《The Wolf King's Luna》 CHAPTER 1 CHAPTER 1 CATHERINE. "No." The word is cold and unyielding. Standing before Vance, the Alpha of the Sylight pack, I have never felt more alone. "The goddess must be joking," he mutters as he stares at me. "Al¡­ Alpha," I stutter, shaking in my bones. "Very well then, let''s get this over with. I, Vance Sky, reject you, Catherine Thames, as my mate." The gasps and shock of the members surround me, covering me in shame and embarrassment. And while my heart breaks at his words, I am not surprised. Vance has never once spoken up about my abuse in the pack. Everyone, including him, sees me as a waste of space. The daughter of traitors, an omega wolf, a servant. I have no backing and no friends. Why would he ept me as his mate? As these questions run through my mind, I am startled by the snide and cruelugh of Tammy Fay. The number one she-wolf of the pack. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "What is this?" she demands with a cruel smirk. "The little omega has a mate. Our Alpha, nheless. You bitch," she snarls as she grabs me by my hair and flings me to the ground. "Don''t you know your ce?" I hear my rib crack at the force at which I hit the ground. Just another day. Who cares if it''s my birthday? Who even knows it''s my birthday? "You are a weak and pathetic wolf. Do you even think Vance would ever ept you?" Tammy continues as she walks over to Vance and rests on his arm. I look at him, hoping against hope that he will prove her wrong. That he would see me in a new light. He doesn''t. Instead, he turns away from me as he takes her hand. "Come this weekend, the Skylight pack will have the mating ceremony. Tammy Fay will be the new Luna of this pack," he announces. Everyone cheers and shouts in celebration. All the pack members hurry over to congratte them. With some even stepping on me in the process. And once again, I am forgotten. I pick up my bruised body and sneak out of the mansion. Tears poured down my face. I had woken up this morning to a soothing and enticing scent. Following it, I hade face to face with Vance. He was my mate. I can still remember the look that hade over his face. Shock and then disgust. He must have been so excited to find his mate, only to see that it was me. Wolves can only find their mates when they are eighteen or past it. If one has yet to reach the age, the other would have to wait until they do. Tammy must be so excited. She finally has her dreame true. I drag myself to the small cupboard that they call a room. When the previous Alpha had shoved me into it, he told me to be grateful for it. Because I am the child of traitors. My parents were executed on the previous Alpha''s order when he used them of trying to assassinate him. It didn''t make sense. Why would they want to kill the Alpha? They were not that kind of people? They were nning on leaving the pack, so why? Why would they want to assassinate the Alpha? But no one thought like that. No, no one wanted to feel like that. No one would ever think of going against the Alpha''s words. Shortly after their deaths, he attacked another pack but did not survive. Only his headless corpse was brought back, and his head was kept as a war prize. Vance seeded him. Vance. His name brings another onught of pain and anguish to my heart. "It''s all right, Cat. You will get better." My wolf whispers. "Why aren''t you bothered by the rejection?" I demand. "You don''t even seem fazed." "Why should I? Can you imagine being Luna to those people? They abused us for years. How would you be able to lead them without resentment? It is better this way," she says. "It still hurts," I whimper. "I know. But we will get better." "How? We are stuck in this pack forever; how will it improve?" How would I be able to face Vance and Tammy every day after this? Tammy, who is my chief tormentor. How would I be able to survive her? "Let''s go for a run," my wolf says. "Now?" "It would help us heal faster." That''s true. I quickly leave the room and head over to an abandoned trail in the woods. I have yet toe here, which is perfect for me. It''s the only ce I can be sure to be safe. People in the pack think that I am a wolf-less omega. An added strain to my already wretched existence. In actuality, my wolf is the one thing that I am grateful for. I am d people don''t know about her; who knows what they would do? My wolf is a beauty. Huge, with beautiful silver fur. Even though I know that that is weird. The closest color I have seen is a bright white coat. Not silver. My wolf warned me never to reveal my form to others. She still wouldn''t tell me why. I hear a snap from the woods as I am about to strip off my clothes. Whirling around, I see one, two, and seven men emerge from the trees. They move closer to me, surrounding me. "Please," I beg. "I didn''t do anything." "Ah, well, that is true. You didn''t do something." The voicees from the woods, and as I try to angle myself to see who it is, Tammy steps out. She walks over to me, grinning maliciously at me. "Tammy," I deadpan, only to receive a hard blow across my face, pushing me to the ground. "That is Luna to you traitor." I look down at my hands and see the blood begin to well out. I reach for my face, and it stings to touch. "Luna," I grit out. "What did I do?" I ask She reaches my level and pulls my hair back, revealing my face. Evil is apparent in hers. "You did not ept the rejection," she snarls. CHAPTER 2 CHAPTER 2 CATHERINE. "Ugh." I grunt as I am kicked in the stomach again. "What more do you want, Tammy, " I scream before I receive another p. "I have already epted the rejection," I cry out. "Luna!" she shouts. "I am your Luna!" She repeatedly kicks me in the face before pulling me up by the hair. "As for what I want, I want you dead." What?! "Dead? Luna, please. I am sorry," I begin to beg. For what? I do not know. What I do know is that I don''t want to die. "I am sorry. I am sorry," I chant over and over again. "What are you all still waiting for?" she snarls at the men. "Beat her up. I want her to be unrecognizable." And before I can say another word in protest, I am once again assaulted by blows and kicks. There are cuts and blood stains all over my body, and slowly, everywhere begins to darken. I lose strength and stop struggling. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Looks like Tammy is going to get her wish. I am going to die here. "Don''t think like that," my wolf scolds me. "Why won''t you help me?" I whine as I receive another kick in the face. "We can''t reveal ourselves to them." "They are going to kill us," I gasped. "No, they can''t. They are not capable of it." "What does that even mean?" She doesn''t respond. Instead, I am kicked in the gut. I don''t even react. My body is so broken that I don''t have the strength to make a sound, much less move. "Luna¡­" I overhear one of the wolves start. "Quick, throw her body into the river. Vance must never see her again. From now on, there will be no Catherine for him. Only me. I will be his only mate." "Yes, Luna." They think I am dead. Oh my god. I feel them pick me up and begin moving. They think I am dead. They are going to dump me in the river. "What do I do?" I ask my wolf but receive no answer. What can I do? I am broken and beaten within every inch of my body, and even if I can still move, what could I do? They are pack warriors trained to fight. What could I do against them? I am suddenly aware of the sounds of rushing water, and my heart picks up even faster. This is it. This is my end. It''s not fair. I don''t deserve this. I can''t die like this. "Please¡­ help me," I whimper. No response. Suddenly, I am thrown high up into the air, and for just one glorious moment, it feels terrific. Free, like I am flying. And then gravity steps in. I fall so fast that I can''t breathe between my aching ribs before submerging in the frigid, ice-cold water. The force at which I hit the water is so jarring that I swear I feel a bone crack. I can''t swim; my limbs are useless, but somehow, I manage to float on my back. I don''t know how long I float downstream; I am aware of the jagged rocks that bump and scratch at me, the sun moving through the sky and finally setting, and the cricketsing out to sing. But as for being consciously aware of all these, no. I am not. I float in and out of consciousness, never fully passing out. As if something was stopping me from doing so. And I know, the moment I do lose consciousness, I die. So I hang on. For as long as possible. Vance, my heart aches for him. Ever since I can remember, I have dreamt and prayed to the goddess that my mate woulde and save me. I didn''t pray for him to be part of my tormentors. But what was I even thinking? Everyone in that pack hates me. For a crime I didn''tmit. And now I am being punished for being mated to Vance. It''s not like I wanted him as a mate in the first ce. How is this my life? What did I do to end up like this? I am alerted to the sounds of howling. Lots of howling. Wolves. They found me. Again. I am going to die. As the steam pushes me forward, I be aware of running paws, running alongside the current, keeping pace with me. Many paws. I hear a loud ssh, followed by little ones. Someone ising for me. Soon, I am cradled into the arms of a man. Gently. Which sets off all rm bells in my head. No one in the pack treats me gently. Who are these people? We move through the current until we get to the bank of the river, where I am carefully set down. I still can''t move, and I think I am paralyzed. They hit me everywhere. From the corner of my eyes, I see the wolves shuffle away as someone''s footsteps can be heard walking closer. A pair of sleek ckmando bootse within my eyesight. The man beside me bows his head to the person before stepping back. "What is this?" a female voice, filled with authority, demands. An unfamiliar one. This is getting worrying. Who are these people, for goddess''s sake? And what do they want from me? "Patrol picked up her scent a few minutes ago. She is still breathing but wounded," the man answers. The woman bends down to me, and I am met with the most beautiful woman I have ever met. I didn''t know they made eyes that blue again. She looks me over, prodding a finger at my muscles, legs, hands, and neck. "Someone wanted her dead," she remarks. I make a humming sound, and she snaps her eyes to mine. A small, genuine smile splits her face. "Why hello there, what''s your name?" I don''t respond. I can''t respond. The pain is suddenly overwhelming. I fall into darkness. CHAPTER 3 CHAPTER 3 MELISSA. I stare in pity at the poor girl. She is bloody, bruised, and torn in different body parts. Who would do something like this? "Where did you pick up her scent?" I ask Tobias, one of our patrol wolves. "A few miles up, past the borderline." "That''s a long way to be floating in the river. Pick her up; we will head over to the pack clinic." I watch as he lifts her gently, and we begin hurrying steadily but fast. As we clear the woods, I break off from them. "You guys go on ahead. I will meet youter," I tell them. I head to the mansion and my brother''s office. I enter without knocking. "Mel, I have told you several times to knock before entering," he says without lifting his head from the documents he is looking at. "Don''t want to," I retort. "One of these days, you will see something you would regret." "I doubt it," I say as I flop down on one of the chairs facing him and ce my feet on his desk. He sighs at my antics before looking up. "What do you want now?" he demands, tired of my crap. I brought in another wolf. She was left for dead." "Hmm. Skylight pack?" he asks as he goes back to reading through the documents. "Most likely. They have a nasty habit of killing their wolves after all, they must have thought she was dead." "Fine. Do you. Just make sure you question her well enough to ensure she is not a threat to the pack," he orders. "Yes, sir." I get up to give him a mock salute before walking away. CATHERINE. I awaken to the sounds of beeping machines, the obscene lights in the room nearly blinding me. When I get used to their re, I look around to see I am in some clinic. "You are awake," a voice sounds from beside me. I look over to see two women standing at my bedside. One is the woman I saw earlier, who had saved me. The voice that asked the question belonged to the other woman. "I am healer Haley. I have been watching over your healing progress," she introduces herself. "Ho¡­How long have I¡­" I break off to clear my throat. My voice is faint, either fromck of use or bruised vocal cords. "Don''t strain yourself; your vocal cords are bruised," Haley says. "Your whole body is bruised. I am amazed you manage to hold on that long," shements. Yeah, me too. "This is Melissa," she gestures to the other woman. "She is the one who saved you and brought you to the clinic." "Thank you," I rasp out. "You are wee," she replies with a warm smile. "Where am I?" I ask. "Oh, my bad," Melissa exims. "This is the ckwater pack. My brother is the Alpha," she says. ckwater? Alpha Damon ckwater? Hell no. No, no, no. No way. I didn''t survive that beating and being thrown into a fast-moving river only to die at the hands of an unforgiving, ruthless alpha. Damon ckwater is the number one Alpha in the world. He is ruthless, cold, and vicious to all those he considers his enemy. He was the one who killed Vance''s father. And while I am not aware of the reason, his hatred for the Skylight pack and its members is well known. Melissa must have seen something on my face as she quickly said to assure me. "Don''t worry. I have informed him of your presence, and he is okay with it." I nod at her in eptance. The sooner she leaves, the sooner I can escape. "There are still some wears and tears left to heal," Haley says. "I suggest you go out for a run to hasten the healing process." I nod at her and watch them both leave. "Let''s go for a run." "Are you kidding me? Now? You show up now? Where were you when I needed you?" I snarl at her. "I am sorry. I couldn''t let them see me," she says. "We could have died!" "And we didn''t. I kept you floating, didn''t I? Long enough for that she-wolf to find us." "That she-wolf is the sister of Damon ckwater. We are in the backwater pack, do you understand that?" "Hmm." "What is wrong with you?" "Let''s go for a run." "No!" "Please. Think of it this way: the sooner we heal, the sooner we can leave." It is a good idea. But¡­ N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "I can''t just run around in an enemy pack," I tell her. "You have already been given permission. Don''t you want to leave here?" I sigh in exasperation. There is no point arguing with her when she is like this. I get up from the bed and move towards the door. "Hi, where are you going?" Haley asks as soon as I open the door. Was she standing guard? "For a run, like you suggested," I say. "Oh, that''s good. I wasing to recheck your vitals, but we can do that when you return. Just go out through the side door, and you will be met with long acres of woods. "Feel free to run there." "Thank you." I follow her direction into the woods and shift into my wolf. The moment my paws touch the ground, I am off running. Well, my wolf is off running. "Where are you going?" She doesn''t respond. She keeps tearing through the woods, weaving through the trees and cutting curves. "Slow down, will you? This is not the skylight pack. You can''t just run anywhere you like. We can get punished for this." I am ignored once again. Finally put off by her behavior, I prepare myself to shift forms when tackled to the ground by the biggest wolf I have ever seen. It is more significant than Vance''s wolf. And it''s Gold. What the hell? CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 4 DAMON. "Stop it already!" I snap at my wolf. "I want to run," he growls back. "You ran this morning." "And I want to run again. What? It''s not like you have anything better to do?" he snarls. He does have a point. All these documents are just variations of the same thing. "I have a daughter or a female mateless wolf, and we can offer her to you as a mate; let us have an alliance." Disgusting, greedy, power-hungry vultures. The whole lot of them. The ckwater pack is the most powerful and lethal in this side of the hemisphere, and everyone wants to be its friend. And instead of going about it the usual, honorable way, they offer their she-wolves up as a bargain. Like they didn''t matter. I wish I could find my mate already. It would certainly put a stop to this nonsense. "Run." "Okay, okay. I have heard you," I mutter as I stand up. "We will go for your stupid run." I pack up the coted files and dump them in the trash as I walk out. I get to the mansion''s entrance, and in one long leap, I jump out into the woods, shifting in mid-air and tearing my clothes. Mother is not going to like that. I race through the woods, letting the breeze run through my fur and the sounds of the woods beating in tandem with my heart. I love running. It is the one time I am free to be myself. It is also the only time I get to admire my wolf. It is a magnificent creature. Huge, with a mass body build. And Gold. Yes, gold. The only people who have seen it are my parents and my sister. No one else is allowed to see it. Only when I find my mate. Per my mother''s instruction. Why? She wouldn''t say. But I trust her, and let''s be honest, having a gold-coated wolf is reason enough to listen to her order. I have never run with my pack, a fact that grieves me but one I have to continue. Fortunately, they trust me. Well, most of them do. A few years ago, a group of rebellious wolves spread a rumor that I was wolflees and their leader had challenged me to a duel. He had shifters in his will form and attacked me before I could get in position. I killed him with just one twist of my hand on his neck. Still in human form. The rest of his gang were quickly executed, and dissent was quieted. This knowledge somehow spread to other packs, causing fear and wariness. Some took it as a challenge. For some reason, the previous Alpha of the Skylight pack had taken that as a challenge. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. He and some of his warriors sneaked into mynds and sought to kill me. In my own home. I sent back only his headless corpse for burial. His head and the corpses of the other wolves were hanged at the front of the pack for a week as a warning to those who would try anything simr. Suffice it to say I earned the fear and respect of everyone. All I need to aplish is my mate. I am brought out of my musings by the most delectable scent ever. It is Light, floral, and fresh like the scent a waterfall gives when it sshes down on the surrounding vegetation. Mate. Without a second thought, I change direction and head for the scent, only one word winging in my ears. Mate. Mate. Mate. I caught sight of the most unusual colored wolf ever. Silver coated. A match to my good coat. It''s to slow down my wolf so as not to spook her, but he ignores me and runs straight into her, knocking her over. To my surprise, the wolf gets back on her feet and growls. At me. An Alpha. This is interesting. CATHERINE. "Are you trying to kill me?" I scream internally at my wolf. "He knocked us over," she snarls. Her response takes me aback, not specifically at the words but at the tone underneath the anger. She is excited. "You are trying to kill me." Without waiting for a response, I quickly shift back to my human form, kneeling, and head to the ground. "I am sorry," I gasp out. "She didn''t mean to growl." "Yes, she did." I see the tallest, muscled, and most handsome man walking away. He is also naked. Very¡­ naked. "Huh?" I ask stupidly. He says nothing in response as he returns, holding an oversized ck shirt out to me. I stare at him briefly before taking the shirt from him. What is wrong with everybody in this pack? Are they all just very helpful toward strangers? Once I am clothed, he immediately scoops me into his arms, bridal style, and begins walking. I did mention he was naked, right? I am stunned by his behavior, yet I say nothing, scared of what might happen. Somehow, I managed to calm down and became aware of his scent. A very intoxicating scent. It is woodsy and fresh, like pine trees wetted by morning dew. It is¡­ rxing. "It is," my wolf purrs. Purrs. "I know I have asked this before, but what the hell is wrong with you?" I am not even surprised by her silence. It was just my luck to be paired with the most irritating and self-absorbed wolf. "Hey!" "Am I wrong?" I be aware of our surroundings changing; the woods thin out, and a vast mansion is revealed. The man carries me through and up a set of winding stairs. "Um¡­ excuse me¡­" He doesn''t show any signs of having heard me. Instead, he opens a room and dumps me on therge bed before joining me andtching onto my lips in a searing kiss. CHAPTER 5 CHAPTER 5 CATHERINE. I am frozen at his move. He didn''t even say anything! I raise my hands to push him away, but all they do is hang limply on his shoulders. As the man adjusts himself over me, my hands go higher, gripping his neck and pushing him down on me. Like a drug, I crave his warmth. Our hands continue to roam each other''s bodies, exploring each other. Whatever thoughts I had towards his behavior are fast disappearing in the onught of his kisses. He moves from my lips andtches onto my neck, nipping at the tender skin, up and down, muttering something. I strain my ears to catch his words and am shocked at what I hear. Mate. He is calling me his mate. With a strength I didn''t know I possessed, I shove him off me, thickly scrambling up the bed away from him. "What did you say?" I gasp out. He stares at me in confusion. "Mate. I said, "mate", you are my mate." "No, I am not." "What?" "I am not your mate." "What do you mean you are not my mate? Can''t you feel the pull?" he demands. "The mate bond?" "No, I don''t. I don''t feel anything." In my defense, my skin was still flushed, and my heart was still racing at the make-out we were having. "I have a mate," I tell him before I correct myself. "Well, I had one. He rejected me. The point is, I can''t be your mate. You must be confused." He stares at me before getting off the bed. "You, stay here. You are not allowed to leave this room without my permission," he orders before walking away. I watch in shock as he walks out and also hear him lock the doors. I don''t even know his name. DAMON. "I am not your mate." Her words keep ringing in my ears like a hammer on an anvil as I stalk through the mansion with no clear destination. What does that even mean? She is my mate. I can feel it. My wolf can. So why the hell is she talking about another mate? I stop at the front of a set of double doors and I''m not even surprised. Whenever I encounter a confounding problem that I can''t see through, I go to my mother. Luna Janelle. At least she is until I find my mate. Which I have already found. "Ugh," I groan out in frustration as I push open the doors. My mother looks up from her lounge chair in surprise. Upon registering the look on my face, she sets the book she is reading down and pats the space between her. "Come, sit. Tell me what''s wrong," she says. I stalk over to her and drop down on the space she provided. "I found my mate," I say. "Well, that is good news, isn''t it?" she asks with a wide smile. "Hmm. She says I can''t be her mate. That she already has one and that he rejected her. " The fucker. Wait, why am I angry at that? "Mother," I groan out. "I am confused." "Yes, I suppose that would make anyone confused." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "What does she mean she has a mate?" "Oh, Damon. There is something I have to tell you." I look up at her and see she has a serious face on. "Mother?" "There is a secret¡­ passed down to all alphas to their sons. Your father, bless his soul, didn''t have the chance to tell you about it." "What is it?" "A legend. Of the wolf king and his mate. They are said to be the strongest wolves only when bonded. Alone, they are strong but not to their full strength." "That is a myth, mother, not a legend," I tell her. "And what does that have to do with my problem?" "Let me finish. Once, a very long time ago, a group of Alpha wolves were threatened by this pair and, therefore, partook of a ritual that would cause them to miss each other. "It could be by arge age gap, death to one of them, being born in different packs or territories, anything really. To curtail this, the goddess created a backup n. A backup mate, per se. Once they reach their eighteenth year birthday, they find a mate. Not their ordained mates but one that would suffice." "What¡­ what are you saying?" I ask her in growing apprehension. She ignores me and continues talking. "These wolves, the king and his queen, are marked by a distinct trait. A trait that, once seen, there can be no doubt as to who they are. The male wolf would have a gold coated fur while the female''s coat would be silver." Oh shit. "Once theyplete the mating ritual, the barrier on their powers will vanish, and they wille to their full strength. My take is that this mate she is talking about, is just her substitute mate. You are her true mate." "No. Wait¡­ what are you talking about? What wolf king and queen, I am not a wolf king or anything like that. Where did you even hear this?" I ask her as I get up to pace around the room. "Your father told me. On the day you first shifted, we saw your fur. And you are destined to be the wolf king," she says before me. She takes my hands and brings them to her lips, kissing them, "You are already on the way to bing that. Now all you need is to bring your mate into the fold and everything will work out well.". I stare at her for a few seconds before reaching down and cing a kiss on her forehead. "It iste, Mother; you go to bed now. We will talk more in the morning." I leave her and, without actual thought, head back to¡­ I don''t even know her name. We are off to a great start, aren''t we? I unlock the door and push it open to reveal her still in the position I left her in. "We need to talk." CHAPTER 6 CHAPTER 6 CATHERINE. "We need to talk." I am startled out of my thoughts by the man''s voice. I didn''t even know when he entered. I watch him stalk towards the foot of the bed and drop on it. "First stings first, what is your name?" he asks with a grump. "Catherine," I mumble. "Sorry, can you speak up? I didn''t hear you." "My name is Catherine," I say louder. "Hello, Catherine. I am Damon. It is nice to finally meet you." I just stare at him, waiting for him to get to business. "I am sorry for my past behavior," he begins in my silence. "I promise, I am not usually like this. I was just¡­ Offended? Hurt? I don''t know. You saying you have a mate already puts me in a mood." "It is okay, I think?" I don''t understand what is going on anyway. "So, I talked to my mother." Huh? "She exined a few things. Would you be willing to hear them?" he asks "Sure." Do I even have a choice? He then proceeds to tell me some out-of-the-world legend that just doesn''t make sense. Wolf king? Queen? Me? What the hell is going on? "So, what do you think"? What do I think? "It is¡­ a lot," I answer. All this is weird. It''s been barely two days since my birthday and since then, I have found my mate, been rejected, passed over for another, beaten to almost death, and been thrown into a river to drown. Only to be saved by a strange woman and then be kissed within my life by who might be the most handsome man I have ever seen. "It is. I know it is," he concurs. "How do you feel about it all?" "I am sorry, who are you? I mean in this pack?" "Oh, my apologies, I am Damon. The Alpha of the ckwater pack." Oh shit. "What?!" "Are you okay?" "Oh my god. I am so sorry. I didn''t mean to get into your territory," I rush out as I begin to scramble off the bed, bowing my head repeatedly in apology. "Catherine, stop. Are you okay?" he says as he reaches for me only for me to flinch back and fall on my butt. He looks over the edge of the bed to stare at me in shock. I, on the other hand, am mortified. "Catherine, what happened to you?" he asks slowly. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "Nothing. Nothing Alpha," I say quietly as I pull myself to and stand at attention, waiting for him to hit me. As usual. Instead, all I hear is silence. For minutes that feel like hours, I hear nothing. Almost like I was the only one in the room. Finally, I pluck up the tiny courage to look up and I see him watching me. Intensely. I immediately drop my head down in fear. "I am sorry Alpha. I didn''t mean to look." My voice is wobbly and faint from the tears that I am trying to find back. I lost. The tears fell anyway. Silently. I hear him sigh before he moves off the bed. By now I am already a shaking mess. I can''t stop the trembling that tracks through my body as it prepares for whatever abuse might fall on me. Alpha Damon is renowned for his ruthlessness. No one has ever stood against him and survived. He killed them all. He doesn''t suffer his enemies to live. He hates rogues and anyone who trespasses into his pack. He abhors weakness. And I am weak. The weakest of all. I see his feet walk closer to me and I close my eyes in trepidation, only to feel the weight of a cloth drop on me. Startled, I look at my shoulders and see his jacketid across them. I look up at him in question and he just smiles. "You were shivering," he says. "I figured you were cold." What? "Here,e sit," he says as he gently pulls me to the bed and I mutely follow. He didn''t hit me. Why not? He ces me on the bed while he walks over to the dresser, picking something out. He walks back to me and drops to his knees before me. He then gently takes my feet and puts on a pair of the softest socks I have ever felt. "You are not¡­ angry at me?" I whisper. "Why would I be?" "I- I don''t know. I trespassed across yournd." "From what I gathered, my sister was the one who brought you unto thend. You were unconscious. Why were you unconscious?" he looks up at me to ask. I don''t answer. What can I say? Oh, my mate rejected me for another woman and that woman had me unbeaten and tossed into the river. That would just make me look pathetic. "Okay then. Why were you in the river?" Still no response. He sighs as he stands up and stares down at me. "You are a quiet one aren''t you?" Well yeah. I grew up abused and I have no friends to talk to except my wolf. "You have had a long day," he starts. "We both have. A lot of revtions. So, why don''t we both take a break and resume this tomorrow." "Um, okay," I answered. "Ah, she speaks," he teases and I flush red in response. "Sorry. You can stay here for the night. It''s my room so no one wille in to disturb you. I just need to grab some things and I will be out of your hair." I watch him as he goes through the wardrobes and drawers and bathroom, picking up things here and there before his hands are filled with clothes and other necessities. "As for our conversation, we can continue it tomorrow," he informs as he walks to the door only for him to stop and turn to me. "And Catherine, you have to know, I would never, ever hit you. I will die before I do that." He walks out. So, that happened. CHAPTER 7 CHAPTER 7 DAMON. I am lost in thought as I Walk to my study. That is where I am going to spend the night. My mind just kept racing through the interaction I had just had. The fear she had exhibited when she found out that I was the Alpha was¡­ disturbing. She was terrified. The trembling, the constant apologies¡­ the fact that she was found half dead and almost drowned in ake. She was tortured. My mate was tortured. I can''t stop the vicious growl that rips through me at that realization. Who would dare? I can feel my control slipping from my wolf as even my thoughts start to sound in his voice. I drop the load in my hand right in front of the food and throw myself out the window. I am already in my wolf form before I touch the floor. I race through the woods, tearing up tufts of grass as I move at a vicious speed. My mate was tortured. My mate. "I will kill them," my wolf growls. "We will have to find out who they are first," I reply. "Then ask her," he growls. "I don''t think it will be that easy." "Why not?" "You saw her. She is terrified of us." "No, she is not. She is terrified of Alpha''s. Most definitely the one who hurt her." Huh, that makes sense. "She said she had a mate," my wolf continued. "And that she was rejected," I add. "Could it be the same Alpha?" But then why would he try to have her killed? It doesn''t matter anyway. I am going to find him and kill him. And I will enjoy it. "I will as well." Eventually, I wear out my wolf and head back to the mansion. It is dead quiet. Everyone is asleep. I walk up to my room and try opening the door to check in on her but it is bolted shut. It is fine. At least I can hear her low breathing from the other side. She is safe now. With me. And that is all that matters. I walk back to my study and as I enter I see that my clothes and other essentials are arranged on the long sofa that has been pulled out. Mother''s handwork most likely. Without further ado, I head into the adjoining bath for a quick shower before changing into sweatpants and heading to bed. ************* "Aaaahhh." The terror-stricken wail tears through the serenity of the night, startling me awake and alert. It is a desperate and frightened cry that echoes throughout the house. Without a second thought, I race out of the study and take the stairs two at a time, I head to my room where thanks to my heightened senses, I can hear Catherine''s desperate and heartbreaking whimpers. I m into the door, breaking the locks and hinges in the process and I rush into the room. "Catherine," I pant. "What''s wrong?" I ask as I look around the room searching for an intruder. Beneath my skin, I can feel my wolf being edgy and angsty, growling in my mind, looking for who to rip into pieces. Behind me, I can hear several people rushing over, wondering what is causing all the racket. My search turns up nothing and I turn to look at Catherine who just covers away from my gaze. "Catherine," I call out as I move to her only for her to scoot back and whimper in pain. "Cat-" "Damon." I look back to see my mother entering the room. "Mother," I greet. She nods at me before turning to Catherine, watching her and cataloging her every twitch. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She turns back to me,ing to my front to cut my view of Catherine. "Why don''t you leave me with her for a few minutes," she says. "Mother," I growl. "I understand you are worried," she says, her voice low in a whisper. "But imagine how this looks to her. She is in a strange ce, with unfamiliar people. She has just clearly had a nightmare and you broke into her room. Yes for good intentions but still. It is a lot. So why don''t you take the rest of the gawkers out while I calm her down." I look back to see that indeed there are a lot of people standing at the door. I turn back to her and give her a curt nod. "Very well, but don''t take too long. I am barely hanging on to my control and my wolf is not helping matters." She nods at me with a smile and I turn to leave. "There is nothing to see here," I say. " Everyone, leave," I ordered. They all rush to obey. As far as they are concerned, no amount of curiosity or news is worth my anger. I walk slowly at their backs, making sure that there are no dissidents who would like to test me tonight. Finally, I reach the end of the stairs and I am at a loss for what to do. I don''t want to go for a run. I doubt it would help anything. What I want is to hold her and remove that terrified look in her eyes whenever she sees me. To assure her that I will never hurt her or let anyone harme near her. "Just who is the bastard that hurt her?" I growl out. I received no answer. So I wait and wait. I intentionally block the sounds in the room froming to my attention. As much as I want to hear what they are saying, I choose to respect her privacy. It is still hard though. Finally, after what seems like hours, I hear footsteps descending the stairs. I stand up quickly and look up to see my mothering down with a dour look. "What''s wrong? Is she okay? What happened?" I rushed out. She walks to me and raises her hand to my face. "You should be gentle with her. She seems like she has been through a lot," she tells me. "I figured as much. But what happened now? Why did she scream?" "A nightmare." "Night-. What? What kind of nightmare would make her scream like that?" "A terrible one. You should go talk to her, but remember to be gentle. Calm. Okay?" "Okay." I hurt up the stairs, onlying to a measured and calm stride at the entrance of the door. "Hey," I say to her figure. She looks up at me in surprise before giving me a wane smile. "Hi." CHAPTER 8 CHAPTER 8 CATHERINE. "Hi," I say to the Alpha at the door. "Can Ie in?'' he asks. "Yes, please." As he walks in with his veryrge and domineering frame, I try to hold on to the assurance given to me by the woman earlier. Damon''s mother. "He will never hurt you¡­ he is just worried about you. Why don''t you try and give him the chance to show that he is different?" she had asked. "My mother told me you had a nightmare, do you want to talk about it?" he asks as he sits at the foot of the bed, a good distance away from me. "No, not really." "That is fine then. How are you feeling?" "Um, calmer. I think. Thank you for asking." We are both silent after that. None of us knew what to say to each other. I take the opportunity to look at him. He is big. Really big. Broad shoulders just emphasize therge expense of his bare chest, and his arms are muscr but not in a bulgy way. Nothing about him is bulgy, just trim and fit. He has shoulder length loose curled hair that I am not sure if it is brown or auburn, it looks silky and my fingers itch to run through the strands. His face is an art of chiseled and perfectly properties lines. And his eyes are the clearest pair of green I have ever seen. Everything about him is just irritatingly perfect, it is unreal. "You want a picture? It willst longer," he teases, making me flush down to my toes. "Sorry, that was mean," he apologizes. "It is fine. I was staring," I reply. "And?" "What is the verdict? Do you like what you see?" I choke in my saliva at the question, making me cough and heave for breath. "I will take that as a yes," he says as he moves closer to pat my back for air. I manage to calm down as I raise my head for air. "You good?" "Yes, thank you." "No problem. I wanted to apologize, have I done that before? I am not sure, can''t remember. But if I haven''t, I am sorry." "For what?" I ask. "For everything. I was so excited to finally meet my mate, I just threw myself at you like a caveman." "I think you already apologized for that." "Then I apologize for breaking in like that and giving you more reasons to fear me." I can''t help but smile at him. He is kind of adorable. "You are forgiven." "So, shall we start over? I am Damon ckwater, Alpha of the ckwater pack." "I am Catherine. Catherine Thames." "Hello, Catherine. What about your pack?" I refuse to give him the name of my pack. "I have no pack." "I see. Well, you have one now. Wee to the ckwater pack." "What? You can''t do that?" "Why not? I am the Alpha am I not?" "Yes, but- I am- you don''t know who I am?" I tell him. "Of course I do. You are Catherine Thames. My mate," he says in such a deadpan voice, it makes me wonder if he is alright, mentally. "But-" "That is enough for that. What I want to know is if you are willing to give me a chance?" "A chance?" "To prove that I am a wonderful mate." I am tempted to ask what would happen if I said no but I decide against it. Ever since I got here, I have been treated kindly and with respect. The least I can do is do the same. "I can try," I tell him. "That is good enough for me," he says standing up. His eyes are caught by the shattered door on the floor. "Ah, I will have someone fix that. Tomorrow. Will you be okay with an open room? If not you can come to the study," he says. "No, I am okay." I am notfortable just moving around just yet. "Okay then. If you need anything, just say my name. I wille running." "Thank you. Damon." He smiles at me before walking out. I am left alone with just my thoughts. Is it possible that my life can change this much overnight? "Of course it is. He is perfect, you should mate as soon as possible?" my wolf answers. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" ********* SKYLIGHT PACK VANCE. Something is wrong. I have been getting this feeling for a few days and it is beginning to piss me off. The fact that my wolf is not something to me is just a bonus. "How long are you going to keep ignoring me?" I demand. No answer. Great. I leave my room and head to the training grounds to get a good workout in. Maybe it will help with my quickly souring mood. "Alpha," Cody, my Beta and Tammy''s brother greets. "Cody. How is the training going?" I ask. "good. We will be getting the new set of wolves inducted this weekend." "That''s good. Come with me, I need a sparring partner." "Yes, Alpha." We spent the next few hours roughhousing it. I beat him in several rounds and we are bruised, sweating, and aching everywhere. "Okay, that is it for now," I call out to him as Iy on the floor panting. "Thank you," he gasps out. I manage to pull myself up and head to The kitchen for a cup of water when I enter into a shit storm. Dirty pates overflowing from the sink, burnt pots and pans, empty bridges, and an appealing amount of empty take-outs. "What the fuck?" I snarl." What is the meaning of all this?" I demand. The whole ce goes silent. No one is willing to look into my eyes. "Well, have you all gone deaf? Why is this ce messy? Answer me!" I roar. The noise has Cody running into the kitchen. "Alpha? What''s wrong?" he asks. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "You tell me? Why is this ce a mess? Why isn''t it cleaned? Where is Catherine?" He freezes at that and I begin to get that this is why I have been feeling off these days. "Cody?" I growl. "Where. Is. Catherine?" "Alpha, Catherine- Catherine is no longer in the pack." "What?!" "About fucking time you noticed," my wolf snacks. Fucking great. CHAPTER 9 CHAPTER 9 MELISSA. "What is it?" I ask one of the warrior wolves as he runs up to me. "We found some blood stains on rocks on the other side of the river, as well as this," he says as he holds up a dirty and bloodied piece of cloth. "This looks familiar," I mutter as I take it. "It should. It was torn from that she-wolf''s dress." "I see. Where did you say you found this? Where exactly?" "It was up some rocks. It looked like she tumbled down into theke." "Tumbled?" "Thrown. I believe she was thrown off or shoved. Either way, no one would willingly go that far into the crags." "Very well. Go back to the pack and get a canoe, we will need it to paddle across." "Yes, ma''am." I take a short stroll across the river bank as the man runs back for the canoe. