CATHERINE. “Maybe you both need to rest.” I heard Mom’s loud voice after I just untangled myself from Aunt Jenny’s grasp. Aunt Jenny was a former female warrior from our pack and one of my Mom’s best friends. She moved to the Silver Moon Pack after she met her mate but remained close to our family. She was one of the godmothers I was lucky to have. She came two days ago, and we’d been doing non-stop combat training since then. And this will be my last session before the Claiming tomorrow. All was set, and I wanted to believe I was already prepared for the Claiming. I already had the blue gown I chose to wear when Tyler claimed me in front of the Council. Jace also ensured the Alpha Circle would be there to help us if needed. Cyrus will be the last to join us in the arena, as we didn’t want the Council to be suspicious as he was Tyler’s cousin. Arlo, Aunt Jenny’s son, Zach’s Beta, had wanted to help, but with everything going on in their pack, he was in no position to leave, a
CATHERINE. A soft moan escaped my throat as Tyler’s mouth devoured mine. He was kissing me hungrily as if he hadn’t been fed for days, but I wasn’t complaining. I wanted him and all the different ways he wanted me. My hands on his shoulders gripped his skin tightly as my body began to grind against his hardened cock, which was prodding against my eager flesh. His fingers coiled around my hair as he tugged it, making my lips break free from his and letting another sultry moan escape my throat. “Tyler…” “I know we should be resting as we will have a long night tomorrow, but I want to have you, baby.” His voice came out throaty, and I felt needy, wanting more of him. “I want that too,“ I replied, almost whimpering. My head was still tilted up, and his hand was still tugging at my hair as his lips caressed my throat. “Can I fuck you hard?” He asked, his breath fanning against the skin of my neck. “So hard that I will not be able to run tomorrow?” I asked teasingly, my fingers runni
CATHERINE. We will enter the arena in twenty minutes. But the list would be shut down a minute before. The last time they checked, my list was still empty. I was smiling, but something felt odd inside. Maybe I was panicking because it was only a few more minutes before Tyler would be officially mine. I never hated the Claiming as I did at this point. If there were no Claiming, Tyler and I would be free to mate and mark each other, and if my mate came around, the effect of him would still be there, but I was sure Tyler would have every right to hold on to me as his mate. “Relax… You’ll be fine. Remember, when you enter the arena, just walk forward, and Tyler will link you once he enters, so you can find each other and walk away together.” Mom reminded me, wiping the sweat that formed on my forehead. “Did you discuss if he would mark you at the arena?” I nodded, shoving the ugly thoughts out of my head. “He asked me last night if he could mark me inside, and I allowed him. I don’t
CATHERINE. ‘Mate!’ Purity howled in my head. I felt goosebumps rise in my skin as my heart thudded loudly. So loud that the whole ballroom noise vanished, and the only thing I could hear was my own heartbeat. ‘Catherine…’ Tyler’s voice reached my head, but I was so shocked that I was not able to answer him. I kept walking alongside Dad until I finally found him. My gaze locked with the ocean-blue eyes that were staring right back at me, looking at me earnestly as if I were his prey. I felt the mate bond snap between us, and I was left immobile, unable to take another step. The whole ballroom vanished. It was just me and my mate. His addicting scent was swirling around me, and it was making my knees buckle that I had to grip Dad’s arm tightly, or I might stumble forward. “Catherine…” Despite standing beside me, Dad’s voice was so faint because all I could hear were growls everywhere. My mate was Alpha Maddox of the Dark Forest Pack. He was part of the clan that attacked and took
CATHERINE.The Claiming was delayed, but it eventually proceeded without us. I was trying to put on a brave face, but my heart longed to see Tyler. He wasn’t around, nor was Jace, but all the Alphas from the circle were with us. Amara said they volunteered to convoy with our cars until we met the reinforcements that would meet us halfway home. Jace didn’t want to, as he didn’t want to put them in danger, but they insisted. I knew I should be thanking them for still looking after us, but I couldn’t even find a word to speak to anyone, not even to my own wolf. Purity and I had always been a team. We suffered and triumphed together, but for the first time since I welcomed her into my life, we were drifting apart. But I knew she understood as much as I understood her. It must be the reason she was not sharing her thoughts with me and had retreated to the back of my head.When it was time to go, I got into the car that Dad was driving. Mom was sitting beside me in the backseat. Amara w
TYLER. “She said she missed you,” Jace said, and it just added to the pain inside. “Stop, Jace.” My shoulders shook as sobs wracked my whole body. The tears I had been trying to stop since earlier came flooding out. “We will find a way. I know it hurts…” In a few steps, Jace was already standing beside me, patting my shoulder. “You don’t get it, man. I don’t even care about myself anymore. Why the fuck was she mated to that asshole? Did you see how he treated her? They had just met, and he was acting in such a manner towards her. If he ever lays a hand on her, I will fucking kill him!” I meant that. Zoey and I never saw eye to eye all the time, but I had always treated her with respect and had never shouted at or embarrassed her in public places. “Of all people… Was this supposed to be the part where I’d wish she was mated to one of your friends or to Andrew? Because even if we don’t end up together, I know she will be taken care of.” “Are you giving up already?” “No. I will
LUNA AMARA. Jace and I barely slept. We just lay in bed and spent most of the night talking about Catherine’s fate and asking questions we never found the answers to. It didn’t help that Jace was already in a rage to see Maddox, and his being mated to his sister was adding salt to an open wound. I was trying to calm him down while my own heart was weeping for my best friend. But we both know that, at this point, we couldn’t let Tyler and Catherine see us as weak. Our Betas needed us, so we decided to make sure that we would keep fighting alongside them as their Alphas and as their family - as long as Catherine kept choosing Tyler. By the time we needed to wake up, we were still awake, and I didn’t think I would be able to sleep, so I took a shower with Jace, and we decided to head down to his office. Jace held my hand, drawing our strengths from each other as he opened the door. We were walking down the corridor when we noticed something on the other wing of the fourth floor.
CATHERINE. I was in my bedroom, sitting by my window and looking at the entrance of the packhouse grounds. I could not see the front of the house, but I could see the car coming in, and I already saw Grandpa Theodore’s vehicle entering the grounds earlier. I could only imagine what was going on in Jace’s office at the moment. As much as I wanted to be there, I didn’t want to look at Grandpa Theo. I felt guilty even though I knew it wasn’t my fault. I was sure nothing they would say about Maddox could make me feel bad for him, but I didn’t want them to look at me with pity. As Amara said, it wasn’t my fault, but still, this was what I had, and until I broke my bond with him, it would cause more chaos in my family. I turned my head when the Omega, who was fixing my wardrobe, asked permission to leave. Some of my clothes that were already in Tyler’s room were sent up. And seeing those clothes hurt like I was back on my own without Tyler. My only consolation was that Tyler sent up