Catherine's POV
“I wasn't aware the Lycan King traveled,” I grumbled, trying to get out of bed. “He had those men pick me up in a hurry while he wasn't home. Then he can wait until I've had a good breakfast!”
Mia gasped, shaking her head so fast, I almost thought she would have a seizure.
“No, please, Luna,”
“I am not your Luna!” I yelled, shoving her away from me. “I am Catherine Lionheart! And if I want to eat breakfast, he can wait!”
Mia dropped to her knees, rubbing her hands, begging. Her eyes were clouded with tears. “Please, please, Miss. You have to see the King in an hour,”
“It's my choice to go, Mia-”
“I'll be punished!* She cried, grabbing my night robe. “I'll be punished. I was just punished two days ago when you wandered round the castle, I don't want to get punished again!”
My eyes widened as she sobbed at my feet. I leaned down, cupping her face in my hands. “Hey, it's okay. What do you mean by punishment?”
“It doesn't matter,” She replied. “Please, my life depends on your compliance. Please Luna.”
My chest tightened. I had hoped the rumors about the Lycan King weren't true. I had hoped that he would turn out to be a kind man, misunderstood by the public, by everyone on the continent.
I was foolish. He wasn't that way. With the way Mia currently begged at my feet, he was every bit as monstrous as everyone described him.
“Fine!” I grumbled. “I'll go. But I'll also give him a piece of my mind.”
While in the shower, I tried to recall how I had landed in bed. Mia had mentioned that I wandered round the castle. I couldn't remember it. The last thing I recalled doing was walking into the bathroom.
And yet it felt like a pretty big chunk of my memory was missing.
Why was I asleep for two whole days? Why was my memory fuzzy?
Mia helped me get dressed, rolling out a rather impressive red dress. I had to admit it was beautiful. By the time she was done, my blonde hair was tied up in a high bun, some mascara and kohl had my blue eyes popping.
I followed her out the door as she led me down a flight of stairs and towards the throne room.
I tried to keep the stoic look on my face, tried to ignore the nervous flutters in my belly. I clasped my hands together, trying to stop them from trembling so much. I was going before the monster.
We approached the doors, guarded fiercely by four guards.
I almost snickered. If the Lycan King was the monster he was feared to be, why did he need guards? If anything, people needed guards from him.
Two courtiers dragged open the doors that led to the throne room and Mia stepped aside. I took a deep breath and walked in.
Then halted when my breath seized.
The most beautiful man I had ever seen, sat on the throne. He was huge. He filled out the large throne he sat on nicely. He had a simple shirt and jean trousers on, but they clung to his muscles in a way that had my lower belly stirring.
Long brown hair fell in cascades around his face. Brown eyes stared at me warmly, watching me with rapt attention as I watched him. This was the Lycan King? This beautiful specimen of a man whose eyes reminded me of sweet caramel toffees?
I blushed, cheeks filling with color, when I realized I was staring.
“Your Majesty,” Damon's cold arid voice filled my ears and there was that smell.
Sandalwood.
He stood beside the Lycan King's throne, gesturing at me.
“Behold, your bride. Camille Lionheart,”
My brows snapped at the name. “It's Catherine,”
“Does it matter?” Damon scoffed, folding his arms. “You're Lionheart all the same-”
“Silence,”
He hadn't yelled. The Lycan King had spoken as if he were mumbling. Yet my back went ramrod straight. And so did Damon. For the first time the messenger didn't look like the arrogant know it all he had proved himself to be.
So this was the power of the Lycan King.
His aura was commanding. I could feel those powerful eyes stroke my skin, as if assessing the goods he had purchased. I hated being under his scrutiny. I hated that I was weak.
An image of a fang tattoo flashed through my head and I cleared my throat.
“Do you have something you wish to say?” The Lycan King asked, his voice hard and raspy. It washed over my skin, caressing parts of me that were intimate.
I wanted to ask a question. I couldn't remember what it was. So I stuck with Mia's words.
“What punishment did you give my maid?”
He frowned, as if he didn't understand what I had said, then looked at Damon, who shrugged.
“I have no idea what she's talking about,”
“My maid is traumatized-”
“Of what importance is this maid to you?” He asked, leaning his head to the side as he took me in. “You just met her, didn't you?”
“True,” I scoffed. “But it is crazy that she gets punished for something she did not do.”
There was an immediate shift in the air. The king who had looked so laid back, suddenly stood up, glaring at me.
“Never use that word with me!”
I wanted to yell. To scream at him that he had treated Mia unjustly and I had no idea what word he was referring to.
But my wolf whimpered, holding me back. Wait a minute, my wolf? Hadn't she been dormant for a long time? I still could not communicate clearly with her, but I could feel her. I could feel her anxiety at the Lycan king's anger.
“I apologize,” I replied, gritting my teeth.
Someone cleared their throat and a small diminutive man I hadn't noticed before, dressed in priestly robes, stepped up beside Damon. He bowed before speaking.
“Your Majesty, The arrangements for the mating ritual, has been concluded.”
“We’re to be mated?” I gasped in horror.