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. I know in my gut that this is the skylight pack''s doing. I just know it. The amount of corpses that have washed up from the mud river bank is just downright disgusting. What kind of pack kills its people? I don''t realize the passing by, so lost in my thoughts that it takes another warrior tapping on my shoulder to realize that the canoe is ready. Without any fuss, the five of us pile ourselves into and row upstream,ing to a slow stop at the base of the crags. We begin the slow but steady climb as we use the bloodied piece of clothing to track the scent. Wee to a narrow path that leads to a small quaint clearing, just outside of the Skylight pack. In the middle of the clearing are thorn pieces of clothes as well as arge dried stain of blood. The monsters. BLACKWATER PACK. CATHERINE. "Don''t worry about this, they will have it fixed within a day," Diana, Damon''s mother, assures me as we take a stroll around the mansion. "Thank you. For everything. Everyone has been so wonderful to me since I got here." "Don''t mention it. It is a tragedy that you were found like that. Beaten and left for dead. I can''t believe people can be such monsters." I can. I lived with them. "Why don''t you tell me about this mate that you had? The one who rejected you," she says as we take a seat on the balcony chairs. "What do you want to know?" I ask. "What is his name?" "I can''t tell you that," I say. "Why not? Do you still want him?" "Oh no. That is not it. I just- I guess I don''t want people to link me with him. He rejected me and that is that." "Hmm, if that is what you want. It doesn''t matter anyway, you have a more wonderful mate, Damon." "I suppose." "Hmm? That didn''t sound very enthusiastic. Why?" "I don''t know. Damon says he is my mate, you say he is my mate. My wolf urges me to ept him, but- but I don''t feel it. The mate bond. I felt it with V-, my other mate, but I don''t feel it with him." "I see. Did you ept the rejection?" I snort at her question. "I did. I didn''t have any choice but to," I answer. "What do you mean?" she asks. "Well, when he rejected me, I walked away. But then I was osted by¡­ some people, who beat me until I was forced to ept it." "So, what you are saying is that you were coerced?" Huh. "Yes, I suppose so." "Well, that doesn''t count!" she exims. "It doesn''t?" "No. It doesn''t. The rejection was not coerced, was it? He rejected you willingly?" "Yes." "Then your eptance must be willing too. You have to be willing in your heart to let go of the mate bond. Only then, will you truly be free to move on." "Oh, I didn''t know." "Yes, I suppose so. It is not a thing that is usually discussed. You will rarely see wolves rejecting their mates. In this case, it worked out well for you." "Hmm." "What? You don''t want to let him go?" "I-, I don''t know. I don''t know what I want," I confess. "Cat. May I call you Cat? Catherine is a mouthful." "Of course." "This mate that you had, was he ever kind to you? Did he care for you? Did he even offer a reason for his rejection?" "No, no, and no." "Then, the way I see it, you owe him nothing. He has moved on with his life, so should you. It is the best thing you can do for yourself. And I am not just saying this so you can feel the mate bond, I am saying this because you deserve a life on your terms." "I am scared," I whimper. "I know. It must be hard, choosing to let go of your dreams and past. But you will grow stronger for it. And then we will all have the opportunity to discover who Catherine Thames is. Without her past holding her down." Later, in my room with the new door installed, I stand in the shower as the hot water runs down my body. The bruises have all but faded and they don''t even hurt anymore. Who is Catherine Thames? I wonder. Without the stigma, the attacks, and the fear, who am I? I want to meet her. To know her. I deserve to see who and what I am capable of. I towel off and step out of the bathroom and head to the dressing mirror. I take my time, staring at my reflection. And with a deep breath, "I, Catherine Thames, ept the rejection of my mate, Vance Sky." *********** SKYLIGHT PACK. VANCE. "Aargh." I wake up with the most vicious and gut-wrenching pain in my heart. My wolf is going crazy in my head, howling and wailing like it is the end of the world. "What? What is it?" "She epted it. Catherine epted your rejection." Oh. What have I done? CHAPTER 10 CHAPTER 10 VANCE. I storm through the mansion in anger, heading to the dungeons. She epted the rejection How could she? "Don''t be a hypocrite," my wolf snarls. "You rejected her first. You threw away our mate for that¡­ that thing. LOOK AT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE!" He roars, hurting my head. "I know!" I snap out loud. "I am going to fix this." "How? She already epted your rejection. She doesn''t want us anymore. She is done." Original from N?velDrama.Org. "I will find her and apologize." He responds with the equivalent of a snort. "I will. I promise. I will apologize and fix all this and make her our Luna." "If you think it is going to be that easy then you are even more of a fool than I thought." I feel him go silent after that. Choosing to cloak his presence from me. So dramatic. Finally, I arrive at the dungeons and order the doors to the cells open. The inhabitants rush to their feet upon seeing me. "Alpha," they greet. "You have onest chance to tell me what you did with Catherine. You are going to die of course but whether the rest of your family does too, depends on you lot." It had taken a while but I had managed to track down the wolves who had something to do with Catherune''s disappearance. They reeked of her blood. They denied it of course. Saying they hadn''t seen her throughout the day. The gall. Lying to my face. They all exchange looks before one of them steps forward and drops to his knees. "We are so sorry Alpha. We were ordered." "Ordered to do what?" I snarl. "To beat her up. And then throw her into theke. We thought she was dead." It is like a bomb went off in my head. "You tried to kill her?! Who? Who ordered that?" A beat of silence. "WHO?!" The roar shakes the silver-coated bars of the cells, making them all drop to the floor. "Ta-, Tammy, Alpha. She was the one who ordered it." Oh, my goddess. This can''t be happening. "And you just did it?! You just killed someone, a member of your pack?" At this point, I am screaming as I grab one of them by the cor and throw him straight onto the wall. He drops down, dead. His body makes a very sizable indentation on the wall. "Who does that?!" I rage. "Alpha, please," the rest beg. "It is the way it has always been done." "what? What the fuck are you talking about?" "Before¡­ during the previous Alpha''s reign. He used to order the weakest to be culled." "Culled?" "Killed, Alpha." What is happening? I stare at the rest of the men in shock. They were warriors during my father''s time. People I have always respected and they are telling me that they are¡­ my goddess. Without another word, I turn around and walk out. Culled. The weakest. My pack. Murderers. I used to wonder when I was younger, why some people would just go missing all of a sudden and no one would seem to care. My parents would just tell me some excuses, of how they chose to leave the pack. I never wondered why it was the weaker ones. The poor ones. They had zero resources or ie. Or friends. How could they survive on their own? Just how many people are aware of this travesty? I barge into the room, startling Tammy from whatever fucked up self-care routine she is doing. "Oh my-, Vance! You sc-" Her words are cut off by the bruising grip of my hands on her neck. "Vance. Vance, you are choking me. Stop," she gasps as she hits my hand, trying to get me to loosen my grip. No dice. "What. Did. You. Do?" I growl out at her, my wolf''s voice mixing with mine. "Vance, please." Her face is starting to turn blue and her veins are even more prominent. With a disgusted snarl, I fling her to the floor. "Start talking," I demand as I stand over her menacingly. "About what?" she cries, looking like an aggrieved victim. "About Catherine." The name drops like lead in the silence. Her whole body sizes up and I can just hear her vicious brain thinking her way out of this. "Catherine? What about her? Have you found her?" "Don''t fuck with me, Tammy. I am not in the mood." "I just didn''t understand, why-" I reach down and grab her by the hair. "Start talking." "Okay, I sent her away. I sent her packing. I was worried she would try something and I -" "STOP LYING TO ME!" I roar as I fling her across the room. She tumbles across the furniture before hitting the framework of the bed and dropping to the floor. "Last chance Tammy," I say as I stalk over to her She scrambles to her feet and away from me, terror in her eyes. I can understand that. I have never, ever lost my temper. I am always the cool, calm, and collected one. This rage is a new thing for me. Probably why I can''t seem to control it. I squat down to her level and look her dead in the eye. "What happened to Catherine ?" Whatever she is seeing in my face finally convinces her that I am not fucking around. "I am sorry. I am so sorry. I don''t know what came over me. I am sorry Vance, please," she continues pleading as she grabs my leg. I am disgusted with her. With my pack. And with myself. How could I have been so blind? So stupid. U scoff in derision. "I am an idiot," I say. "A big, colossal idiot." "Vance¡­" "How did you know?" "What?" "About that disgusting practice." She looks up at me in fear, still trying to deceive me. "You will respond when I ask a question." "My father. He was Beta for your father. I heard them both discuss it a few times." "And you decided to carry on the tradition." My Luna,dies and gentlemen. "I thought you would be what was best for the pack. A strong northerly figure. But instead, you are just a killer. The goddess knew what she was doing when she paired me with Catherine," I say as I turn around to leave. "No. No, that''s not true. Vance, where are you going?" "Where else? To look for my mate." CHAPTER 11 CHAPTER 11 CATHERINE. I will not lie. I thought this was going to be painful. I epting the rejection. But it isn''t. The moment I epted itst night, it felt like a weight was lifted off me. Like a thirty-pound boulder has been resting on my shoulders and I just didn''t know. The relief¡­ the wonder¡­ the release, it is indescribable. For the first time in years, I slept like a baby. No fear of being attacked in the middle of the night. No need to worry about waking up before dawn. Just pure, blissful, peace. Now I am not saying that everything that had happened in the past is all gone. All that the trauma isn''t there. Because it is. It is just better. Like I know I am not going to get suffocated by it. Like, I can recover. Heal. I hear a knock on the door and I hurriedly get up to open it, expecting either Damon or Diana. Instead, I see what must be the most stunning girl ever. Really what is with this pack and perfect looks? She is built like those model Amazons. Long, lithe body with straight ck hair that falls to her waist. She is tan and fit, if her arm muscle is anything to go by and she has the most startling pair of eyes. One gold, one blue. There is a word for that condition. Hete-, heto-, hecto-, "Heterochromia," she says "Yes! Wait, what?" "You were whispering under your breath," she answers. "I am guessing you were trying to peg my eye condition." "Oh, yes. I was. I am sorry." Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "It is fine. No foul. But that is not what I have." "It''s¡­ not?" I ask with a heavy dose of skepticism. "No. I was born with blue eyes. My wolf''s eyes are gold." "Oh, I see." I do not see. "It is strange, I know. But that is a story for another time. Here," she says as she hands me a few bags. "These are for you. I hope they fit. Luna Diama gave me your measurements and asked me to get you some clothes." "Oh, thank you. That was nice of her. And you," I add. "No biggie. I didn''t mind really, I love shopping." "Okay." We stand there staring at each other in silence. What am I supposed to say now? "Would you like to¡­ see me try them on?" I ask. "Yes, please," she gushes. "I am proud of my selections and I want to see if I did well." "Great. Come on in then," I say as I pull open the door for her toe in. "Wow. ssy and chic," she says as she takes in the interior of the rooms in awe. "You have never been in here?" I ask as I begin sorting out the clothes. "Of course not. This is the Alpha''s quarters. Only family is allowed to be in here. Or mate. Which is technically family. Which you are. His mate. Right?" I give a weakugh to that, neither affirming nor denying the im. She shrugs at my response and continues exploring the room. In her defense, the room is something. Like straight out of those really Regency movies. The royal types. Fit for a king. Or queen. Hmm. I take one set of the ensemble and walk into the bathroom for a shower. I try to rush it because of¡­ Damn it! I did not ask for her name. This better not be a habit. I towel off and try the clothes on. It is a body hug top with a long flowing Caribbean-style skirt. In the hues of gold and silver. Subtle. They also fit perfectly. I step out of the ginormous bathroom and present myself to the girl. "So," I say, startling her from her study of what I believe is a Faberge egg. "What do you think?" She turns to me and gives me a slow up-and-down look, before breaking out into a satisfied smirk. "I am very good. And you look stunning." "Thanks," I say with a smile. When was thest time I had clothes that belonged to me first? I can''t remember. "Let me do your hair, please." "Okay." We both walk over to the dressing mirror, picking one of the bags along the way. As she begins brushing and coupling and doing all other things, I break the silence. "So, what is your name?" "Oh, my goddess. I am so sorry. Faye. My name is Faye.'' "Hello, Faye. I am Catherine." "Nice to meet you, Catherine. You have nice hair." "Really?" "Yeah. Nice, full, and fluffy. I mean it is clear you haven''t been taking care of it but still, really great hair." "I never really had the chance to do so. Take care of it, I mean," I tell her. "I see. Want to tell me why?" "Hmm. Not really. It''s still¡­ fresh." "That''s fine. I can wait." "You can?" "Of course I can. We are friends. We are friends right?" "Um, I don''t know. How do you make friends?" I ask timidly. "By getting to know each other. Slowly." "Oh." "I know your name, you know mine. You know I have a great fashion sense and you have a great body to pull it off. Friends." Iugh at that. "I like that." Wow. I think I just made a friend. She finally finishes with my hair and turns me around to see the result. "Is that¡­ me?"I ask in awe. "Oh, yes. Like I said, I am good." She had styled it in ayered way, stylishly hiding my left eye and making me look all mysterious. She adds a little bit of eyeliner and some lip gloss and I am this close to kissing her. "I look amazing," I gasp out. "That you do." We are shocked out of our daze by the sounds of crashing tes. Turning, we see Damon, staring at me in shock. "Catherine?" CHAPTER 12 CHAPTER 12 DAMON. Craaasssh! Ugh. Waking up every day on a sofa is not doing me any favors. I carefully pull myself up and away from the broken shards of the stool and tray littered all over the floor. This is the fourth night of sleeping in my study and I am already over it. My musings are stopped by the sounds of running feet before my door bursts open. "Alpha. I heard¡­ a crash. Did you fall over again," Ryder, my beta and friend asks with a mocking lilt. "What? No. No, I just decided I would like to wake up on the floor with sharp wooden shards poking at me," I reply sarcastically. "You know we have other rooms you can use. There is no need for you to make yourself suffer like this." "No." "No?" "No. I want my own room." And no, I am not pouting. "Right," Ryder remarks. It is more than just the room. It is the fact that Catherine is in there. I want to be in the room with her. I want to hold her in my hands and litter her skin with kisses. I want her. Painfully. "If you want your room back, maybe you should try getting to know your mate instead of avoiding her," Ryder says as he joins me in picking up the shards. "I am not avoiding her," I respond. "Right. She has been in the mansion for three days and the only people u have seen with her are your mother and Faye." "Faye?" "Yeah. I saw them discussing at the front of the door while I was doing an early morning sweep of the house." "Why was she there?" "Your mother asked her to go shopping for your mate. She needed clothes." "Ah, that''s good. Faye is cool, she will be in good hands." "She should be in your hands." "Not this again." "Yes, this. Why are you avoiding her?" "I am not. I am just giving her space." "Space? From what? You are her mate. You should be the one showing her the ins and outs of the pack." I stand up and dump my share of the debris in the dustbin, effectively cutting him off. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Damon." Oh shit. He called me by my name with his no-nonsense voice. Apart from my family, Ryder is the only one who can call me by my name. We were practically raised together. With his father being my father''s Beta, it was only expected that we would follow in their footsteps. "What?" "I don''t know what is going on between you two but you need to step up. I mean even though I just hate the fact that she has seen your wolf and I haven''t, I still need you to understand the fact that she is your mate." "I understand." "I don''t think you do. She is not just your mate. She is the future Luna of the pack. Gossip has already begun to spread that you have a woman in your rooms, your mate. And for the past four days, you have not been seen with her. Didn''t you like her?" "What?! Of course, I like her. She is perfect." "Then what is it?" "She is scared of me," I say. "why would she be scared of you?" "I don''t know. I am guessing she must have heard the rumors about me being a ruthless lunatic." "Ehn." "Hey! I am not a lunatic." "At least you acknowledge that you are ruthless." "I have to be. If not, all those vultures will try and pick us off." "Yeah, yeah. I know. But still, you need to try and show her that that is not all there is to you. Man up for once and take a shower, you havest night''s dinner in your hair.`` "What? And you are just telling me now," I growl as I ruffle my hair to get them out. "I thought you looked cute with it," he says as he walks out. "Asshole." Without waiting time, I head into the bathroom for a quick shower. I have always thought that having an adjoining bathroom in the study was a waste of space but look at me now. It makes me wonder how many times Mother had kicked my father out of their rooms, forcing him to spend the night here. I emerge from the bath with a towel around my waist and move to the makeshift closet for my clothes. Dressed in an acid-washed Orleans and ck top, I head over to her -my- room, stopping at the landing to turn to the kitchen instead. It is morning, she will be hungry. I walk into therger-than-life kitchen and begin preparing the ingredients for a lively breakfast. How hard can it be? Apparently, It''s very hard. In less than an hour, the whole kitchen is a disaster zone. The shards from the blender are scattered all over the counter and floors and its contents are sttered all over the walls. The skillet is burnt beyond use and the smoke detector is going off like crazy. The dustbin is overflowing with failed trials of pancakes, eggs, and bacon. More like a war zone. "What happened in here?" I turn around to see my mother and Ryder standing at the entrance., eyes wide and mouth dropped. "I tried to make breakfast for Catherine," I say. Ryder, the lunatic, cracks up hysterically, so tickled that he drops to the floor, wheezing for breath. My mother ignores him and walks towards me, examining the ce as she does. "How did you break the blender?" she asks. "It wasn''t doing what it was supposed to so I hit it." The statement only serves to make Ryder roar even louder withughter. "Oh Damon, what am I going to do with you?" "Make the breakfast," I tell her hopefully. She sighs at me before turning to the industrial gas cooker and within minutes, I have a te of freshly toasted bread with bacon and eggs. No mishaps whatsoever. Women are witches. I give my thanks before heading up to the room. As I enter, I catch sight of two women at the dresser. Faye is standing, facing the other woman who is sitting. Confused, I am about to call out and ask for Catherine when the woman raises her head. The tray souls from my hand and shatters to the floor, startling both women. "Catherine?" CHAPTER 13 CHAPTER 13 MELISSA. "Oh my goddess, are you okay?" Both Faye and I rush over to Damon to help him pick up the broken tes only for my hands to be seized by both of them. "What are you doing? Let go, let me help." "No, you might hurry yourself," Damon says. "I know how to pick up shards. It is not that hard," I responded. He stares at me in silence, refusing to let go of my hand. "I can handle this, you know, " Faye says as she picks up the debris. "Why don''t you two just go on downstairs, * she says. "Great idea," Damon responds before picking me up bridal style and walking out. "Hey! Let me go. I can walk by myself," I tell him. "I know. I just needed an excuse to hold you." I don''t respond to that. I am still trying to get used to the fact that Damon ckwater is my mate. Him being cute doesn''t help matters. "I thought you were avoiding me," I remark. "I wasn''t. I was just giving you space to get used to the environment. Oh, I see. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. We get to thending of the stairs and I manage to wiggle enough for him to finally give in and set me down. I immediately take several steps away from him, asking it under the guise of looking around the house. In truth, his scent is overwhelming. It makes me want to eat him. "Come on, I will show you the kitchen," he says as he leads the way with me following, eyes glued to his backside. I manage to shake myself from the daze before I get caught. What is wrong with me? "It is the mate bond," my wolf supplies eagerly. "Mate bond? But I didn''t feel this crazy and out of control with Vance," I tell her. She snorts in response to that. "Please. Vance was a substitute. Damon is the real deal. A King. Your true mate. You can''tpare the two." Oh. I see. I tune back into what Damon is saying, as he pints and gestictes at doors. "....the game sh rxation room. You can go anywhere in the mansion, nowhere is closed to you," he says as he looks at me with a side nce and with a smile. I give him one in return. It is probably going to take me a while before I can getfortable enough to do that. Soon, we turn a corner that leads to a double-paneled door made out of solid oak. He pushes it open and reveals an up-to-date, stylish, mega-sized kitchen. One word. Wow. And¡­ It is also crowded. The loud din of banter and conversations all grind to a halt the moment we enter. I immediately step back from Damon''s side, hiding behind him. Thest time I was in a crowd like this, I was rejected, humiliated, and trampled on. The quiet is deafening, that is until the room is filled with noise again. This time, it is of scraping chairs, rushed chewing, and running feet. Eventually, it is quiet again and I raise my head to see only Diana and a man I have never seen. He is fairly good-looking. Sandy blonde hair, brown eyes, fit build. Handsome. As usual. "Hello, my name is Ryder Pierce, Beta of the ckwater pack," he says as he walks up to me and gives me a bow. "Um, hi. Nice to meet you," I reply. He lifts his head to give me a warm smile before winking at Damon. "I have to go now. I have training to supervise. It is wonderful having you hear, Lu-, Catherine," he says before leaving. Did he almost call me Luna? "Good morning Cat, how was your night?" Diana asks as both Damon and I walk in. "It was lovely, thank you." "And how did you like your breakfast?" "Oh, it uhm-" "it fell," Damon says. "It fell?" "More like slipped. Anyway, do you think you can whip us something?" he asks with a cheeky smile. "Sure, I can do that," she says as she turns back to the gas. "Oh no," I say as I hurry to join her. "I can make my breakfast. It is no biggie. I used to make everyone''s breakfast back in¡­" I trail off as I realize what I was about to expose and also about the look on their faces. "What do you mean you used to make everyone''s meals?" Damon asks, his voice cool. "Uhm, I¡­" "Let''s not talk about that," Diana interrupts. "Why don''t you two have a seat and I will get you something. And don''t worry Cat, I love cooking and I always have help unless I say otherwise." I obey and we both take a seat across from each other. Damon is staring at me like he is trying to figure me out. It makes me ufortable, that is until his face changes into a dramatic pout. "Wait, why does mom get to call you Cat and I get Catherine?" he whines. "What?!" I ask, surprised by the whish. "I want to call you Cat too." Ladies and gentlemen, Damon ckwater. Is this the most dreaded and feared wolf in our world? The one who supposedly hangs the heads of his enemies on pikes to serve as a warning to others. This adorable puppy? Really, what is happening with my life? BORDER OF SKYLIGHT PACK. MELISSA. I and the rest of my wolves stand in the shadows of the outlying forest, watching as a group of men carry out a total number of seven corpses to bury. I wonder, did they kill them? Again? "I don''t know why you are so bothered with them, it is not like it is your pack," my wolf mutters, completely uninterested in the disgrace taking ce in front of us. "It is disgusting. They are killing each other." "They are weakening themselves, that is a win for us," she deadpans. Still. It is wrong. I watch as another manes out and stops them from burying the corpses. Vance Sky. Their Alpha. He gestictes around for a while and watches as some of the men leave. A few momentster, they return with a cylinder and lighter. No. "What the hell are they doing?" my wolf asks in shock. "Burning them. They are burning wolves." That is a taboo. CHAPTER 14 CHAPTER 14 CATHERINE. We finish our meals in a quiet serenity. Diana had left us alone, giving Damon a wink she thought I had not seen as she walked out. It is beautiful, the rtionship that they both have. "So, how have you been settling in?" he asks. "I-," "I am hungry!" a shout interrupts my reply. A few secondster, Faye walks into the kitchen. "Food. I need food. Where is the food?" she asks. "Oh, I can make something for you," I say as I drop my fork and begin getting to my feet. "No, you won''t." "Hell no." Their vehement decree startles me so badly, that I trip and fall backward, tipping the table and causing my te to tter all over me and my beautiful clothes and the floor Oh no. "I am sorry, I am so sorry," I start as I scramble to get the mess off the floor with my hand. "I didn''t mean to, I am sorry. I am so sorry." My eyes are blurry from the tears that are pouring from me. I am such an idiot. Such a klutz. Why does this always happen to me? They are going to hate me now. The sob wrenches itself out of me and I drop to my hands, my head on the floor, trying to hide the sounds. Why? Why me? "I am sorry, I didn''t mean to startle you," I hear Faye say. "I meant I can make my own breakfast." Before I can respond, I feel myself being lifted up into strong arms. It is Damon. "You can clean this up right?" he asks Faye, his voice nd. "Yeah, yeah. You two go ahead. It looks like you are not meant to have breakfast this morning anyway," she weakly teases. Damon nods and walks away. He says nothing as he moves, his face scarily nd. He is going to kick me out, isn''t he? I can''t stop the sniffles from sounding out, so it''s to muffle the sounds with my face buried in my hands. "Why are you crying?" he asks. The question only serves to make me sob harder. Hard, wracking sobs,ing from a ce of deep pain and abandonment. He sighs at that and says nothing. Soon, he lowers me down and I manage to peek and see that we are in the bathroom. I look up at him, his face blurry due to the tears in my eyes. "You might want to have a bath," he answers the question in my eyes before he stands up and leaves. I stay there for a while, trying to get myself under control before I pull the soaked clothes off me. They were so beautiful. "They are just clothes," my wolf says. "They can be washed." I sigh at that. It''s not the clothes that are the problem. It is me. I don''t¡­" "Don''t what? Deserve happiness? A fresh start? You did nothing wrong. Your parents did nothing wrong. Your only misfortune is being born in that pack. That is all. And even that is not your fault. So stop, just stop putting yourself down, it hurts to see you like this." "Damon won''t want me now," I whisper. *Did he say that? I know it is hard, with the life you have lived, but can you try -just try- to trust him? At least, until he proves to be undeserving of it." Can I? Can I really do that? I finish washing up and put on the bathrobe before walking out. Damon is sitting at the edge of the bed, hands on his thighs, head bent low. I take a deep breath before shuffling over to stand in front of him. His head snaps up once I am directly in front of him, his eyes holding surprise. "I didn''t hear youe out," he says. "I can be very quiet," I reply. That seems to be the wrong thing to say because his eyes harden again. "I am sorry, I didn-" "Stop. Just¡­ stop apologizing. You didn''t do anything wrong," he says. "You are not angry?" I ask quietly. "oh, I am angry. Just not at you." "Who are you angry at then?" "The fuckers who made you this terrified. I want to kill them," he growls, his eyes shing. "Ah, I see. " He breathed in deeply, probably trying to control his wolf. "Catherine," he says, looking straight at me as he pulls me in between his thighs. "I don''t know what you went through in your former pack, but all that is over now. I swear to you, no matter the oue of our rtionship, you will never be abused." I look at him in mild disbelief. How can he say that? He doesn''t even know anything about me. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "what if I deserve it?" I ask. "No one deserves to be abused. No one deserves to be petrified of the silliest mistake and I am so mad, so pissed, that you had to go through this. I am making this promise, not as your mate but as an Alpha, a leader in the willmunity, you are safe here." "Thank you," I sniffle. "You are wee," he says with a small smile. "I also want you to know that you can always talk to me. Whenever you are ready, I will listen." I don''t say anything to that, just give him a small smile. I don''t know if I will ever be ready to open up about my life in the Skylight pack. I just want to forget it all. "I will leave you to dress up," he says as he stands up. "How does rice kes sound?" he asks as he heads to the door. "Rice kes?" "Yeah. I figure they are easy to make, easy to clean up, and less messy." "You make¡­ rice kes?" "Well, no. It is in a box. I just¡­ is it okay with you?" he asks, his face red. Is he blushing? "Yes, rice kes are good," I answer. Just as he reaches the door, it bursts open, revealing Melissa, his sister, and my savior. "Mel?" he calls, confused. "I am going to kill that bastard," she snarls. "Who?" "Vance Sky." Oh no. CHAPTER 15 CHAPTER 15 MELISSA. "Vance Sky." "What about him?" my brother asks. "I saw him. Burning wolves. The wretch," I growl as I stalk into the room, only stopping as Ie face to face with a familiar face. "Huh? Catherine? What are you doing in my brother''s room?" I ask her, totally stumped at her presence. "Um, I uh, I¡­" "Melissa," my brother interrupts. "Let''s take this to my study," he says as he grabs my arm and begins pulling me out the door. "But-, that''s Catherine. What is she doing in your room?" I ask as I am tugged out. "I will exinter. Catherine, feel free to get the cereal whenever you are ready. You remember the way to the kitchen?" he asks, voice soft and gentle. What the fuck? "Yeah, I do," she calls back. "Thank you." He pulls me into the study and closes the door before turning to me. "What is this about burning wolves?" he demands. "What the hell was that?" I retort. "What?" "You. And Catherine. And your room and you being gentle and all of that," I snap. "What is happening? What did I miss?" "Ah right, that." "Yes, that. Spill." "The fuck did you say?" "Why do you curse so much?" he asks in exasperation. "I learned it from you," I retort in quick fire. "What do you mean she is your mate? How did you figure it out? When did you figure it out? "She is my mate. I smelt her when I was going for a run. And it was the day you left to investigate whatever it is you investigate," he answers. "Oh. My. Goddess. Do you know what this means?" I ask with a smirk. "No. What?" "I helped you find your mate. I practically delivered your mate to you. You owe me big," I announce before cutting into delightedughter. He sighs at me before going to his desk. "Do you have to cackle like a witch?" he grumbles. "Oh yes. I found your mate for you, " I sing. "I am never letting you forget. Also, congrattions. I am happy for you." "Thank you," he says with a twisted smile. "That is the normal reaction when someone finds their mate. You congratte them first, you psycho." "Oh fuck you. So, tell me, how is she? Does she like you or is she already bemoaning the fact that she will be stuck with you for life?" He sighs at the question, his delighted expression fading into frustrated anger. "What? What happened?" "She had a mate before. He rejected her. I also think she was abused. Terribly." "What?! What?! And what?! Backtrack for me, exin it slowly." He does and oh boy, that is one messed up life. "The poor girl. I can''t imagine what she must have gone through with those beasts at the Skylight pack." "So, you are certain? She came from the Skylight pack?" "Yeah. We found a trail of blood as well as a ripped cloth that I recognized from when I first saw her. We tracked it to the outskirts of their pack to a clearing. In the middle, there was arge stain of crowd blood. Her blood." My report is met with the fracturing of the mahogany desk. Damon''s eyes sh between green and red. A clear sign that his wolf is fighting toe out. "They tried to kill her?" he growls, his voice echoing with that of his wolf. "Yes, I believe so." "I am going to kill them." "As her mate, I will let you take first blood." He looks up at me with a quizzical look. "You mentioned something about burning?" "Ah yes. I saw them burning wolves. Ordered by Vance himself." "You are sure?" he asks, deathly calm. "Yes. I would recognize that toad anywhere. With his "I am better than you" carriage. Goddess! I hate him." "He intends on bing worse than his father," he mutters. Burning a wolf is the worst disrespect you can give to them. It is practically preventing them from moving on. When a wolf dies, they are to be buried in the sacred grounds of the pack. A ce meant only for burial. Burying them with the other wolves is like making sure that they have a pack to guide them on the way to the goddess. Denying them that, is to trap them on earth. No peace, no redemption. Nothing. Why would he do that to his pack members? "Did you manage to find out why?" "Why what?" Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Why they tried to kill Catherine?" "No. There were too many patrols out. It seemed like they were searching for something." "Do you know what?" "Nah. As much as I would love to break heads, I didn''t think it would be smart to put us at a disadvantage like that." "I don''t suppose you got the name of the punk who rejected her?" he asks. "No. Though why would you want to know that? I mean, he rejected her, you found her, case closed. He helped you." "I think he is one of the people who abused her." "Hate to break it to you Damon, but I believe that the whole pack are abusers. Some aggressive, some passive, somepliant. All abusers." "I don''t suppose we can just go after them and kill them?" "Without just cause? No," I answer. "Most packs are already on edge with the power and reach you have amassed. The Skylight pack is old with a lot of blood ties with the other pack, going after them will tip the scales and start a war." "I want to tip the scales," he snarls. "End it once and for all. I don''t have any desire to y nice, especially to those pricks." "And I get that. But we have to be smart. If you want to destroy the Skylight pack, you need a good reason to put forward when asked." "And how am I going to get that?" he demands. "By asking someone who was in the pack. Someone who would have enough reason to want them gone." "No¡­" "Yes. We ask Catherine." CHAPTER 16 CHAPTER 16 CATHERINE. I watch both Damon and Melissa walk out in worry. Do they know? That I am from the Skylight pack? They have to, their behavior was too suspicious. What should I do? I can''t help the panic that surges in me. I liked this ce. "Liked? What do you mean by "liked?" "You know what I mean, we can''t stay here," I tell my wolf. "Why the hell not?" "They know. They must know that I am from the Skylight pack. Oh my goddess, what if they know that Vance is- was my mate?" I rant. "And how will they know that?" she asks snidely. "I don''t know. I just know we have to leave." "And go where?!" she screams. "I don''t know!" I snap out loud, too ruffled to keep it cool. "Catherine?" I turn around to see Faye, holding a te of tacos. Huh? "Did you just make that?" "Yeah," she says as she walks in. "It is my go-to meal. Who were you talking to?" she asks as she ces the te on the low table. "My wolf. She is being¡­ impossible." Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Hey!" I ignore her, see how she likes it. "Hmm, I get that. Want to talk about it?". "Not really, it is just how she is," I say. "Okay then," she replies as she sits on the bed. "So, what do you want to do?" she asks. "Do?" "Yeah, you can''t stay cooped in here forever. You need to go out, see the sky, the grass, everything." "I don''t know, Faye. I don''t think anyone would kike a stranger walking around their pack," I tell her. "Nonsense. You are not a stranger. You are the girl that our Alpha has hidden in his room. People are curious, you should show yourself before some of the crazy ones try climbing through the window," she says with a smirk. "They won''t do that would they?" "Oh, yes they would. You underestimate the love and loyalty we have for our Alpha. The fact that you have been hiding here is setting many people on edge." "Ah, I see. They think I am taking advantage of him." "Close. They think you are a spy." "A spy? From where?'' "We have many enemies.," she says with a shrug. I can believe that. "Okay, sure. Let''s take a stroll." "Yay. You are going to love this ce, I can promise you that," she says excitedly as she leads me out, food forgotten. Now I feel bad. The only reason I am agreeing is so that I can find a way to escape. Get familiar with the surroundings, and find the cracks. Somehow it hurts, the thought of leaving this ce, all these wonderful people who have been nothing but kind to me. But I can''t risk it. I know it is unlikely for them to send me to him, to Vance. But if Melissa could sneak into his pack to spy on him, then it is very possible they can do the same here. It has been done before after all, with Vance''s father. "Who they killed!" my wolf snarls. I ignore her. Again. There is no point in discussing this with her, she doesn''t agree. Instead, I turn my focus onto what Faye is showing me, giving her the appropriate responses while I mark the crooks and corners. SKYLIGHT PACK. TAMMY. Baang. "She is not dead!" Vance snaps at the whimpering wolf in front of him. "Stop trying to convince me otherwise. Just yesterday, I felt her¡­. Either way, find her or end up like those traitors." I wince at that. Those fools. If they had just kept their mouths shut, none of us would be in this mess. Instead, they are dead and Vance has been ignoring me. All because of that bitch. Catherine. How could she still be alive? After all that? "You are lucky you are still alive. You have no idea what you have done." "Oh shut up," I snap at my wolf. It is just my luck to be paired with such a goody two-shoes of a wolf. We are wolves, we are supposed to be ruthless. "Honorable. Loyal. Strong. Those are the words that are used to describe wolves. You bring shame to me." "Well, you bring disgust to me. Just shut it, if you are not going to help." "What are you doing here?" the words are growled out in rage, startling me. I look up to see Vance standing at his door, watching me. Damn it. Caught red-handed. "Nothing. I just¡­ wanted to see you. To apologize. " "You think you are safe, huh?" he asks with a cruel smirk. "Uh¡­" "Take her to her rooms," he orders. "She is not allowed to leave until I say so." "Wait. What? No. We have the mating ceremony to attend?" I scream out as I am seized by two wolves. "You still think that will happen? You are sicker than I thought." "You can''t stop it. All other Alphas have been invited. What are you going to tell them huh? I rejected my true mate because she was weak, now I am rejecting my selected mate because she is too strong. Be realistic. It will make you look weak," I sneer at him. "You are not strong. You are evil, cruel. Choosing you was a mistake." His words are like a well-ced arrow. It hit the target, my heart. I am too stunned to respond. As I am being dragged out, I hear my brother run up to him. "Tammy! Alpha, what happened?" "Did you know?" "Know what?" I don''t hear the rest of their conversation as their voices fade. "Let me go!" I snarl as I struggle with them."Do you know who I am? I am your Luna!" I scream They don''t respond, they just ignore my screams and struggles. Eventually, we arrive at my rooms and I am tossed in, hitting the ground unceremoniously. Catherine. I swear it, I am going to kill her. If it is thest thing I do. CHAPTER 17 CHAPTER 17 CATHERINE. I walk back into the mansion, legs aching and my entire body exhausted from my supposed stroll. Someone needs to exin the word stroll to Faye, she clearly doesn''t understand. "Eeeh." The squeal gives me a second to look around before I am attacked into a bear hug. What? "I can''t believe you are Damon''s mate. How cool is that?" Melissa exims as she releases me. ''Oh, hi." "Hi? Hi? We are family now. No need to be shy," she says as she links her arm with mine and begins propelling me forward. "You have no idea how big this is. Damon has been searching and pining for his mate for years, only for me to dump her in hisp. It is great ammunition." "Ammunition?" I ask "Hmm. You do not have siblings, right?" "No. I do not." "Don''t worry, you have me now. Oh, we are going to have so much fun," she exims again as we enter the kitchen. "See who I found," she announces. "We know," Damon retorts. He is busy setting the table while Fiana stirs something in the pot."We heard you screeching like a banshee from the front door. And don''t listen to her Catherine, I wasn''t pining." "You weren''t?" Diana asks with a raised eyebrow. "No. I wasn''t. I was¡­ hoping for my mate. In a dignified manner." Diana just snorts in response. "Right," Melissa drawls out as she pushes me into a chair at the table and takes the other one beside me. "That is my seat," Damin says. "Since when?" she retorts. "Since Catherine arrived. My seat is next to wherever she is seated." Oh. "Ugh. What a sap," Melissa intones with her tongue sticking out at him. Damon feigns throwing a te at her and she retailers with picking a fork. "Children, children. Behave yourselves, especially in front of Cat. She would think I didn''t raise you with any manners," Diana says as he brings the ceramic ware to the table. Tomato soup. With lots and lots of meat. My stomach grumbles at the sight. It is still strange having enough to eat. "And yet you n on running away," my wolf snaps. "Oh, I could never think that you are a very dignifieddy," I tell Diana, ignoring my wolf. "Oh, you are sweet," she responds as she turns back for tworge baskets of breadsticks. "Let''s dig in." The conversation around the table is light and fun. And it hurts. It hurts knowing that I will soon be leaving them. But it is for the best. "For who? Not us?" "I know you want to stay but we can''t." "Why not?" "because it is not safe and¡­and I do not trust them. Notpletely." "he is our mate," she whines. "You can trust him." "Vance was our mate too and he rejected us without so much as blinking. I can''t risk getting hurt like that. And it will happen, once they find out I am from the Skylight pack." "But-" "No buts. Both packs are enemies, remember. Blood enemies." "I can''t change your mind right?" "No. You can''t." "...shopping tomorrow?" I hear as I tune back into the conversation to find Melissa looking at me. "Huh?" "where is your mind, sis? I asked if you don''t mind going shopping tomorrow. I know Faye shopped for you but we can do more."g Sis?! "Yeah, sure. I don''t mind," I tell her with a small smile. At least, I will get to see the exit this way. SKYLIGHT PACK TAMMY. I slowly make my way across the railings of the mansion, careful not to make a sound and alert those guarding the door of my actions. Thankfully the idiots had not seized my phone and I was able to send a message and schedule a meeting. With nimble limbs, I reach for the tree branch and swing myself onto it before climbing down the trees. Ha! Take that Vance. He dared to lock me up, because of that stupid wretch. Well, before the week runs out, I will have him crawling back to me. Quickly, I run across the clearing and into the woods, taking care that I am not spotted. It takes a while but I arrive at my destination in record time only to find it empty. "Where are you?" I whisper. "Here," a deep voice sounds from behind me causing me to whirl around. He doesn''t move from the shadows, doesn''t show his face. He never has. "Don''t do that," I snap. "Don''t sneak up on me." "As you wish. What did you want?" the voice asks. "You know what I want. Catherine dead." "Didn''t you have her killed already?" "I wish. But I have it on good authority that she is alive." "Whose authority?" "It doesn''t matter. I just know she is. Find her and kill her." "I will need her scent." "There is a clearing, close to the southern borders of the territory, her blood is stained on the ground. It should be enough." "And my payment? It will be triple this time." "triple?! What the hell for?!" I demand. