I WASHED the blood off my hands. As silence filled the air, I stared at my reflection on the mirror. I stared at the woman I had become.Stronger. Braver. Wiser.But broken.In fact, I feel more broken than before.The servants trembled in front of me now. None of them had to know that as soon as I stepped inside my room and locked the door, I had to run to the bathroom and throw up. I was never a fan of violence.But this was my reality now.If I don’t do this, who will stand up for me? My father? He was the one who thought giving me a complete family was the solution to all of our problems. He said he loved me and yet, he didn’t trust me with the truth.He believed the doctor more than his own daughter, saying that tricolored wolves were different. They were extremely sensitive. They see things and feel things on a deeper level. He was worried that the loss I would feel about growing up without a mother would have a negative impact on my wolf. Worse, it might manifest late. It was a
(Alexander)SOMETIMES, when I look at them, I see nothing of the happy family everyone was talking about. I look at the Aldanas and I see bridges burning.Dominique and Chantal were very attentive to Katriona. They could easily bag the best mother and sister awards as they fill her plate with food. For outsiders, the two would appear very sweet. Someone had to look closely to see that their gestures were meant to embarrass Katriona, to make her look unstable and very dependent in front of other people which seemed to be their motive anyway.But Katriona just took whatever they offered with that alluring smile of hers. In fact, she sounded bubbly when she thanked them.The Katriona in the North was very transparent. But the Katriona in the city was an enchanting puzzle. I could no longer guess what she was thinking. She was smiling so beautifully but gone was the usual warmth I would feel within whenever she smiles.She was sitting between me and Bradley. Why was this bastard even here
(Katriona)“STOP looking at her as if she is the only one who deserves all your time and attention. Open your eyes! Can’t you see that my sister doesn’t see you the way I do? I’ve loved you since we were young! My feelings had never changed even if you left the city. Look, if this is about my former fiancé, don’t mind him. What I had with him was purely based on business. What I feel for you is nothing like that. It’s stronger. I always knew you would return to the city one day, alpha. I waited for you. For me, it’s always been you. So, please look at me, too.”I was inside my room and currently changing my clothes for my date with Bradley when I heard Chantal say all that. If I didn’t know about her nonexistent heart, I would say that she was hurt. But that was the thing about my sister. She could say and do whatever was necessary to rise on top.She could fake anything… even love.I was sure that dramatic speech was meant for Alexander since Bradley excused himself a while ago to ta
WITH every step I took away from Alexander, my wolf howled. I could feel her clawing out of my chest, desperate to reach out to him. I had to stop moving for a minute when the clawing got too much that I almost couldn’t breathe.This was a hundred times worse than burning inside that barn house, than being pushed in the stairs, or getting struck by Chantal’s arrows. It felt like the pain was stealing my breath away.When my memories returned, I didn’t cry. When I realized I was betrayed or when I remembered my family’s lies, my eyes remained dry. Even when I shed blood last night and saw the monster I needed to become, no tear had slipped from my eyes.I wouldn’t break that now.I wouldn’t cry this time either.
(Alexander)‘AN ALPHA should have three things: pride, honor, and strength. Lose one and you can forget about ruling a pack.’ That was the number one lesson the professors taught me during university days.Honor? Check. Strength? Double check. As for the pride, it had been crossed out of the goddamn list the second I decided to drive back to the Aldana estate. While ringing the doorbell, I had to completely abandon that five-letter word.It was raining. The warrior that I assigned here told me that Katriona came home alone. She had no memories of the North and how she bravely conquered the rain and the thunder back there. I didn’t want to leave her with Charlotte and Diana in moments like this. She must be in the bathroom again, sitting on the tiled floor, as the water runs from the shower.Just imagining it filled me with worry.Diana opened the gate with a male servant holding her massive floral umbrella for her.“Did you finally realize your mistake, Alpha Trevor? Are you here to
“STOP trying to recruit me in your miserable club. I’m already happy with my own life. I can pick my own woman. I don’t need your help. Pair me up with Charmaine or another woman again and you’ll all see what happens next. Those are Alpha Alexander’s exact lines when he barged into the castle and announced that to the ministers there.”Lauren giggled. “You should have seen everyone’s reaction, Katie. They were so shocked. But what they found more shocking was about Charmaine. They didn’t know who she was. I didn’t know either. Until he told them that he’s referring to your sister. Finally. That bitch has found someone who wouldn’t fall for her trap. It’s time for her to get off her high horse. Have I told you how much I dislike her?”She did. Many times, actually.She said it was hate at first sight. She hated Chantal even if she didn’t do anything to her. She said it had something to do with her gut feeling. She used to warn me not to trust her too much but of course, I didn’t listen
(Alexander)“THE BEASTS always recognize each other. I saw Katriona’s. Her beast looked straight into my eyes, into my wolf. What surprises me is that the beasts surrounding her don’t recognize her,” I told Clyde and Duke when we were the only ones left in the conference room. “Aside from that, she is staying awfully quiet. This is not her. Katriona is not introducing her beast to anyone when she could use it to stop the people from looking down at her, especially her family and the Order.”Clyde stared at the house of cards he built on our conference table. “That’s because Katriona’s beast is in an entirely different league. Besides, what’s wrong with being silent? The silent ones are always the deadliest, buddy.”I put down the phone that I had been using to browse engagement rings. “What do you mean? Do you know something?”Duke’s lips twitched in amusement. “Are you finally done being a delulu, my dear nephew?”“Thinking ahead and being delusional are two different things, uncle.”
KATRIONA remembered me and she was out to hurt me back. To deny me. And worse, to erase me from her system and from her life.I wanted to push it and tell her that what she heard in the basement was not real. She must have been thinking that just like everyone else, I tricked her. But after seeing how she broke down, after remembering how she looked at me with those dead eyes, I had to restrain myself.She had been too broken that whatever I say now would not help with her pain. I don’t think she would believe me either. And she had every right not to believe in me. She was protecting herself… from me. I was relieved that she had learned how to value herself more.Still, it hurt like hell. But I will take all the pain she would throw my way as long as she was alive and I get to see her safe and sound. I would rather we fight like this than not have anything at all with her.Clyde was right. Katriona was taking her revenge. She wanted to break me. That was my intention, too, when I to