CHAPTER 01~

KATRINA

My mate is coming back, I can feel it.

I felt my wolf stir within me, “Katrina,” the soft murmur of her voice reached me before I could even catch my breath. “Xavier's close. I can feel his wolf getting closer to us. They’re back.”

I closed my eyes, letting a faint smile play on my lips as I sniffed in the cold air of the morning. I was relieved and scared at the same time. Not the feeling of fear, but an uneasy feeling that kept building in my chest.

It's been twelve long months since the night of our wedding. The night he held me in his arms, promising a lifetime together, only to leave shortly after for the war that tore us apart. It did break my heart, but what could I do? What could I say?

I stood there, watching the only man who mattered a lot to me leave. Now, after a year of waiting and wondering if he'd return, he was finally coming home. 

“Do you think…” I paused, not even knowing how to voice it. “Do you think anything will be the same?” I asked my wolf, but her sudden silence felt more awkward than the unease feeling I felt. 

The air around me change, as if the whole world knew something was about to shift. I was on the edge of getting exactly what I’d been waiting for. What I’d been craving. But a part of me couldn’t shake the tension in my gut, the feeling that nothing would be as simple as I had imagined. 

And that was not until I overheard people whisper in the corners, rumors that weren't meant for me. “Have you heard? Alpha Xavier is bringing someone back with him… a she-wolf. His true mate, they say.”

My legs almost gave way, but I held my ground. A true mate? What the hell were they talking about? No. That shouldn’t be true. That definitely can’t be true. I have waited for a year. A year of running the pack alone, of enduring the silence while he fought in the war. I had stood on the edge of hope, believing that once the battles were over, we could finally start the life we had dreamed of.

That was the wish of my mother, a plea she had made to him on her grave that sealed our fate together. He had sworn to her, to me, that he would cherish me forever. That he would always be by my side. So what could they possibly mean?

“Are you ready for this?” my wolf murmured, sensing the doubt I tried to bury.

I sighed heavily. “I don’t know,” I admitted softly. “I’m not sure I’ll ever be ready for whatever he brings with him.”

The sound of the gates opening pulled me out of my spiraling thoughts. I forced myself to take a deep breath, to focus. "Xavier was back. Our mate is back." My Wolf's voice echoed in my ears. And yes, that was all that mattered.

The pack gathered, everyone cheered as he entered. He looked the same as I remembered – strong, commanding, with those dark eyes that scanned the crowd. I searched through the crowd of men that followed him, but I didn’t see anyone that seemed to bear an unfamiliar face, or so I thought.

I waited for him to enter the room, then I would confront him, and get to know why he had to bring another woman home when he still had me. When he finally showed up after what felt like minutes, the warmth I had expected from our reunion was absent. There was no smile, no relief in his eyes. He stopped a few feet away, not daring to close the gap between us.

And now, with each passing minute, the question burned in my mind: Was I truly ready for what came next?

“Xavier...” my voice was barely a whisper, but I forced the words out. “You’re back, and I’m happy to see you again. I have…”

He held my shoulder, but I wasn’t feeling the spark from his touch. It felt normal, like some kinda random guy had just touched me. “I’m fine. I’m back home is all that matters. How have you been?” If only I hadn’t heard that he was returning home with a she-wolf, I would have believed those words were coming from someone who still loves and cherishes me.

I couldn’t even reply to his question. I’ve been perfectly fine, but everything seemed to change when I heard there was another woman in the circle. “Kat, is everything alright?” he asked, noticing my countenance.

I wish I could mask every emotion in me and pretend like everything was alright. I wish I could believe everything I heard was just side-talks, but as much as I tried to look past it, the more it felt real. So real to be true.

“Who is she?” The words slipped out without any sign of hesitation. “The so-called she-wolf who returned home with you?”

“Don't you dare speak of her like that, okay!” he barked. “She might not be here doesn't give you the fucking right to address her in such a manner.” I furrowed my brows in shock as he spat those words to my face. “Well, I met my true love on the battlefield, and I cannot bear to be separated from her. I did what has to be done.”

My heart sank in. I couldn't breath, I could barely feel the air around me. Then, my heart began to pound, so fast that each beat was more painful than the last. “Met? What do you mean by met? Xavier, I am your mate. I am your Luna.”

“You don't have to remind me that, Katrina. I haven’t forgotten that yet.” he said almost rudely.

“Then why would another woman have to be in the picture?!” I half yelled, trying to control my emotions.

He sighed, running a hand through his hair, and for a moment, I felt even more lost and confused. I waited for more, for him to explain how this was all a misunderstanding. He couldn’t possibly mean… 

I was his true mate. We were bonded.

“Bianca is my true mate,” he finally said. “We completed the mating bond during the war.”

The ground beneath me seemed to shift. For a second, I was speechless. Did I just hear him right, or was it my imagination playing games on me? Did he just call her his true mate? How could this be happening? How could he stand there, so calm, while my world fell apart?

“No,” I shook my head, refusing to believe it. “No, Xavier, this can’t be right. How could you do this to me, Xavier? You swore to me. You swore to my mother on her grave. You can’t just… What about us?”

He closed his eyes for a moment, as if he felt guilty. But I knew for a mind to have done such an act, there was nothing like guilt in his heart. “You broke all your promises just for a woman?”

“At that time, I thought I was doing the right thing. I didn’t know… I didn’t know what true love was. I thought you would make a good Luna. That we could be the best couples in the world, but I was wrong.” He finally looked at me, and the pain in his eyes felt like a slap to my face.

“And now?’ My voice cracked. “Now you’re saying that was a mistake? That I was a mistake? Is that what you’re trying to say?”

“No, it’s not like that” His voice was pleading but it did nothing to soothe the ache growing inside me. “When I met Bianca, I... I felt something I’ve never felt before. It was instant, like I had finally found the one person who completes me.”

At this point, I didn't know if I should just cry, or just stand there, staring at his face. I thought I was strong. I thought I was brave enough to withstand things, but every word he spoke was another blow to my face, another piece of my heart shattering. 

Was he seriously saying this to me? After everything we’ve been through together, he could easily let another woman slide in and ruin everything we’ve both shared? Just like that?

“So…” I could barely find my words, “…all those promises are… gone? They don’t mean anything anymore?”

“I did love you, don’t get me wrong.” He said, though it sounded more like he was trying to convince himself. “But this… this is different. Bianca and I… we’re bonded in a way I never expected.”

Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let it fall. Not in front of him. “And what about me? What happens to me now?”

He hesitated, then spoke. “I’ve asked the Alpha King for something special. A Luna duet.” My stomach twisted. “Both you and Bianca, as equals. You’ll both be Lunas of the pack.”

"No!" My wolf screamed in denial. "We can't be equals with anyone. We are our own self."

I stared bluntly at him, trying to comprehend what he was saying. A Luna duet? Did he really expect me to share my place, my life, with her? To stand by his side while he looked at her the way he used to look at me?

“No,” I refused, shaking my head. “No, Xavier, I can’t do that.” He frowned a bit, but I didn’t care. My heart was breaking, and he was the one holding the knife.

“You have no choice, Katrina. The deal has been made, and you just have to live with it. There’s nothing you or I can do about it.”

What annoyed me was how rude he had said those words to my face, like it was a must for me to live by his rules. All these were because of that so-called bitch, Bianca. And I couldn't wish more than the slightest chance to have my hands around her neck until she breathes her very last breath. 

Then I said to him, “I want to meet Bianca.”