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "You have no idea where she is. I will need to put my best people on her trail and I have no idea how long it will take. That will cost you." "Fine. Do the job and get your payment upfront." "I will hold you to that on ount of our previous¡­ transactions." I don''t bother responding. I just turn around and head back to the mansion. As much as I would love to see Vance''s face in the discovery that I can escape, it will be best not to show my hand. Getting into the room is easier than getting out. I quickly rinse my shoes from the mud and leave them on the bathroom window silk to dry, before heading back to bed. As I begin to doze off I can''t help but smirk to myself. Bye-bye Catherine. CHAPTER 18 CHAPTER 18 CATHERINE. For some reason, the sun''s rays are starting directly into my eyes, a development that does not make sense because I always keep the curtains drawn shut. "Ugh," I groan as I turn the other way only to be met with the same predicament. Who pulled open the curtains? I slowly open my eyes and I am met with a grinning Melissa. On my bed. Lying right next to me. "Gah," I scream as I tumble off the bed. "Oh, my goddess. Are you okay?" she asked as she scrambled to the side of the bed. I look up at her in shock. "What were you doing?" I groan out from the floor. "Waiting for you to take up so we can go shopping," she answers. I crawl up to my feet and ask, "Are you the one who opened the curtains?" "Yeah, I didn''t want to disturb you so I figured nature would do the trick." What? "Are you ready to go?" she asks "Go where?" "Shopping." "Wha-, I just woke up," I tell her. "Right. Sorry, you will want to have your bath and breakfast, yes?" "Yes, if that is not too much to ask." *Not at all. I am sorry, I know I aming on strong, I am just so bloody excited. You are out Luna and so perfect. I love it. I love you." I wonder, would you still like me when you find out I am from the Skylight pack or that I am nning on running away? "I will leave you to have your bath and dress up. You can meet me in the kitchen when you are done," she says as she walks out, leaving me to my devices. I head over to the bath for a hot shower. The hot water relieves my body of any tense muscles. After that, I dress up in a pretty cream-ruffled top paired with a pretty high-low, peach-colored skirt. I arrange my hair into a sideways ponytail and after applying some lip gloss, I head out of the room and down the stairs. The kitchen is empty, save for Melissa. "Where is everyone?" I ask. "Uhm, Damon had to train some of the wolves today, Ryder is on patrol duty and Mom is cooking for the children today," she answers as he throws what looks like crumbs into her mouth. "Here you go," she says as she ces a te of muffins and coffee in front of me. "food for the gods." "Thank you," I say as I dig in. "So, how are you liking the pack so far?" Melissa asks as we drive out of the pack. "It is great," I answer, my eyes scanning and taking note of the patrol positions and the security around the pack. I also make a note of thendmarks we pass on our way. "Everyone is so great and weing. It has been wonderful." "I am d. You will find that most of the rumors about our pack are just that, rumors." I can already see that. "Are you saying that Damon doesn''t hang the heads of his enemies at the borders of the pack?" I ask. "Oh, he does. Out of necessity and to make a statement. I can assure you, he doesn''t like it. He doesn''t like killing either. He is just a big baby. A serious big baby." I smile at the description. It kind of fits him. The entire car ride is full of getting-to-know-you banter, it almost feels like she is fishing for information. But she doesn''t press me and she backs off when I get antsy. "Ugh," I groan as I crash onto the bed, loads and loads of shopping bags littering the floor. "That was fun" Melissa remarks. I am firmly of the belief that nobody in this pack does things in moderation. She said shipping. I thought of a few clothes, a few shoes, and the like. It felt like we bought the whole store, and more are still to be delivered tomorrow. The amount of money spent on me today is almost enough to make me rethink my n of running away. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Almost. I feel terrible, knowing that they have just wasted their money but I can''t risk my life. I just started living it. "I am tired," I cry out. "Me too. How about we leave this here till tomorrow? We will sort it out then." "Fine by me." I will be long gone by then. I watch her pick herself from the floor and walk out while I go for a shower to wash the sweat off of me. I checked the time and it is just past three. I crawl into bed for a quick nap. A three-hour nap and prepare for my escape. I wake up with a start. Looking around, I see the sky is already ck and that it is past ten. Even better. With astonishing adrenaline, I leap off the bed and pack up some bare essentials. A few changes of clothing, two pairs of heavy-duty boots that I had shamelessly asked for, and a long thick coat for the weather. I found a pen in one of the drawers and wrote a short note. I am sorry. "You are making a grave mistake." I don''t respond. I notice a tray on the shelf and figure that someone has delivered my dinner. I practically inhale it all and head for the window. Looking around to ensure there is no one passing by, I jump down and take off. Careful by going through the paths that I am sure no one would cross. At least for a while. Just as I am close to the clearing, I hear a mastering of voices. I quickly duck under arge crevice and wait for them to pass me by. A few minutester, their voices are gone and Ie out of my hiding space only for me to hear a snapping from behind me. Before I can turn around, I am hit with such force that darkness envelopes me before I hit the ground. CHAPTER 19 CHAPTER 19 DAMON. The sounds of running, and hurried feet wakes me up before the door ms open. Melissa and Faye barge in, terror and panic radiating from their whole body. "what-" "She is gone." "She was kidnapped." ".... a letter in her room¡­" "... abandoned in the woods..." "... blood stains¡­" "...foot prints¡­" "ENOUGH!" I roar. It is enough to shut them up. "Good, now take a breath and start from the beginning. Faye, you first," I order. She takes a deep breath before starting. "I went to wake Catherine up this morning and found the room a mess. All the shopping bags were all over the ce but she was not in the room. That is when I saw the window open. I jumped down and followed her scent to the woods." "I came in not too long after," Melissa cuts in. "I noticed the same thing but also saw a letter in the dressing mirror. It was an apology, nothing more," she says as she hands me the note. I am sorry. Just hearing what she is saying makes me grow cold. "She ran away?" I ask numbly. "We are not sure," Faye answers. "What? Why?" I ask in hope. "I tracked her scent to the edge of the woods and found some of her things on the floor," she says as she drops a shipping bad on the desk "We bought those yesterday," Melissa says. "she was very insistent on them." "So what? Did she run or was she kidnapped?" I don''t wait for the response, I race out of the study, shouting back at them. "Faye, show me the way," I orderedorder. We both shift the moment we are outside the mansion, and through the woods at top speed. Soon we arrive at the left border, a group of wolves already waiting there. "Alpha," Ryder greets as I shift back. I look down at what they are gathered around. A crevice with a blood stain on it. Catherine''s blood. her scent mixed with an unfamiliar one. "I have patrols going out of the border searching for her," he says. "How was she able to get to this ce without anyone seeing her?" I demand. "That is why I think she was nning on running away," Melissa says as she walks up to me. "What do you mean?" "I noticed her being focused on the patrols andndyout as we were driving out and driving in yesterday. I just thought she was trying to get familiar with the ce." "I also noticed the same. When I took her for a stroll, she kept asking questions about exits and entrances. I thought she was just worried for her safety, you know, because of her strange behavior. So I was very open and transparent with her. I am so sorry Alpha," Faye says "So, what you are saying is, she nned on running but was kidnapped? In my pack?" I growl. The cowed heads are response enough. "Where are those that were on duty for this routest night?" I ask. Four men walk forward, their heads bent in submission. "Ryder," I snappedsnap. "Yes, Alpha." He quickly has them bound and sent to the dungeons. I don''t have time for them right now. I need to find Catherine. "Why would she leave?" my wolf whimpers. "I don''t know but I intend to find out." "Which way did the wolves go searching?" I ask Ryder. "Up the stream, across the crags, and into the city." I turn to Faye and Melissa. "You two are the most familiar with her scent, take the city and the crags, and I will take the Riverside." "No," Melissa says. "No?" "The stream leads to the Skylight Pack, you are not¡­ in the right frame of mind to handle them." "Neither are you,'' I retortedretort. "I know. That is why Faye should go." "Me?" "She has limited exposure to them and as such can control her reaction," Melissa continues. "You do realize that I also hate the Skylight pack tight?" Faye says. "I do. But you are the chillest among us there now. I am not saying you are calm about this, just that between us three, you are the best choice to handle them." "Fine." "Ryder, inform my mother. She is in charge of the pack affairs and you are in charge of the security. The whole pack is on lockdown until Ie back. No one goes in or out. Have the other wolves search the grounds, it is arge territory, they might still be here." "Yes, Alpha." I give both Faye and Melissa a nod before we all shift and head to our different destinations. I aming Cathetinee, just hold on. CATHERINE. The first thing that makes me realize I am in trouble as I slowly wake up is the agonizing smell of wolfsbane and silver. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Mixed together. It is enough to make me want to throw up. The second and third thing is the heavy cloth over my head and the chains around my hands and legs. Silver chains. They burn. Last but certainly not the least is the cacophony of screams, sobbing, and whimpering as well as the stench of blood and death. Where am I? I try to struggle but the chains on my bare skin bring that endeavor to a sudden halt. "You are awake," a voice murmurs just from behind me. I twistedtwist my neck to the sound of the voice,pletely surprised by the fact that there was someone so close to me and I didn''t even sense them. "Mhmm. MhmmMhmmmm." "Don''t try to talk," the voice continues in that low cadence. "There is no point. You are going to die anyway. Though I suppose I should thank you. I had just gotten your name yesterday and I was trying to figure out how to find you, only to see you shopping with the sister of the demon wolf. Very high friends you got." His voice is low and lifeless, just a dead drinking thing that makes the hairs on my skin stand at alert. "Thank you again for making your abduction so easy. I didn''t have to risk myself or any of my men in breaking into the mansion. Easiest job I have ever had. " "Mhhmmm, mmmhmm." "I am guessing you are asking what I want from you. Nothing. You are just a job. It is a pity I have such impable honor. If not I would have battered you to Damon for a higher price, but s, here we are. So you know who asked for your death?" he asks, tonepletely indifferent. "I will give you a hint. She is blonde, she is a bitch and she is powerful." It is not hard to figure it out. Tammy. How did she know I was alive? CHAPTER 20 CHAPTER 20 DAMON. "No Catherine?" Ryder asks as I stalk into the pack. "No," I growl. "No clue." "Oh Damon," my mother calls as she rushes to me, her hands stretched out to take me into a hug. "Mother," I sigh into her shoulders. "Why¡­ why would she leave?* "I don''t know Damon. But you have to understand, Catherine has scars, she has been hurt before and would probably do anything to not get hurt again." "But I thought¡­ I thought she was happy here," I say as I lift my head to look at her. "I thought so too. Maybe something spooked her or someone. Think, was there anything that she saw or heard that would have set her on edge?" "I don''t know, * I say as we walk into the mansion. "She seemed happy and everyone was careful with her¡­ except¡­" "Except what?" "Mel. When she returned she barged into my room, cursing the Skylight pack and Vance." "And got Catherine worried, of course. She still doesn''t know we are aware she is from the Skylight pack, does she?" "No. She didn''t mention it. I believe she wanted to hide it and move on from it. Oh, my goddess, she must have been so frightened. And I didn''t know." "Damon¡­" "What kind of mate am I? That I wouldn''t know when something was wrong?" "You can''t me yourself. You two just met, how could you know her well enough to tell?" "Still I should have." "How about your wolf? Can he sense her? What does he say?" "I can''t find her," he whimpers. "I can''t sense her anywhere." "but you sensed her once before, didn''t you?" "I could. But something is blocking her wolf, suppressing her." Silver. "Damn it," I snarl. "What? What is it? What did he say?" Mother frets. "He can''t sense her. Something is suppressing her wolf," I answer as I begin to pace around the living room. "Oh, no." "DAMN IT." I throw a punch out in front of me and it connects with the wall and goes straight through." "Damon!" "She is being kept prisoner! Some bastard somewhere is keeping my mate prisoner! With silver! I will kill them. I will rip their limbs one by one and feed it to them!" "Damon! You need to calm down. Please!" I can''t. The rage at the audacity that anyone would dare to cross mynds, take my mate¡­ have I been too calm? Just as I am still raging across the room, both Melissa and Faye rush in. "What''s wrong?" Melissa demands. "We can hear the racket from outside." "Damon''s wolf can''t sense Catherine''s," Mother tells them. "We believe that whoever took her used silver to keep her wolf suppressed." "Did you two find anything?" I growl. Copyright N?v/el/Dra/ma.Org. "Not me. But Faye has something." I turn to Faye expectantly. "I found that scent-, the one that was mixed in with Catherine''s¡­ It was on the edge of their pack." "The edge? Not inside?" "No. At the edge. I don''t think they are a member of the pack, it didn''t mix with the earth," she answers. "Did you track it?" "Yes. First to the city, specifically the mall Melissa and Catherine went shopping, and then here, the edge of the pack." "Wait-, are you¡­ are you saying that, that they were watching us? Yesterday?" Melissa exims, guilting over her face. "It looks so." "Oh. Oh no. I am¡­ I am so sorry. I didn''t notice. I am sorry," she says almost close to tears. "So? Where did the scent end? You must have tracked that too,'' I tell her. "I did. But it just¡­ faded a few miles past the Skylight pack. "Faded? What do you mean?" "I mean just that. It just¡­ faded." "What was there? Anyndmarks?" "No, nothing. It was just onerge, open, empty¡­field." "How can someone just vanish like that,?" I demand. "I don''t understand it either, * she says. " I am sorry." "Don''t be. You did your best. Come on, let''s go," I order her as I walk out of the mansion. "Go where?" she asks as she hurries after me. I hear Ryder and Melisaa tag along as well. "To the clearing you talked about." SKYLIGHT PACK. TAMMY. I have your package. I grin at the screen of my phone. That was fast. Hah. Good riddance. Send proof. I type. She is not dead yet. What?! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Payment. That little fucker. I told you, you will get it once it''s done. Things changed. Like what? Not your concern. You have till the end of the week before I return her to where I found her. "Aaaaaah. Bastard," I rage as I throw the phone away. Shit. "No. No. No," I pray as I reach for the phone. "Please be okay." It is my only ess to the outside world. I am still trying to turn the phone on when I hear footsteps heading this way. "Move," I hear from the door. "The Alpha says no one goes in," another voice responds. "You can either move willingly or I move you." Silence. "How about this? If he asks, just say I buried you into moving. I can punch to make it believable." A few secondster, I hear a hiss, a grunt, and a series of thuds. The door opens and reveals Cody, my brother. "Well, you took your sweet time," I snarl. "I can''t stay here long. Our family is on thin ice thanks to your crap." "I-" "Save it. I don''t want to hear it. I have always warned Dad that he was spoiling you too much and that you would get in trouble sooner orter. And I was right." "Did youe here to gloat?" "Dad wants to know who else you might have made contact with. To cover your tracks." "No one," I lie. "Are you sure?" "I said no one." "Very well." He turns to leave. "Wait. Co-" The door ms shut. Asshole. Just then my phone vibrates. I look down to see the message. Change of ns. You have till tomorrow sundown." Damn it. CHAPTER 21 CHAPTER 21 CATHERINE. Original from N?velDrama.Org. I am startled awake by the rushing, harried feet running all over the ce. My head was still covered but I could tell that they werecking up. Is this it? Am I going to die now? "I have to give it to your friends," that dead voice says from behind me. "They are very good at tracking." What friends? "They managed to track my scent here. Too bad they can''t find it. Still, we would need to move. Be good now, okay?" I feel him move around and soon the chains fall off. "Ugh," my wolf whimpers. "Are you alright?" I ask her. Once the chains were in, I couldn''t sense her again. I had been worried. "I will be fine. Are you okay? Did he hurt you?" "No." The man grabs my hand and begins to pull me out. I can''t help but stumble thanks to the bruises and open wounds on my legs caused by the silver. "Walk. Don''t let me kill you now," he snarls. "What does he want?" she asks, her voice still faint. "Not him. Tammy." "Tam- that bitch. What does she want with us now? How did she know you are alive?" "No idea. All I know is that she sent this man to kill me." "Why hasn''t he then? Don''t get me wrong, I am d. But why? He has had enough time to do so." "I don''t know that either. It''s not like I can exactly ask him questions, my mouth is gagged." "All this time?" "Yeah." "Then why aren''t you scared?" "What?" "I am in your head remember,? You are pretty calm up here." "I am? I didn''t notice." "hmm." "What?" "Nothing. I jus-" She doesn''t get to finish her sentence because I am shoved into the back of some truck. Before I can right myself and sit up, my legs are pulled roughly and the chains mped around it. "Mmph," I groan out at the pain and get promptly ignored. My hands are treated in the same manner and the doors are shut closed. And once again, I am alone. BLACKWATER PACK. DAMON "Damn it!" I have gone over this ce over and over again and still nothing. It has been three days since Catherine went missing and I keep returning here even when I don''t have a reason to. I just can''t shake it. There is something here. I know it. Ryder jigs up to me, face grim. "Anything?" I ask. "No." "What am I missing?" I mutter as I turn away from him. "Alpha, maybe w-" "Alpha! Alpha! We found something!" I turn and see one of the wolves at a far distance, waving at me, trying to get my attention. Without wasting a second, Ryder and I run towards the man. But before we get to him, he turns around and heads in another direction, but we don''t slow down. We keep pace until wee to a stop in what looks like an underground tunnel. Hidden by several fallen trees. The wretch. Without saying a word we go in, following the tracks to arge twenty feet silver door. An open silver door. We rush in to see rows and rows of little cages. Broken empty little cages. I would think they were for animals but I can see the blood. There were people in there. " Was Catherine in one of these?" Ryder asks in trepidation. "No. I can''t smell her in these." "Alpha," the other man calls. "There is a room here." I look over and see him standing by a small door. I walk towards the door and duck in, only to be mmed by her scent. The resulting growl has both Ryder and the wolf backtracking away from me. I examine the room. Her scent is stronger on the steel chair over by the window. There are chain hooks on the floor next to it but no chains. This whole ce is empty. "They ran." "Alpha?" "They left not too long ago. Find their exit and we can track them," I say as I turn to walk away. "Alpha?" "Not now Ryder. I can''t handle anything else." I am barely holding on to my sanity right now. All I want to do is go on a rampage. Kill everyone who wants to hurt her, to even look at her the wrong way. It is all I can do to not storm into the Skylight pack and burn it all to the ground. The wolves as well. All of them, dead. As I emerge from the tunnel, I see both Mel and Faye waiting for me. "Anything?" Mel asks. "She was here." "Was?" "they left. We probably missed them by a day." "Shit," Faye curses. "How is your wolf?" Mel asks. "Still silent." She sighs at that. "Faye, " I call as I turn to her. "I need you to do something for me. It is dangerous though." "Anything." "I need you to breach the Skylight pack. Find whoever it was that met with the person we are tracking. I don''t care how you do it but bring them to me. Alive." "Yes, Alpha," she says before turning to shift and then running off. "Now what?" "I have Ryder and the others searching for any exits. We can try and track them with that." "What about me?" "I need you to find someone for me. The Falcon." "The falcon? Why would you need him?" "I have a suspicion as to who might have kidnapped Catherine. I need information and some help to find him." "Okay, if you say so. " "Before you leave, I need you to secure this ce. If I try to do it myself, I might trash it." "I got you." I watch her head in and disappear before I walk away from the ce. The anger, the rage, it is crawling under my skin. Itching to get out. "Damon!" "Shit what? Don''t startle me like that," I snap at my wolf." "I want to run." CHAPTER 22 CHAPTER 22 CATHERINE "Raise and shine." I startle awake at the noise, turning in the direction of the voice as if I could actually see him. What is the point of putting a bag over my face if you are going to lock me in a truck? It''s not like I could see anything. Or say anything. This gag was starting to fray into my mouth. They didn''t even have the decency to feed me. However, in retrospect, there is no point in wasting food on someone who is going to die. "Come on," the voice says as he drags me off the truck. I crumble to the ground, having no strength to stand. I am hungry and thirsty. Starvation is a cruel way to die. "Get up," the voice snarls. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. It is not the same voice. That is strange. The man apparently gives up and grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. He gives a few orders to the people around him and begins walking. I vaguely remember the first voice being violent with someone who had walked into where I was kept. I couldn''t see what was happening, but the sounds were enough to get an idea. Whoever it was, is dead now. He didn''t want me to be seen by others. So if he is not here, where is he? What could make him risk me being seen by others? Why did we move? "...They are very good at tracking." Had they found us? Damon? If so, then that means¡­ I don''t know what that means. No, that is not true. I don''t want to believe what that means. I am too scared to believe it. That he would still want me. Melissa must have discovered that some of the clothes are missing. Clothes that I insisted on buying. They must have found the note. And still, they are searching for me. The thought is both frightening and hopeful. On one hand, I want them to find me, on the other, what happens when they do? Will they forgive me? Can they? I yed them after all. I don''t dareprehend the answer. Unwilling to face what the result from any of the beers will be. Not too long, I am dropped unceremoniously on the floor. The man begins to chain me up when he hears a call from outside. With a curse, he turns around and leaves, forgetting the chains. "Catherine?" my wolf whispers. "Hey," I say. "How are you holding up?" "I should be asking you that. You haven''t eaten." "I know. I can''t be bothered by that now. We are going to die." "no, we aren''t." "You always say that. But how can you be so sure?" "Have I ever been wrong?" I stop at her question and think back. There have been times when I was sure I was going to die. When I had fallen ill and no one paid any attention or helped me, instead they had worked me to the bone. It almost felt like they wanted me to die. I didn''t. The time when we were attacked and one of the enemies vaporized the air with gaseous wolfsbane. Many had died, people far stronger than me, fully grown adults. I didn''t. I was twelve. And there is of course, when Tammy had her men beat me and toss me in the river. Each of those times, my wolf had assured me that I would live. She was sure of it. "No, you haven''t. How?" "How what?" "How is it that you have never been wrong? That you have always been so sure." "It is because I am the wolf queen. And you are my human." "Oh, not this again." "Listen to me. For eons, my mate and I have been reincarnating. Sometimes we meet each other, sometimes we don''t. We are either toote or too far gone. But we always reincarnate. You and Damon have been chosen by us, and for the first time in eight hundred years, we see each other again. "He is your mate. He is your protector. He will love you, just the same way you already love him" "Wait- what? No, yo-" "You," she says, cutting me off. "have a rare opportunity to have one of the greatest, most fulfilling love ever known and you are shying from it because of fear. So hear me now, no mediocre wolf, poison, attack, or whatever can kill you because I live in you. And I can''t be killed, not without my say so. I am a queen. And so are you." Well, when she puts it that way¡­ BORDER OF SKYLIGHT PACK. TAMMY. "Why is she still alive?" I snarl at the dark shadow where my contact is hiding. "Simply put, I don''t trust you." "What do you mean by that? I have always held up my end of the deal." "And you have always said you protect your own. And yet, a few days ago, seven of your men were killed and their bodies burnt and you did nothing. Instead, you are locked up and sneaking around like a fugitive. Suffice it to say, I no longer have faith in your¡­ abilities. Payment first." I won''t lie. That was a low blow. "Very well," I say as I throw him arge duffel bag. "There you go. Sixty pounds of silver and thirty pounds of wolfsbane as requested." "Impressive, * he says as he picks it up, only his hand stretching from the shadows. "I didn''t think you would pull through." "She dies tonight." "As you wish." I watch him slowly move back until I can''t see him, not even his silhouette. As I turn to head back to the mansion, I see a shadow sh by, going in the direction of the man. Probably imagining things. As I tuck myself into bed, I remember that I had not taken my phone with me. Searching the whole room proves effortless and just as I decide to sneak out to see if it had dropped during one of my forbidding outings, the door clicks open. Vance walks in and after staring at me for a few seconds, raises up his hand. It is my phone. "Looking for this?" Oh shit. CHAPTER 23 CHAPTER 23 TAMMY. I stare at his face, trying to see if I would get a favorable disposition. No dice. His face is hard and inscrutable, just like the day he had rejected Catherine. And it hurts. Who would have thought that one day, he would also look at me like that? Not me for sure. "That is my phone," I say as I slowly walk to him. "Can I have it back?" I ask, my hand outstretched. "Of course," he says as he walks deeper into the room. "Just as soon as you answer some questions for me." "Okay, what questions?" "Just one. This package of yours, who is she?" "Wha-what? I don''t understand." ''You don''t? Here let me read some to jog your memory. Send proof. She is not dead yet. WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Payment. How was that? Did that help?" "Vance, I can exin. I ca-" THWACK! The p sends me flying and crashing into the wall, and both sides of my face instantly begin to swell. "Let me see if I can get this right," he says as he begins pacing. "You have in your repertoire some contacts gotten from my father''s days. Once you realized that Catherine was alive, you contracted this one to kill her. You went to the edge of the border to deliver his payment as requested. How did I do?" What? How? "Hmm. It must be confusing. Someone saw you sneaking off one night and reported you, I guess you don''t have as many games as you like to think. Getting your phone was easy, you are very careless with those you consider beneath you." "Vance, please¡­ I can exin." "I thought about it," he says,pletely ignoring me. "Killing you immediately, that is. But I got a splendid idea. Have you tracked and then followed your contact to wherever he is keeping Catherine. I get her, you die." The shadow¡­ oh no." "You look heartbroken. Good. You should be. Here is your phone," he says as he crushes it in his hand and drops the debris on myp. "I won''t kill you now though, no. I will wait for Catherine to arrive and then you can die as you watch me mated to my true mate." He turns away and leaves, his departure quickly followed by several men''s entrances. They are carrying tough nks and other materials. In a matter of minutes, every window is barred and sealed, effectively trapping me in here. This¡­ this can''t be my end. VANCE. I walk away with the feeling of vindication. Catherine is going to be pleased by this. "You wish," my wolf snorts. "What? Why not? Why do you say so?" "What makes you think she would be pleased by any of this? That she would even want to be here?" "she is my mate." "You say that like it changes everything." "Well, it does. We are mates. We are meant to love and ept each other." "Oh. And where was that love? That respect, when you rejected her in front of everybody? On her birthday no less." I take a deep breath at that. "I made a mistake. I am correcting it now." "she epted your rejection. Truly andpletely. She doesn''t want you anymore." "That is a lie! Why are you saying all this? You should be on my side." "Not on this. She is wasted on you. And I am starting to get the feeling she knows this." I cut off themunication, no longer willing to hear his crap. Catherine is my mate. Her ce is by my side. It doesn''t matter if she doesn''t want it, she will learn to love it. And me. FAYE. I watch as the windows of the bitch''s room are sealed shut. This is a problem. "No shit." Not now, wolf. I had been lucky to find the kidnappers'' scent being strong at the border. I couldn''t see him though, only the woman he was talking to. She had seemed familiar. I would have done after the man but my wolf had for some reason warned me against it. She was very loud about her thoughts on the matter. "You would have died." I believe her. There was something off about him. Something¡­ unnatural. Soni had followed the woman instead. And boy was I lucky. The conversation I overheard was worrying. Vance was Catherine''s mate. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Well, former mate. He was the bastard that had rejected her and now he wants her back. No bloody way in hell. This is going to set the Alpha off, I think as I set off in a run to the border of the pack. Just as I am about to cross it, something crashes into me. Without hesitation, I turn around and swipe at its head, just as it moves towards me again only for us to freeze at the same moment. First of all, it is not an "it" it is a he. And he is my¡­ "Mate. Mate. Mate," my wolf chants. "Mate," the man grows. Hell no. I don''t waste any more seconds, I leap over the boundary and tear through the crags before diving into the river. Hopefully, that throws him off my scent. A few miles farther off, I pull myself out and begin the long trek back to my pack and the mansion. "What the hell are you doing?" My wolf screams at me. "He is a member of the Skylight pack." "And?" "And¡­ I can''t be mated with someone from there. They are monsters." "Catherine is from their pack." "Catherine is an angel who doesn''t deserve to be born there." "Not all of them can be bad." "Enough. We can''t betray our Alpha." She doesn''t respond to that. Thank goddess. I make my way through the woods and into the mansion. I feel slightly bad about dripping water onto the nice Persian rugs, but what I have can''t wait. As I approach the study, I am stopped short by a shout. "I SAID NO!" CHAPTER 24 CHAPTER 24 DAMON. "I SAID NO." My wolf has been insistent on going for a run. For days. It is irritating. Like a kid high on sugar, he has been on edge, prowling around in my head, itching to go for a run. It is why I am so antsy. "Um, Alpha, is everything okay?" I look up to see Faue standing there, soaking wet. "What happened to you? You are soaked." "I uh, dived into the river." "why?" "um, it is not important. I have news." "on the other person?" "yes. Tammy Fay. She is the supposed mate of Vance Sky." "Fay? Fay. Why does that name sound familiar? Oh, right. Their beta is named Fay. Collin Fay." "Cody Fay. And yeah, she is his sister." "Did you bring her here?" "No. I couldn''t. She is under house arrest and all her windows have been barred." "So we can''t find out who she contacted?." "Hmm, I don''t think so.." "Why do you say so?" "I don''t think she even knows who he is. Anyway, I found something else. Vance is-, was Catherine''s mate." A beat of silence and then¡­ "WHAT?" What the hell is she saying? That Vance was the fucker that hurt her. So rejecting her wasn''t enough, he had to kill her too? "I overheard them discussing it. Vance and Tammy. It was Tammy who had Catherine beaten up and left for dead. She has done it because she didn''t want Vance to change his mind. Vance found out and had the wolves involved killed and her under house arrest. " "So that''s why he had them burnt." "I guess so." "How did she know that Catherine was still alive? How did he know?" I ask. "I have no idea about that. But I know that Vance has some people tracking Catherine''s kidnapper" she answers "What?" I exim as I rush to my feet. "How did he find him?" "He waited for them to meet and then put someone on his trail. I wanted to follow them, but my wolf wouldn''t budge." "Why the hell not?" "In her words- if I follow, I die. I think that person isn''t normal." Right, of course. How could I forget? Wait. "Why is he looking for her?" She sighs at the question and an ufortable lookes over her face. I am not going to like this answer. "Apparently¡­ he had a change of heart and wants Catherine back. As his mate and Luna." "Like hell he does," I snarl. "Catherine is mine!" "Yes, Alpha." "Wher-" At that exact moment, Melissa burst into the room, harried and out of breath. "Mel. You are back, good. What did you find?" "The falcon¡­" she pants. "He is dead." "What?" "What?" "Yeah, I went into his estate and¡­ oh my goddess, it was a horror show. A massacre." "How does that even happen? He is the falcon. Didn''t you see a body? His body?" "Uhuh, it wasid out on his desk. He is dead Damon." Who could do something like that? "Who could do something like that?" fate asks horrified "From the looks of it, someone very sick." Our world is predominantly a werewolf society, but at its edges, there are certain¡­ people, that stand out. Different gifts or talents give them a certain prestige. The Falcon is one such person. He knows and sees things and of course, he tends to use the knowledge from that to his benefit but he is still an ally to the werewolfmunity. A seer kind of. How could he not have seen his deathing? "Run now." "Not again." "We have to go now. It is gettingte. Now. NOW!" Oh shit. What the hell is wrong with you? "RUN NOW!" "I have to go," I tell thedies as I barge past them. Rude, but I will apologize. My wolf is trying to break my skull open. "Damon?" "Alpha, what''s wrong?" I hear them both trailing after me but I can''t pay attention to them now. Every nerve ending is on edge and alert like I might burst out of my skin if I don''t turn. The moment I am outside the mansion, I change. And my paws haven''t hit the ground before I take off running. I have never run this fast. This has to be a new record. "Alpha!" "Damon! Wait up." Their voices are quickly fading away with the amount of ground I am tearing up. "You know you can slow down right? Where are you even going?" I ask my wolf. "Shut up. If we arete, it is your fault." "That is rude. And what are we going to bete for? Where are you GOING?" I ask as we run past our border, scaring the patrols. "Saving Catherine. We are going to save Catherine. Wait what?" "What do you mean by that? Do you know where she is? Is that why you wanted to go on a run? WHY DIDN''T YOU TELL ME?" "That is because I didn''t know until I was out. You need to learn to listen to me." I ignore him and push my strength into his to speed up the process. Behind me, I can hear both Melissa and Faye''s wolf chasing after me. Hold on Catherine. I aming. SHADOW MAN. It is hrious that the wolf stalking me thinks he is doing a good job of it. I noticed immediately it started spying on me and the little bitch. Wolves. Such disgusting and arrogant creatures. If I had my way, I would rid this earth of all of them and use their fur to make winter coats. That would be quite a collection of coats. I stand in the shadows as I watch the fool turn around like a fool. Searching for me. Like he could. It is that same arrogance I am talking about. He doesn''t see me move. One minute, he is standing there like a lost puppy and the next, he is on the floor, staring at the moon with lifeless eyes. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Hmm, maybe I should have let him turn. His coat would have been lovely. CHAPTER 25 CHAPTER 25 CATHERINE "...hurry up¡­" "...grab the cages¡­" "...they are at the entrance¡­" "...run¡­" On and on it went. At first everywhere was deathly quiet. No one was talking, and I wasn''t even hearing the whimpering sounds as usual. It almost felt like I was alone. And all of a sudden, a shout erupted. Followed by hurried feet, and crashing sounds. And now, I can hear snarls. The sounds of ripping flesh and painful cries. There is a new yer and I don''t know if that will end well for me. Suddenly, the door bursts open and I hear footsteps rush up to me. They pull the chains off and begin dragging me away. "What is going on?" my wolf asks. "How would I know? There is a bag over my head and I can''t see anything. You on the other hand are supposed to be a super powerful wolf. Why can''t you figure it out?" "Powerful. Not omniscient. " "We need to hurry! " The man holding me says to someone else, I can hear more than one breathing. "The boss would just hate it if she gets lost." I am guessing that I am the she. And the boss is the one who has the creepy dead voice. What is it with these people anyway? Are they going to kill me it not? "What is wrong with you? Get up!" the man shouts at me. I am hurried across an uneven floor, with a bag over my head and bleeding ankles. It is only logical that I stumble. They don''t need to know it was intentional. Anything that would buy whoever it is that is attacking them more time. "Her legs are bruised, you will have to pick her up," the other voice says. The man grumbles as he lifts me roughly by my arm before throwing me over his shoulder. "Come on. We can''t waste any more time." We then continue in that same hurried pace, with me praying for this nightmare to end. We seem to be making a good escape until a loud, violent, and rage-filled snarl echoes around us. The two mene to a fast halt. There are no sounds for a few seconds and then there is a lot. I feel them both turn around and continue running towards another exit, trying to escape the nerve- racking, demonic growl that keeps closing in on us. Who is that? Eventually, I be too much of a burden for the man to carry and he throws me down unceremoniously to the floor. It was not a pretty fall. You see, I was hanging over his shoulder with my head pointing at the floor and this bastard just shoved me to the side with such force, I can still hear my head ringing. Both my head, my neck, and my back made contact with the floor at the same time. The pain¡­ is excruciating. That is all I feel. Like I have been broken. The pain burns and I begin to feel lightheaded. Yet, even in the pain, I can hear someone calling my name, over and over again. "Catherine! Catherine, please hold on. Please stay with me." It sounds like Damon, I think. It is thest thought I have before I pass out. Waking up is a surreal affair. It is slow and gradual. The first thing I feel is the sift sheet beneath me. Familiar sheets. Damon''s sheets. I slowly open my eyes and I see that I am back in the ckwater pack. Specifically Damon''s bedroom. I try to stand up from the bed only to groan out in pain and fall back down. The movement startles the person sitting next to me. It is Damon. His head snapped up from the sleeping position he was in, his eyes roving around the room before finally settling on me. "Catherine," he exims as he stands up to get closer to me. "You are awake." This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Da-" my voice cuts off. Days and days of no use have made my throat itchy and sore. What was in that gag? "Just hold on, I will go get the healer," he says before running out of the room. That¡­ is not what I expected. I expected anger. Betrayal. Hurt. Rejection. Not concern, worry, and affection. Because that is affection I see in his eyes. How can he still care about me after I had abandoned him? If I hadn''t been kidnapped, I would have been very far away from him. With no hope of them ever finding me. Wow. I am just beginning to hear how selfish that sounds. Especially when I realized that they had stormed that ce just to rescue me. He came to save me. The knowledge is still so strange. Damon and the healer walk in, Haley, I think, as well as several other people. Diana, Faye, Melissa, even Ryder. All of them wearing looks of concern and worry. I am a bad, bad person. "Apart from the silver poisoning, she is whole," the healer says. "I will prepare a solution for that so you can speed up the healing. How is your wolf?" she asks. "Still kicking," I croak out "That''s good. I rmend, honey for your throat, it will help with the soreness." "Thank you, Haley," Damon says as he escorts her out and then I am left in the room with four pairs of puppy eyes all staring soulfully at me. SHADOW MAN. How disappointing. Why can''t they all just behave the same? Lazy and arrogant in their prowess. Instead, Damon, what''s his name, has security even tighter than normal. I fume as I watch the rows and rows of patrol go by the borders, leaving no gap for infiltration. The dog had killed my people and taken my prisoners. For her. Someone else''s mate. He hade into my ce, my sanctuary, and left a massacre. He will pay for this. I will make him regret the day he met her, even if it is thest thing I do. I swear it. CHAPTER 26 CHAPTER 26 CATHERINE. "Darling," Diana starts as she walks over and sits on the bed, right beside me. "I am so d you are okay. We were all so worried. Damon here was out of his mind, terrified at what could have happened to you." "I am sorry," I mumble as I look down at my hands, unable to face the look of hurt in her eyes. "Why did you leave?" she asks, reaching for my hand. What could I say to that? I was scared you would find out that I was from the Skylight pack and kick me out. Or worse kill me. I hear a deep sigh from above my head and then the sounds of someone''s footstepsing to the other side of the bed. From the corner of my eyes, I see Damon get into the bed with me and turn to face me. "Catherine," he starts. "I know you are from the Skylight pack." My head snaps up to him, so fast, I am surprised it didn''t snap apart. What?! How did he find out? "I have known for some time," he continues. "We all have." I turn to look at the others for confirmation. They all nod at me, giving me varying degrees of smiles. "How?" I whisper. "I had suspected from the very first day, " Melissa speaks up. "You know, when I brought you in. Later on, I tracked your scent to their pack." "Why didn''t you say anything?" "You didn''t want to mention it. And we didn''t want to rush you." Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Oh." That is¡­ I am starting to feel very stupid now. "That''s good," my wolf snarks. I don''t respond. "I also know that Vance was the one who rejected you. That he was your mate," Damon says. "You do?" This just keeps getting better and better. "Yeah." "And you are¡­ okay with it?" "I wouldn''t say that. I was enraged when I first found out. That someone like that would be paired up with you. And then I was mad, that he had hurt you and caused you to be so scared of everything. And then I was d. Grateful." "You were?" "Hmm. I still am. Because he rejected you, I was able to find you. His loss, my gain." "You are not angry at me?" I ask again. "No," he says as he cups my face and looks at me with those deep soulful eyes of his. "I could never be angry at you." That is it. I can''t hold it back anymore. I burst into tears, startling him and even me. I thought I had cried it all out with Diana, but it seems there is still some pent-up frustration on me. Damon pulls me into his arms, whispering soothing words and patting my back. It feels¡­ safe. He came for me. He knew who I was and still came for me. The sobs continue in so much force, nearly blocking every sound around me. It pours out like a torrential rain. I don''t know how long we stay like that but when I doe up for air, I realize that everyone has left. It is just me and Damon. "Do you feel better?" he asks. "A little, yeah," I answer with a shy smile. "That''s good. Cause we need to talk." Oh boy. "I can''t begin to understand the reality of what you went through. I know it is horrible and that it has left scars on you. But the truth is, I can''t help you if you don''t open up to me. To us. We all worry and care about you. And I know it is hard, trust me I know how hard it is to open up, but can you give us a chance? Just a chance to prove to you we care for you and want the best for you." His eyes are earnest and hopeful, begging me to give in, but¡­ "it is hard," I affirm. "and scary. I have been on my own for as long as I can remember, I don''t know how¡­ to let people in. I wouldn''t know how to start." "Then let us help you. Let me help you. I want to get to know you, can you do that?" "I can try," I say. What could I lose? They have all proven that they truly care for me and that the fact that I was a member of the Skylight pack or that I was Vance''s mate, holds no weight. "Okay. What would you like to know?" I ask. The answering smile is enough to keep me fuzzy for days. SKYLIGHT PACK: VANCE. I watch with a detached interest as the patrol I had sent to search for the spy carries in his corpse, into the mansion and ces him at my feet. He was supposed to follow the bastard who had Catherine and alert us to their whereabouts. Instead, he is lying here dead. I give a nod to one of them, and they pull back the ck cloth covering him. His body is as white as a sheet, which should not be as if he was just gone for two days. There are no marks on his body, nothing to signify how he died. "What was the healer''s autopsy?" I ask. "He said he had never seen anything like it," one of them answers. "What does that mean?" I demand "There are no internal organs, I mean everything just sort of¡­ dried up, even his blood." "What could do something like this?" "He has no idea, alpha." "And so, what you are telling me is that I have lost, my only way to find Catherine?" No one responds to that, all of them are too cowardly to face me. "What?!" I snap. "You can''t talk. It is easy for you to bully and ridicule someone weaker than you, but you can''t find one single woman. Is this the best you all have to offer?" "Alpha-" I turn away from them in disgust. It is not them I should me. After all, I contributed to the abuse and gave Tammy the chance tomit this atrocity. Tammy. She will know where he is. Where Catherine is. Hold on Catherine, I aming to save you. CHAPTER 27 CHAPTER 27 VANCE. I barge into the room keeping Tammy, startling her from the mat she was sitting on. After ourst confrontation, I had had the furnishings and otherfort stripped from the room. She hadn''t understood the gravity of her crimes and still thought she could have sway in this pack. I had to show her her ce. Looking at her now, being brought low gives me a vicious joy. How dare she touch my mate? Order her killed? It makes me wonder, how many people she has wiped off the earth. Tammy is a petty, arrogant, and vindictive creature, she would never have taken it lightly, any insult to her person. And ever since the revtion of what had happened to Catherine, my mind has started to make some connections. A fight with her in one instance and then the girl vanished a few dayster. An unwilling individual who didn''t want to give up his seat had gone missing a few dayster. And so many others like that. I had thought they had left the pack, efforts to find them had proved futile and no one said anything. The bitch was destroying my pack and I had no idea. I am just as disgusted with myself as I am with her. What kind of Alpha doesn''t know what goes on in his pack? Am I that bad? That blind? No more. As I walk toward her, I see the fear sh through her eyes as she moves to scramble away from me. Good. She looks¡­ terrible. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Her hair is dry and lifeless, her skin pale, lips dry. I can see heavy bags under her eyes and broken, bleeding nails, probably caused by her trying to pry off the boards nailed to the windows She shouldn''t look this bad, it has just been a day since I had everything stripped. She wouldn''t have looked this bad, if not for the silver gas I had sprayed all over the room. There is no need for her to ess her wolf. "Where is he?" I growl as Ie to a halt in front of her quivering self and re at her menacingly. "W- who?" she stutters out, before breaking into a cough. "The assassin you set on Catherine. Where is his base?" "I- I don''t know. I- I only-" THWACK. Her head ms into the wall behind her, causing her to slip down to the floor in a pathetic mess. "Let''s try this again. Where is he?" "I don''t know. I swear, I don-" THWACK. THWACK. "V- Vance, plea- please. I swea-" "That is Alpha, to you," I coldly tell her. She looks up at me with the greatest look of betrayal, like I have destroyed her. Really? "What? Why are you looking at me like that? You don''t deserve to call me by my name. That is reserved for people I trust," I spit at her. "Van-" THWACK. Her face is swollen now and she has a bust lip. "I trusted you. You," I snarl. "I thought you cared for me. That you had my best interest at heart. But what did you do in return? You had my mate beaten and thrown in a river. You hired an assassin to kill her. You have been killing members of my pack, abusing said trust. YOU BETRAYED ME FIRST. And for what? Power? Prestige? Well, how do you like it now?" I reach forward and grab her by the throat. "Last chance. Tell me where he is, or I will kill your entire family and make you watch." "I DON''T KNOW, " she screams, sobbing as tears spill down her face. "I swear I don''t know. We only ever met at the borders. I don''t even know what he looks like." "Then how did you get his contact?" She doesn''t answer, just looking up at me like an idiot. "HOW?!" I roar at her as I show hard enough for me to hear her teeth rattle. "My dad¡­it was my dad," she sobs out. "I got his number from his phone," she wails. Of course. Dawson was the Beta for my dad. He too must have his own share of skeletons. I drop her to the ground as I turn to leave only to be stopped by a grip on my ankle. I look back to see her, grabbing at my legs, and using it to pull herself across the floor. A dirty, bloody mess. Please, Va-, Alpha. Please don''t kill him. He is my father, please." I kick her off, disgusted at her touch. "Your words mean nothing to me. Your father is part of the rot that has permeated my pack, I intend on cutting it off." "Cody!" she screams. "Cody is your Beta, would you risk his loyalty for this?" "You poor, stupid girl. The only reason your brother still lives is because I have found no proof tying him to your despicable acts. If he stands in my way, he does too." I savor the horrified look on her face for a second before turning and walking away, mming the door on my way out. Turning to the guard at the door, I ask, "When was thest gas spray?" "Eight hours ago, Alpha." "Spray it again. And remember anyone whoes looking for her, you have permission to kill them." "Yes, Alpha." With a nod at him, I turn around and walk out of the mansion. "What are you going to do?" my wolf asks. "What do you mean, what am I going to do? I am going to get the whereabouts of that assassin and save Catherine." "Ah, there is no point." "What do you mean there is no point? He is on his way to kill her. Wait," I stop in my tracks at an evil thought. "Is she- is she dead??" "No, not dead. She has been reached already." "By who?" "Her mate." CHAPTER 28 CHAPTER 28 VANCE. "What the bloody hell are you talking about? I am her mate!" I snap at him. What is wrong with this wolf? "Not anymore, you are not. You rejected her, and she epted your rejection. There is nothing linking you two together apart from your obsession." "That is bullshit. It has just been a few weeks and you think she will just get over me like that?" "what was there to get over? Your abuse? Disregard and indifference? You really do have a bloated sense of importance. The moon goddess gave Catherine another mate, and from the looks of it, he cherishes her and she, him. He could find her that fast because of their bond. A bond you no longer have because you are a stupid human." "How would you even know that? Every information you get is because I get it too. How can you know that?" "Wrong again. We are spirit wolves, given to you by the moon goddess. On a deep and subconscious level, we are all connected. And while I might not know exact things, we get a sense of them. If you lot listened to us more often, half of the crap you get yourselves into wouldn''t have happened." "Catherine doesn''t have another mate. I AM HER MATE." "You rejected her. She is done with you. Stop making a nuisance of yourself and making everybody miserable because of your choices." I snarl out at his senses. Whirling around to punch a tree. My handes out the other end with splinters. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "You can me anyone you want but at the end of the day, the only reason her abuse continued after your father''s death was because you permitted it. You might have not joined in, but your silence in the face of all that spoke volumes. Be realistic Vance, why would she ever want toe back here? Where her parents were murdered without a factual exnation. Where she was abused within the inch of her life every day from that. Where her mate took one look at her and rejected her. And not just that, you chose her chief tormentor as your mate. Where do you even get off thinking you can get away with this? That she would look at you and willinglye back?" "Who is he?" I snap. I receive a snort as a response. "ANSWER ME!" I roar. He doesn''t respond. I feel him retreat into my mind, disregarding my fury and going dark. How dare he. Fine then. "You can stay there all you want, you don''t get to shift until you answer my questions," I tell him out loud. Another snort and then¡­ "Is that supposed to hurt me? You need my strength. But please, carry on. I am ashamed to be your wolf anyway. You and Tammy do deserve each other." And then silence. No, absence. He cloaked himself. The fucker. "AAARGH," I roar out loud. Turning around in a fit of rage, I storm into the Fay household, roaring at the top of my voice. "DAWSON! SHOW YOURSELF." BLACKWATER PACK. DAMON. I gently close the door to the bedroom, careful not to disturb Catherine from her nap. Being captured, chained, gagged, and blinded for days must be so traumatizing. She needs the rest. Especially after her openness in answering our questions. I know she didn''t open up about a lot of things, like her abuse. But we didn''t push her. Our imaginations were enough. A pack that kills and burns their wolves must have different ways of torturing them. Goddess, she is so strong. I am impressed by her ability to still smile andugh. After tenacity and stubborn will to live. Don''t get me wrong, I am still hurt that she tried to run away, but I can respect that action. She wasn''t willing to die without a fight. She is going to make a wonderful Luna. "It is a lot, isn''t it?" Mel asks from my side as we walk away. When Catherine had given me the go-ahead to ask questions, I had summoned Mel. She has been the one on top of the Skylight pack, she would know what questions to ask. "It is. I don''t know how to feel," I tell her. "Oh, I know how I feel. Mad. With rage. I am going to kill them all." "You will have to get in line. I am her mate after all." "No fair. You can kill Vance and Tammy, and I can have the rest." "Vance," I growl as the rage begins to simmer again, making me see red. "What a pathetic mutt." "I am sure he thinks she will forgive him, after all, he didn''t join in the abuse." "Bullshit. He condoned it. He supported it. With his silence. The Alpha watched as a member of his pack was abused and tormented, daily. He is not exempt from it." "I know that," she says with hands raised towards me. " If he didn''t want her in his pack, if they all hated her that much, they should have kicked her out and not have kept her as everyone''s punching bag. Oh, the more I talk about it, the angrier I get. We need a n," she snaps. "A n," I ask with a raised eyebrow. "On how we are going to fuck them up. We have always nned on doing this, now we have more of a reason, Catherine." "I hear you, I do. But, all these happened when she was still a member of their pack. I can''t attack them on that basis." "What about now?" "Sorry, I am not getting you." "Catherine is no longer a member of their pack. Instead, she is your mate. Tammy Fay, ordered an assassination attempt on your mate. Tammy is the recognized mate of Vance, she has the same authority as him. In the eyes of the world, it will be seen as his order, and with the way they have been treating their members, people would believe it." "And we can kill them for it." CHAPTER 29 CHAPTER 29 CATHERINE. I wake up with a slow yawn. Waking up in silk sheets, and feather-down pillows is like heaven considering the way I have slept these past few days. Up straight, bound, and gagged. I scan the room and notice that I am alone. I didn''t even notice when I fell asleep. I remember talking to both Damon and Melissa about the Skylight pack, They asked about my life there, the experiences I went through, if there were others simr to my experience, how many people had gone missing, and so on. At first, the questions were focused on me and my welfare but then they moved to the whole pack in general, like they were fishing for ammunition to use against them. But that is silly, right? Why would Damin want to attack the Skylight pack? They are nothing to him. I get up from bed and head to the shower. Oh. Sweet, glorious shower. It is divine. Feeling filthy with sweat, dirt and dried blood sure knows how to change one''s perspective. In case you are wondering, I have no desire to leave the ckwater pack. I had promised Damon that I would give him a chance and that is what I will do. After spending about an hour in the bathroom, Ie out with clean, sweet-smelling, pruned- looking skin. "What did you think was going to happen after spending so much time soaking in hot water?" my wolf snarks. "It looks like you are dealing better," I retort. "since you are already teasing me." "Oh do shut up." I dress up in a mosaic-patterned, free-flowing gown that is fitted at my upper half and cinched at the waist. Melissa picked it up when we went shopping and I didn''t have the time to appreciate it. It is beautiful. I pair it with a pair of silver strappy sandals while leaving my hair down to naturally dry before I walk out of the room. And run straight into Ryder. "Oh, sorry. I didn''t see you there" I apologize as I massage my head. "It is okayLuna. Did you have a nice rest?" he asks. "Yeah, I did." I look up at him and notice that he seems to have been here for a while. "What are you doing at the door?" I ask. "Um, nothing." I stare at him with what I call my dead goldfish share and he caves. "We never caught the main person behind your kidnapping. Alpha thinks he mighte for you. We are to take turns guarding your door. And¡­ windows." "windows?" "Yes, Luna." "Please don''t call me that. It feels¡­ ufortable." "Luna?" "Yes, that." "But you are our Luna. You are Damon''s mate." "Yes, I am aware. But still, please." "Very well, what would you like me to call you?" he asks. "Catherine is fine. Or Cat." "Are you trying to kill me?" "What?" I am confused "Damon is still sulky, about not getting to call you Cat like Luna Diana. Once he hears me calling you that, I am dead. He will work me to the line until I choose death." "Now you are just being dramatic, " I say with augh. "No, I am not." His face is so serious that it makes me giggle. It is nice that this terrifying pack just turns out to be made of fun, normal people. "Very well, then. You can call me Catherine," I say. "Thank you, Lu-, Catherine." "Do you know wh-" "Catherine! Oh you dear child, how are you feeling?" I turn to see Diana, heading towards me with hands outstretched. I turn fully to intercept and receive her full bear hug. "Hi, Diana," I say softly. She does give the best hugs. Original from N?velDrama.Org. She pulls back, to look me over with a critical eye. "You have lost weight," she announces. "What?" I ask with augh. "You are all bones and skin. Didn''t those assholes feed you there?" she demands with a pout. "No. No, they didn''t." However, in their defense, I didn''t have much going on in the weight department. Years and years of starving will do that to you. "Those wretches, * she curses. "Come then, give me a month, I will have you plump and ripe." "ripe?" I ask. "It is a metaphor darling," she rifies as she leads me down the stairs. "Ryder you can have a break, I will watch over her from here," she calls over her shoulder. "Yes, Luna Diana." "I was hoping to find Damon. And Melissa. We were having a discussion and I fell asleep." "Even better. They have been in his study all day, discussing goddess knows what. You can take their meals to them along with yours." "Oh, okay then." I follow her into the kitchen where she quickly gets to work. I offer to help her but she just rebuffs me. "You are just recovering from a grueling experience. No need for you to stress yourself." "Please," I ask. "I feel bored." She turns to look at me for a few seconds before finally giving in. "Fine, you can cut the potatoes." "Yay. Thank you," I say as I jump out of the chair and head to the sink. "What are you making?" I ask. "Potato porridge. With chicken and beef cuts." "That sounds delicious." "Oh, it is. Damon loves it. Especially when I make it with my secret ingredient." "Really? What is it?" I ask eagerly. "I will tell you when you havepleted the making ritual," she says with a wicked smile. "No fair," I whine. "Life is not fair darling." "Come on, give me a hint." "How about this, instead of waiting till the mating ritual, I will tell you once you and Damon have consummated your bond." "Diana!" I exim, the blush quickly creeping along my face. She called in response to that. Suffice it to say, I won''t ask again. "Right. Speaking of mating rituals, I have a question, " I say. "Shoot." "What can you tell me about the Wolf Queen? CHAPTER 30 CHAPTER 30 CATHERINE. "What can you tell me about the Wolf Queen?" I notice her freeze at the question. Just for a moment before she continues working. "The Wolf Queen? What about her?" she asks nonchntly. "I know you are the one that told Damon about the myth-" "Legend," she corrects as she turns to me with a tray carrying three tesden with porridge. "The legend of the Wolf Queen and King are very real." "Okay. Can you tell me more about them?" I ask. "Sure. After you take these tes to Damon. And Melissa. You should also stay there, and get to know your mate better. Once you are done, we can talk as much as you want and ask any questions. Okay?" she instructs as she hands me the tray. "Okay." I turn to leave but then remembering something, I turn back. "Um. Where is the study?" I ask shyly. Dianaughs before answering. "Up the stairs, to the samending of your room but you go down the corridor. Last door there." "Thank you." As I follow her instructions, I begin crafting the questions I want to ask her. When was the first record of the wolf king and queen? This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. How many times did they meet? Did they ever leave their substitute mates for each other? What happened to their substitute mates? What about those that don''t want them to meet? Do their descendants still exist? On and on it went. The more I thought of the questions, the more they arose. Eventually, I arrived at the door to the study and I knocked. "Come in," I hear a muffled reply. Pushing the door open, I see Damon, Melissa, and Ryder, all gathered around the desk. "Sorry to interrupt," I say as I walk in. "Your mother told me to bring you dinner and eat here with you. I didn''t know you would be here Ryder. I will go get you a te," I say as I set down the tray. "No!" he exims as he gets up. "No need. I will go get it myself. Thank you." He hurries out of the study, leaving just the three of us alone. "Hi," I say to them. "Did you have a good rest?" "Yeah, thank you. I am sorry I fell asleep on you." "No, need for that," Damon says as she pulls the tray towards him. "You needed the rest." He serves me my te first, then Melissa, and then his. What a gentleman. "I am ready to continue the questioning if you are," I say as I take a seat on the sofa and dig in. I notice a nket at the foot of it as well as an open cupboard, with clothes. Damon''s clothes. Has he been sleeping here all this while? I blush when I realize the answer and the reason for it. "Questions?" "What?" I ask bringing my focus back to them. "What questions are you talking about?" Damon asks. "The questions you were asking before I fell asleep." "Ah, that. There is no need for it. We have all we need. At least for now." "For now? All you need? I don''t understand. What did you need the answers for?" I ask. "Evidence, of course," Melissa answers as she puts back her empty te. That was fast. "Evidence?" I ask stupidly. "Yeah, evidence. If we are going to attack the Skylight pack, we need to have the evidence to back it up. Just cause and all that." "Wait," I exim, turning to Damon. "You are going to attack the Skylight pack? Why?" "What do you mean why? They attacked you. They abused you, beat you up, and left you for dead. They deserve way worse," he says with pent-up energy. "I understand that, but that doesn''t mean you should attack them. They do that to a lot of people." "That is even worse. They are an embarrassment to every wolf pack. They should be exterminated. We have wanted to do that for so long anyway." "And people know that. They have for a long time and no one has done anything about it because they don''t care. There is no way you can get away with this. No one will support you for this," I try to reason with them. "Which is why we are using your kidnapping," Melissa says. "My kidna-, I don''t understand." "You are my mate and Tammy had you kidnapped," Damon starts. "It can be seen as an attack against me. Against the ckwater pack. It is a good enough reason for an attack." "But it was Tammy, who arranged the kidnapping." "Tammy is the recognized mate of Vance. What she does reflects on him. And from what you told us, he was usually aware of the things she did, yes?" "true, bu-" "They are one. Tammy ordered it, Vance ordered it, it doesn''t matter. She is his Luna, by his admission." "So let me see, if I get this straight, you want to use my kidnapping as a reason to attack the Skylight pack?" "Yes." "but I don''t want that," I say. The shocked look on their faces would have made meugh if this wasn''t a serious issue. "Excuse me!" "What the hell do you mean by that?" Damon asks. "I don''t want any war. Least of all, because of me," I tell them. "But they abused you! " Melissa explodes. "They tortured you for years. Had you beaten up and when they thought you were dead, they threw you into the river? And now you just want to let it go? You don''t want revenge?" "I was always going to let it go. And no, I do not want revenge." I turn to Damon, hoping he can see my sincerity. "For arge part of my life, I have known violence and cruelty. Most times, just for the fun of it, I have been bullied by those stronger than me. Because they can. No justifiable reason is needed. I don''t want to be like them. I just want to forget all about them and have a peaceful life. Please, Damon. No war." I beg. CHAPTER 31 CHAPTER 31 DAMON. "Please, Damon. No war." I stare at Catherine as she pleads for the pack that wants her dead, heart in her eyes and sincerity shooting from them. She is so good. So kind. It unnerves me how someone pure like her can be my mate. I am not ashamed of my past. All I have done for my pack, I will dly do again. But it doesn''t change the fact that my hands are stained with blood and she doesn''t want any more blood. How did the Moon Goddess think that I would be a fitting mate for her? "They don''t deserve your kindness," I tell her. "Maybe not, but I am not asking for them. I am asking for me. I want peace." I can understand that. Her life, sure hasn''t been easy. Living in a constant state of anxiety must wear on a person''s soul. Of course, a war is thest thing that she would want. I turn to look at Melissa and I can already see the beginning of mutiny on her face. She knows what my decision is going to be and she doesn''t like it. Oh well. I will just have to bring her around to it. Turning back to Catherine, I say, "Very well. If that is what you want, then no war." Her naming smile that crosses her face makes the disappointment at not ripping Vance''s, worth it. "Thank you, Damon, thank you," she gushes. From the corner of my eyes, I see Melissa slouch down in her chair in disappointment, with a very prominent pout protruding from her face but I just ignore her. "There are conditions though," I continue to Catherine. ''There are?" she asks curiously. "Yeah. Number one, I get to call you Cat. No, no. Mother calls you Cat, I will call you Cathy. I am the only one allowed to use that name." She giggles in response to that, before nodding at me. "That is fine," she says. "Secondly, from now on, dinners will just be a private affair between you and me. We can have breakfast and lunch with others. But your night, your nights are mine," I say, my voice going lower at thest sentence. I watch in unmitigated delight as a blush spreads all over her face before she ducks down to hide it. "Ugh," Melissa groans as she gets up. "You two are disgusting and I am leaving." We both watch with crying degrees of interest as she packs up the tes and leaves without a backward nce. Even better. "So," I say out loud. "Do we have an agreement?" She turns to look at me, and with that same blush on her face, nods. "I can do that," she says quietly. "Anything else?" "Oh, there are a lot. What do you say about me moving back to my room?" I ask with a cheeky smile. "What?" "Don''t worry, I won''t do anything. It is just to sleep. You can sleep on one end, while I take the other. You will be very safe." For now. She thinks through that one for a while before slowly nodding. "Okay. Anything else?" "Just one more, for now. You will have to join in the training? "Training? But I have never trained before," she exims. "What do you mean? Didn''t you train back in the Skylight pack?" "Ni, I didn''t. I was the servant, remember? I was never allowed to train. The only way I got to build myself was by running in my wolf form. And even then I had to be careful of not being seen." "Because they would attack you?" I ask growling. "Well, yes. And also because my wolf didn''t want us to be seen by others. She was very adamant about that." Huh, interesting. "So you are saying, no one has ever seen your wolf?" "Except for my parents, yes. No one has seen my wolf. Except you too." "That is¡­ interesting." "What is?" "The fact that, apart from our families, no one else has seen us in wolf form," I answer. "You too? Your wolf didn''t let you be seen?" "Nah. It was more of my mother. From a very young age, she had drummed it into my brain, no one is allowed to see your wolf, except family and mate. We had the same experience. We are meant to be together." She gives me another shy smile in response to that. "Yeah, I guess we are." We stay there for a while, just sitting and enjoying each other''s presence before I shake myself up. "So," I say as I get up. "Will you help me move back in? To the room." "Yes, yes of course." She gets up and follows me to the cupboard, where I begin to unload my clothes. She instantly drags some of them from me and together we head to the bedroom.Original from N?velDrama.Org. "Which side do you like?" I ask as we hang the clothes. "Anyone. I am not picky with that." "You can have the left. It is closer to the wall." "Why does that matter?" she asks. "So, I will be closer to the door in case someone barges in to attack," I exin. "Oh," she says, dragging the syble. She smiles at me before turning back to the wardrobe. We arrange the clothes infortable silence, only broken by quiet questions or directions. That is until a pair of running feet is heard running towards the room. In a synchronized movement, both I and Catherine turn at the same time, with me subconsciously standing in front of her. A set of harried knocks is heard and I call out for them to enter. Faye enters, looking pale and disturbed. "Alpha. There is someone here to see you. A woman," she announces. "A woman? From where?" "I don''t know. She didn''t say. But¡­" "But what?" "She feels¡­ odd." "Odd?" "Yes. She says you were looking for her. She calls herself the Falcon." CHAPTER 32 CHAPTER 32 DAMON. The falcon? But he is dead. He. "You are sure that is what she said? That she is the Falcon?" "Yes, Alpha. I am." "Who is the Falcon?" I turn around to look at Cathy. She is eyeing both me and Faye with curiosity. "Well?" she asks again. "The Falcon is one of the special individuals in our midst. They are neither wolves nor humans. But they do have special skills. The Falcon is one of those renowned ones." "What does she do?" "From what we gathered, she is a seer." "A seer? Like visions and all that?" "Yeah, I suppose. I don''t know much about him- her." "But you were looking for her?" "Yeah, when you went missing. I had an idea as to who took you. I wanted the Falcon to confirm it for me." "Then why are you surprised that she is here?" "Because we thought she was dead. When I sent Melissa to look for her, she reported that everyone in her estate was dead. Including, the man we all thought was the Falcon." "Huh. Okay. Well, in that case, you shouldn''t keep her waiting" she says. "You go. I can finish up here." I nod at her and turn to follow Faye before stopping in my tracks. Turning back to her, I ask. "Why don''t youe with me?" "Me?" she asks with surprise while pointing at herself. "Yeah, you." "Why? I don''t know what I would do there." "You are my mate. It is about time people started knowing that. Will youe with me?" I ask while holding my hand out. She eyes it before looking into my face. Whatever she sees there seems to settle her. "Okay, sure." She ces her hand dainty in mine and I close mine around hers. Together and in anxious silence we head downstairs. The living room area is rife with tension. There, sitting on the side is a youngdy, with long falling blonde curls. She turns in our direction and I see her eyes are opaque, like she is blind. She can definitely see. I don''t know how I know that bit I am sure she can. Just like I am sure that she is a lot older than she looks. Way older. Surrounding her are who I suppose are her guards. They stand by her side and one at her back. In the rest of the room, at strategic positions are members of the warrior team. Melissa stands directly in front of the woman, while my mother is sitting on the armchair facing her. Their attention swivels in my direction the moment we step into the room. "Alpha ckwater," the Falcon says as she looks at me directly. "It is both a pleasure and honor to finally meet you." Called it. I nod in acknowledgment as Ie to stand in front of her. "Likewise." Her head swivels in Cathy''s direction, "Luna," she greets. " a delight as well." "Thank you," Cathy says as shees to stand behind me. Subtly, I pull her to my side. Standing as equals. "I was disturbed by the report I had gotten about your estate and the massacre. I am d you were lucky to survive," I say. "Luck had nothing to do with it. I knew he wasing." "He?" "The collector. The same man who kidnapped your Luna." An unnatural hush falls over the entire room at her words. The Collector. My mate was in the hands of the collector. I had suspected it but having it confirmed¡­ Well, it doesn''t make me feel better. She could have died. And not just that¡­ "Um, sorry to break the silence," Cathy says, "but, what is a collector? Or more urately who is he? Why is he called that?" No one answers at first, each person consumed by the horror of what could happen. Eventually, mother speaks up. "The Collector is¡­ an abomination. No one knows where hees from but he is dangerous. No one has gone up against him and won." "What does he do?" "He collects¡­ skin. And other¡­ body parts. Internal organs. He doesn''t spill blood, all he has to do is touch you and everything will dry up. Then he¡­ he pills your skin or fur and uses it for whatever evil he does." "Oh my goddess." I focus on the woman who calls herself the Falcon. "If you knew he wasing, why didn''t you save your people, you left them to die," I snap. "Careful boy, you might be a king, but even gods know better than to insult me," she retorts. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I am about tosh out when a hand stops me. I look down at it to see Cathy shaking her head at me. Very well, I can be calm. "Why did he want to kill you?" I ask "Because I am a threat to him. He knew it was a matter of time before he would cross someone with the resources or power to get my attention. And there is no cave, no hole, no shadow, that I can''t look into. He thought to remove me from the equation so that he can do as he likes." "So, he thinks you are dead?" "Yes. And I would like it to remain that way. For now." "Why didn''t you save your people?" "They offered to stay. To offer the disguise that I was still there. They chose to sacrifice themselves for me. It is a debt that I can never pay. I will avenge them." "Are you scared of him? Is that why you don''t want him to know you are alive?" "Nonsense. He believes he is invincible now. He is more liable to make mistakes and I can attack him from the shadows in which he so dearly loves to operate." "Okay, so whye here?" Melissa asks. "To us?" "Because we are united in the same goal. Or we will be." "And which goal is that?" "To kill him." "I already have my mate. I have no business with him." "Wrong. You went into his territory. You destroyed his collection. It is personal for him now. He will come for you if he hasn''t already." Well damn. CHAPTER 33 CHAPTER 33 CATHERINE "He wille for you if he hasn''t already." Her words send a chill down my spine. It takes me back to the time when I was chained up. To his cold, dead, and indifferent voice. The amused and fascinated way he talked about killing me. I was near that monster. Thinking about what he had nned to do to me makes me physically ill, I stumble. Thankfully, Damon grabbed me before I hit the floor. "Catherine! Are you okay? Come, sit." He gently leads me to where Diana is seated and puts me with her. "It is alright darling," she says as she pats my knees. "We are going to keep you safe." With gratitude in my heart, I lean my head against her shoulders, her breath a steady and comforting presence. Damon turns back to thedy, The Falcon. "You are certain? He wille here? Or are you just guessing?" "I don''t make guesses. And he already has. The very day your Luna woke up, he was standing under those tree covers, watching and listening." The fear takes flight at those words. And not just me, I see everyone react to it differently. Ryder and Melissa storm out of the room with most of the wolves on their heels. Faye looks so visibly ill, she drops to the floor, and Diana''s hands tighten on my knees. And Damon hasn''t stopped growling. She as well as her men don''t seem particrly fazed by their reactions. It makes me wonder, just what they have seen. They might look young but I know they are way older. It is just a sense I get from them. "How do I stop him?" he growls. "You? No. You can''t stop him. Not now, at least. You will need help. But for now, we wait." ''Wait?! You just said he was in my pack!." "Key word was. Not anymore. And with increased security, he won''t be able to get in. Remember what I said, he thinks he is invincible. He will get cocky and arrogant and will make a mistake. This is for certain. The best thing you can do now is for both you and your mate to get to know each other, consummate your mating, and have your ritual. The longer you two spend together, the more powerful you will grow. And you need to be powerful." Damon says nothing to that, still seemingly pissed that I was close to death, again. Though, what am I? A trouble ma? "I understand your turmoil, I do," the Falcon says. "Which is why I have brought some things to help you in better protecting ourselves from him." That is nice of her. "Thank you so much¡­Falcon?" Diana asks. ''You can call me Steele." Steele. What a weird name. "Steele. I know you said you would prefer it if he wasn''t aware of your existence, so why don''t you stay here? With us?" Damon whirls around to stare at her incredulously. I can understand his sentiment.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. I have no qualms against her, but living with her¡­ well, she gives me the creeps. "It will make it a lot easier to n our steps rather than waiting to make contact with each other," she offers by way of exnation. "That is a wonderful offer, I ept. Thank you." "You are most wee." "That said, our luggage is at the entrance of your pack, if someone will be so kind as to get it," Steele says. Right, seer. Of course. Diana nods and gets up to arrange that. "Faye, be a dear and show our guests to the south wing, they can stay there," she says as she walks out. "Yes, Luna Diana. Please follow me." She leads them out and it is just I and Damon in the living room. He walks over to me and envelopes me in a bear hug. "Nothing is going happen to you, * he growls into my hair. "I swear it." I can''t help but smile at his behavior. He is shaken by all these. "I know," I say, returning the hug. "I have you." We stay like that for a few moments before he ces a kiss on my head and pulls away. "I need to go rework our border patrol, you want toe with me?" "Hmm, no. I think I will just¡­ rather be alone. It is a lot to take in." "I know. Everything will be alright," he says as he pecks me one more time and walks away. As he leaves I can''t help but wonder, this Collector, if he is as powerful as they all think he is, why didn''t he kill me then? When he was watching us? What was he waiting for? What stopped him? I walk back to my room to continue arranging his clothes when my attention is snagged by the window. With measured steps, I walk over and look out. The trees are quite close to the mansion, and with the reaching branches, it would have been so easy for him to climb in and kill me. So why? Why didn''t he? Unless it is not me he wants. OUTSIDE THE BORDER OF THE BLACKWATER PACK. THE COLLECTOR. This is a problem. I came back to get more information on my target and what did I see? Increased security. And not just on the patrol, no. They had managed to get their hands on red bamboo stalks, polished with acetone and vinegar. Eachponent is poison to the likes of me. How did they know? Was it just suspicion or did someone tip them off? And if it was thetter, who? In disgust, I whirl away, angry once against my foiled n. Damon ckwater. The pain in my ass. It''s only a matter of time before I get him to myself. I had thought of killing just his mate and letting him watch but that is childish. I will skin his entire pack and make him watch, make him beg. I will break him. Just wait. CHAPTER 34 CHAPTER 34 MELISSA. "Okay, what is wrong with you?" I demand. Both Faye and Catherine startle from their spots on the steps before turning to look at me in question. ring at Faye, I continue. "You have been sighing over and over again. Behaving like someone just stole your most prized possession. What is it?" "I don''t know what you are talking about," she responds. Like hell, I don''t. "She is right," Catherine speaks up. "You have been sort of downtely. What happened?" "Nothing. I swear. I guess I am just worried and annoyed about all these happenings. And maybe a little pissed at you." "Me? What did I do?" "You ran away. I thought we were getting to know each other. I thought we were friends and then I found out that during all of our discussions, you were nning on running away. It hurts." Nice save. But a lie. That is not what is really upsetting her. "I am sorry Faye. I know I hurt you. All of you," Catherine says as she includes me with her gaze. "Can you all forgive me?" "Well, since you asked so nicely, fine, you are forgiven," Faye says. Catherine looks up at me with a sad pout and puppy dog eyes. "I forgave you the moment we found you," I tell her. She beams at me, giving me a light squeeze "Thank you." "There are conditions though for this act of forgiveness," I say. "Oh, is there now?" she asks with a humorous smirk like she knows something. What is that about? "Yes, just one. As your first and closest friends, I and Faye are both allowed to call you Cat." She lets out a small giggle before it graduates to a chuckle and then a full-blownugh. "Did I say something funny?" I ask, turning to Faye. She shrugs her shoulders as she continues to observe her. "What did I say?" I ask her. "It is not a big deal," she pants out. "it is just¡­ you and your brother are so simr. If I didn''t know better, I would think you were twins who shared a telepathic connection." "Thank you?" I ask. I am not sure if that is apliment or just an observation. "And no, we are not twins. So, do you agree with the condition?" "Yeah," she says, nodding. "I agree." "Excellent." It was evening and I and Faye had pulled Cat out of her room toe watch the stars. We were sitting on the stairs leading into the mansion, just enjoying each other''spany. It is here that Damin finds us as he walks towards the mansion. He looks exhausted, but pleased. Well as pleased as he can be knowing of the existence of a lunatic who wants to kill his mate. "I take it that the security implementations went well?" I ask "They did. The Falcon might be a weird and entric bat, but she sure knows what she is doing." "Hopefully, it is enough of a detriment to the Collector." "Let''s not call him that," Cat says. "It makes him sound ominous and powerful." "What do you suggest we call him?" Damon asks. "Hmm, let''s see. Something ordinary and dull. How about Tim?" "Tim?" "Ooh, what about Willy?" Faye adds. "Or Neville?" I pipe up. We all chuckle at that before settling on Willy. "I just don''t see anyone being frightened of a Willy," Damon says. "Great. Willy, it is then." "It is gettingte," Damon says as he stretches out his hand for Cat. "You promised me dinner," he says. Catherine smiles as she ces her hand in his. "I did." "We can join you for dinner," I say. "No!" Damon snaps. "I mean, sorry but no. Dinner is an affair between me and Cathy. No others allowed." "Cathy?" "Since when?" "It was part of the conditions I gave her for my forgiveness." "Oooh, I see. Simrities. Very funny Cat," I throw at her. She giggles in response to that as she walks in with him. They look so good together. I just hope we can deal with this Collector crap and they can get to be happy for the rest of their lives. I turn around to say as much to Faye only to see her staring at their retreating backs with a wanting and lost look. