easton's chest. 

"She didn't do anything to me. I did. I just got carried away with her scent. After all, she is my mate. The moon goddess picked her."

All their eyes widened in shock, and so did mine.