CHAPTER 03~

KATRINA

I stood in the middle of the room, staring at Xavier as he lounged back on his chair. Bianca sat beside him, her hands slightly on his, their fingers interlocked in a way that made my stomach churn, reminding me that I was no longer a part of Xavier’s life–at least, not in the way I had once been.

“I’m not interested in being a surrogate for the two of you,” I said firmly. The thought of carrying their child, of being reduced to some kind of vessel, sickened me. “This mated bond, this so-called marriage, I want it over. I want out.”

Xavier’s lips curled into a shameless grin, the kind that made me want to slap it off his face. More like he was speaking to a child who didn’t understand the rules. He had always been arrogant, but now, it was as if he didn’t even see me anymore. He saw me not as an equal, not even as a former lover, but as an obstacle to control. Something to use.

I don’t know if I should cry, or just laugh it off his face. He spoke as if I should be grateful for the offer. As if having his child, being tied to him and Bianca forever, was some sort of privilege. My gaze shifted to Bianca who was watching me with that same smirk she always had. She tilted her head slightly, her lips curving as if amused by my pain.

“And what about you, Bianca?” I asked, my voice barely audible. “Are you so confident that you’ll be fine with Xavier and I having a baby together?”

Bianca’s smile didn’t falter. If anything, it grew wider. “I’m not jealous, Katrina, if that’s what you think. The one who’s not loved is the most pitiful, after all.” Her eyes flickered to Xavier, but there was something cold in her eyes. Something possessive. “We’re looking out for you, Luna. If you have his child, at least you’ll have something to hold onto in the future. Isn’t that what you want?”

My fingers twitched, digging into my palms. She spoke as if she were doing me a favor, as if I should be grateful for their charity. I wanted to scream, but I kept my voice steady. “And after I’ve had the child? What then? You both get to live your perfect little life while I raise your child and fade into the background?”

Bianca shrugged, her smile never faltering. “As for whether or not he’ll touch you after you’re pregnant,” she said with a laugh, “I couldn’t care less.”

Her words hit hard, but it wasn’t her words alone. It was the look in her eyes—icy, indifferent. She didn’t care. She didn’t see me as a threat, just an inconvenience. A piece of property, disposable after its use.

Xavier, always quick to prove his loyalty, turned to her and said, “Don’t worry, I will never touch her again once she’s had a baby with me. You know you’re the one for me. The only woman I care about.”

Bianca pouted playfully, nudging him with her elbow. “No need to promise, darling, I trust you. Besides, I’m not a petty person.”

I got tired of the sick display of affection. I turned to Xavier’s mother, hoping – begging – for some sign of support. But she nodded, her expression was almost too calm. “You’ll raise their child for them, that way, they can continue their duties on the battlefield without any worries. It’s the best arrangement.”

I stared at her in disbelief. Was this really happening?

I shook my head at her, “You think I have to rely on the Alpha’s child to survive in this world? That without him, I am powerless?” My voice trembled, but I forced myself to keep going. “You think I have nothing else to offer?”

Bianca laughed again, this time, openly. “Katrina, you’ve contributed nothing. You’ve been sitting around while the rest of us fought a war. Don’t you understand, this is the best arrangement for someone like you. You should be grateful and not complaining.”

I could feel my blood boiling. She didn’t know me. She didn’t know what I had sacrificed, what I had given to this pack. For them.

“Ungrateful, you say?” I scoffed. “Between the both of us, who is the ungrateful one, huh? What else have you contributed to the Pack aside from the war? Nothing! So don’t act like you’ve been the one holding everything together since the past twelve months. I’ve given just as much as you.”

For the first time throughout the conversation, I watched her smile fade. And nothing felt so satisfying than knowing I had hurt her in the best part.

“You…” she sneered, stepping forward. "How dare you?"

"Yes, me," I growled, meeting her gaze without flinching. “And I’ll say it again if I have to. You walk around like you’re perfect, like you’re better than everyone else because of your strength. But you’re not! Yes, you might be the strongest Gamma warrior, but that doesn’t make you better. That doesn’t make you irreplaceable.”

A deep frown played on her face and for a thousand reasons I couldn't explain how excited I felt inside. I never knew, I never thought something could cause that never ending smile on her face to wear off.

Before she could lash out, Xavier held her hand gently, calming her down. But I didn’t care. I didn’t care about their display of affection or their manipulative tactics. “Bianca has already given up her child for you to raise. She’s the one making the sacrifice here, why isn’t that enough for you?”

At this point, I could barely keep my voice steady as I replied. “You both act like I’m supposed to be grateful for this – this arrangement,” I spat. “I don’t need your pity. I don’t need your sacrifices either. Just reject me, and annul this marriage once and for all.”

There was a brief moment of silence, before Bianca and Xavier exchanged a glance. They were so sync that it made my skin scrawl. “It’s done,” Bianca said coolly, her hand slipping back into Xavier’s. “It’s too late for that, Katrina. This marriage, this bond – it has been sealed.”

Xavier added, “We earned this through our victories in the war. The Alpha king himself approved it. No one can stop it now. Rejection won’t matter. You’re tied to us.”

Before I could speak again, Therma, the housekeeper, and my closest friend, stepped forward. She couldn’t hold it any longer. “It’s one thing for the two of you to cheat and yet call it fate,” she spat, glaring at Xavier and Bianca. “But why do you have to be awful to Luna Katrina like that? She has done nothing but care for this pack, for you. This is abuse. You’ve betrayed her. Why do you have to humiliate her too?”

Bianca’s face darkened in anger as she took a step forward. “How dare you, an Omega, speak to me in my face?” She sneered. “I could crush you without a second thought.”

But Therma didn’t give way to her mere threat. “Even I, an Omega, know shame. You’re the Gamma of the prestige Snow Pack, and you’re destroying someone else’s life, her marriage while hiding behind a war. You’re the one who should be ashamed, because what kind of leader does that?”

That’s when Xavier snapped.

In a flash, he unleashed his Alpha power, sending Therma to her knees. She gasped, clutching her chest tight. Her face contorted in pain as she coughed out blood.

“Therma!” I shouted, rushing to her side. Kneeling beside her, I tried to help, but the damage had already been done.

Xavier stood over us, his gaze narrowed down at me. “How do you play Luna, when you can’t even control an Omega?”

Something inside me broke.

Therma squeezed my hand, trying to calm me, but I couldn’t sit back any longer. Not after what he had done. Rising to my feet, the warrior instincts I have buried beneath my pain, beneath my love for this man, roared to the surface. Without a second thought, I rose to my feet. And at a great speed, I dashed toward him.

My hand flew before I could stop myself, slapping him across the face. The sound echoed through the room, shocking everyone, including myself. I couldn’t believe I actually did that. But for a thousand reasons he deserved it, and I don’t regret my action.

“How dare you,” I gritted, my teeth clenched in fury. “Don’t you ever–ever in your entire life, say such words to my face. And who the hell do you think you are to lay a finger on my people?”

Xavier’s hand flew to his cheek, his eyes widened with surprise. For the first time, he looked at me – not as the weak Luna he thought he had broken, but as the warrior I had always been.

And I wasn’t finished yet.