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Faye?" She snaps out of her daze before looking at me, giving me a bright, deceiving smile. Like that will work. "Okay, spill." "What?" "What has gotten into youtely?" I demand. "Oh,e on. Not this again." "Yes, this. Talk to me." "I already told you, I was upset about Ca-" "Cut the crap. It is me. Melissa. I have known you for years. We have trained and fought and grown together. I know when you are lying and you are lying now." She falls silent at that. Good, she should think it through before she lies to me again. I wait patiently for her to get her thoughts together. "Do you ever wonder," she starts. "About your mate." Ah, that makes sense. Mates. Damon has finally found his and so that is one down, three to go. Me, Faye, and Ryder in our little group. It makes sense for her to be down about it. "Sometimes," I answer. "Though I try to limit that. It doesn''t help worrying over that." "It doesn''t. Didn''t you want to find yours?" "Faye, everyone dreams of funding their mate. But the world isrge and we have to ept that it might never happen. And honestly, I am kind of okay with that." "You are?" "Yeah. Don''t get me wrong, I think it''s wonderful to have a destined partner. But it is also wonderful to not have to worry excessively over someone else. You know how it is." "Yeah, I do." "Is that what is bothering you?" "No. Well yeah, but not in that sense." "Well, what is it?" "I found my mate." "Oh my goddess! That is great. Why are you sad about that?" "He is from the skylight pack." "Oh shit." CHAPTER 35 CHAPTER 35 DAMON. Cathy is still giggling as we walk in. "What is so funny?" I ask. "Nothing serious," she says. "How was your day?" "Long. But satisfying. It gives me great pleasure to frustrate his ns in trying to get you." "About that, I was thinking, it doesn''t make sense." "What doesn''t?" "About him wanting to kill me. I mean, he doesn''t know anything about the Wolf King, Wolf Queen bit. And he has had me for what, four, five days. He knows I am not that strong. So why wait?" "Wait?" "Steele said he was watching us the day I woke up, from the shadows of the tree. I was looking at them this evening, and the distance between the branches and the window is very close. It would have been an easy thing to get to me. Especially when I was sleeping alone." That¡­ that makes sense. "But then, if it is not you he wants then that means he is after¡­" Original from N?velDrama.Org. "I think it''s you he wants. It alles down to the fact that you were the one who destroyed his¡­ collection," she says with a wince. "Hmm. That is better." "Better? How is that better?" she snaps. "You know what he is. How he kills. How is heing after you better?" "Are you worried for me?" I ask with a cheeky smile. "Damon! Be serious." "I know what he is and what he is capable of. But he doesn''t know what I am capable of. Hell, I am not even sure of what I am capable of. Let hime, I will kill him." She looks at me in anger. It should not delight me, how annoyed and worried she is for me, but it does. She cares about me. She takes her hand out of mine with a huff and walks off to the kitchen, leaving me behind. "Catherine," I call as I follow her. "Catherine. Cathy." She ignores me. I follow her with a smile and a spring in my step. It is just not the concern for me. It is the fact that she isfortable with me to behave like this. She is starting to feel at home here. "Damon," my mother says as I walk in. "You look chopper. No issues with the new protocols, then?" "None. What is for dinner?" "Quinoa, turkey, and some brockley and no, Cat, you don''t need to help me." "Diana," she whines. "No. I am already done." She puts down two tes on the table and I swoop in to get it. "Damon?'' "From now on, I and Cathy will be having our dinners alone." "Really? That is wonderful. You two go on up and when you are done you can leave the tes in front of the door. I will have someone get it," she says as she practically shoos us out. "Have fun." "Did you have to say it like that?" Cathy asks. I look over to see her face flushed red with embarrassment. "How did I say it?" I ask. "Like¡­ we were up to something." "We are up to something," I reply with a wiggle of my eyebrows. "Damon!" I burst out inughter at that, goddess, I love her. Oh. I love her. When did that happen? FAYE. I walk up to Ryder who had been stationed at the border, to relieve him of his post. "You took your sweet time getting here," he says grumpily. "What? Weren''t you having fun?" "As much fun as one can get watching rocks and trees," he answers. "I would take that as a good thing. It would mean Willy hasn''t shown up or he is scared of the protections." "Willy? Who the hell is Willy?" "Ah, the Collector. Cat had suggested we stop calling him that and instead give him an ordinary, non-fear-inducing name." "And she chose Willy?" "I did. She said, Tim. What is wrong with Willy?" "Nothing. Just not what I would have said." "What would you have gone for?" "Bozo. Or cookie." "Cookie?" "You said you wanted ordinary." "How is cookie an ordinary name?" "Hey, you asked." "Whatever. I am here now, so you can go." "Yeah, sure thing." He gets up and dusts himself before picking up a backpack and handing it to me. "There are some snacks there, should you get hungry," he says. "Thanks." "Faye, are you okay?" he asks as he watches me carefully. "Really? This again." "Again? Someone asked this before?" "It doesn''t matter. I am great." "Okay. But you know you can always talk to me if you want." "I know. Thanks, Ryder." He gives me a mock salute before turning around and leaving. When did I start wearing my feelings on my sleeves? I wonder. As I begin patrolling my sector of the border, the conversation I had with Mel goes through my head. "How do you know he is from the Skylight pack?" she asks. "I saw him. When Alpha sent me to find the one responsible for Cat''s kidnapping. He was the one patrolling that sector." "Oh wow. What did he say?" "Nothing." "Nothing?'' what did you say?" "Nothing either. What could I say? Oh hey, don''t mind me, I am just spying on your asshole of an Alpha and his evil Luna. What to have a tumble?'' "Don''t be sarcastic. I am genuinely curious. If neither of you said anything what happened then? What went down?" "Nothing went down. I saw him, I ran, I jumped into the river to lose him." "That seems extreme." "I didn''t know what to do. I still don''t know what to do." "This is something you are going to have to think through carefully. And once you have made your decision, you will need to let my brother know." I can''t help but sigh at my predicament. "Why are you doing this to me?" I shout at the sky. "Is it because my life has been so easy, is that why you are doing this?" I hear a chuckle not far from me and I look around to find where it came from. There, a few steps away from the border is my mate. Watching me. "Hi. I am Lucas." "What the hell?" CHAPTER 36 CHAPTER 36 FAYE. Lucas¡­ is stunning. To say the least. From my measurements, he looks to be over six feet tall. Broad shoulders, lean muscles. He had wavy, silver blonde hair- not dyed, gray eyes and ivory skin. Like a deity fallen from heaven. It is unreal. "What the hell are you doing here?" I snap. "I came to see you," he answers. "You left in such a hurry that day, I couldn''t get a word in." "That is because I wanted to get away," I tell him. "Why? We are mates," he says as he walks towards me. "Stop!" I order as I back away from him. "how did you even find me?" "I saw you swim upstream. I did the same. It was just a matter of finding and tracking your scent." "And you decided to approach the pack? Just like that? Do you even know which pack this is?" "Of course I do. The ckwater pack, we are supposed to be enemies." "Supposed to, we are enemies," I snap. "No. Our Alphas are enemies. We just get dragged into their mess." "I don''t know about you lot, but I can assure you, we don''t like the Skylight pack. All of us." "Hmm, why?" "You kill your people. Why are you even here?" "I told you already, I came to see my mate." "Were you just going to walk up to the pack? And do what?" "Of course not. I could smell your scent, it was most concentrated in this part of the border, I waited until you showed up. And you did. What do you mean by "we kill our people?" "What do you mean?" "You said that. What did you mean?" "Why would you ask that? Everyone knows about the way you treat those weak in your pack. You kill them." "No," he says with a faint, confused chuckle. "They leave. The only ones who have been killed were the ones who had¡­mitted a crime." "What crime?" I ask. I have a sneaking suspicion that I knew which group he was talking about. "An attack, I think. On a member of the pack?" "Oh really. Is that why Tammy Fay is locked up?" "What do you know about that?" he asks with a scowl. "I know that Tammy has been killing people she considers beneath her. Or who have in one way or another, offended her. Her downfall was going after Catherine." "Catherine? What do you know about Catherine?" Oh shit. Too much information. "In fact, why were you in our pack in the first ce?" "To spy." There is nothing I could have answered that would make sense. "Spy? On who? "Tammy. We got information that she has been polluting our river with corpses." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "You are saying, Tamm-, Luna, has been killing wolves. Pack wolves." "Yes." "And that her downfall was Catherine?" "Yes." "Where is she?" "Who?" "Catherine. Our Alpha has been looking for her." "No idea," I lie. "And what do I care about your Alpha and what he wants? He stares at me for a few seconds before responding. "You are lying," he decrees. "Am I now?" "Yes. But somehow, I know you won''t tell me what I want to know if you don''t want to." "Hmm, you are smart." He narrows his eyes at me before breaking into a smile. "Very well, then. How about we just get to know each other first? I am Lucas Dance and I think I am already in love". Oh great. A sweet talker. SKYLIGHT PACK. VANCE. I watch as Dawson is led out as well as three of his cohorts. They are in chains, silver chains and they are chained to the podium where they can be seen by every member of the pack. Without a nce to them, I walk to the very front, my presence, silencing the murmurs of the crowd. "To my shame and eternal embarrassment," I start, my voice echoing across the space. "I have come to the discovery of some unsavory and abhorrent practices that have been going on in the pack. My pack. "These men," I say as I gesture to Dawson and his group, "in their arrogance had taken it upon themselves to cull the pack. They have been killing those they consider weak and a liability to the section. All done without my knowledge." "I am also aware that this is something of an open secret. It ends now. If there is anyone who is considered to not be up to par, it is our duty as pack mates, to help them grow. Not to kill them. Not to abuse them. "I am using this asion to first of all apologize for failing you all. For my indifference andck of knowledge. And secondly, I am putting an end to this. Those who have been adding them have been dealt with. And should I find that anyone is trying to continue this wretched tradition, that wolf would quickly realize the extent of my fury. Bring them forward," I order. They are dragged to the very front of the podium and with a serrated silver dagger, I slit each of their throats, looking into their eyes as I do so. I will not shy away from this. As they each fall to the ground, the silence grows louder. Thest one drops and the whole clearing can be likened to a graveyard. Then the cheering breaks out. Whoops and chaos and shouts. It should have made me happy, their delight and joy. But it doesn''t. Instead, it just reminds me of how oppressed they must have felt. And how relieved and ecstatic, they are that it is all over. It reminds me of my failure. For years, people have been running this pack behind my back. What must they have thought of me? As the Alpha did nothing against the oppression and atrocities that went on. And then there is the shame. It was my father who started all this. It burns, the disgust. Turning around, I see Cody watching me with a nk gaze. "Follow me." CHAPTER 37 CHAPTER 37 VANCE. As I walk into my study, dreading the conversation I am about to have, I wonder at all the events that have happened to bring me to this point. Taking my seat, I stare up at Cody, who is standing at attention, body tense and tightly sprung. He has been my closest friend since childhood. Forget what I said to Tammy, it would hurt if I had to kill him too. "Cody," I start, looking him dead in the eye. "Alpha." "I want you to be very honest. I am only going to have this discussion once, and should I find that you lied to me in the future, I promise you, I will kill you where you stand." "Yes, Alpha." "Good. Tell me the truth. Did you know about the actions of your father? And Tammy?" He takes a deep sigh before answering. "I knew about my father''s act. I was convinced that he was doing it for the best of the pack." "I see. And Tammy?" "I knew she bullied people. I had no idea she killed them though." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "How did you find out about your dad? Did he tell you or you found out yourself?" "I found out myself." "When?" He is silent at that question. "Cody. When?" Closing his eyes, he answers in defeat, "A few days after the previous alpha died." Wait, what? Days?! "I remember that. People were vanishing from the pack after my father''s death. I asked you to find out why it was so. You said they had defected. You said they were worried that the ckwater would stillunch an attack on us and they ran. You lied." "No, Alpha. I did not. I swear I didn''t," he says as he subconsciously walks towards me before remembering himself and stopping. "You didn''t? Then exin. What happened to them?" "When you told me to find out, I went to my father for guidance on how to go about it. He was the one that told me they had left and that is when I told you. It was dayster when I found out it was a lie, and by then I didn''t know what to do." "You did. You didn''t tell me." "You had just lost your father, Alpha. You were grieving. I didn''t know how to tell you." "Did you want to tell me? Knowing what that would mean for your father?" "I¡­ I don''t know." I take a deep breath before continuing my questions. "How did you find out?" "It was on one of thosete nights we used to have. I was supposed to spend the night at the mansion but you and Tammy were being¡­ loud. So I left to go home. I saw Dad with a group of men, carrying some loads. It was at the dead of the night and they were being very secretive. I trailed behind them and saw what they were doing. "I didn''t understand what I was seeing. I must have made a sound because Dad turned around and saw me. He took me aside and exined it was best to get rid of the weak links in the pack. He thought there would be a response attack and that the pack was only as strong as the weakest. I knew it was wrong but he assured me that it was normal. That everyone did it and that your father promoted it." " I see. You have been with me all my life Cody. I am going to risk my faith one more time. Do not betray me. You can remain my Beta, as for how the pack sees you, you are going to have to win their trust back." "Thank you alpha," he says as he bows his head. "You can leave," I dismiss him. As I watch him leave, I send a silent prayer up there. Please. Please, moon goddess, don''t let him betray me. I wouldn''t be able to handle it. BLACKWATER PACK. STEELE AKA THE FALCON. Wolves. Such rustic creatures. I get the need for nature but can''t they try and branch out? At least, get a sauna or a hot pool. They are certainly rich enough to get that. Instead, the only thing they do for entertainment is run, train, and have sex. What a bunch of basic creatures. I hear a group ofughter and I look down to see a patroling back from their post. Ah, there she is. Faye. My ace. "She seems lovely," I hear from beside me. Without looking at my side, I reach out and take the mug of hot chocte Serb offers me. Having a third eye does have its perks. "Is she the one?" he asks. Seb has been one of my trusted confidants for as long as I can remember. He, as well as several others have at different times pretended to be me, for privacy and protection. It was his brother who died in my ce. It is funny how people tend to overlook women. Women can be very dangerous. Women are game changers. Just like my little ace. Faye. "Yes. She is." "I take it she has found her mate?" "Yes." "Is there any hope for them?" I think over the question. Rarely, the visions I see don''te to pass. The future you see is a result of different decisions made in our past and present. We can''t change the past and so we are forced to continue on its trajectory. Hence it is hard to change the future. But nheless¡­ "It is possible, I say. Anything is possible." "But not likely." "No, not likely." Together we watch as she meets up with her friend, Melissa, and they seem to have a short but tense discussion. Melissa moves to go over to where they areing from but is stopped by Faye who shakes her head. "Poor thing," I whisper. "It is a tragedy to lose one''s mate." "But in this case, a necessary sacrifice." CHAPTER 38 CHAPTER 38 CATHERINE. I wake up to the sound of heavy breathing and a heavy weight on my waist. It takes all the strength in me to not fly out of the embrace. A short second really, I realize that it is Damon''s hand on my waist. It is a strange urrence for me, to wake up with anyone. I always locked my door whenever I went to bed back at Skylight Pack. I could never risk it. I begin to very carefully, move from under his embrace, not wanting to wake him up. I am almost out when he grabs me and pulls me deeper into his chest. "It is still so early," he rumbles sleepily. "Where are you going?" "Uh¡­, a bath?" I mumble into his neck. He raised his head to look across the room at the hanged clock. "It is almost seven. Do you have somewhere to be?" "No. Nowhere." He drops his head back to the pillow. "Then sleep. We have the whole day." He does have a point. And he smells nice. Really¡­ really nice. I fall back to sleep, lulled by his rhythmic heartbeat. When I wake up the next time, it is to see Damon staring at me. "What?" I say, a yawn taking over the words as I stretch my whole body. "You are really beautiful," he drops on me. I freeze in my stretched position before slowly, turning my head to him. "What?" I ask. "You are beautiful. Especially when you sleep. You look so rxed and free. I want you to always feel that way, even when you are awake." Nobody has ever called me that. "...scarecrow¡­" "...rat¡­" "...runt¡­" And even the words that one would consider apliment were always said in a way that would make my skin crawl. I was never seen as someone¡­ desirable. Someone who could be loved or admired. I didn''t know how much that hurt went until Damon called me beautiful. Someone called me beautiful, and he meant it. "Cathy? Cathy? Catherine! Earth to Catherine." "Yeah, what?" "I have been calling you. Are you okay? Was it something I said?" he asks, his time and eyes bearing the worry he feels. "No. I mean yes, but not the way you think. Thank you," I tell him. "For saying that." "For saying what?" "That I am beautiful." "Yeah, but you are beautiful. Surely you know that." "No, I don''t actually," I confess. "All my life I have been called all sorts of derogatory names. Even though I tried not to let it get to me, it still hurt. You are the first person to ever call me beautiful and mean it. And not just to get me into your bed." I see his eyes sh and change colors before settling back to his natural hue. "In that case," he starts as he moves closer to me. "I will tell you every day, how beautiful you are," he whispers. My heart stutters at his words. The tone in which he said them and the proximity between us didn''t help matters. I stare at him unaware of the closing distance between us, and then very softly, his lips brush mine. Just a brush. It is like putting my hand inside a live socket. The shock rushes through me. Gasping, I pull away from him and watch as he struggles to calm himself. "Cathy," he groans out before pulling back. "You are killing me." I don''t say anything, I reach for my lips with my fingers. I can feel it still tingling. Looking back at him, I see him watching my movements, his eyes on my fingers where they are resting on my lips. I don''t know whates over me. One minute, I am shocked and feeling shy by his peck, and the next minute, I am hungry for his touch. I throw myself at him,tching onto him as I nt my lips on his. He responds enthusiastically. One of his hands goes straight to my hips while the other nts itself on my back, both of them pulling and pushing me into his embrace. He falls back to the bed, with me following after him. Our lips didn''t leave each other. Just licking and nibbling on each other. For a good while, the only sounds that can be heard in the room are the panting, groaning, and moaning of us both. I feel his hands wander over my body, down my thighs, below my butt, pulling me closer to his¡­ member. I just know I am as red as a tomato now. I wiggle around to get morefortable and I feel him freeze before he groans out. Without a second''s hesitation, he flipped our position, me t on the bed and he stretched out to full length over me. Oh my. This position shouldn''t feel this good. It should be suffocating and ufortable, instead, all it does to serve is make me even more aroused. "Damon," I gasp out, voice thick with passion. It seems to set him off. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. His eyes sh again before he buries his face in my neck, nibbling and sucking at the ce where the mating mark should be. I can''t help but grind myself on him, urging him on. At the back of my mind, I know we should take it slow. But it feels so damn good. On their own volition, my legs lift, causing me to be spread open and having Damon settle even more snugly. I cross my legs over each other, trapping him there. He likes it. I can tell thanks to the way he grinds himself on me, making me whisper with want. He doesn''t stop, he keeps on grinding and grinding, taking me to higher heights, and just when I feel like I am about to explode into stardust, the door bursts open, and ines rushing Ryder, Melissa, and Faye. We all freeze in shock before both I and Damon scramble away from each other. Damon turns to them with a cross look on his face. "What the hell guys?!" CHAPTER 39 CHAPTER 39 DAMON "What the hell guys?!" I snap. It was a good morning! A wonderful, beautiful morning. And they ruined it. I can''t help the growl that rips out of me at their backs. They had turned around in haste once they realized what was going on. But it was toote, they ruined my morning. "You lot better have a good reason for barging in here," I growl out. "Sorry, Alpha!" "We knocked!" "We didn''t see anything Alpha!" That is a lie. If they didn''t see anything why are they fidgeting like that? Another growl rips out of me causing them to jump in their spots. And then a chuckle. It takes me a few seconds to figure out where it came from. I turn around to see Cathy holding her hands tightly to her mouth, her eyes brimming with barely repressed mirth. "Cat-" She bursts outughing, cackling and gasping for breath as she copses on the bed. What is funny? There is nothing about this situation that is funny. Original from N?velDrama.Org. My pants are hurting me for goddess''s sake! "I am- I am sorry," she gasps out between guffaws. "I am. It''s just- your face¡­ and their faces¡­ it is-" She copses into another bout ofughter, grabbing at her stomach as she struggles to catch her breath. Her mirth is enough to calm me down. Turning back to the three mood killers, I tell them, "Go wait for me in the study. I will be there shortly." "Yes Alpha," they chorus as they rush out. Groaning, I fall back to the bed and kick my feet like a kid. It was a good morning. "You should have a shower before going to them," Cathy says. "A cold one," I grumble as I turn to look at her."Do you want to join me?" I tease. "What?! No. Go away." "You go have your bath first," I tell her as I turn into the bed. "Me? They are waiting for you." "We will go there together. As my mate and future Luna, you are allowed to be in all our meetings." "Really?" "Yeah, so go have your bath." "Okay," she says as she gets off the bed and heads to the bathroom with a spring in her steps. "Are you sure you don''t want to shower together with me?" I call out. I receive a mmed door in response, making me chuckle. We both walk into the study to see the mood killers in a heated discussion. They, of course,e to a halt once we walk in. "So, what was so urgent that you couldn''t wait to tell me and just had to barge into my room and ruin my morning?" I snarl at them. I feel a pinch on my wrist and turn to see Cathy giving me a look. She had asked me to let them off the hook and I had reluctantly agreed. This is me letting them off, if not I would have assigned each of them patrol duty for a whole month. No breaks. See how they like it. "Again," Ryder speaks up. "We are so sorry about that." "Yeah. We didn''t know you two would be¡­" Melissa trails off at my look. "You didn''t know what I would be doing with my recently found mate, in our bedroom?" "This is our first time for everything. Can''t me me for not figuring it out" she retorts. "You-" Cathy cuts me off as she walks to my front, blocking Melissa from my view. "What was it that was so urgent?" she asks, diffusing the storm. Okay, maybe I haven''t let them off the hook yet. Their moods instantly plummet and that sets me on high alert. What happened? "We discovered something at the border. A message from the collector. Well, messages," Ryder informs me. Right. The Collector. One more person on my kill list. "What messages?" They don''t answer, each of them giving each other looks. "Well, what was the message?" I demand. "Bodies. Alpha. He had bodies stacked up on stakes, surrounding the borderline." What the fuck? "Bodies? Whose bodies?" "We don''t know them," Melissa answers. "Not from the pack?" "No. They are strangers," she says. "They are mostly human," Ryder adds. "Humans? What do you mean mostly?" "I think¡­ he kidnapped wolves from other packs for this. They don''t look or smell like rogues. The humans as well didn''t look or smell destitute." "They are people that can be missed. Will be missed," Faye says. "He is putting a target on your back," Cathy says. "On our backs." "What do you mean?" I ask as I turn to her. "She is right," Melissa says. "Nobody knows about the fight we have with him. And you have a penchant for putting your¡­ victims? Whatever. You have a habit of lining them on stakes." "All anyone is going to see is another disy of your power and they will be pissed. They will see it as a challenge," Ryder continues. "Alpha, we need to get ahead of this," he says. I nod in agreement. I underestimated him. He is far more brilliant than I gave him credit for. I thought he woulde directly at me. Like a wolf. He is not a wolf. He is an abomination. "Send for the Falcon. We need more intel on this asshole," I order. "Before that," Melissa says with a wince. "I think you need to see them. The bodies." I stare at her in confusion. What a weird vibe. "Very well," I say before turning to Cathy. "You should stay, I don''t want you to see something like this." "You said I am your mate and future Luna, I can''t shy away from this," she says. I nod at her before following the rest to the borderline. There, in a perfectly, symmetrical arrangement are rows upon rows of bodies. All females. All with startling simrities with Cathy. The bastard. "It was a good morning." CHAPTER 40 CHAPTER 40 CATHERINE. I watch as the bodies are taken down from the stakes and lined up on the floor to be covered with white sheets. Just how perverse and demented must one be to be capable of such evil? These are people''s daughters, mates, sisters. Someone''s family. "Cathy, " Damon calls out as he walks towards me, cutting off my view to the ghastly sight. "Don''t look." "Damon, what are we going to do about them?" I ask. He smiles at me at the use of the word "we" before it fades away. "I don''t know. The normal and sane thing to do is to find out where they all came from and inform their packs and families. But as Mel said, I am already a threat and a cause for worry to mist packs. It is unlikely they would believe me. They could decide to use this as justification to attack us." "Some might," I say. "Believe you that is. They can''t all be your enemies. Think, who among the Alphas do you respect or nominally like?" His eyes take on a deep contemtive gaze, before flickering back to me and then breaking into a smile. "You might have a point there, there are a few Alphas and allies I can reach out to. And with the Falcon on my side to verify my ims, we can have this wretched act backfire on the Collector," he says. "Willy." "What?" "Willy. His name is Willy. We agreed on that, remember?" He smiles at me before nodding. "Right. Willy. Speaking of," he turns to the crowd of people covering the bodies. "Ryder, have you informed the Falcon I want to see her?" he calls out. "Yes, Alpha." "And? What was her response?" "She said you will see her when you see her?" Huh? "What the hell does that mean?" he demands. "I don''t know Alpha. Seer stuff? I think she is just crazy," Ryder says as he turns back to the corpses, murmuring as he goes. "People aren''t meant to live that long. They do that, then they see things that can''t be unseen. It can''t be healthy for their sanity." I smile at his words. He does have a point. "Unbelievable," Damon Crouch''s as we begin to walk away. "It is my pack and she behaves like she owns it. Everyone on her own time." "Ehn, she kind of earned it. And what? Do you want to kick her out?" I ask. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "No. Not until she helps me kill the bastard." We arrive back at his study and he quickly gets behind his desk and pulls out a big book. "What are you doing?" I ask. "Calling would-be allies." I nod at him as I watch him dial a number. I hear the dial tone ring and then a voice call out. "Alpha Craig of the Sage pack, who am I speaking to?" "Alpha Craig, this is Alpha Damon of the ckwater pack. Did I catch you at a bad time?" There is a beat of silence before I hear a response. "ckwater?" "Yes." "Hmm, to what do I owe this honor?" "I have a favor to ask," Damon says. "What kind of favor?" "That you listen to what I am about to say without any influence of your preconceived notions." "Okay." Damon then proceeds to tell him a summarized version of what happened starting from my kidnapping. "And you are certain," Alpha Craig says after listening. "That it is the Collector who is doing all these?" "I have the Falcon living with me. She confirmed my theories." "The Falcon? She?" "Yes, the Falcon is a she," Damon confirms. "I thought he- she died in that massacre," he responds. "An actmitted by the Collector, and no, she survived." The Alpha is silent as he ruminates on what he has heard. "Here is my theory on this situation," he begins. "You are aware of the less-than-keen attention that you and your pack face, you know that once this gets out, the vultures will circle to try and tear you down. You need allies you can trust, ones that can back you up. Am I correct?" "Yes, you are. Can I count on you?" "Not so fast. If I''m going to get behind you, I will need to confirm your story. First, I am going to look into any missing girls with the description you gave me, both in my pack and in others. "I will also need to confirm the attack that you mentioned. The one in which you rescued your mate. If I find all these to be true, I wille visit you at your pack to confirm from the Falcon and n ahead." "Very well. What is your timeframe to finalize all these?" "Friday. Once I am sure, I will head to your pack. Maybe with another trusted Aloha or two. Would that be okay?" "Of course. I called you because of the honor in which you handle your affairs and that of others. Anyone you consider a friend will be orded the same respect." "Wise words, Alpha Damon. See you then." They hang up the phone and Damon leans back with a heavy sigh. "Do you trust him?" I ask. "Alpha Craig was one of the very few Alpha''s who had the guts to call out the Skylightck on the way they treated their members. He was always at loggerheads with Greg at every council meeting." Greg Sky. Late Alpha of the Skylight pack and my then number one tortured. I know werewolves are said to have violent and bestial tendencies but Greg took it to a whole new level. He lived to put people down. To destroy their self-esteem He abhorred anyone who could be slightly better than him at something. I bet it is why he tried to kill Damon. A young wolf quickly climbs up and shows promise. He must have hated that. "Good, I take it the discussion with Alpha Craig went well," Steele says from the door. "Smart choice calling him, he would be a great ally to you. Now, let''s talk war." Chapter 41 CHAPTER 41 CHAPTER 41 LUCAS (SKYLIGHT PACK) "...you lot kill your weak¡­" "...everyone knows that¡­" "...we hate the Skylight pack¡­" I didn''t want it to be true. That the pack I love and cherish and protect with my whole being is capable of such evil. It just didn''t make sense. And yet, it did. All those missing people. The abandoned homes and children. The secretive cliques that just seem to know everything. Is it possible? Is this my pack? "Lucas! Where the hell have you been man? You missed a lot." I turn to see Taylor, -Tay for short-, jogging up to me. "Hey, Tay. What''s up?" "The Alpha gave a speech. One that sent shock waves through everyone. And then he had former Beta Dawson and that clique of his killed. In front of everyone." "What?! Why?" "They have been killing pack members. Culling, as it was mentioned." "Culling?" "Yep." "Culling what?" "Weak members. Can you imagine? They, in their infinite wisdom, took it upon themselves to rid the pack of those they considered weak. Of course, that list also includes those who stood up to them or those they just didn''t like. Despicable." "What the hell?'' Faye was right. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "And that''s not all. Tammy, his daughter, also continued in his footsteps. She was the one that caused Catherine''s disappearance." "Catherine. What did she do to her?'' "From what I gathered, Tammy had her beaten and then thrown into the river to die. But, she somehow survived. Then Tammy had someone go after her to kill her but she was rescued. No one knows where she is now." I bet I can make an urate guess. The ckwater pack. I couldn''t understand how a high-ranking member like Faye would know the name of a runt in our pack. They must have saved her. But¡­ why? "And now, Alpha is having every resource used in searching for her," Tay continues. "Why?" "What do you mean why? She is his mate." "He rejected her." "Ehn must have had a change of heart. Though you can''t me him too much." "I can''t? Tell me, if she was your mate, could you reject her?" "Whoa, calm down man. Why are you so worked up?" "I am not worked up. Answer the question." "I don''t know. I don''t have a mate. They say finding your mate is the most wonderful feeling. That it makes you feelplete. I don''t know what I would have done." I turn away from him in anger. Not at him, but at the whole situation. What do I do? Should I tell the Alpha about my suspicions of Catherine''s whereabouts? Can Faye forgive me for that? He is her mate and our Luna. "Don''t you dare." "What?!'''' I ask my wolf. "You will keep numb about your suspicions of Catherine. It doesn''t concern you and you will for sure lose our mate. Just shut up." BLACKWATER PACK. DAMON. "War?'' I ask the crazy woman as she walks into my study. "Yes, war." "With whom?" Cathy asks. "With everyone." Yeah. Crazy. "I am not fighting a war with everybody," I tell her. "I have spilled enough blood for this month." "Not all wars entail bloodshed," she says as she takes a seat. "You are both aware of your heritage, right?" she asks. "Heritage? What heritage?" "Wolf King and Wolf Queen." "Oh. Yeah. Wait, how do you know about that?" She gives me a droll look with those opaque eyes of hers and it is unsettling. There are no pupils in there but I can still feel her gaze. Crazy and creepy. "It is good that you have started gathering allies. It is the first step in affirming your position." "I am not yet the Wolf King or whatever," I drolly tell her. "You are already the most powerful and far-reaching pack. Your influence and might are undeniable. It makes people antsy. Having allies will give them cause to be careful in their dealings with you. And once you be the Wolf King, once you be recognized, there would be no cause for jealousy. The reputation will be earned." "I do-" "If you are not talking about bloodshed," Cathy interrupts me, "what kind of war did you have in mind?" "The battle of wits. You already know that The Collector''stest act is going to cause a storm. An opportunity for your detractors to tear you down. This battle is going to be won by those with the most intelligence and the ability to use it. Luck for you, I am a fountain of intelligence." I see a gleam crawl into Cathy''s eyes. "You are going to tell us things about them," she says, causing me to whip my head back at the Falcon. "I am going to tell you secrets that they would rather die than let anyone know. How you use them is entirely up to you." Maybe I was a bit harsh in my judgment. "Please, a moment," I say as I get to. "I need to get Melissa." MELISSA. "What do you mean he was here?!" I snap as I turn to look at Faye in shock. "Is he insane? Does he not know of the animosity between both packs?" I continue ranting. "He is aware," she responds far too calmly for my taste. Does she not understand the gravity of the situation we are in? "He doesn''t care. He believes that it is just a stupid fight between Alphas," she says. "Stu-, between Alphas? They kill their wolves!" I scream. "I know that. But he didn''t." "What?" "He didn''t know they were being killed. He thought they were just deserting the pack," she says. Wow. Just wow. "And what did he think when you told him?" I ask snarkily. "He didn''t believe me." "Naturally." "He said he will go find out for himself." "Did he now? Really, of all the wolves that could have been your mate, how do you end up with one from the Skylight pack?" "What?!'' We both turn around to see Damon standing behind us, his face looking like a thunderstorm is making its home there. "Oh shit!" I concur. Chapter 42 CHAPTER 42 CHAPTER 42 DAMON. "What the hell do you mean by that?!" I demand from both Mel and Faye. I had looked for them all over the ce only to find them hiding in one of the gazebos scattered around the pack. I was going to give them time to finish their discussion privately, hell, I was even turning away already. That is until I heard Mel''sst statement. "...of all the wolves that could have been your mate, how do you end up with one from the Skylight pack?" Faye found her mate. Good news. He is from the Skylight pack. Again, what the actual fuck? "Damon, let''s try and be ca-" "When did you find out about this?" I demand from Faye, interrupting Mel. "Thest time I was in the Skylight''s pack, Alpha." "What happened to you? You are soaked." "I uh, dived into the river." "Why?" "Um, it is not important. I have news." The conversation reys itself in my head with startling rity. "That day¡­ you were wet. It was because of this mate, right?" I ask. "Yes, Alpha. I was flustered at his appearance and I jumped into the river to avoid him." "And how long have you known about this?" I ask, turning to Mel. "Uh, she told me about it the day the Falcon arrived. Well, more like I had to pry it out of her." This is¡­ a mess. "How did you feel about this?" I ask Faye. "Honestly, Alpha, I am a little torn. He seems like a nice man." "You have spoken to him already?" "He came to find me?" "He came? Into our pack?" "No! No. He waited at the border. He tracked my scent here and waited." "I see. What do you n on doing now? Do you want to leave with him?" "No! I could never leave the pack, much less for the Skylight pack." "So, he is going to have toe here," I say. "We haven''t discussed it. But he seemed just as devoted to his pack as I am." "That is¡­ disturbing, considering all we know about his pack," I reply. "That is the issue. It seems the only people who don''t know how the Skylight pack is seen are the Skylight members. When I told him why I didn''t like the pack he didn''t believe me. "He said that those who went missing had just deserted the pack. From what I gathered, it seems to be a shared belief among the pack," she finishes. "Huh, this is¡­ interesting," Mel says. "It is an opportunity that can be explored." It certainly is. "Explored?" Faye asks. "Let''s leave that for now," I say, not willing to share the thoughts that have begun formting in my head. "The Falcon wants to talk about war. Find Ryder ande to the study," I order before turning around to leave them. So, ignorant pack members. I wonder, how would they feel when they find out what their so-called leaders are doing to them. Would they turn against them? Defect from the pack? Or would they just suffer and take it in silence? Original from N?velDrama.Org. Vance for all his weakness is not an idiot. He is a good strategist, he must be aware of the risks. What would he do? "He had them killed," I hear as I walk into the study. I look up and see Cathy looking at me in confusion. I look at The Falcon, who had made the comment and is staring at me now. "Excuse me, were you talking to me?" "Yes. You were wondering what Alpha Vance would do," she answers. Does she read minds too? "He had a public trial where he exposed what had been going on and had the perpetrators killed. Publicly." "He killed them?" I demand. "Yes. Now, his pack members believe that he had nothing to do with all that mess- which is true- and they trust in him all the more." "Well, that sucks," I state. "Hmm, not necessarily." "What do you mean?" "You will see," she answers in that vague way of hers. Irritating. "What are you two talking about?" Cathy asks. I give her a rundown of my discovery of Faye''s mate and what he had inadvertently shared. "What is his name?" she asks. "I¡­ I don''t know. I didn''t ask." Just then, all expected three walk in, with my mother trailing after them. "Oh good. You are here," I say to Faye. "What is his name? This mate of yours." "Wait, what?!" Ryder exims. "You found your mate?" "Oh, that is wonderful news, Faye," my mother sings out. "Two down, two to go." "His name, Faye, * I ask, ignoring their words. "Lucas," she answers. "His name is Lucas." "Lucas," Cathy says. "Tall, silver blonde hair, ivory skin, Lucas?" she asks. "Yeah, do you know him?" Faue rushes out. "How is he? Was he part of your abusers? Cause if he is, I am going to reject him right now." "Wait, your mate is from the Skylight pack?" Ryder again "Oh, dear." Mother. "He wasn''t. He never really bothered me. When we crossed paths which was rare, he just tended to overlook me. Honestly, he was one of the few people I preferred. He never bothered me at all. That is a win." "But he didn''t defend you either," Faye says. "You have to understand, Faye. Defending me in any capacity would put them at loggerheads with the others. It is tantamount to saying the previous Alpha was wrong. And no one wants to get on the bad side of Alpha Greg." "Still, he could have helped." Cathy just smiles at her. Like she was saying, Faye is just too naive. It unnerves me, how sweet and kind and innocent she can be but also be so jaded on life. I want to wipe the te clean. "This is all so interesting, but we are not here to talk about Lucas," The Falcon says. "We are here to talk strategies. First of all, how are you going to deal with the corpses?" Chapter 43 CHAPTER 43 CHAPTER 43 DAMON. It was a long morning. We went through all the strategies I could think of and those I didn''t. We figured out a way to deliver the bodies without any trail back to us. The Falcon had volunteered her group to ensure that each of them found their home. So even if The Collector tried to start shit, there would be nothing to link us to it. I had asked her about Craig who I had already discussed with but she had assured me there was nothing to fear from him and his allies. Coming from her, that was a great relief, with her being a seer and all that. We are aware that theck of evidence would just put a wrench in The Collector''s n, but only a small wrench. The finger was still pointed at us, so we were still going to be questioned. We talked about how we were going to handle that. The Falcon again had revealed a lot of secrets about those packs. So many secrets. We wouldn''t need to expose it all, all we need to do is drop a few innuendos here and there and the guilty parties will check themselves. Original from N?velDrama.Org. "I have one issue to address," Mother says as we are rounding up. "What issue is that?" I ask "Catherine." "Me?" Cathy asks. "What did I do?" "Nothing sweetheart. It is just, that once a meeting is called, they are going toe here. The news about you going on a rescue attack to find your mate has already spread. It is also the reason for the Collector''s actions. "The Alphas are going to want to see your Luna. Vance is an Alpha." "And he will be there," I add. "Good." "No. Not good. Not now," The Falcon says. "Why the hell not? I have a bone to pick with him," I snarl. "And you will pick it. Just not now. The meeting will be held at the Sage pack. Aloha Craig is a respected and feared Alpha, known for his wisdom and his firm belief in justice. You can make up an excuse as to why Catherine won''t be joining you." I want toin, I do. But Cathy''s hand on mine stops me. I look at her and see the ring relief in her eyes. She is not ready to face Vance. Sighing, I turn back to The Falcon. "Very well. I will hold my peace, for now." "So all we have to do is convince Alpha Craig to invite all other Alpha''s to his pack. That should go wonderfully," Mel says sarcastically. I can understand the sentiment. No Alpha, and I mean none, would be willing much less eager to invite other Alphas to their pack. It is like permitting your enemies to fish out your weakness. "Leave Alpha Craig to me," The Falcon says. "We have history." "Okay then," Ryder says. "So we have handled everything, yes?" "Yeah. Why are you in such a hurry?" I ask him. "Not in a rush. Just very ready to get more information about this Lucas from Faye," he says "And I am hungry," Cathy says. The moment she says that everyone, and I mean everyone''s stomach grumbles at the same time, making us allugh at each other. It is already past noon and none of us have had any breakfast. We had corpses to deal with. Mother stands up and begins heading out. "Why don''t you all finish up here while I go prepare something for us all to eat?" she says. "Can Ie?" I turn to see Cathy looking at my mother with puppy eyes before making my mother finally cave in. "Fine," mother says And Cathy rushes out to follow her. I think she likes cooking. "Please excuse me," The Falcon says as she too walks out, leaving only me, Mel, Ryder, and Faye. Focusing my gaze on Faye, I say. "So, Lucas. What do you know about him?" Faye exchanges looks with Mel before sighing and then turning to me. "Not much. I know he is one of the warriors of the pack." "How good is he?" I ask. "Very good. He managed to sneak up on me and crash me into a tree before I could realize he was there. He is strong too. And a good tracker." "Do you think he would mind moving into our pack?" There is a collective intake of breath from all three as they all sit up straight. "Do you mean it Alpha?" Faye asks, hope shining in her eyes. "He is your mate and you seem to like him. And Cathy spoke up for him. Though considering what she said, that seems to be the best that can be said of those in that pack." "Oh, Alpha. That would mean the world to me. I would have to ask him and see." "How do you n on meeting?" She blushes before answering. "We have an agreement to meet three days from now at one of the crags along the river." "Hmm. I don''t like this. The sneaking around but I am willing to allow it. Take someone with you, when you leave. Better safe than sorry." "Yes Alpha, thank you, Alpha." She continues gushing at me as Ryder escorts her out, Mel trailing behind them. She stops to look at me before speaking. "That was a nice thing you did little brother, I am proud of you." "Don''t call me little," I retort before smiling at her. "Thanks." BORDER OF BLACKWATER PACK. THE COLLECTOR. CRASH. The tree crashes down in a resounding fall. "Damon," I growl out. Who is helping you? Who is thwarting me? "WHO?!" I roar. Those bodies were supposed to be tracked here. Instead, all traces of them have been swept clean and the bodies delivered. Not even a scent remains. Someone is working against me. Another seer? How many of them are there?! I have to get into that pack. How do I get in there? I hear footstepsing up my way and see a wolfing this way. I know him. He is from the Skylight Pack. Chapter 44 CHAPTER 44 CHAPTER 44 CATHERINE. The rest of the week passes by in a slow haze. Everyone is so busy putting security protocols in ce while I and Diana n on the best way to present myself to who would be our future allies. While it was indirectly my fault for all those deaths, I still can''t be seen as a weakling. Diana has been prepping me on how a Luna of a great pack carries herself. That being said, there has been no chance of a repeat performance of what happened that morning between Damon and me. Unfortunately. I hear a snort at the back of my mind at that thought. "You are back," I say to my wolf. "Did you miss me?" she asks. "Not really. You have been quiet these past weeks. Why?" "I was giving you two some space. You know, so you can get to know each other." "Right. And?" She snorts again before answering, "If you must know, my mate and I have been catching up. It has been eons since west saw each other." Right. Eternal lovers and all that. "You can have some respect when thinking about us. Because of me, you are now in a position of great authority." "I didn''t ask for that," I tell her. ''"Yo-" "But thank you," I say, quickly pacifying her. "It is a great honor." She sniffs in response. "You are most wee." What a drama queen. "You know I am in your head right? I can hear everything you think." "I don''t care. Speaking of that, I take it you are aware of the recent goings on around here?" I ask. "I am." "So? What do you think?" "I think you and Damon should just mate already." "What? Where did thate from?" I demand. "You all are worried about Vanceying im to you or the other Alphas demanding some form of restitution from you. All that worry will Vanish if you both consume your bond. You will be Luna. Damon''s equal. And not just that, once the bond isplete, your powers and his will grow exponentially and will continue to do so." "Is sex all you ever think about?" I ask in a deadpan tone. "Yes. I want cubs," she replies in a simr tone. "You are impossible." "You can''t deny it though, my way has merit." It hurts to say it but it does. It will give me an extrayer of protection and the right to influence any decisions taken. But I don''t want my first time to happen because of a political move. I want it to be special. "I can understand that," my wolf says. "I guess we are sticking with yourplicated human ns." She fades out of my mind and I focus on the files in my hands. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Damon had it delivered to me a few days ago. It contained the names and pictures of the three Alphasing today. Alpha Craig of the Sage pack, Alpha Monroe of the Grange pack, and Alpha Tobias of the Russet pack. All friends, all older than Damon. And Vance. These Alphas belong to our parents'' generation, which could be a good thing or a bad thing. Good in the sense that they have the wisdom and skill set to maneuver the shitstorm we are about to get in, bad in the sense that they could use that same skill set to fuck us up. Please Moon Goddess, don''t let them fuck us up. I know everyone says it is silly, me worrying about the alliance, especially when The Falcon has assured us that it is going to be alright. But I have had a long life of disappointments when I always thought it would be alright, habits are hard to kill. As I continue studying the file, I hear a quiet set of footsteps heading towards me. It doesn''t rm me. I am already used to everyone''s sounds and quirks and I know who this one is. The smile unwittingly crawls onto my face as I wait for them to make their move. Quickly, a pair of strong, muscled arms snakes their way across my waist, lifting me from the chair and making me squeal. "Damon! Put me down you brute," I exim "No. I have missed you too much," he says before whirling around and making me dizzy. "Stop. You are going to make me throw up." That pulls him to a halt, and he quickly ces my back on my feet. "As you wished," he says with a cheeky smile. "Thank you," I reply as I fix my gown. "And what do you mean you missed me? You saw me this morning." "That was ages ago." "It was approximately three hours ago," I retort. "Ehn, who is counting?" he teases as he pulls me to him for a kiss. I evade him as I run to the other side of the table. I am not about to start what we can''t finish again. He pouts at me for the distance between us. "Why are you avoiding me?" "I am not avoiding you. The Alphas are going to be here soon. We need to be at our best to receive them." "We are already at our best, I believe we can even be better. Come on," he says as he begins to chase me around the table. "Just a kiss. One kiss." "Damon, stop," Iugh out as I move around to evade him. I don''tst long. In one sneaky maneuver, he snatches me at my waist and pushes me to the wall, both of us, slightly out of breath and not just from the running. "Caught you," he whispers huskily, his breath mixing with mine and our chests heaving in tandem. "You caught me," I affirm. The kiss this time is slow, sensual, toe-curling. We take our time, learning each other''s taste. Little nibbles here and there. It is enough to- "Ahem." We both spring apart to see Diana watching us, a twinkle in her eyes. "Sorry to interrupt, but the Alphas are here. " Chapter 45 CHAPTER 45 CHAPTER 45 DAMON "Sorry to interrupt but the Alphas are here." Finally. "Where are they now?" I ask my mother. "Ryder signaled that they had just driven through the east gates. They should arrive at the mansion in five minutes." That is plenty enough time to get ourselves ready. Turning to Cathy, I ask. "Are you ready for this?" She stares at me in silence, her eyes somber, which is a far cry from how she was looking at me before. "Cathy?" I call, moving closer to take hold of her hands. "Are you okay? Are you ready for this?" "You want me there?" she asks quietly. "Yes. As my mate and Luna. I could never hide you from the world. I wouldn''t want to," I tell her. "Okay then, let''s do this," she says, a gleam of determination stealing into her eyes. She pulls away to close the file before handing it to Mother. "You got this Cat," Mother tells her to which she just responds with a smile. I take her hand in mine and together, we head to the front of the mansion, arriving just in time to see the three-car convoy pulling up. As if rehearsed, the driver''s door of each of the jeeps open at the same time, and out steps three men who then walk to the rear door. All in synchronization. "Did they n that?" Cathy asks quietly from beside me. "That seems unlikely, doesn''t it? I mean they are all respected and serious Alphas, they wouldn''t be that silly," I answer. "Hmm, they are also -deep down-, boys. Your kind can be very silly when they want to be." "That is true," I say before walking forward to greet the Alphas. "Alpha Craig, Alpha Monroe, and Alpha Tobias, I and my Luna, wee you to the ckwater pack." "Please," Alpha Craig says as he shakes my hand. "We are all equals here, there is no need for titles." "Very well then. Call me Damon." "Damon. Thank you for weing us into your home, " Craig says. "Please, I should be thanking you for believing me anding all the way here to help me." "The pleasure is all ours." "Come," I say as I lead them up the stairs. "Let me introduce you to my mate. Catherine Thames." "It is an honor to receive such esteemed guests into our pack," Cathy says. "It is an honor to be received by such prominent individuals," Monroe says with a respectful nod. "I heard you had found your mate," Tobias says. "Congrattions. It is a wonderful thing when we find our destined one." "Thank you," I tell them. "But I wasn''t aware that the ceremony had been held," he continues. "It hasn''t. I had just recently found Cathy, and unfortunately, things have gotten a bit hectic since then." "Please,e in," Cathy says before anyone can respond to that. We lead them to the living room where only my mother and The Falcon are present. All three Alphas stop dead upon sighting them. Well, more specifically, upon sighting her. The Falcon. It is funny. When we heard about The Falcon, we imagined a huge formidable male with an imposing aura. It is still quite a shock to be met with the exact opposite. And yet, her innate power can''t be missed. "The Falcon, I presume," Tobias says. "You would be correct," she answers. "Steele," Craig greets, his eyes trained truly on her. "Craig," she croons out. "It has been a while. How have you been?" "You tell me, you are the seer after all." Sheughs out at his statement, causing both I and Cathy to exchange curious nces. What is all that about? "I believe you need no introduction to my mother, Luna Mother, Diana," I say. "Of course," Monroe says. "How can anyone forget the formidable Diana? Our very own huntress." Mother giggles -giggles!- like a schoolgirl before replying. "My dear Monroe, you have always been such a sweet talker. Craig, Tobias, a delight to see you too." "I assure you," Craig says. "The delight is all ours." Eeeew. "I do hope your trip was an easy one," Mother asks. "Oh yes. It was. It made me think of old times when we woulde to visit your dear husband. Roger always knew what buttons to push to piss off the wholemunity.'' "It wasn''t intentional," Mother replies. "He was just¡­ chaotic," she says with a whimsical look in her eyes. Mother rarely talks about father. It hurts too much. And I can understand that, it has been years since his death but the pain is still raw. "We prepared a lovely meal for your arrival," Cathy says, breaking the mncholic spell that had fallen over the room. "Would you do us the honor of sharing a meal with us?" "Of course," Craig says. "It was a long trip." We all follow Cathy as she leads us to the dining room, where the dishes have already been prepared andid out. We all take our seats with me at the head of the table, Cathy by my right and Mother by my left. "Shall we?" I ask. They all give consent and we dig into our meals. As we eat, I take note of the behaviors of each of the Alphas. They all seem reserved, with Craig being the spokesperson. Tobias seems more thoughtful and Monroe is the middle ground between them. They all seem calm and level-headed. No prideful or haughty disposition. All friends. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. I watch as The Falcon leans over to Craig to whisper something and a look of surprise shes through his face. What was that about? Eventually, the meal is done and we are all back in the living room, the atmosphere, somber and tense. Craig turns to me and with a nk look in his eyes, he starts. "We have confirmed your story. And we have some news. The Collector is currently in the Skylight pack." Chapter 46 CHAPTER 46 CHAPTER 46 SKYLIGHT PACK. THE COLLECTOR. "The Alpha will see you now," the wolf announces, startling me from the beautiful daydream I was having. It was about me, slowly skinning the fit of Damon''s wolf as it whines pitifully, nearing its death. Soon. Very soon. "Thank you," I say, giving the wolf a practiced smile. He leads me to an office before knocking on the door. "Enter," a voice is heard. The wolf pushes open the door and gestures at me to enter, before leaving me with his Alpha. Vance Sky. Aplicated character, for sure. I had considered him to be just as depraved and twisted as some of his pack but then he went in a tirade and killed all those responsible for the deaths. Those were some of my best customers. The asshole. "You said you have information about the missing girls in my pack," he starts. "Yes, Alpha. I heard from a source that the Alpha of the ckwater pack has them. I believe he kidnapped them and held them for ransom." "You believe that Damon ckwater kidnapped girls to hold them for ransom. Who is your source?" he asks. "A rogue wolf who was living around the border of the Skylight pack." The asshole dares tough at me. "I don''t know who you think you are or what you aim to achieve by spilling this crap, but you have come to the wrong ce." "Alp-" "Damon ckwater is renowned for his hatred for rogues. No sane or insane rogue would dare camp within a fifty-mile radius of his pack. Do yourself a favor, get lost." "Alpha, I-" "Are you deaf?" he asks coldly. "You have not only wasted my time but have sprouted lies against a fellow Alpha, trying to incite a war. By the code of our world, I should kill you where you stand. As it is, I can''t even be bothered with you. Leave this pack. Now." How dare he? For a second, I am this close to ripping his soul from his body. Only years and years of intense training and self-control stop me. "As you wish, Alpha. But I am telling you the truth. Even as we speak, the Alphas, Craig, Tobias, and Monroe are in his pack, summoned by him with the requirements needed to retrieve their members. If you don''t believe me, you can have it checked. I will leave now," I say before leaving. He will take the bait. Oh, he might not believe the fact that Damon kidnapped girls but he would wonder why three of the strongest Alphas are having a meeting without informing the best of the Alphas. Especially when there are female wolves involved. The insult of being excluded is something he would not be able to tolerate. Let the games begin. Original from N?velDrama.Org. BLACKWATER PACK. DAMON. "What do you mean he is in the Skylight pack?" I demand, subtly casting a side nce at Cathy. She had tensed once she heard what Craig said. Her hands were fisted on her shirts and she had gone pale. Try as I have, I have not been able to get rid of the fear she still has for the Skylight pack. "It is as I said," Craig replies, bringing my attention back to him. "I had some of my¡­ people track him down, discreetly of course, but they had lost him once he went into the pack. They, of course, couldn''t go in." "He sneaked into the back?" I ask. "No. He was let in." The silence after that statement was deafening. "Let in?" I ask coldly. "Yes. He walked right in through the front gate." "That bastard," I growl out. "Damon," Cathy calls out, gripping my hands to calm me down. "Are you talking about The Collector?" Tobias asks. "No. I am talking about that sorry excuse of a wolf, Vance." "You don''t like Vance?" he asks before continuing."Oh right, his father tried attacking you, didn''t he?" "Yes, he did." "Still, that is not enough reason to hate Alpha Vance, I th-" "I hate him, because of how he treated my mate!" I snap at them. Another beat of silence before it is broken, this time by Monroe. "Your mate? Luna, you are from the Skylight pack?" he asks, turning to Cathy. I turn to Cathy, feeling immensely guilty for exposing her. She gives me a small smile before turning to the Alphas, a determined glint in her eyes. "Yes, I was part of the Skylight pack," she answers before taking a deep breath and continuing, "In fact, I was Vance''s mate." "Excuse me? Did you just say you were Alpha Vance''s mate?" Monroe asks. "Yes. I found out on my birthday and he immediately rejected me." "Oh." "I got a second chance with Damon. But it seems those of the Skylight pack are not willing to let me be." "Wait, how did you get here from the Skylight pack?" Tobias asks. She shares a look with me before she once again tells her story. I hold her hand firmly in mine, giving her my strength and assurance that I have her. "This is¡­ a lot," Craig says. "It is," I concur. "And this behavior, it is a norm in his pack?" "Yes," Cathy answers. "We have been monitoring their actions," I add. "Several of their corpses have washed up on our lands warranting us to look into it." "Well, I am d that you have found yourself a worthy and loving mate, Luna," Craig tells her. "Thank you, and please call me Catherine." "Very well. So, what do we think? Is the collector there for Tammy or Vance?" "For Vance," The falcon answers. I had forgotten she was here. "What do you mean?" Craig asks. "He went there to sow discord and it has already started bearing fruit." "What" I am cut off by Ryder bursting into the room, panting. "Alpha, it''s Alpha Vance. He is here." Chapter 47 CHAPTER 47 CHAPTER 47 VANCE. I watch as the strange man leaves the office. "I believe he kidnapped them and held them for ransom." "If you don''t believe me, you can have it checked. I will leave now," It was very bold of him toe here andy all these allegations. Especially to me. Everyone is aware of the bad blood between Damon and me, on ount of my father. But honestly, I couldn''t care less. The more I find out about my father''s past actions the less settled and disgusted I am. He was obsessed with power. Obsessed with being the best. A path that I was quickly following until I got a rude awakening. So no, I have no issue with Damon ckwater. My father tried to kill him out of jealousy, and he died for it. End of story. But this stranger, who came here spreading detrimental rumors with the intention of causing chaos, can''t be trusted. Still¡­ "Cody," I call through the mind link. "On my way Alpha," he responds with crity. I don''t wait long before I hear a knock on the door and he walks in. "Alpha," he greets. "You called for me?" "Yes. I need you to send scouts to the ckwater pack. Find out if there are other Alphas there." "Yes, Alpha," he responds, turning to leave. "And Cody," I say, stopping him. "Be discreet. They must not be caught." "Of course Alpha." I watch as he leaves before turning to my files. I try as hard as I can to get the man out of my head but I can''t. There was something about him. Something familiar. His scent. Where have I smelt it before? With a put-upon sigh, I get up and head for a walk around the pack, taking in the recent changes in ce. I thought it fitting to have the former Beta''s residence to be turned into a shelter for the orphans. The weak. I hope he is turning in his grave. "Alpha," I hear from behind me. Turning around, I see Lucas, one of my Delta warriors. "Lucas," I call. "Shouldn''t you be canvassing the border?" "I was doing that when I saw something. Someone." "What did you see?" "That man, the one who came to see you. I have seen him before. He was the one that James was tracking. " What?! James was the tracker who had been found dead with his organs dried up. "How do you know this?" I demand. "We were both watching the Lu-, Tammy that night before James went on to follow him." "And you saw him that day?" "Just a glimpse, when he turned away to leave. Also, his scent is very distinctive. It was on James'' body when we found him." Of course. That''s where I smelt it. That bastard. The gall he has,ing here, trying to toy with me. Wait, didn''t my wolf say Catherine had been rescued from him? Dammit! "Thank you, Lucas, for bringing this to my attention, " I say as I storm away from him, my feet leading me to the entrance of the pack. How dare he! He came into my pack after he had killed so many of my people. What is he nning? I have to find him. "Cool it," my wolf warns, startling me from the spiral I was whirling in Huh? "You don''t want to tangle with that creature, not now," he continues. "I thought you weren''t talking to me, and why wouldn''t I want to kill him?" I demand. "I wasn''t but you are nning on getting us killed. That creature isn''t human, do NOT engage." I vaguely consider ignoring his warning and going after the bastard myself but I eventually give in. For many reasons. The first is that he is finally talking to me. He had made good on his word to not engage with me and it was hell. The second reason is the fact that the bastard is nning something. He wants me to start a war with Damon, and I need to know why. Just then, I see Cody ahead of me, jogging up to me. "Alpha," he says. "I just got confirmation." "Who was there?" I ask. "The Alphas, Craig, Tobias, and Monroe." "I see. Ready the car, I am heading to the ckwater pack," I say as I turn to walk back to the manor." "Is there a problem Alpha?" he asks. "You remember the wretch that came to see me today?" I ask. "Yes." "He was the one whom your sister hired to kill Catherine. The one who has been taking care of those weaklings your father used to hate. The one who killed James." "You are certain, Alpha?" "A hundred percent." "Then what did hee for? What does he want?" N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "I don''t know, but if I have to guess, I will say anarchy." I quickly head into the building and my room for a quick shower and a change of clothes. Within thirty minutes, I am done and in the car heading for the pack. "How long before we get there ?'' I ask Cody as we drive past the gates "An hour and a half at most. We could have gone in our wolf forms and taken the river bend but that would be¡­" "Undignified," I finish. The ride is a quiet one. I can feel Cody itching to ask questions but he doesn''t. I, on the other hand, have thoughts running through my head. It is a fact that girls have gone missing from everyone''s pack. But why would Damon have anything to do with that, and if he didn''t, who would set him up and why? Eventually, we arrive at the gates of his pack and are questioned. "Alpha Vance of the Skylight pack," Ryder answers their inquiry. I watch the wolf report the information and wait. A few minutester, the gate buzzes open and our car coasts down thene. As I alight from the car, I see all four Alphas, standing at the entrance. "Alpha Vance," Damin starts, voice cool. "To what do I owe this August visit? Chapter 48 CHAPTER 48 CHAPTER 48 VANCE. "Alpha Damon," I greet. "Sorry for barging into your pack on such short notice. I have recentlye into some information, one that pertains to you and I thought it best to let you know." "A simple phone call would have suffice," he says. "I don''t think that would have been prudent. After all, this involves certain females from my pack. I believe that are here with you." It is nearly imperceptible, the flinch he tries to hide but I catch it. Original from N?velDrama.Org. Hmm, interesting. So, the wretch wasn''t lying. "How did you find out about that?" he demands. "I take it that you are not nning on using them for ransom?" I ask. "What?" he asks, confused. "What ransom?" "Some man came into my pack this morning, requesting to see me. I was told it was about the women who had recently gone missing. "Upon meeting him, he told me that you, Alpha Damon, were the one responsible for their kidnapping." "And you believed him?" he sneers. "Actually, no," I answer. I can''t deny it. I enjoy the look of frustrated confusion on his face. "Why don''t we move this inside," Alpha Craug says, speaking up for the first time. "This is a delicate matter and should be handled with utmost discreteness." "Of course," Damon says before gesturing for me toe in. "Alpha Vance, if you please." I nod and begin ascending the stairs to the mansion. "Alpha," I hear from behind me. I turn to see Cody, looking at me, worry evident in his eyes. "It is okay, Cody. These are honorable men, nothing is going to happen, right?" I ask in a delicately cool tone, turning back to Damon. "Of course. I am not in the habit of nning dishonorable attacks," he says. That¡­ was an attack on my father. Fair. I nod once more at Cody and follow the rest in. *Alpha Vance," I hear a greeting as we walk into the living room. "Wee to our humble pack." "Luna Diana," I greet. "It is an honor to be weed here." "I brought some cookies and lemonade," she says. "You gentlemen can help yourself to them." She drops the tray she is holding on the center table and looks at us all eagerly. A few secondster, we get the message and we all reach for a cookie. "Hmm," I murmur, after taking a bite. "Is there a problem, Alpha Vance?" she asks. "No. It''s just¡­ the taste. It seems familiar," I answer, trying to remember where I have tasted something like this. "Ah, I see. Donn''t know how that is possible. I am the one who made them." "It''s fine, I mean it''s delicious. Thank you, Luna Diana." The rest of the men say their thanks and she leaves us to our devices. "So," Damon starts as he takes a seat and gestures for me to, as well. "You were saying you didn''t believe him." "Yes, I don''t. But before we get into that, I have an apology to make." "An apology?" he asks. "Yes. I am not in the habit of apologizing for others actions but this is a special circumstance. "My father had attacked you once in your own home and you killed him for it. On behalf of the entire Skylight pack, I apologize for it." "Why? Why now?" he asks. "It hase to my recent knowledge that my father¡­ wasn''t who I thought he was. It has made me rethink a lot of his decisions and actions. I don''t know why he attacked you, and I don''t care. I just want to move on from all that and make my path. Hence, the apology." He stares at me with nk eyes for a good full minute before nodding. "Apology epted." "Thank you." "I have to say, Alpha Vance," Craig says. "I was not expecting that." "Yes, it is quite a surprise," Monroe adds. "Yeah. Well, this whole week has been a surprise for me too," I tell them. "So, why didn''t you believe him?" Tobias asks. "I recognized his scent. He was the one who killed a member of my pack recently." "Oh, we are sorry to hear that," Craig says. "Was there a conflict between you too?" "Well, you could say that. My mate had been kidnapped, by order of a member of my pack." "Your¡­ mate?" Damon asks. He almost looks angry at the word. Why? "Yes. Through my investigations, we found him and had him tracked. He killed the tracker. I only realized that when he left." "Why didn''t you go after him?" "My wolf stopped me. He said the man was not¡­ normal. That it would be dangerous to attack" "I see." "So, what is this about the missing women?'' I ask. "Why do you have them?" "I don''t.," he growls out. "We- I, woke up one morning to see them all handed at the edge of my border," A beat of silence and then¡­ "Hanged?" I ask "Yes. Hanged. He was the one who did that!" "I am sorry, but why? Why would he do something like that? Why target women to piss you off?" "I don''t know. But from what I have heard, The Collector is not exactly sane." "Excuse me? The Collector? The myth?" "Not a myth. He is very real," Tobias says. I take a minute to study all three, and I notice something. They are not surprised. They are very aware of what is going on, and I don''t know for how long. Dropping all pleasantries, I demand, "What the fuck is going on?" "What do you mean?" Damon asks. "No more bullshit. I came in good faith. I have told you all I know, so it''s your turn. What does The Collector have against you? Why is he trying to start a war with you? And why does he want to drag me into this." Before he can respond, I get a message from Cody, through the mindlink. "Alpha, we are under attack." Chapter 49 CHAPTER 49 CHAPTER 49 CATHERINE. Oh, my goddess. Vance is here. In this pack. What if he finds me? What if others tell him I am here? What if¡­ "Calm down, Cat," Diana says as she walks back into her room. When we heard that Vance was already in the pack, it had sent us all into overdrive. Damon, as well as the other Alphas, had hurried to the front of the mansion to stall him, long enough for I and Diana to clear away any signs of my presence. She had hurried me into her suite and had gone down to spray different kinds of air freshening agents to mask my scent. Eventually, I heard them alle inside and I have been sitting and waiting here in trepidation. It has been horrible. "Did he suspect anything?" I ask as I hurry over to her. She closes the door and gently takes me by my hand to lead me to her bed. "What could he possibly suspect?" she asks. "How could he possibly think that his rejected mate is here, his father''s enemy''s pack and that she is the Alpha''s mate?" "Yeah. I guess you are right, that would be quite a leap," I say, before turning to her. "But everything else is alright? Damon didn''t try to kill him?" "No. See, I told you he has impable control." "Thank the goddess," I say as I heave a big sigh. Honestly, I can''t wait for my life to go normal, though, I am not sure how that would look. My life hasn''t been normal in years. "Hmm. So, now that we are alone, what do you want to know about the Wolf Queen?" she asks. "What?" "You had once asked me to tell you about the Wolf Queen, what do you want to know?" I stare at her for a few seconds before I recall that conversation. It was the same day that I had dissuaded Damon and Melissa from attacking the Skylight Pack. "Right, of course. Well, for starters, how did you know about them, this legend?" "Hmm, it was when Damon had first turned into a wolf as a cub." "A cub?" Of course, like me. I always found it odd that I could change forms since I was a child. Most people change form at the age of thirteen or fourteen, right around when puberty hits. It makes sense that we both would stand out like that. "You changed form as a child too, right?" "Yes. But no one knew. Except my parents. I have always been kept away from most children, I am just starting to understand why." "I figure. Anyway, he was seven, when he changed. He had earlierined that his joints were hurting him. We had taken him to the healer but they told me it was growing pains. "Then one day, he was ying with Mel in the garden when he just¡­ wolfed out. It freaked me out so bad, they had to sedate me. I thought something was wrong with my son. "Eventually, Roger, my husband, sat me down and told me about the Wolf King and his Luna. It is a secret that has been passed down from Alpha to Alpha so that they would be recognized in case they were reincarnated again. "When I learned about those who would want to kill him for his power, I brought up the idea that Damon must never show himself to anyone else, except family and his mate, that is you." "What was the earliest record of them?" "We don''t know when they first appeared. The earliest recorded history of them both was over four centuries ago, in the far eastern continent. But the knowledge that has been passed down has been known for far longer." "Wow. That is¡­ a lot." "Yes. I suppose it is. Why don''t you ask your wolf, she is the Wolf Queen, she must know her history." "Maybe. But my wolf is kind of a bitch. And I don''t mean that in a species way, I mean it as an insult." Dianaughs at that. "You know I can hear you right?" my wolf growls. I, of course, ignore her. "You can''t me her too much, she has been around for goddess knows how long, she must have seen it all," Diana says. "Doesn''t give her reason to be such a pain," I retort. "Maybe, maybe not." "Tell me more. I want to know everything," I plea. MELISSA. Un-fucking-beliavable. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "If you are going to hit something, just do it already. Your silent snarling is making me nervous," Faye remarks as we stand outside the mansion watching the people the fucker brought with him. "I didn''t say anything," I snarl out. "Hence, the silence in that sentence. Spit out." "That wretch had the boldness to just drive up to our pack and demand entrance. Who does he think he is?" I growl. "First of all, he didn''t demand entrance, it was requested and secondly," she responds, her voice going low. "We always sneak into his pack, don''t be a hypocrite." That is cold. I re at her before turning away from her. "Since when have you been so kind to them? Does this have to do with your mate?" "Maybe. Maybe not," she answers, her tone light. I whirl back to her, my face cks with shock. "You admit it?!" "There is no point in lying, is there? This mate bond thing, it is a pain in the ass but also very cool. Imagine with me, just imagine," she repeats as I open my mouth to snap at her. "What if they are not all bad? Maybe it''s just a few bad eggs?" "Ugh. Stop, please."'' "Fine. So, are youing with?" she asks. "For what?" "To see Lucas. Remember the Alpha said he doesn''t want me going alone." "Was that today?" "Yes." "Fine. It is about time I see this mate of yours anyway." Chapter 50 CHAPTER 50 CHAPTER 50 FAYE We both walk a small distance away from them to strip out of our clothes before shifting into our wolf forms and running the rest of the way to the crags, our clothes in our mouths. It is a small distance, Luacs and I had both decided to meet in the middle point between packs. During the run, my mind ruminates through many thoughts. What if he doesn''t believe me? What if he refused to take the offer that Alpha had extended to him? Would I have to reject him? Would I have the strength to do so? The thoughts just continue to spiral from there, tiling me up and making me even more anxious. "You need to calm down," my wolf''s cool tone washes over my mind. "He hasn''t said anything yet, why worry over what might not happen?" she asks. "Because it might happen. You know, you are way too calm with the possibility of us losing our mate," I tell her. "I am not. I am just choosing to see how it goes before I settle on an emotion. Honestly, what is with you mortals and yourck of control?" "Whatck of control?! I am very controlled." "Not over your emotions, you are not." "They are emotions! Feelings! They can''t be controlled," I snap. "Says you." Unfortunately, before I can respond, we arrive at the crags. I see Lucas waiting up ahead for me and I rush to him, tail wagging. He gets down to my level to give my ears a light scratch. "You have a beautiful wolf, Faye,", he murmurs, before rubbing his hand across my fur. I hear a loud snort behind me and I turn to see Mel, standing a few distance away, still in her wolf form. Quickly giving him a small head butt, I join and follow her to a safe space where we change back and get dressed. "You have a beautiful wolf, Faye" she mimics. "You are just jealous," I retort. "In your dreams." "Whatever. So, " I ask as I turn to her. "What do you think?" "About what?" "About Lucas," I snap. "Ah. Well, he is handsome." "Seriously?! That is all you can say?" "What do you want me to say? I just met the man," she snaps back. That is true. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Damn, I need to call down. "Very well, then. Let''s get you two introduced,e on," I say as I lead the way out. I hear her groan before her footsteps echo behind me. "Hi," I say as I join Lucas, who is sitting on a rock. "Hi, how have you been?" "Good. I hope you weren''t waiting too long?" I ask. "Nah, I got here a few minutes before you." "That''s good then. This is Melissa, my closest friend, fellow warrior, and our Alpha''s sister," I introduce. "A pleasure to meet you," he says to her. "Hmm. I have been curious about what kind of man would be Faye''s mate. Please tell me about yourself." Seriously? This again? "You don''t-" "What would you like to know?" he asks patting my hand in a calming gesture. "Lucas!" I whine. "It''s okay. She asks because she is worried about you. So what do you want to know?" "What position do you find in your pack?" she asks. "I am a Delta warrior." "Delta? That is a pretty high rank. You must be in Va- uh, your Alpha''s confidence." "How do you mean?" he asks. "I mean, you must know about every decision that he carries out. You must have carried out some yourself," she answers. "Mel!" "Ah, I see what this is about. Okay then. First of all, I am not in the Alpha''s confidence and no, the Alpha has never ordered the death of any member of his pack. That is until recently." "Recently?" "It seems we at the Skylight pack were the only ones who didn''t know what was going on in our pack. Alpha had recently found out about those killings you were talking about," he says looking at me. "He was very disturbed about it." "Oh really, and what did he do about it?" Mel asks, snidely. "Cool it, will you!" I snap back at her. "He held a public trial and had those responsible for said actions killed. Right there and then." "Oh." "Yeah. He was very hurt about it. Ever since then, the pack has undergone some overhaul, making sure there are no others like them still hiding around." "That must be making waves in your pack," Mel says. "It is ruffling a few feathers but it is for the best." "Anything else you would like to know?" "A few. Next question, why is your Alpha here?" "Here? Where?" he asks confused. "In our pack." "Alpha is at your pack? I didn''t know that?" "Hmm. Okay then, how is your Luna? We heard that your Alpha had found his mate. There was supposed to be a mating ceremony, wasn''t there? What happened?" "How did you know about that?" he demands. "You have leaky holes in your pack. You can add that to the list of things you would like to change in your pack. So, what happened?" I watch as Lucas purses his lip and falls into deep thought. "I am sorry, but that is something I''m not at liberty to say," he answers. "Why not?" "Not my ce. My turn," he says. "Your turn? You have questions for us?" "Of course. I have been a good sport answering yours, the least you could do is answer mine." "True. Shoot, go ahead and ask your questions?" "Question. Just one. What do you know about Catherine?" The question knocks the winds out of my sails. I can see it has the same effect on Mel because she freezes like a deer caught in headlights. "I don-" "And please, don''t think of lying to me. I know you know her. Where is she?" Well, this was a fun date, wasn''t it? Chapter 51 Chapter 51 DAMON. The rm rips through the serene calmness of the pack, instantly setting me on alert. Whirling on Vance, I snarl out, "What did you do?" "This isn''t me," he snaps back. "I only came here to talk, not fight." "Now is not the time to point fingers," Craig says as he and the other two follow me out of the mansion. "Ryder," I call out to him as I see him worrying our way. "Talk to me." "It''s the other Alphas, they are demanding justice for their women," he says. "Okay," Vance says as he whirls around to face me. "If I am going to join you in defending your pack, you need to tell me what the fuck is going on?" He snaps. I share a look with Craig before he turns to answer Vance. "You heard about the attack on The Falcon''s residence?" he asks him. "Yes, what about it?" "It was The Collector''s handwork. He wanted to kill the one person who knew his weakness and could get in his way. Unfortunately for him, he got the wrong contact. The Falcon is currently residing in the ckwater pack." "So, this is a retaliation against that? He decides to kill dozens of women and frame him. What was the point?!" "I never said he was sane." "You are not being honest with me. At least notpletely honest, but it will have to do for now. Let''s go." "You would help me?" I ask him, still confused by his behavior. "Defend me? Why?" "I told you, I am forging my path. And to do that, I need to do the exact opposite of what my father would have done. So, are youing?" he calls out as he follows the other three Alphas. "Yeah, I aming," I mutter as I hurry down the stairs to them. We all race to the gates of the pack where what looks like a battalion of wolves is gathered, snarling for blood. The Alphas of the said wolves are standing to one side, all of them looking smug and ready for bounty as they do nothing to stop the chaos that is about to break out. "The disrespect," my wolf rumbles in my head. "Not now. Keep your opinions to yourself," I tell him. "You are their King. They should show you respect." "As far as that title is concerned, only a few people know about it. So cool it!" He huffs before falling silent. "Alpha Craig," one of the other Alphas calls out. "What are you doing here?" "I should be asking you that, Alpha Mason. What are you here?" "It came to our knowledge that Alpha Damon, the tyrant, has kidnapped our women." Me?! A tyrant. This asshole. "Ah, I see. He has yed his hand," Craig remarks, voice, and tone very calm. It is admirable. But then again, it is not his pack under attack from angry, bloody-thirsty wolves. "Who had?" the asshole asks. "The Collector," Craig answers, his voice carrying across the area. "Pfft," another scoffs. "What is this Alpha Craig? I thought you were an honorable wolf. Are you going to me this on a myth? To defend him." "It is not a myth," Vance speaks out. "Alpha Vance? What are you doing here?" Mason asks. "I am here for the same reason as these three Alphas. The Collector." "How do you know he is not a myth?" "I know because I saw him." his answer is with shocked murmurs. "He killed one of my own and then dared to walk into my pack. Unfortunately, I didn''t realize who he was until he left my pack and it was toote." "What did he want from you?" "To start a war. With Alpha Damon." "I see," Mason remarks before turning to me. "Alpha Damon," he starts. "Why don''t we continue this discussion inside the pack? It is unbing for dignified wolves to kill around like this." Over my dead, frigid, body. "Well, maybe you should have thought of that before you carried yourself here. If it is undignified for you, please, feel free to go back to where you came from. I won''t get mad," I answer. "You-" "If I may ask," Tobias speaks up, interrupting the cad. "How did you all know toe here? Who told you that Alpha Damon was the one responsible for the missing women?" This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. There is a low murmuring among them and a few short legs before Mason responds. "A letter." What?! "I am sorry," I say, speaking for the first time since we all got here. "Can youe again? I am not sure I quite got what you said." "It was a letter. We all received a letter that you were responsible for this and that the other Alphas were heading this way." Unbelievable. "So, you all just met each other here then," Monroe remarks. "Yes." "Are you fu-" "We have all been yed, I am afraid," Craig says as he cuts me off and sends me a side-eye. "The Collector is the one responsible for the missing women." "So where are they then?" Craig turns to look at me and I get the message. Taking a deep breath and steeling my nerves, I answer. "They are dead." The announcement sparksmotion. "...murderer¡­" "...is lying¡­" "¡­to believe that?" "...them out¡­" "Enough." The order is said with such cold authority, that it immediately shuts everyone up. I turn around to see my mother, standing there and looking every part of the ruthless huntress she was rumored to be. She begins walking slowly towards the gate, making us at this side of it give her way. I know better than to stop or get in her when she gets like this. "Who did youe here to kill?" she demands. "A criminal? A rogue? My son has been nothing short of an exemry leader, one that I am very proud of and I am sure his father is as well. How dare you? How dare you use such flimsy excuses to try and tear him down? If you are incapable of reaching his level, then that is your problem, not ours. The Alphas here have told you what happened, it is your foolishness and incapacity of performing critical thinking that blinds you to the truth." "It is only normal for his mother to defend him, if he has nothing to be scared of let him open the gates." "We will do no such thing." "I have a question though," Mason again. "Why does this¡­ Collector wants to start a war? For what reason?" "For me." We all turn to see The Falcon, standing behind us, decked in all her refinements and with six of her guards surrounding her. Six? Chapter 52 CHAPTER 52 CHAPTER 52 DAMON. When did she get six guards in here? I thought she only came with two. Howe I wasn''t told about this? "Wrong thing to be focused on," my wolf remarks. Right, of course. Angry wolf mob. Got it. "Who are you?" Mason asks her. "The Falcon," she answered. "The Falcon is dead." "As you can see, I am not." "She is The Falcon," Craig confirms. "Prove it. Tell me something that is going to happen to me." "Really?" she asks. "Is that what you want? For me to tell you about your future? Are you sure you can handle it?" Mason looks unnerved by the question. He probably thought she would balk at the challenge. The joke''s on him. "I am sure." She smiles at him before walking up to the gate, joining my mother. "I can assure you of this. Only once, would you enter these grounds, and it will be on thest day of the next month. Not a day sooner and not a day after." "What kind of prophecy is that?" he snaps. "Not a prophecy. It is a done deal. I have seen it. So do yourself a favor, go home, before you lose any shred of dignity you have left." "Not without our women," someone shouts from the crowd. "Your women are dead!" she snaps. "And if you don''t start taking better care of your security, you will lose even more people. Leave this ce." Thest sentence is said with so much animosity and anger it makes me do a double-take. "How are we going to get their bodies back?" another Alpha asks. "They will be delivered at the central morgue," I answer. "Pick them up there." It takes a while but the crowd soon disperses and my gate is free once again. "Whew! That was close," Monroe says. "I am already exhausted," Tobias adds. I walk up to The Falcon and say, "That was a reckless thing to do, exposing yourself like that, but then again, you must already know that. If The Collector didn''t know you were alive before he certainly knows now." "It is about time I stopped hiding anyway." "If you say so." I then turn to my mother and take her into a tight hug. "Thank you, Mom, that was a really brave thing to do," I say. "You might be a big scary Alpha now, but to me, you will always be my little cub," she replies. "A little cub that can lift you off your feet without sweat," I say before doing exactly that. I twirl her around, ignoring her cries to be put down until she pinches me. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "Ouch. Mother," I exim. "Serves you right. Come on, let''s all go in now, your mate was beside herself with worry. I had to threaten her that I would tie her up if she didn''t stay put." "You have a mate?" Vance asks, making us all freeze. Oh shit. I had forgotten he was still here. Mother looks at me in apology, clearly not registering his presence too. "Yes, I do." "Congrattions. Why haven''t you announced it yet?" "She is a shy one, notfortable with strangers. Once we are ready, we will announce it to all. Until then, I would appreciate your silence," I tell him. Technically, it is not a lie. "Of course, I understand that. I have to go now, I didn''t n on staying long anyway. We can continue our discussionster." That was a close call. "That works well with me." "I will take the corpses with me," he says. "Of course. Ryder, " I call. "Yes, Alpha." "Please take Alpha Vance''s Beta to the morgue to identify and get his people." "Yes, Alpha." It doesn''t take long until they appear with some helpers who are pushing three rolling beds. They load them into the trim of his car and he gets in. "Thank you for having me," he says before the car drives off. I watch him go with a mix of confusion and annoyance. He is not at all what I expected. I get that he might be trying to change, but he is still the one who hurt Cathy. The one who watched as she was abused daily and did nothing. I honestly don''t know how to feel about all this. "Well, this was an interesting day," Monroe remarks. "Hmm. Alpha Vance is not what I expected at all," Craig follows up. "People are not just ck and white Craig. We are made of both the good and the bad, one doesn''t cancel out the other," Tobias remarks. "Fair point." "Shall we go inside now?" Mother asks before leaving, not bothering to wait for an answer. Without another word, we all follow. UNKNOWN AREA. THE COLLECTOR. Crash. Crash, boom, crash. Foolish, stupid, useless wolves. All that nning, all the scheming, all the death! Nothing. Not a single blood spilled. "HOW DOES THAT MAKE SENSE?!" I roar. Ah. The Falcon. The Falcon is a woman. Well yed. Very well yed. She must have seen it ahead of my nning. She must have been the one who had given Damon those resources used to guard against me. But she made a mistake, she revealed herself. Now I know what she looks like. But this insult cannot stand. I need to hit Damon where it would hurt. And since I can''t get to him, I will just get to those close to him. Hmm, the pretty boy from the Skylight pack. His mate is the female warrior from Damon''s pack. He would be a fine addition to my collection. Chapter CHAPTER 53 CHAPTER 53 CATHERINE I am almost done staring a hole in the wall when they all walk in. I run a cursory nce over them all and see that they are all right. Without hesitation, I throw myself into Damon''s arms. "I was so worried," I cry as I bury my head in his chest. His armse around me, pulling me deeper into the hug. "It''s alright," he coos. "Everything is okay. At least for now." When the rm had red through the mansion, startling both Diana and me, I had the worst thoughte to mind. That Vance had nned an attack. Only for it to be much worse, instead of one pack, it was twelve. Twelve packs dating for blood. Raising my head to look at him, I ask. "What happened? Why did theye here? What did they want?" "The Collector moved faster than we anticipated," he says before taking my hands and leading me to the living room, the rest trailing behind him. "What do you mean?" I ask as we take our seats. "He had letters sent to all affected packs telling them I was the one who kidnapped their women." "And they believed? Just like that?" "Maybe, maybe not," he says, sighing. "As far as they were concerned, it was an opportunity to tear me down and so they took it." "But that''s terrible!" "It is what it is." "What about Vance?" I ask. "What was his take? Why did he evene here?" "Vance was a¡­ surprise," he says with a contemtive air. "How so?" "He apologized. For the actions of his father and told me he had no desire to have any blood feud with me." "Huh?" "He also said The Collector visited him personally, that is why he came. To tell me that a plot was happening against me and that he didn''t believe the allegations." "That is surprising," I say "How did he know it was The Collector that visited him?" Diana asks. "One of his own was killed by The Collector and he recognized the scent." "Why didn''t he just kill him then?" "Something about his wolf warning him against that. This is just a whole mess," Damon says with a deep sigh. "The question is," Craig starts. "Do we believe him? Do we believe he was sincere in his words? Do we believe he had nothing to do with The Collector?" "I¡­ think so. As for those questions are entailed, I believe him," Damon answers. "Me too," Tobias says. "We need to do something about this collector. Maybe have his profile drawn and distributed. To have everyone on guard," Monroe says. "Luna," Craig says as he looks at me. "Since you were kidnapped by him, could you help us with the drawing?" *Unfortunately, I can''t. During my whole period with them, there was a bag over my head. I don''t even know how the ce looked, much less his face." "So the only one who knows what he looks like is Alpha Vance," Diana remarks. "I will give him a call," Craig says. Damon nods at him in acknowledgment before continuing. "Now we have the bodies to think about," he says. "We can take our people with us," Craig says. "As for the rest¡­" "We will have the central morguee pick them up. The sooner they are off thisnd, the better I can breathe," Diana adds. "It has been a long day," Tobias remarks as he stands up. "I believe it is time we left." We all stand up with him and follow them out of the mansion. "I can''t tell you how much your presence and support today means to me," Damon says as we reach their cars. "The ckwater pack is in your debts." "Please, that is too dangerous. We will settle for being allies," Craig says. "Allies?" Damon repeats. "Yes, allies. What do you say?" He exchanges a nce with me before focusing on them. "It would be my honor." "Luna, Diana, it was a pleasure. Please send my regards to The Falcon will you," Craig says as he gets into his car and drives off. "That is true," Damon says as he begins looking around, searching for something. "Where did she go?" "Where did who go?" I ask. "The Falcon. She was with us at the gate, but I didn''t see here in with us. And when did she have four more people join her entourage?" I shrug my shoulders at his question before following Diana inside. I stay away from The Falcon. She freaks me out. I copse on the sofa and not too long after Damon joins me. "You didn''t say," I start as I turn to stare at him fully. "How did Vamce help you when you were challenged at the gate?" "He affirmed that The Collector was real and that was why he was here. His presence, even after we two were rumored as sworn enemies, confused them. Mother and The Falcon joining us, put them all in their ce." I release a sigh as I adjust myself to rest my head on his shoulders, bringing me closer to his face. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "I am d. The thought of violence and bloodshed makes me so ufortable," I tell him. "I promise you, I will do my very best so that you never have to see that again,'''' he whispers, his breath puffing out against my face. We both stay silent, gazing at each other. He has such beautiful eyes, it is so easy to get lost in them. In the haze of our gazing, we inevitably move closer to each other, our lips a hair''s breadth away from touching. "Are you confident you can finish what you are about to start?" I ask my voice low. "I like my odds," he answers. He moves closer, ready to close distance when the front door ms open, with force. We have a split second to pull away from each other before Mel and Faye barge in. "What the fuck happened in here?!" Chapter 54 CHAPTER 54 CHAPTER 54 DAMON. "What the fuck happened here?" "You have got to be kidding me!" I snarl as I whirl around to face Melissa. "What did I do?" she snaps back. "Can''t you knock?" I demand. "It''s the front door! Of my house! Why the fuck would I knock?!" "I think we interrupted a moment," Faye whispers to her. Melissa then takes a good look at our presentation before her face screws up. "Eeew. Come on! It is the living room, for fuck sakes. You have a bedroom!" "And you don''t knock on that either!" I shout back. "Do you have something against me?" "Yes, your face!" "We apologize Alpha," Faye speaks up before I can blow up. "We promise, from now on, we will knock on any door, public or private, before entering." I stare at her in faux disappointment, her eyes are brimming with mirth. "This is funny to you too, isn''t it? Come on, Cathy, let''s leave the thugs to their devices," I say as I reach to pull Cathy up. "What?! Hey, no no no," Mel exims. "Fine, we are sorry for barging in on you two, are we forgiven?" I stall for a few seconds before nodding. "Fine, apology epted." "Good. Can you tell us what happened here now?" Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "That''s true. Where were you two anyway?" "Faye was meant to see her mate today, remember? I followed her. Now back to this. The whole ce stinks. I thought it was just three Alphas that were here?" Mel asks. "Hmm, yes. And thirteen others. Vance Sky, included." "Excuse me?!" "I beg your person?" We all take our seats and then I brief them on everything that went down. "Huh," Mel says "Huh? Huh? That is all you can say?" I ask. "I met with Lucas and asked him some questions. About his Alpha and pack. Turns out, Vance was not aware of the selective cleaning going on in his pack. When he found out, he had everyone involved killed." "So, he was telling the truth, about wanting to follow a different path from his father," I remark. "That doesn''t mean we can forgive him though," Mel snaps. "He watched as people in his pack were abused. Did nothing to stop it and hell, he rejected his mate because he thought she was weak and chose her tormentor instead. He is still an asshole." "Like I said, it''s aplicated situation. We will continue to watch. In the meantime," I say as I stand up, Cathy with me. "Me and my mate are heading upstairs. Knock before you enter. Don''t enter. Don''t evene near the door." Without a backward nce, I walk away. SKYLIGHT PACK. VANCE. "Have the familiese to confirm the bodies," I tell Cody as we alight from the car. "I don''t want to be disturbed for the rest of the day." I walk into the manor and to my room, before remembering something. With a sigh, I change directions to the room where Tammy Is being kept. "Alpha," a wolf greets me as I turn the corner. He is holding a canister, the one filled with the silver gas used to torture Tammy. "That will no longer be necessary," I say as I walk past him. "Yes, Alpha." I unlock the doors and walk in, instantly spooking her to the point where she scrambles across the floor and uses a nket to muffle her face. Probably to hide from the gas. I stare at her for a few seconds before speaking. "You will not have to worry about the gas anymore, it will not be sprayed again." She drops the nket at the sound of my voice, eyestched onto mine. "Vance. Vance," she says, voice scratchy, as she crawls her way to me. "I am sorry. So sorry. Please forgive me, I will do anything you want. Please forgive me." "Enough!" I snap as I shove her off. "I just want to know one thing. When you had the hit put out on Catherine, did you know who you were offering it to? Did you know it was the Collector?" "What?! The Collector?! That is a myth." "He is not a myth. He is real, and he is responsible for killing over a dozen women. All of them from different packs and human families, all of them looking like Catherine" It is that part that confuses me. Why would he choose people so simr to Catherine and go hang them in front of Damon''s pack? It doesn''t make sense. "I didn''t know," she says. I swear I didn''t know. It was my dad, it was his contact, I swear." "Hmm. Fortunately for you, I can''t confirm it. Your father is dead." "What?" she asks, looking so lost and broken at the same time. "Didn''t no one tell you?" I ask, confused. "No. No one did," she answers, voice small. "Not even your brother?" "Cody can''te to see me again." "Your father is dead. I killed him myself," I tell her before turning away and walking out, locking the doors behind me. There was nothing I could offer her infort. I don''t want tofort her. But still, she deserved to know about her father. Oh, I am so tired. THE CRAGS. LUCAS. What are the chances? Catherine. Alpha has been looking for her everywhere and it was the ckwater pack that saved her. "On one of our patrols, we saw her running from someone. She was desperate, so we helped." "...I don''t know where she is now. Once she was healed, she left the pack, didn''t even leave a letter." I need to tell Alpha. At the very least, he will be relieved that she is still alive. Hopefully. I switch forms and begin running back to the pack only for my way to be blocked. "Well, aren''t you a beautiful wolf?" It''s him. The one who killed James. "No! Don''t do it!" my wolf screams. But it''s toote. I leap for him, ws outstretched. I don''t see him move. One second, I am in the air, ready to rip his head off. The next, I am on the ground, staring up at the sky, my body feeling like it is being emptied, only one thought running through my head. Faye. Chapter 55 CHAPTER 55 CHAPTER 55 BLACKWATER PACK CATHERINE Damon and I went straight to our room. I was so exhausted from the long day. "You must be really tired, Cathy. I can see exhaustion etched on your face," Damon said, looking keenly at me. "Yes, I''m exhausted from all the chaos of today." "Sorry, Cathy. Come here, let me help you with your zipper so you can go freshen up." I turned red when he said that, my mind shifting to something else. "Perv," my wolf snarled. "Shut up," I retorted as I strolled towards Damon. "Are you okay, Cathy? Your face is all red," Damon said, looking worried. "I''m fine, Damon," I said, giving him a light smile. "Just help me so I can change out of this gown; your mother tied it so tightly I could barely breathe the whole time." "Sorry, there you go," Damon said after helping me. I walked into the bathroom. "Are you sure you don''t need my help in there?" I heard Damon say from behind me. "No, thank you," I yelled back and mmed the door shut. I came out a few minutester wrapped in a white towel, my hair also wrapped in a towel because I had just washed it. I was still a little shy, especially with the way Damon was looking at me. ¡°Why are you looking at me like that?¡± I asked, my face almost red from embarrassment. "You¡¯re very beautiful; I just can¡¯t take my eyes off you," Damon said in the most romantic way possible. Gosh! This man makes my heart skip every time. I smiled sheepishly at hisment. "Thank you," I said, putting my face down so he didn''t see that my face was as red as a tomato. He always does this to me. "You can go shower now," I said, hoping he would go away so I could dress, as I''m notfortable dressing up while he''s still in the room. "I know you''re trying to chase me away, but it''s fine, I''ll go," he said, raising his hands in surrender. Then he walked closer to me and dropped a kiss on my forehead before heading to the bathroom. I''ve never been shown so much care before in my life, and all of this attention and care is new to me, but I like it. I feel safe with Damon, and I''m going to let myself enjoy the love that I deserve. I dried my hair carefully, applied lotion to my body, and then wore one of the free gowns I got during my shopping with Melissa. While I was trying to adjust the straps of the gown, Damon walked in with a towel wrapped around his waist and another towel in his hands, trying to dry his hair. Moon goddess, how could one person be so hot? His abs were well-defined, his muscr body was so hot, and the wet hair dangling on his face made him look so attractive. I felt like running my hands through those abs. "Am I that good-looking?" Damon''s voice jolted me out of my thoughts. Shit! He caught me staring again. "What are you talking about?" I faked ignorance as I walked towards the bed to sit. "I caught you staring just now." "Me? I wasn''t staring." "You know you were, but it''s okay, you have permission to stare," he said with a grin stered on his face. I feel like he is enjoying this. "Leave me alone, get dressed so we can go get dinner," I scolded, folding my hands under my chest. "Okay, ma''am," Damon responded and went to get dressed. DAMON "Leave me alone and go get dressed so we can go get dinner," I heard her say with an embarrassed face. I saw her ogling me, and, trust me, it made me happy that she found me attractive. She is so cute, and I love teasing her. I love to see her blushing face. "Thank you, moon goddess, she''s the perfect mate," I mumbled to myself. I strolled to my wardrobe and put on a T-shirt and joggers so I wouldn''t keep her waiting for too long. As I dressed, I noticed a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. "Let''s go get food, Cathy," I said as I pulled her up from the bed bridal style. "Put me down, Damon, I can walk," she protested, but I could see a glint of amusement in her eyes. "I know, but I just want to hold you," I replied with a yful grin, enjoying the way she squirmed in my arms. "No, put me down. I don''t want you taking me out like this; the others might be there," she said, her cheeks turning a faint shade of pink as she tried to free herself from my grasp. "I don''t care about the others and what they think. But I''m going to put you down just because you''re notfortable with it," I said, gently lowering her back to the ground, all the while maintaining a mischievous twinkle in my eye. "Yeah, thanks," she said, and I dropped her slowly. We walked into the kitchen to find the others already seated. "Hi mum, what''s going on here?" "Oh, you guys are here. I was going to call both of you toe down; let''s all have dinner together because we need to talk," my mum said and then turned to Cathy. "Cat, darling,e and have a seat." "Thank you," Cathy responded and took a seat, and I sat right next to her. "Hi, Cat. Hi, bro," Melissa chipped in. "Did you guys continue your thing?" she said with a grin stered on her face, and I wished I could p that grin off her face. Faye and Ryder chuckled, hiding their faces, while Cathy smiled lightly, like a child who was caught doing something wrong. "Shut your mouth Melissa" I scolded her, and she chuckled. Mel can be a pain in the ass sometimes. She''s lucky I love her. "Both of you should stop your bantering," Mum scolded, frustration showing by the furrow of her brow and the slight tightening of her lips. We sat quietly as Mum served us a ssic grilled steak with roasted vegetables and a side of mashed potatoes. When we finished our meal, Mum cleared her throat and began, "I wanted us to talk about the collector." Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "Willy," I chimed in. "What?" Mum asked, confusion written all over her face, which prompted chuckles from Melissa and the rest of us. "Don''t worry, Mum, just continue," Melissa urged a supportive smile on her face. "No, I need to know, who is Willy?" Mum asked, with curiosity evident in the way she leaned forward, her eyes fixed on Melissa. "Cathy decided that we should call the collector an ordinary name that doesn''t make him look so scary, so we all agreed on Willy," Melissa exined with a grin. "Oh! Willy, it is then," Mum agreed, her expression softening into a smile as she nodded. "So what are we going to do about Willy? We know that we were just able to hold the other packs off for a while, and he won''t just stop there. He would be cooking up something else to try and sabotage us." Shocking everyone in the room, a strange voice echoed, "Let''s kill him." Chapter 56 CHAPTER 56 CHAPTER 56 DAMON We all turned our heads to look in the direction of the voice just in time to see the Falcon walk in with her six bodyguards behind. Something looks different about her. I exchanged looks with Mother while Cathy reached for my hands under the table. I was certain everyone could sense the aura around her. ¡°He knows¡± There was temporary silence as she sat on the floor with her legs crossed underneath her. ¡°Who? Know about what?¡± Mother asked, breaking the weird silence that had ensued. ¡°The collector¡­¡± Catherine holds on to my hands and tightens. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°¡­He knows I am here and that I am a she¡± She looks around us with her opaque eyes. ¡°And if I know the collector as much as I think I do, he¡¯de seeking blood¡± ¡°¡­why¡± ¡°¡­what?¡± ¡°¡­when?¡± It was like a sword sliced through the silence that had spellbound us as everyone began speaking all at once. ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± Cathy¡¯s calcted voice pierced through themotion ¡°We?¡± the Falcon spat out, her anger so visible that for a moment there was a glint of light in her eyes ¡°It''s an I problem now. He thought he killed everyone including the Falcon when he set my town and people aze.¡± the anger reced by pain ¡°¡­he had just realized he failed and he doesn''t like to fail. So he would be back. For me.¡± she closed her eyes and gave a strange sound. ¡°We could help too, you know¡± I wasn''t about taking my chances. What if hees for My mate again? For Cathy?? The thought sent a wild rage within me, I would die before I let that happen. ¡°We are going to help!¡± It was an order. The finality in my tone reverberates through the room. The Falcon opens her opaque eyes. Faye and Ryder nodded in agreement. Mel raises her brows, a grin ying on her lips. Like me, she was always excited about war -just war. We are truly our father¡¯s children after all. ¡°But how?¡± mother asked with worry. ¡°I need to rest¡± Dismissing mother¡¯s question, she stands and walks away with her bodyguard. ¡°But really? How are we going to help?¡± Mellisa asked after the room¡¯s atmosphere was back to normal. ¡°We could nt¡­.¡± I stood up blocking Ryder¡¯s suggestions and the rest of them from my thoughts. I began pacing. Who mates someone without fighting their enemies? ¡°Don''t be silly¡± my inner Wolfughed ¡°The least you could do is be grateful that she wasn''t dead before you found her, Alphaaa¡± emphatically stressing thest word ¡°Are you mocking me?¡± I snarled ¡°Be it far from me¡± he apologized sarcastically and went to settle at the back of my head. ¡°You okay?¡± her voiceced with concern cut through my train of thought. I look beside me to see Cathy standing close to me, a hand ced on my arm. ¡°You okay?¡± she repeated, looking up into my eyes I slightly nodded as my heart fluttered. This woman here would be my undoing. ¡°What was it Ryder was saying?¡± wrapping both hands around her waist and bringing her close to me. In all this chaos, I was happy I had a gift of sanity in person. ¡°Huh?¡± a look of disbelief crossed her face ¡°You haven''t been listening?¡± ¡°I tried to¡± ¡°You could have tried harder, but it''s fine. It isn''t what we can''t go through again for you¡± ¡°I am sorry,¡± she apologized like an afterthought. ¡°For ?¡± I blinked in confusion. ¡°For everything¡± her voice low, barely above a whisper. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°If - if-¡± she cleared her throat and went mute. I ran my eyes through this truckload of gorgeousness that I have been mated with and wondered what she was on about. With Cathy, I have learned to thread gently and take it slowly. ¡°Tell me, Cathy¡± I coarse softly She clears her throat and began ¡°If I didn''te here, to your pack, all these wouldn''t be happening¡± She sounded so helpless Nonsense! My inner Wolf snarled. I took a few involuntary steps backward. My hand swiped off an unruly hair off my face. ¡°I wouldn''t have found you.¡± ¡°That not the point Damon¡± she objected Yeah! Right! ¡°What is then?¡± I snapped impatiently. I would rather be ripping the collector''s heart with a stake than have this conversation. ¡°That I came here and brought so much trouble¡± She sounded like she was fighting back tears. ¡°What are you on about, Catherine¡± If she was having second thoughts about us being mates, about the legend, she should be ready to be locked up with me in my - our - room. ¡° You didn''te. Mellisa found you and brought you here¡­¡± Her brows creased in worry. ¡°It was meant to be, Cathy¡± She blinked and a tear dropped. Wiping it off, I wrap my hand around her again. ¡°I am grateful for you. For the gift of you¡± She bit her lips nervously, her face crimsonly flushed ¡°Aren''t you too?¡± a finger under her jaw, slightly raising her head ¡°Tell me¡­¡± She looks right back to her feet. Good one, Moon goddess. Good one. I was used to overbearing women but this, this¡­ was so easy to love. I was certain the moon goddess that arranged Cathy in my stars had a good marriage when she was a werewolf before transiting. ¡°This isn''t the right time to talk about this¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± I asked amused ¡°Cause of the collector?¡± She looks up at me, her eyes mildly scolding. ¡°Sorry¡­¡± I stifled augh. That was intentional ¡°Because of Willy?¡± She nodded. ¡°Well; I think it''s the right time to tell me about what Ryder was talking about. In our bedroom¡± Chapter 57 Chapter 57 THE CRAGS. LUCAS. I woke up to gross darkness. It felt like my body was burning. I couldn''t move. I couldn''t say anything. I was lying on something soft. This smell. I thought. I knew I had smelt it somewhere but I couldn''t ce where. My brain was foggy. It felt like I could hear voices. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± I heard a voice say ¡°I - I don''t know?¡± another replied. ¡°You know you can¡¯t bring him amid the pack?¡± the first voice repeated. ¡°I know¡± The second sounded worried. A sniff. Another sniff Something liquid fell on my eyes and my eyes opened to thest name I had thought about. She was looking down on me with so much worry I have ever seen in someone¡¯s eyes. ¡°Hi¡­¡± she said so quietly I tried to talk but no sound came out. ¡°It¡¯s okay -Lucas¡± She looked up at someone I didn''t know was there too. ¡°Guys! He¡¯s alive¡± Bodies crouched down beside me. ¡°You¡¯d be fine, okay,¡± she said as sheid a delicate hand gingerly on my face. I slipped into another tunnel of pitch darkness. ******************** FAYE ¡°Fuck!¡± my Wolf cursed! What is it? ¡°Something¡¯s not right¡± What? She was beginning to walk around in my head. What is it? I queried as she began dragging me away from the pack, taking power. Ouch! Stop it! ¡°Mate!¡± she growled, painfully. I was at the ckwater pack discussing ways to get the collector when my Wolf stood at the back of my head. The moment I heard mate, a shiver ran through my spine. ¡°Come with me, please¡± I whispered to Mellissa and was out the door in seconds. ¡°What is it, Faye?¡± I could sense the confusion in her voice as she called out after me. She stood looking as I changed into my Wolf form. ¡°Lucas!¡± ¡°Your mate?¡± she inquired ¡°Who else?¡± ¡°Grrrr!¡± she growled in disapproval. ¡° he is from the skylight pack¡± I turned and growled at her. I was beyond reasoning. The hairs at the back of my head stood erect like spikes. She looked at me a little fazed but jumped into the air changing into her Wolf form. I could smell his scent but it was mixed with something else. What smell is it? I wondered just in time to hear Mellissa ask it aloud ¡°Faye, can you smell that?¡± ¡°Yes. What is it?¡± ¡°I don''t know, I thought it was Lucas¡¯s scent¡± ¡°One of them is, but there is another¡± ¡°There - ¡° she started before her voice trailed, stopping dead in her tracks. ¡°Faye!¡± she growled at me and whatever had made her stop. I spun around and saw her going in circles and sniffing. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°What is it, Mel?¡± I was walking back towards her, impatient but curious. ¡°The collector!¡± she blurted. I could feel the mad rush of adrenaline running through my body. It was a mixture of different emotions. Fear. Hate. Fury. And sadness. I thought of Lucas and a knot formed in my throat. ¡°The - the collect¡­¡± I stuttered. I couldn''t bring myself toplete his name. She nods. ¡°He was here. I can smell him¡± She sniffed a little and stood, eyes widening with realization ¡° I think he has Lucas!¡± My heart sank to several depths. Is he alive? I asked no one in particr ¡°Maybe.¡± my Wolf replied ¡°but we have to get there before it skins him alive¡± ¡°This way,¡± Mell said and began running towards a thick forest of tall trees. ¡°Ouch!¡± I yelped in pain as a thorn cut through my fur ¡°Careful, Faye¡± Mel said and stopped behind a rock. ¡°Quick! Squat!¡± shemanded. I ran wildly to her and did as she had said. I was grateful I had remembered to ask Mellisa along in all my confusion. ¡°Shhhh!¡± she said through the mind link. She covered my mouth with her palms. ¡° listen!¡± I heard a whistle. A thud. And then a quiet groan. I winced at the sound as my jaw dropped. ¡°Grrr!¡± my Wolf snarled. It was turning wildly. ¡°Let us go inside.¡± ¡°Nah, let''s wait for Mel¡± I cautioned her. ¡°He isn''t Mel¡¯s mate, so she doesn''t know how to make quick decisions¡± Shut up! I snapped. Mel is one of the greatest She-Wolf I have seen in my life and I know better than to trust her judgments. ¡°What are we going to do, Mel?¡± I was apprehensive. ¡°We¡¯d have to make sure first it''s what we think it is¡± ¡°It is, Mel,¡± I answered impatiently. I could smell Lucas alright. ¡°What if it''s a trap?¡± she answered thoughtfully. ¡°A trap for who? Me?¡± I was confused. Why would the collector want to set a trap for me? ¡°I don''t know,¡± she snapped. ¡°Remember The Falcon said he is very well calcted and tricky. We need to know they aren''t smearing Lucas¡¯s scent everywhere to lure you. Us.¡± She runs to a nearby tree to get a good view of what''s happening down the forest. Everywhere was pitch dark but I was grateful for Mell¡¯s unique gift of seeing clearly in the dark. I ran with her, my heart panting heavily inside my chest. ¡°What if he has ns of capturing me? Thereby luring Damon, to him?¡± I weighed what she had just said and it made sense. ¡°So what are we going to do?¡± I repeated. ¡°We wait '''' She sat, unloosening her crossbody bag to smear the red bamboo stalks she had precariously taken with polished acetone and vinegar. ¡°We can''t Mell;¡± I protested. ¡°Why can''t we?¡± ¡°It''s risky. What if it''s truly Lucas?¡± I began. ¡°What if he has been truly captured and we get there late to save him? He¡¯d be dead before we even try¡± The thought of how the collector kills people, drying them up and cutting off their skin shes through my mind and I inhale sharply. Just then we heard a loud thud and a louder groan ¡°Lucas!!!¡± I screamed out my lungs. Chapter 58 THE CONSPIRACY Chapter 58 THE CONSPIRACY THE SKYLIGHT PACK VANCE I walk into the mansion, so deep in my thoughts, ignoring the salutations I got from my pack members. ¡°Cody!¡± I called the moment I got in. Hees running ¡°Yes Alpha!¡± he stood, head bowed, hands behind his back. ¡°This is a conspiracy!¡± I roared. He just stood, not saying a word. I pace the length of the room. ¡°They already conspired against me and if I didn''t go there I wouldn''t have known¡± I heaved in annoyance. ¡°Alpha Craig and all those??¡± Turning to Cody ¡°What do you think they were talking about?¡± A frown marred his features as he raised his head to look at me ¡°I don''t know, Alpha¡± ¡° I don''t know, alpha¡± mimicking him. ¡°But why would the collector gather all those bodies and hang them at Alpha Damon¡¯s territory?¡± I asked thoughtfully. ¡° why would he painstakingly look for females that look just like Catherine? I furrowed my brow in concentration when a thought crept in. I spun round to Cody ¡°We would be going back to the ckwater pack¡± ¡°Again?¡± Cody asked me his eyes flicked with confusion ¡°Yes, again.¡± I was enjoying the realization I had just had but more the sheer look of helplessness in Cody¡¯s eyes. ¡°But -but - why, Alpha?¡± he stuttered ¡°Are you questioning an alpha¡¯s order?¡± ¡°No alpha¡± he bent his head, looking at his feet. ¡°Well; Catherine is in the ckwater pack¡± I let out. His head came up sharply as he gasped in surprise ¡°Your Lu-¡± ¡°Yes, Catherine.¡± I interrupted. I wasn''t about to be reminded of how I rejected her. ¡°But - but how do - do you know Alpha?¡± ¡°I know everything¡± Sitting down on the chair. ¡°I sensed her the moment I got in.¡± He nodded slightly. ¡°Remember the cookie we ate?¡± His brow creases as he tries to remember. ¡°¡­ I knew I had eaten it before. Somewhere. It wasn''t until the ride home when my brain was cleared of those alphas that I remembered that I had eaten it in my pack and it was only Catherine that made it.¡± ¡°OK,¡± he nodded in agreement. ¡°But why would they be hiding her?¡± he asked, his voicecing with confusion. ¡°I don''t know yet, but I will soon. We will be going back¡± I said and left for my room. ************************** CODY I walk solemnly to Tammy¡¯s cell. I didn''t know my sister was capable of all the things I had found out that she had done. It felt like I didn''t know her anymore. I wish I didn''t have to see her. ¡°Cody!!!¡± she gushes remorsefully I nodded. I kept staring at her lost for words. ¡°Cody, I''m so sorry.¡± ¡°Right¡± isn''t that what people always say? They do bad things just so they can say sorryter. ¡°Cody- Cody- I am sorry¡± She moved towards the gate, she was starting to cry now. ¡°I am changing, I swear to you by our father¡± This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. ¡°You both are the same!¡± I shouted, visibly irritated. The man I had called father had also killed weak ones deceiving me that it was for the betterment of the pack. The hell for her to swear by him! My Wolf growled. ¡°We should go¡± I know. I replied but I have some questions to ask her. ¡°Grrrr!!¡± it snarls in anger and went to settle at the back of my head. ¡°Cody-¡± Tammy began ¡°Father is dead,¡± I interrupted. She didn''t seem surprised as she just looked at me, sitting gently on her feet. ¡°Well;¡­¡± I cleared my throat, grateful that someone else had passed the news before me and I didn''t have to deal with all the emotional outbursts Tammy would have thrown. ¡°Now that is out of the way¡­ you sent the collector after Catherine?¡± I asked watching her closely. She inhaled sharply and didn''t say anything. ¡°Did you send the collector after Catherine?¡± I asked, my tone going higher than the first. She let out an audible sigh and burst into tears. ¡°Enough!!¡± I growled. I wasn''t ready for any of those silly tears. ¡°I didn''te to see you cry,¡± I stated. ¡° I asked a question and you¡¯d do well to answer it.¡± The tears instantly stopped flowing. She nodded. ¡°When I ask a question, I want you to use your words¡± I was impatient and it was obvious. ¡°Yes!¡± she said looking down at her feet. ¡°How did you get to know about the collector??¡± I didn''t even know he was an actual person. All my life I had thought the collector was a a myth only. How evil could she be to know about him? I wondered. I have kept wondering since I heard about it. ¡°I-¡± she began, hesitating. I looked over my shoulder to see the boy holding the electric fan, signaling him toe over. Hees over and Tammy runs to the edge of the run, ¡°Stop please,¡± she pleaded ¡°I took it from one of Dad¡¯s contacts¡± I ran my eyes over this girl that was supposed to be my sister. ¡°Did you know it was the collector?¡± ¡°I swear to you¡­¡± she began. It sounded dramatic to me ¡°Tammy, I didn''t ask you to swear. Did you know he was the collector?¡± ¡°I didn''t Cody, I didn''t.¡± she looked at me, willing me to believe her. I moved away slightly from the gate and asked the guy in. Tammy screams at the top of her lungs as he enters ¡°I knew! I knew!¡± Even though something within me told me that she knew I was so shocked and hurt to hear her say it. The collector was one of the most dreaded assassins. What business does she have to reach out to the collector? To say I was disappointed was a far cry from what I felt ¡°You knew?¡± I raised my hands, waving the guy out. She nods. ¡°And you still sent him after Catherine?¡± She inhaled sharply as she blinked back tears. ¡°I Cody¡­¡± I was too ashamed to even add the family¡¯s name. ¡°I Cody, Beta to the Alpha of the Skylight pack, denounce you today, as my sister¡± Chapter 59 RUMINANTS Chapter 59 RUMINANTS THE COLLECTOR ¡°Well; aren''t you a beautiful Wolf?¡± I asked with a knowing smirk. This should be a wolf from Vance''s pack. I wanted to have a conversation with him when he jumped on me, ws and all ¡°Hahaha,¡± I wasughing hard. These people never learn I thought as I caught him by the throat mid-air, throwing him against the rocky ground. ¡°Who are you?¡± I asked disgusted and angry. He groans in response to my question. I kick him as he groans more ¡°WHO ARE YOU?¡± He made to reply but coughed out blood. ¡°Why do you think you could defeat me?¡± I snarled, squatting to his level. He groaned, spat out blood, and struggled to sit erect. ¡°You wanna sit?¡± He nodded ¡°Alright then¡­¡± lifting him to a sitting position. ¡°Are youfortable?¡± He gave me a death stare that made meugh ¡°You think you are fierce?¡± I wasughing now. Wolfs All of ¡®em are the same. Always act like they can do this. ¡°Now young pup¡­¡± I began as he snarled at the mention of ¡°pup¡± ¡°Ohhhh¡­!¡± I gave a mock apology ¡°Did I hurt your feelings - pup?¡± He made to talk again and spat out more blood. ¡°If I were you, I''d listen. There are a lot of questions I wanna ask and you¡¯d need all your strength to reply to me¡± I paused to look at him. ¡°I won''t like it very much if I ask you a question and you don''t reply,¡± I said my brows furrowed in a frown. ¡°Do you understand?¡± Silence. ¡°DO YOU UNDERSTAND?¡± I growled and he nodded ¡°Good boy,¡± I said scratching his fur. ¡°Who are you?¡± I began He was quiet like he was deciding if to say or not ¡°Lucas¡± he answered cautiously ¡°Lucas¡± I repeated, nodding my head in affirmation ¡°What pack are you from?¡± I was peering down at him, watching him closely. He groans ¡°Skylight¡± and spits out blood ¡°Vance?¡± He nodded ¡°Vance Sky?¡± I repeated to be sure ¡°Yes¡± ¡°What''s your position?¡± He was quiet with a look that didn''t tell much and after a short while ¡°Nothing. No position¡± ¡°Hmmm¡­¡± I was standing now. His Wolf looks strong and beautiful. This isn''t the wolf of someone who isn''t in any position in Vance¡¯s pack. ¡°Can you turn?¡± I asked disappearing ¡°Huh?¡± he turned to look at me and winced in pain. If I did not know this Wolf, I might know the human body. ¡°Turn!¡± Imanded. ¡°Where are you?¡± he tried to get on his feet, letting out a small grating sound. ¡°I said turn into your human form¡± ¡°What is that supposed to change?¡± he asked painfully, getting on his feet ¡°I do the asking¡­¡± I roared. ¡°I know!¡± he roared back. Wow! Fierce, fierce! ¡°Where the hell are you by the way?¡± he asked, trying to steady his feet. Why do I feel like this wolf is ying mind games with me? I was running out of patience. If I can''t make use of this, I''d have to make him disappear. ¡°Okay¡­time up¡± giving him a blow before appearing again. ¡°Haaaa!!!¡± he let out a loud howl and fell with a thud. ¡°You do not look like you¡¯d be useful to me¡± I gave him another blow. I was about to touch him and skin him when a wolf leaped on me, biting me deep with a loud howl. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. This is unexpected. I disappeared. He who runs today lives to fight another day. LUCAS The collector!!! My heart froze. ¡°This is the collector,¡± my inner Wolf said, panting in fear I know. I know. One minute I was walking, the next I was flying in mid-air. ¡°Ouch!!!¡± I grated in pain as I fell with a thud to the rocky ground. It felt like all the bones in my body broke. My skin was reacting terribly, revolting against my bones and body. This has got to be the height of pain anyone could be in. I thought I was dead when I heard himughing. ¡°What are we going to do?¡± my inner Wolf was trembling with fear. ¡°I don''t know¡± I couldn''t think. My brain has shut out due to the pain I was feeling. ¡°You don''t know?¡± he growls impatiently. ¡°If you keep growling, I won''t be able to think¡± I snapped. ¡°I asked you not to jump¡± he snapped back. ¡°If you had just listened¡± ¡°You did not say it fast¡± I grumbled at my foolishness ¡°I didn''t what?¡± it started tough ¡°It''s how you feel like you could take on anyone¡± ¡°I could¡± ¡°You could? Take the collector then¡± he mocked. ¡°Keep mocking and our skin will be hanging on a stake in this godforsaken forest¡± I warned He whined and sat ¡°We need to get to Faye¡¯s Wolf¡± he suggested. ¡°We can?