CATHERINE The grand hall of the castle was bathed in the golden glow of candlelight, the scent of fresh roses and burning incense filling the air. Tonight was the night of my mating ceremony with Kane—the night that would bind us together forever. The night that ought to have happened for a long time.A week had passed since I had woken up, and though my body was still recovering, I felt stronger than ever. Not just physically, but emotionally. This was right. Kane and I were meant to be.As I stood before the mirror in my chambers, I took a deep breath, smoothing down the material of my ceremonial gown. The dress was a masterpiece—deep crimson, embroidered with golden threads that mimicked the fierce glow of a Lycan’s eyes. It draped over my form elegantly, shining and beautiful.Behind me, Camille smiled, stepping forward to adjust the delicate chain around my neck. "You look like a true queen," she murmured in admiration.I turned to her, a lump forming in my throat. Camille had
CATHERINE The first thing I felt was warmth. Not the suffocating kind, nor the burning heat of fever, but a gentle, comforting warmth that wrapped around me like a soft embrace. It was unfamiliar, yet soothing.My eyelids felt heavy, as if being pressed down by heavy stones, but after a moment of struggle, I forced them open.A ceiling. That was the first thing I saw.Not the damp, cracked one from the dungeon I last remembered. Not the endless darkness that had swallowed me when Zelda stabbed me.I inhaled sharply, feeling breathless and a bit scared as memories flooded back.Pain. Kane’s roar. Blood soaking my clothes.And then…nothing.I blinked, trying to sit up, but a sharp ache radiated through my body, making me groan softly.“You're awake, my lady.” someone flew to my beside in no time. “Careful, please! You don't want to hurt yourself.”The familiar voice made me turn my head slightly. Mia.She was seated beside my bed, eyes wide with worry yet glistening with joy.I frowned
KANEDamon called Zelda Mother. What happened to Queen Zelda? What happened to your highness?The words echoed in my head, drowning out everything else. I couldn’t move. I couldn’t breathe.Zelda cackled behind him. “Oh, Kane,” she mocked, “surely you didn’t think you were my only heir?”Damon growled, his eyes flashing.“He's your brother, Kane.” Zelda announced with pride. “Well...you can call him your step brother since I birthed him for your father's beta, my true mate.”What? I nearly went crazy. What was she saying? How did that happen and I never suspected for even a moment?Damon, my Beta, my right-hand man, the only person I had trusted all along was Zelda’s son.My mother’s illegitimate son.“Surprised, brother?” Damon sneered, his lip curling into a smirk. “You thought I was just some devoted Beta, didn’t you? A loyal servant to the mighty Lycan King.”He scoffed. “I was never your subordinate, Kane. I was always her son first. You were the first, but I was the best.”Zelda
KANEThe Bastard. The betrayer. When I saw Damon standing in the doorway, I smirked.The fool still had the audacity to walk into my throne room like he had any power left.His stance was confident, but I could see the tension in his shoulders, the way his fists curled at his sides. He was trying to put on a show, but I knew better.Damon’s gaze locked onto mine, his lips curling in a smirk that mirrored my own. “Not in my lifetime will that happen.” He repeated,stopping just a few feet away from me.I leaned back against the throne, tilting my head as I studied him. “It’s already happening, Damon,” I said, calmly with finality. “Zelda is finished. Her rule is over. And you...” I let my gaze sweep over him, “...you have no choice but to succumb.”His smirk wavered for a split second before he scoffed. “You think you’ve won? Just because you locked Zelda away?”I gave him a slow nod. “That’s exactly what I know.”Damon let out a dry chuckle and shook his head. “You don’t understand, d
KANEStill in the dungeon, the air was filled with mildew and despair. The chains around my wrists bit into my skin, but pain was nothing new to me. I sat there, staring at the cracks in the stone wall, waiting.Footsteps echoed down the corridor. The guards had been coming and going all night, bringing their pathetic threats, but I remained unmoved. This time, the steps were lighter, more deliberate.Durmas.The old priest entered the cell, his dark eyes sharp as he observes me. He knelt beside me, pretending to check the chains while his voice lowered to a whisper.“It’s done.”I exhaled slowly. “She drank it?”Durmas smirked. “Zelda never could resist flaunting her power. When I offered her a victory drink to celebrate your imprisonment, she took it without question.”Good.Zelda had spent years scheming, manipulating, destroying lives in the name of her own ambition. But she had one fatal flaw—her arrogance. She thought herself untouchable.Not anymore. I had instructed Durmas to
CATHERINE The night had been restless. Sleep was a distant memory, chased away by the lingering ache of Kane’s absence. Every rustle of the wind, every crackling of the fire outside the tent, made me wonder where he was and if he was safe.I sat on the edge of the cot, staring at my hands when Camille suddenly rushed in, looking all antsy like something terrible had just happened. In her hand was the small, battered phone Kane had left behind, the phone which was used to communicate with us. It chimed again and I noticed a faint glow of the screen illuminating her fingers.“Catherine,” she called out to me, looking so serious. “There’s a message.”My heart leaped into my throat. “From Kane?”She nodded and handed me the phone. My fingers trembled as I swiped at the screen, revealing a simple yet piercing message:“Meet me at the quiet garden just outside the town’s border. I miss you so much. Kane.”My stomach twisted. K