37. Conflicted

...Darius POV...

To say I was surprised that Catherine turned out to be my mate is the understatement of the century. She had pined over me for years. To the point that I always tried to find other things to do whenever I knew she would be visiting. I just found her to be overbearing.

She never hid her feelings for me. She would always tell everyone that I was her mate. I always hated the attention she gave me and wished that she would find her true mate so that she could finally be done with me. However, I was never that lucky.

So when she turned out to be my mate, I was more than surprised. It was strange, though, as it felt like none of my emotions had truly changed that much since I had found out. I was always told when I was a kid how strong the mate bond was. It could turn enemies into lovers and strangers into the best of friends.

I had anticipated that it wouldn't be any different for Catherine and me. But something felt off. I could still feel my past emotions for her but mix