Chapter 14

Kat's POV

He looked powerful sitting there, almost too perfect to be real.

His white shirt hugged his chest and arms, showing off every line of muscle underneath.

The fabric stretched tight across his shoulders, and I found myself wondering how a simple shirt could make someone look so... intimidating.

His dark hair was neat, styled back with not even one strand out of place.

It made his strong jawline and sharp cheekbones stand out even more.

But it was his eyes that really caught me.

His electric blue eyes locked onto mine the second I looked up.

They were so bright, it almost hurt to stare too long, like looking straight into a bolt of lightning.

There was a spark of something in them — concern maybe — but it was gone so fast I wondered if I had just imagined it.

I felt small under his stare.

Tiny and awkward and completely out of place.

Swallowing hard, I forced myself to move forward.

My legs felt heavy, like I was walking through mud.

I stopped a few feet in front of his desk and cleared my throat.

“Good morning, Alpha. You sent for me,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

It shook a little anyway, making me feel even more embarrassed.

He nodded once, slow and serious.

"Good morning," he said back, his deep voice filling the room like a low rumble of thunder.

For a moment he didn’t say anything else.

He just studied me, his sharp eyes moving over me like he was trying to read my mind.

I shifted on my feet, feeling exposed.

"How have you been settling in?" he finally asked.

I forced a smile, though it felt fake on my lips.

"Everything's alright," I answered politely.

I wasn’t about to tell him that I had been bullied and humiliated in the dining room less than an hour ago.

That wasn’t the kind of thing you brought up with an Alpha.

Especially not when you were basically a guest in his pack.

Alpha Liam leaned back in his chair a little, his hands coming together on top of his desk.

The movement made his muscles flex under the thin material of his shirt, and I quickly looked away, feeling my cheeks heat up.

"I called you here because there is something we need to discuss," he said, his voice calm but firm.

I swallowed nervously and nodded, waiting for him to continue.

He stared at me for another long moment, making my stomach twist into knots.

"If you want to stay in River Moon Pack," he said, "you will need to break your ties with your old pack and formally join ours."

His words hit me like a punch to the chest.

Even though I knew it would come eventually, hearing it out loud made it real.

It meant letting go of my past for good.

It meant admitting that I had nowhere else to go.

I stared at him, my mouth opening and closing like a fish.

I didn’t know what to say.

A part of me wanted to say yes right away — to find a place where I belonged.

But another part of me hesitated, scared of making a mistake.

He seemed to notice the hesitation on my face, the way I was struggling to put my thoughts into words.

His eyes softened for a moment, but only for a brief second.

"Listen," he said, his tone a little gentler now, "I'll give you until tomorrow to make your decision. But just so you know, if you choose to stay in the pack, you’ll have to finish high school."

The words hung in the air, heavy and unexpected.

My heart skipped a beat, and I felt a tight knot form in my stomach.

The idea of going back to school... it made me feel sick.

My last experience at school in my old pack was far from good. Maddie, the Alpha’s daughter, had made my life unbearable.

She'd never let me forget that I didn’t belong, that I was always different, always an outsider.

Her taunts, her sneers, the way she made fun of my every move... it was something I tried not to think about, but the memories always lurked just below the surface.

I just hoped, prayed even, that this new pack would be different.

That people here would accept me, or at least not treat me like I was beneath them.

I could already feel the weight of those memories threatening to rise up again, but I tried to push them away.

Maybe this could be my fresh start.

Maybe this pack could be my chance to leave all that behind.

I blinked, realizing I had been quiet for too long.

I didn’t want Alpha Liam to think I wasn’t listening, so I quickly nodded.

"Thank you, Alpha. I’ll let you know my decision in time." I hoped my voice sounded more confident than I felt.

He gave me a small nod, his eyes studying me like he was trying to figure me out.

I stood there for a moment, waiting for him to say something else, but instead, there was just silence.

I fidgeted under his gaze, feeling awkward and out of place in his office.

I finally cleared my throat and asked, “Um… may I take my leave now, Alpha?”

For a long second, he didn’t say anything.

His electric blue eyes just stared at me, unreadable.

It felt like he was looking right through me, and it made me feel even smaller.

But then, he spoke, his voice cool and calm. “Yes, you may leave.”

I didn’t need to hear anything more.

I quickly nodded and turned to leave, my heart beating a little faster than usual.

As I walked out of his office, I couldn’t help but feel the weight of the attraction I had felt when I first saw him.

It was back, stronger than before.

I had hoped it would fade, but it hadn’t.

If anything, it seemed to pull me in even more.

I hated the way my heart raced when I thought about him, how I couldn’t seem to stop thinking about those electric blue eyes and the way they seemed to pierce right through me.

I didn’t want him to notice how much he affected me, and I especially didn’t want him to know I was struggling to keep my emotions in check.

My steps quickened as I made my way back down the hallway, eager to put distance between me and that office.

The further I walked, the more I realized how much I just wanted to get back to my room, to think things over in peace, without the weight of his gaze pressing down on me.

I reached my door and opened it, quickly stepping inside.

I closed it behind me with a sigh of relief, leaning against the door for a moment, trying to catch my breath.

The room was quiet, a safe haven from everything that had just happened.

But my mind was anything but peaceful.

I couldn’t stop thinking about what he’d said, about the choice I had to make.

And I couldn’t stop thinking about him — about Alpha Liam.

It was hard to admit, but I knew the truth.

I was starting to feel more drawn to him than I wanted to.

It was a dangerous feeling, one I couldn’t afford to let take root.

I walked over to the bed, sitting down slowly.

I folded my hands in my lap, trying to calm myself.

What would I do?

What should I do?

My thoughts swirled in confusion, but I knew one thing for sure.

I needed time.

Time to think. Time to decide.

For now, I just wanted to get some peace. I pulled the covers over my legs and lay back, staring up at the ceiling, my mind racing in a thousand different directions.