¡± I asked hopefully and in fright. ¡°Of Course we can, you just need to agree¡± ¡°No, please¡± The thought of Faye meeting the collector sent terrors down my spine making me shiver in fear. I could take the collector dealing with me but I won''t be able to live with myself or my spirit of Faye gets skinned and cause of me. No, please. No Faye. ¡°She¡¯s tougher than you think she is¡± he insisted No! I wasn''t having this discussion with him. ¡°If we are lucky, she coulde with her friend¡± Mel? ¡°Yes, Mel¡± That''s risky. I thought. She is Alpha Damon¡¯s sister of the ckwater. What if something happens to her and she dies in a bid to save me, one of Alpha Vance of the Skylight pack members? Don''t you think there would be War? There was a short pause that probably looked like he was thinking ¡°Nothing of that can happen. It won''t¡± You don''t know that ¡°I do.¡± he replied matter of certainty ¡°Mellisa is one of the greatest warriors of her pack. These people are smarter than you think, Lucas.¡± I was already shaking my head in disapproval. No. ¡°Your ego isn''t going to help.¡± it started. ¡°You need help¡± I shook my head ¡°I do not want to die, Lucas. We need help!¡± I was struggling to stand when I felt a heavy blow to my ribs and another to my chest Alright. Alright, inform her Wolf. Chapter 60 DOOMSDAY FOR WILLY Chapter 60 DOOMSDAY FOR WILLY BLACKWATER PACK DAMON. ¡°Everyone gather!¡± Imanded as I rushed down the hall of the mansion. Mellisa had opened a mind link. She and Faye had encountered the collector. My heart thumped loudly against my chest as I thought of her being in trouble. Damn, that Skylight pack boy! Hell; damn Faye! ¡°Mellissa might be in trouble¡± I started the moment everyone entered the hall. The hall was filled with a tense heaviness. Mother gasped. ¡°Mel??¡± She was looking around confusedly but frantically. ¡°Where¡¯s she?¡± ¡°Ryder, go get the Falcon¡± I hissed as I noticed her absent. Last I checked, I was still the alpha of this pack! ¡°Where¡¯s Mel? Damon?¡± mother asked. She was holding my hands a little too tight. ¡°With Faye¡± ¡°Where???¡± she slightly yelled N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°I don''t know yet, but she opened a mind link with me to tell me -¡± I paused. Everyone¡¯s eyes were on me. ¡°They had just encountered The Collector¡± I dropped ¡°What??¡± ¡°How??¡± ¡°Where??¡± Too many questions filled the air, drowning my thoughts. I looked at Mother. The colors on her face were drained. She was sitting on the chair too shaken for words. ¡°Is she alive?¡± Catherine whispered tentatively, her face drenched with worry as she ced a concerned hand on my arms. ¡°I hope¡± I was running wild with worry but I wasn''t about to show that. ¡°Where¡¯s The Falcon?!!!¡± I growled with impatience. ¡°She¡¯s - she¡¯s here¡± Ryder stuttered as he half walked and half ran towards me. ¡°What is the cause of all these fracas?¡± ¡°You tell us, you are the seer¡± I was turned off by theck of concern in her voice. Catherine gently squeezed my arm She took one look at everyone in the hall and chuckled. ¡°Is it Faye?¡± she started towards one of the chairs in the hall ¡°And Mel¡± Ryder chipped in. ¡°Right,¡± she gave a subtle nod. ¡°They''ve encountered The Collector¡± She sat down, her legs crossed beneath her. ¡°What if?¡± Mother began and was silenced by a raised hand of the Falcon. Mother let out a frustrated sigh. A sense of foreboding hung in the air. ¡°Come¡± she signaled with her two index fingers at one of her bodyguards. She whispered a secret into his ears when he came and he went out of the room with calcted urgency. ¡°They are safe¡­¡± she started as she cleared her throat. I heaved a huge sign of release, exchanging stares with Catherine, Mother, and Ryder. ¡°With the warrior from the Skylight pack but they won''t be alive for long¡± I started to speak when the bodyguard who had left, re-entered with a sling ck bag that made squeaky sounds whenever he moved. He gave it to the Falcon and she stood with an ease I didn''t know a blind person exudes. ¡°Let''s go!¡± We all rushed out the door, no questions asked. ¡°The Collector dies today!¡±. Mother was out of her human form into her Wolf form in seconds. I looked back at Catherine, who was starting to get on all fours. ¡°Hey¡± She shot me a quizzical look ¡°I think you should stay back¡± She began to shake her head in protest. ¡°The Collector is highly dangerous,¡± I stated matter of factly. ¡°I know. I escaped once, I will again.¡± she stood and began to shuffle her feet. ¡°I won''t be able to sit still if I don''t know what''s happening. Mel would havee for me. Let me go with you, Damon. Please¡± she begged ¡°Alright,¡± I agreed reluctantly, ¡°but promise you¡¯d stay besides when we get there?¡± ¡°I promise, Alpha¡± a nervous grin spread on her face. ¡°Let''s do this then¡± I held her as we both jumped and shifted mid-air. LUNA DIANA ¡°What do we do when we get there?¡± I wasn''t able to save my husband but with my children, I wasn''t ready to take any chances. ¡°The collector is known for disappearing into thin air, we need to lock him in and bring him out, only then would we be able to kill him¡± She looked around like she could see and kept walking. For someone who is blind, she walks fast. Half walking, half floating in the air. ¡°So how do we - you know, lock him in, bring him out and kill him?¡± ¡°It is known knowledge that he dies through a red bambooce with acetone and vinegar, but that is only useful when he is seen¡­¡± I have heard that before, give me something new, Steele. ¡°Yes, yes¡­¡± I was impatient. ¡°How do we lock him in and bring him out?¡± I repeated She shakes the sling bag draped across her body and it squeaks. ¡°Everything we need is inside here¡± I thought of her reply and another thought struck me. ¡°How about us?¡± Looking back to my son, Catherine; his mate, and Ryder. ¡°How about us? What are we to do?¡± I¡¯d need to do something. I can¡¯t take my pack members to the Valley of Death without knowing the first thing about protecting ourselves. We won¡¯t be much used to Mel and Faye if we end up dead ourselves. ¡°Mother, what are we to do when we get there?¡± Damon asked, running up to me with Catherine at his heels. Gold furred and silver furred. Talks about a perfect fated mate. ¡°The collector indeed goes invisible in the face of danger¡± he looks at the Falcon, who looks straight ahead of her. ¡°¡­how then do we¡­¡± ¡°She said we lock him in and bring him out¡± I repeated what the Falcon had told me, interrupting him. He blinked, looking momentarily confused. ¡°Oh!!!¡± He began with realization ¡°Oh; that makes sense. But how¡± a glint of perplexity in his eyes. ¡°That bag¡­¡± I whispered like I was about to tell a secret ¡°Slung over her shoulder has the answer to that¡± He thoughtfully nodded. ¡°So what do we do? How do wee in?¡± Just the same question I had thought. ¡°The moment he appears, Damon must have to bite him immediately. A bite from a gold-furred werewolf is a temporary neutralizer of the collector¡¯s power¡± She looks at Damon and Catherine ¡°The moon goddess is a lover of good things,¡± she said with the tiniest of grins ying at the corner of her mouth. Just then Damon gave a loud terrifying scream Chapter 61: THE DEATH OF THE COLLECTOR Chapter 61: THE DEATH OF THE COLLECTOR DAMON. ¡°Catherine!!!¡± I yelled from the top of my lungs. ¡°Where¡¯s she??? Where¡¯s Cat?¡± Mother asked in one rushed breath. I was lost and terrified. She disappeared??? She disappeared. My heart kept repeating over and over. ¡°What now??¡± I yelled at the Falcon who wasying her bag on the floor. Just then Faye and Melissa ran out of a rock with the warrior from Skylight pack. He looked badly injured but now wasn¡¯t the time. I needed to know where Catherine was. ¡°Mel!!¡± Mother was beside herself with temporary relief. I was too. Mother grabbed Mel in a bear hug and Mel whimpered quietly. You could tell she has been through a lot. I acknowledged Faye who was still holding on to the guy from the skylight pack with a nod while Ryder went over to her. ¡°Collector!!¡± I growled and howled. I was past reasoning. ¡°You wanna fight, be a man and show your face!¡±. There was an eruption of humorlessughter that sent chills down my spine. ¡°Damon!!!!¡± Catherine¡¯s voice wasced with pain ¡°Where¡¯s Cat?¡± Mel and Faye asked in Unison. Mel was out of mother¡¯s embrace now. She impulsively moved towards the direction of Catherine¡¯s voice. ¡°She was taken¡±. Ryder simply said. A sense of dread settled inside of me at Ryder¡¯s reply. ¡°How do you mean taken?¡± Faye was torn between caring for her mate and Catherine. Moon goddess, do not let him skin her alive. I prayed. The Falcon began to chant in some weirdnguage. ¡°Say after me everyone¡± She brought out an ugly-looking small box, in it she brought out a strange leaf, cing it in each of our left palms ¡°What mend would break¡­¡± We repeated after her. ¡°What break would mend¡± We repeated after her. ¡°How do you mean, she was taken?¡± Mel wasn¡¯t getting the narration. ¡°Where were you, Damon?¡± She asked usingly. ¡°I - I - ¡° I stuttered helplessly. ¡°Now isn¡¯t the time to feel sorry¡±. The Falcon moved around, forward, backward, sidewards and then she stopped. ¡°Now!!¡± She shouted ¡° Repeat what I just told you guys¡± She began blowing a powder-like substance in the air. A low cry emanated from the shadows. ¡°Falcon¡­¡± It was the collector. And then another cry. It was Catherine. I gave a painful gasp as a chill pricked my skin ¡°A life for a life¡± the collector began. ¡°If you want your pretty mate back, you¡¯d have to give me someone.¡± ¡°Alpha Damon of the ckwater pack!¡± It barked. I could feel it near me as a strong breeze hovered around me. ¡°DO NOT LISTEN TO IT!¡± The Falcon instructed half shouting, half chanting. ¡°You will not take my son, or anyone right here!¡± Mother yelled at it angrily. ¡°I am Luna Diana the greatest Luna of the ckwater¡­.¡± ¡°Quiet woman!!!¡± It snarled and Mother nearly lost her footing. ¡°Oh ye collector!!¡± The Falcon was floating in mid-air now. ¡°We beseech you that you have nowhere to hide. That you drop all that you have with you and show your face.¡± With one more blow on the powder-like substance, shended on her feet. There was a piercing shriek as a whirlwind formed, we all ran to take cover. A crash and then a thud. And Catherine fell on the floor. She was tied up. ¡°Damon!!!¡± I made to run towards her but I couldn¡¯t leave the circle. It felt like there was a wall in front of me, stopping me. ¡°We¡¯de to get you, okay¡± Mel assured her. She also felt the wall surrounding us. ¡°There¡¯s a wall?¡± Ryder questioned with a puzzled look I shot the Falcon with a quizzical look. ¡°We have to protect ourselves first. Anyways, it¡¯s trapped here with us. It¡¯s easy to bring him here.¡± ¡°Grrrr!¡± We could hear the collector protesting. Mother gave a loud howl. She was frustrated. ¡°Whatever we need to do, Steele can you do it fast? We do not have much time¡± She points a worried finger to Catherine who lies whimpering helplessly in pain and fear and also struggling to get out of the ropes. ¡°She can¡¯t remain in that. We can¡¯t stay here either. It¡¯s now or never. I need to take my pack members back homepletely in one piece. Please¡±. ¡°Let me face him¡± Mother gave me a disapproved look. ¡°Face who?¡± ¡°The Collector¡± ¡°We are facing him together, Alpha¡± Faye replied. ¡°Of course we are,¡± a strange voice added. We all spun around to see Alpha Craig. ¡°Craig?¡± The Falcon looked pleasantly shocked. ¡°Steele?¡± He replied and looked at me ¡°Alpha Damon, you think I was ready to let you guys have all the fun alone, huh?¡± I was too stunned to think of an answer, I just nodded in acknowledgment. ¡°Ohh¡­isn¡¯t that¡± He was pointing at Catherine. I nodded again ¡°Where¡¯s The Collector?¡± He turned to ask the Falcon ¡°Here.¡± She gestictes, pointing towards Catherine. ¡°That¡¯s a good start¡±. The Falcon gives him some of the powdered substance. They both held hands ¡°Remember what I said, Alpha Damon?¡± The Falcon turned to ask me. Mel and Faye looked at me expectantly. I nodded. ¡°What did she say, Damon?¡± Mel asked but I wasn¡¯t in the mood for questions. ¡°We are going to conjure him here, make sure you go for the vein in his neck. A very deep cut¡± ¡°Where exactly is he?¡± I asked determinedly. She points to Catherine. ¡°You¡¯d see him if you are very alert¡± ¡°He would be¡± Mel chipped in. ¡°He is one of the best Alpha¡¯s warriors there is¡±. ¡°Go, Damon. Save her¡± She touched my arm encouragingly and nodded me forward. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. I walked cautiously towards Catherine being careful not to bump into the invisible wall the Falcon had created but it wasn¡¯t there. Alpha Craig and the Falcon began chanting in that same strangenguage, blowing the powder in the direction of Catherine. She groaned, kicked, and rolled forward, just as I was about to reach her, I saw something leap from the corner of my eyes. I growled, catching it by the neck. ¡°Grrr!!¡± It groaned but I wasn¡¯t listening. ¡°Melissa; your red bamboo smeared with polished acetone and vinegar!!¡± The Falcon yelled at Mel. ¡°Now!!¡± Mel was in the air in record time with the red bamboo, piercing it into the chest of the collector. It gave a deafening cry and fell as my fangs left its neck. I ran to untie Catherine. ¡°You hurt?¡± I was all over her. She shook her head, trying to be brave. ¡°It¡¯s just a little pain, nothing I can¡¯t handle¡± ¡°Look!¡± Catherine gave a surprised cry. ¡°It¡¯s drying up!¡± As we all turned to look at the Collector. Faye¡¯s voice cut through the surprise ¡°Where¡¯s Lucas???¡± Chapter 62: FINDING LUCAS Chapter 62: FINDING LUCAS LUCAS As I opened my eyes, there was chaos everywhere. Alpha Damon and his Pack members were fighting the collector. I was so weak, struggling to keep my eyes open. Then, I noticed another Alpha, who could that be? "He''s Alpha Craig," my wolf rified. "Oh! Got it," I said, surprised that Alpha Craig was here to help. I didn''t know he was an ally of Alpha Damon The air was tense with chants, and I tried to figure out what was happening. Urgently, my wolf told me, "We need to get out of here; you can''t handle the energy here." "But I can''t go far, I''m too weak," I argued. "You have to try; staying alive is the priority. Move now!" my wolf insisted, sensing danger. With the little strength I had left, I moved backward into the woods. My wolf''s urgency pushed me forward, hinting that danger was close. Eventually, I found a cave-like spot and couldn''t go any further. "I can''t go on," I told my wolf, feeling drained. Understanding my limits, my wolf eased up. I moved Inside the cave and rested there. FAYE "He was just here; where did he go?" I got really worried when Lucas went missing so I questioned looking at Mel, I felt even more scared, thinking something bad might have happened to him while we were dealing with the Collector. My face showed how worried I was. Mel reassured me, "He couldn''t have gone far if he left by himself, he''s too weak. Let''s search around." She looked around, trying to find any signs of Lucas with a concerned expression on her face. Alpha Damon, directed us. "Ryder, you go left and check. I''ll go with the girls this way," he said, carefully lifting his Luna. Damon looked concerned as he looked around, making sure we were safe. Luna Diana, spoke up, "I''ll go with Ryder," showing she was determined to help. Alpha Damon agreed with a firm nod. I was so worried, I joined everyone in searching for Lucas. I didn''t want anything bad to happen to him. Since we hadn''t opened our mind link yet, I had no idea where he could be. My wolf, which usually helps, was unusually quiet, making me even more anxious. Every little sound in the woods made my stomach twist, and I kept nervously looking around, hoping to find Lucas. "How did you find Lucas?" Alpha Damon inquired, "Faye''s wolf sensed danger. So we ran towards the woods and found that the Collector had hurt Lucas real bad." Mel replied, her face etched with worry "He must have gone for him because he knew he was Faye''s mate. All his schemes were just to get to me and also the Falcon." Alpha Damon said, realizing the collector''s n. We continued walking, but Lucas was nowhere in sight. "Let''s not go further into the woods; let''s retreat," Alpha Damon suggested, deciding to keep us safe. He used our pack link to contact Ryder "Ryder, where are you? Meet us by the Cave now; let''s go back to the Pack." We heard it because it was linked to everyone. Damon''s worry deepened as he asked more questions about Lucas. "How bad is Lucas hurt?" he questioned, Melissa spoke up again because I couldn''t say anything, "He''s hurt real bad, Damon. We need to find him fast." This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. Ryder joined us, and Damon decided we should check the cave. The cave was dark and a bit scary, but Damon was determined. I felt a mix of fear and hope as we went inside. "Alpha, let''s not go too far into the cave; it looks kinda spooky," I suggested, feeling uneasy. Alpha Damon called out, "Lucas! Where are you?" The sound echoed, making the cave feel mysterious. Going a bit deeper, we found Lucas on the floor. I rushed to him, feeling a mix of worry and anger at the Collector. "Lucas, are you okay? Can you hear me?" Tears filled my eyes. Melissa checked on Lucas, looking serious as she said he was alive but needed help. "We need to get him out of here and fix him up," she said, focusing on what we needed to do. Leaving the cave felt better, and the night air was refreshing. Damon carried Lucas, and we walked back out of the cave towards our pack. "You''ll be fine," Damon reassured Lucas. We got back to our pack, and everyone was really tired from all the drama. "Ryder, take Lucas to the healer. I''ll check on him in the morning," Alpha Damon said. "Goodnight, guys. Goodnight, Mum," Alpha Damon said. "Goodnight. Please take care of Cat," Luna Diana told Alpha Damon. "Of course, Mum," Alpha Damon replied. Following Ryder, we went to a building next to the mansion. Ryder carefully put Lucas on a bed, and the healer rushed over to help. "Please give me some space to check on him," the healer asked, sounding calm. Ryder and I moved away a bit, and I couldn''t help but be anxious. The healer''s hands felt warm as he checked on Lucas. "He''s weak and badly wounded, but he''ll be okay," the healer said, trying to reassure us. I couldn''t hide my worry. "Are you sure he is going to be okay?" I asked. "He just needs time. Whoever did this to him must have been way stronger than him" the healer exined, still focused on Lucas. Ryder, standing by the bed, wanted to know, "How long until he''s better?" The healer, still checking on Lucas, said. "Depending on how fast his body is willing to fight. His wolf and body need time to get strong again." I couldn''t sit still, so I walked around nervously. "Can we do anything to help him get better faster?" I asked. The healer stopped and looked at me. "Rest is the best thing for him now and he has to go for a run as often as he can to help him heal faster" Ryder, not saying much usually, added, "We''ll make sure he rests." The healer nodded. "Good. I''ll give him some herbs to help him recover." I thanked him, saying, "Thank you for taking care of him." The healer smiled kindly. "It''s my job." He was always looking out for everyone. "Can I stay with him?" I asked the healer The healer finished checking on Lucas and said, "He needs rest, but if it helps him, you can stay for a while. Just keep it quiet." "Thank you," I said to the healer as I took a seat close to the bed in time to hear Lucas mumble. I put my ears close enough and heard it "I Love you Faye" Chapter 63: ECHOES OF LOVE Chapter 63: ECHOES OF LOVE CATHERINE The pain shot through me as Damon helped me back to our room. Every step felt like a reminder of the fall I had taken when The Collector dropped me. I winced, trying to hide the difort from Damon, but he noticed immediately. "Cathy, you''re hurt," Damon said with concern etched on his face. "I''ll be fine," I replied, attempting to downy the pain. Damon gently guided me to sit on the edge of our bed. "Let me take a look," he insisted, his alpha instincts kicking in. As he examined the bruised areas, his touch was surprisingly gentle. His fingers traced the contours of my injuries, and I couldn''t help but lean into hisforting presence. I felt vulnerable, but being with Damon offered a sense of security. "You took quite a fall. We need to make sure you''re okay," he said, his tone a mix of worry and affection. I sighed, realizing I couldn''t escape his caring nature. "I know, Damon. It just hurts." He met my eyes, a reassuring smile ying on his lips. "I''ll take care of you, Cathy. That''s what mates do." As he spoke, Damon fetched a first aid kit, his movements deliberate and tender. The quiet in the room was only broken by the asional sounds of the ongoing activities outside. The rumors of how The Collector was killed spread in the pack. "This is going to hurt a bit Cathy but it''ll help your wounds heal faster okay?" Damon said and I nodded in agreement. Damon began treating my injuries with utmost care. His touch, normally powerful andmanding, was now softened and tender. This man here makes my heart beat at an unusual rate. The sting of antiseptic made me flinch, but Damon''s apologetic gaze lessened the difort. "Sorry baby," he said ''Baby, that''s so sweet'' I thought to myself. "Stop blushing so much before your cheeks catch fire" my inner wolf warned mockingly "I''m not blushing" I warned her in embarrassment "You can keep lying to yourself" "Shut up already" I yelled back at her in mind and she curled back in. After the fight in my mind with my wolf, I didn''t notice that Damon had been staring at me all the while "Is everything alright Cathy?" "Of course, why do you ask?" N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "You''ve been smiling and your face is all red" he teased I mediately ced both hands on my cheeks and they were very warm. "I''m not smiling" I argued "You were Cathy, so tell me why you were smiling" "It''s nothing, Damon, maybe you''re beginning to see things, should I take you to the healer?" I mocked him Heughed so hard and I was happy that I could make himugh after the tension we''ve all faced today. He finished dressing the wounds, and I marveled at the tenderness he disyed. Damon then helped me lie down, ensuring I wasfortable. As I settled onto the bed, he sat beside me, his presence a soothing balm. "Rest, Cathy. I''ll be right here," Damon said, his hand gently stroking my hair. Closing my eyes, I felt a mix of pain and gratitude. The room was quiet but I was happy that Damon was right beside me mending not just my physical wounds but also my emotional strains. DAMON She looked so beautiful. Applying the antiseptic and touching her delicate skin felt heavenly, sending shivers down my spine. I tried hard to control the urge to kiss her immediately. I hated that The Collector had bruised her, but I was relieved knowing I killed him myself and he could no longer harm her. After helping her into bed, she still couldn''t sleep, her eyes wide open. "Why are you still awake, Cathy? You should get some sleep," I suggested. Her brows furrowed as she responded, "How can I sleep when you keep staring at me like that?" She looked so cute when she scrunched her face. "I don''t want to take my eyes off you, Cathy," I admitted. "But why? You should get some sleep too," she reasoned. "I''ll sleep when you do, so go to bed if you want me to sleep," I teased. "Okay, fine!" she said in surrender, closing her eyes shut. A smile tugged at my lips watching her childish act; it made her look even more adorable. After a while, I could hear her soft breathing, indicating she had fallen asleep. A few strands of hair fell on her face, and I gently pulled them behind her ear, trying not to wake her up. Unable to sleep, I decided to take a quiet walk. The night air felt refreshing, and the moonlit path led me to the healing house. As I entered, the soothing scent of herbs surrounded me. I noticed Faye covering her face, sleeping close to Lucas. Walking over to the healer, I asked, "How is Lucas doing?" The healer''s face reflected a mix of weariness and concern, he replied, "He''s stable for now, Alpha. The injuries were severe, but he''ll recover with rest." My eyes lingered on Faye, her protective posture beside Lucas revealing the depth of her worry. "Alpha Damon," the healer continued, "Faye insisted on staying with him. She''s been worried sick." I nodded, understanding the bond between mates. Walking towards Faye, I gently touched her shoulder, trying not to startle her. She stirred, lifting her head, her eyes reflecting exhaustion. "Faye, you should go back to your room and get some sleep. You''ll see Lucas in the morning," I suggested, my tone gentle. "But I want to stay with him," Faye protested, her eyes pleading. "He''ll be fine, Faye. The healer said he needs rest, and you need it too," I reassured her, emphasizing the importance of self-care. Reluctantly, Faye nodded, realizing the truth in my words. I guided her out of the healing house, ensuring she took a moment to catch her breath. "He''s in good hands. Get some rest, Faye," I encouraged, giving her a reassuring smile. With a grateful nod, Faye walked back to her room, leaving me alone in the healing house. I approached Lucas, silently hoping for his swift recovery. The healer shared a few more details, and as I left the room, the quiet of the night surrounded me. I walked back to my room, and as I opened the door, Cathy opened her eyes. "Where did you go Damon?" she inquired "I couldn''t sleep so I took a walk to the healing house" I exined as I walked to the bed. "I''m here, you can sleep now" I said as I pulled her close to me gently caressing her hair to put her back to sleep. The annoying knocking woke me up from a deep sleep. I was very irritated as I rose from the bed and ready to confront who was behind the disturbance. Opening the door, I found Ryder, looking serious. "Alpha Vance is here." Chapter 64: SURPRISE VISIT Chapter 64: SURPRISE VISIT BLACK WATER PACK CATHERINE "Vance is here," a voice echoed, and I snapped awake, panic coursing through my body. "What''s Vance doing here?" I questioned Damon, who turned to me in surprise, unaware that I was already awake. "Go back to sleep, Cathy. I''ll handle this," Damon reassured, walking over to me. He could see the fear in my eyes. "Why is Vance here, Damon?" "I don''t know, Cathy. I''ll find out. But you should rest more; you''re not strong yet." "What if he knows I''m here?" "He wouldn''t do anything, Cathy." "What if he drags me away? What if¡­" "Shhh, baby, calm down. I''ve got you, okay? He''d have to kill me first before he gets to you. Don''t you trust me?" Damon held me in a tight hug. "I trust you, Damon," I said with a low voice. "That''s all I need, baby. I won''t let anyone hurt you ever again. Just stay here and let me handle this. I''lle back for you, okay?" "Okay," I responded, and he nted a kiss on my forehead before walking out and shutting the door behind him. What could bring Vance here so early in the morning? I wondered, unable to focus on the thought. Deciding to shake off the confusion, I opted to take a bath and dress up because I knew there was no more sleep for me. As I got up from the bed, I winced in pain, my body still aching, and my bruises notpletely healed. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. DAMON Stepping out, I could sense something off. I turned to Ryder and asked, "Where''s he?" My gut told me trouble was around the corner. I didn''t like that he made Cathy so scared every time. My inner wolf growled in annoyance too. "He''s outside the gate; we kept him out," Ryder replied, following behind me. Approaching the gate, the guards awaited my word, ready for action. "Open the gate," Imanded, my eyes determined. The guards swiftly obeyed, allowing Vance''s car into thepound. His driver navigated the entrance, bringing Vance closer. The tension thickened as Vance stepped out. "Alpha Vance," I greeted, my tone firm yet respectful. "Alpha Damon," Vance responded, a calcted smile on his face. "What brings you here so early?" I asked, my gaze holding a mix of authority and curiosity. Vance nodded politely, saying, "I know Catherine is here. Came to take her away." My expression stayedposed, though my protective instincts surged. "Who told you that? She''s not here" I protested feeling defensive "Thest time I came here, those cookies, they tasted like Catherine''s. I know you have her, so give her to me, she''s my mate." He insisted stubbornly. Calling Cathy his mate didn''t sit well with me at all. She''s mine only. "Cookies? Seriously? Do you think she''s here just because of some cookies that anyone could''ve made? Did Catherine produce the recipe for the cookies?" I replied, finding his reasoning absurd. "Is this some sort of joke?" I looked keenly at him frustrated by his unfounded ims. Our argument intensified, and as Melissa and Mum came out, they wanted to know what was happening. "What''s going on here?" Mum asked, looking between Vance and me. Vance insisted, "Alpha Damon is keeping my mate from me. I know she''s here." "Vance ims Catherine is here. He''s going on about some cookies." Melissa, raising an eyebrow, questioned Vance, "Cookies? That''s your evidence?" Vance defended himself, "I can sense her presence. She''s here." Mum, sensing the tension, stepped forward. "Alpha Vance, we don''t keep anyone here against their will. Catherine isn''t here" With a stern look at Vance, I said, "You need to leave. If Catherine is your mate, you''ll find her where she wants to be." "This isn''t over yet; I''ll be back," Vance dered before heading to his car. His driver swiftly opened the door, and they drove off, leaving us in a moment of calm after his unexpected visit. There was a mix of tension and relief in the air as we returned to the peace that had been disturbed. "That was close," Mum said, breaking the silence. "Yes, Mum. I wonder how he knew she was here," Melissa chimed in. "The cookies I served the Alphas that day were made by Catherine. I wouldn''t have guessed he would recognize the taste," Mum exined. "That''s true, Mum. We need to do something about this as soon as possible," I asserted, deciding action was necessary. Walking back to our room to check on Cathy, I opened the door to find her seated, hands holding her cheeks. As the door squeaked open, she quickly turned to face me. "Damon, what''s going on? Is he gone?" she questioned, visibly disturbed. I walked closer and gave her a reassuring hug. "He''s gone, Cathy. You don''t need to worry anymore," I assured her, feeling the tension leave her. I helped her sit on the bed, taking a seat beside her. "What did he want?" she asked, still puzzled. "He knows you''re here and said he wanted to take you back." "For what? He rejected me, so what does he want me for?" "I don''t know, Cathy, but you''re mine now, and nobody is taking you away from me." "How did he know I''m here?" "It turns out he recognized the taste of the cookies Mum served him and the others when he came here the other time," I exined, sharing the surprising revtion. "Oh! I used to make those cookies when I was in Skylight Pack and served him and others. I didn''t think he would recognize anything that concerned me," Cathy expressed a mix of surprise and concern on her face. "It''s okay, Cathy. You''re in safe hands. Very soon, I won''t have to hide you anymore," I reassured her, attempting tofort her. Gently lifting her chin to meet her eyes, I noticed a tear escaping. "What''s wrong, Cathy?" I inquired, genuine concern in my voice. "I want to get revenge for my parents," Chapter 65: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE Chapter 65: A TRIP DOWN MEMORY LANE VANCE "Can you believe he made me look like a fool?" Iined to Cody as he drove, keeping his eyes on the road. "I knew going back there was a bad idea," Cody responded, his focus on our unexpected visit. "Those cookies were made by Catherine, I can bet on it," I said with frustration in my voice. "Did you tell them that?" "Of course." "No wonder they didn''t take you seriously. You only have cookies as evidence," Cody remarked, ncing at my furrowed brows through the rearview mirror. "No offense, Alpha," he quickly added, recognizing the delicate nature of the situation. I sighed, realizing my impulsive move might have messed things up with the ckwater Pack. Tension filled the car as we continued driving. Cody, always practical, suggested, "Maybe next time, we need more solid evidence or information before making a move like that." "Next time?" I scoffed. "There shouldn''t be a next time. I need to get Catherine back, and I need to do it soon." My inner wolf scoffed mocking me. "I understand, Alpha, but we have to be strategic about it. We can''t afford to make hasty decisions," Cody advised, trying to calm my impatience. "I won''t sit back and watch them keep her away from me," I dered. As we approached the Skylight Pack territory, Cody continued, "We need to gather more information and find out where she is exactly. Once we have a solid n, we can get her back without any doubts." "I don''t want to wait. Every moment she spends there is a moment too long," I was wrong to have rejected her, I grumbled in frustration. "I get it, Alpha. But rushing in without a n might make things worse. We need to know what we''re up against, and if Catherine also wants toe back with you" Cody reasoned, trying to make sense of my heated emotions. "I just want her back," I admitted. "I know, Alpha. We''ll get her back, but we need to be smart about it," Cody reassured, navigating through the familiar Skylight Pack territory. Arriving at the Skylight Packhouse, Iposed myself, ready to face the challenges ahead. The night was falling, casting shadows on the packhouse as we entered the territory. Cody parked the car, and we both stepped out. "We''ll start by discreetly gathering information, then formte a n," "Let''s get this done. She is my mate and I want her back" I dered and Cody bowed in agreement. CATHERINE As Damon looked into my eyes, concern on his face, he gently wiped away my tears. His question about my parents reopened a painful chapter in my life. "They were used of trying to assassinate the previous Alpha of Skylight Pack," I revealed, my voice trembling with sorrow. "What?" Damon eximed in shock "They couldn''t have done it. Even though I was young back then, I can remember that the only thing my dad wanted was to provide for me and my mum. What would''ve made him want to kill the Alpha?" I questioned, trying to make sense of the unjust usations against my parents. "This is deep," Damon responded, his voice sympathetic. "I want to find out what happened to my parents. Please help me, Damon," I pleaded, looking at him with a glimmer of hope. Damon, sensing the gravity of my request, nodded. "We''ll find the truth, Cathy. I promise." He took a moment before speaking again, "Can you remember any specific details about the day they were used? Anything that might give us a clue?" I closed my eyes, delving into my memories. "It was a chaotic day. The Alpha used them publicly, and the pack turned against us. I remember my parents pleading their innocence, but no one believed them." Damon''s expression shifted from empathy to determination. "Were there any witnesses who might know the truth?" Shaking my head, I replied, "I don''t know. The pack was in chaos, and my parents were killed right in front of me." Damon''s eyes hardened, his jaw clenched. "We need more information. Do you have any belongings or documents from that time?" "No, Damon. I was just a child" I exined, feeling a twinge of sadness. He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I''m so sorry you had to go through such a tragic experience as a child. I''ll make sure we get to the bottom of this." Damon reassured and continued "We''ll start by finding out if there are any records, witnesses, or clues that might lead us to the truth. I won''t let this injustice persist." I was so grateful that Damon wasmitted to helping me solve the mystery surrounding my parents'' unjust fate, it filled me with gratitude. As we continued discussing, he decided it was time to involve others. "We can''t do this alone. We need more help," he suggested. I nodded in agreement. "You''re right" "Let''s call in my mum, Melissa, Ryder, and Faye. They need to be a part of this discussion." Damon used the Packs link to reach all of them at once and as the Alpha of the Pack, when he calls, everyone obeys We went downstairs to the living room and everyone was eagerly waiting for the reason for the call. Damon exined the situation to them as I couldn''t go over it again. Soon, the room was filled with concerned faces, each person expressing their determination to support our quest for justice. Melissa, with her reassuring presence, spoke first. "We need to approach this carefully. Gathering information from Skylight Pack won''t be easy, but we''ll figure it out together." Ryder added, "We should have a n. Sneaking into another pack territory won''t be a walk in the park." Faye, standing by Damon''s side, chimed in, "I''ll do whatever it takes to help Cat. We can''t let the truth remain hidden." "Cat darling, we will make sure we find out the truth regarding the murder of your parents. Be rest assured" Luna Diana said patting my back and I gave her a faint smile muttering "Thank you" As they continued to discuss their strategy, I felt a renewed sense of hope. With such a dedicated team by my side, the journey to uncovering the secrets of my past seemed more achievable. "Do you have a picture of your parents?" Luna Diana asked. "Not anymore. I had it with me on the day I was beaten and thrown into the river to die, but I lost it," I responded, my eyes tearing up. I had lost the only memory I had of my parents. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. Damon pulled me into a tight hug. "It''s okay, baby," he said, trying to calm me down. "I found an old picture by the shore where we found Cat. I didn''t know if it belonged to her. Let me get it," Mel said as she hurriedly breezed out and returned with an old picture. "Here," she said, handing it to me. Behold, it was the picture of my parents. "This is the picture I lost. They''re my parents," I said, shedding tears. A voice echoed behind me. "Your mum is alive." Chapter 66: LUCAS ASSIGNMENT Chapter 66: LUCAS'' ASSIGNMENT BLACKWATER PACK FAYE Lucas has been awake for two weeks now, and his recovery has been progressing well. We''ve spent a lot of time together as he heals, and I cherish every moment. My love for him grows stronger each day, and I''m hopeful that he''ll decide to stay here at ckwater Pack. Today, Lucas and I decided to go for a run in our wolf forms. The wind brushed against our fur as we sprinted through the woods, the freedom of our wolves exhrating. As we slowed down, Lucas turned to me with a warm smile. "Your wolf is incredibly beautiful, Faye," heplimented, his eyes reflecting admiration. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I couldn''t help but blush at his words. "Thank you, Lucas. Your wolf is pretty magnificent too." We continued our run, engaging in casual conversations about random things. The sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating a magical atmosphere around us. "Oh, by the way, Faye, what happened to The Collector?" Lucas asked, curiosity evident in his eyes. A serious tone took over as I began to recount the events. "The Falcon helped us. She made some incantations with Alpha Craig, and Damon bit the Collector on his throat at themand of the Falcon. It was intense, but we managed to defeat him." Lucas nodded, absorbing the information. "That sounds like a powerful team effort. The little I saw in my weak state was terrifying, I''m d you all are safe." "Yeah, it was quite a battle. The Falcon yed a crucial role in ensuring we could take down The Collector, I''m d he is finally out of our lives forever" I exined, recalling the intense moments. "I can''t believe how much I''ve healed," Lucas remarked a sense of gratitude in his voice. "It''s incredible, Lucas. The healer did a great job, and you responded to treatment very well too," I replied, matching his smile. As we padded along the familiar trail, our conversation shifted back to personal matters. Lucas looked deep into my eyes, and a meaningful silence enveloped us. "You know, Faye, being here with you makes everything better. Your presence has been the best part of my recovery," Lucas confessed, his sincerity tugging at my heart. I felt a warmth spreading within me. "I''m just d you''re getting better, Lucas. And having you here with me means the world." Lucas pulled me gently close to himself and nted a kiss on my lips that sent shivers down my spine, his wet lips were soft and sulent, his tongue tugged at me seeking entrance and I opened up to let him have ess, after a while of nibbling and sucking on each other''s lips, we both pulled out The woods echoed with the rustle of leaves and the asional howl in the distance, creating a serene backdrop. "I want to be with you Faye," Lucas admitted, a hint of vulnerability in his eyes. A surge of joy filled me. "You can be with me, Lucas. ckwater Pack is open for you, Alpha Damon even gave his permission only if you ept it." "Really?" He asked in shock "Of course Lucas" I responded. We continued our run, savoring the bond that had grown stronger between us. The sun began to go down as we returned to our human forms. "I love you, Faye," Lucas whispered, his words weaving a promise of a future together. "I love you too, Lucas," I replied. DAMON News of Lucas''s recovery brought a sense of relief. I knew he was the best person to discreetly investigate Catherine''s parents without raising suspicion. I decided to address the matter directly. "Faye, could you get Lucas for me?" I asked, through the mind link telling her to bring him to my office. A short whileter, Lucas entered my office, still disying signs of his recent ordeal. "Alpha Damon," he greeted respectfully. "Lucas, I''m pleased to see you''re doing well," I acknowledged. "Thank you Alpha" Lucas responded "Please have a seat," I said pointing to the couch. He sat down and Faye stood by his side "I need your assistance with something Lucas and you''re the best person for this job," I said "What could that be Alpha?" "First of all I want to let you know that You''ve be a part of ckwater Pack, and you''re free to come here whenever you like. However, I need you to go back to Skylight Pack for a while, Lucas," Both Faye and Lucas looked at me attentively, awaiting further details. "I''m sure by now you know that Catherine is here?" I said looking at him keenly "Yes Alpha" he responded "And I want you to keep that information to yourself, nobody in Skylight Pack should know about that. If I ever find out that you told anyone there and Catherine''s life is in danger, I''ll wipe off everyone in Skylight Pack including you" I said with a tone of seriousness and I meant it "I understand you Alpha" "Great," I said and continued "Catherine''s parents were executed there, and we need to find out what happened. Though we found out recently that her mother is alive and we''re still looking for a way to find her. I believe you can make discreet inquiries without raising suspicions." Lucas nodded, understanding the gravity of the situation. "That is true Alpha, her parents were killed by the previous Alpha for nning an assassination against the Alpha" "We don''t believe that was the real reason behind their execution so we need you to look for people who were witnesses, maybe one of the elders, and try to find out if they know something else" "I''ll do whatever I can, Alpha Damon. I owe you and the pack my life." Faye chimed in, expressing her gratitude. "Lucas, your willingness to help Cat means a lot." Lucas gave a genuine smile. "I can''t thank you all enough. You saved me when I wasn''t even a member of this pack. I''ll go back to Skylight, gather information, and find out the truth about Catherine''s parents." I leaned back in my chair, crossing my arms. "Lucas, I need you to be very cautious. Find the truth, but don''t put yourself in unnecessary danger." Lucas reassured me, "Alpha Damon, I understand the risks. I''ll be discreet and gather information carefully. We''ll get to the bottom of this." "Thank you, Lucas, that''s all for now, you can return to Skylight pack tomorrow" Lucas appreciated the support, "Okay Alpha. I''ll keep you updated on my progress. Let''s hope we can find answers for Catherine." I nodded silently in agreement and he walked out of my office with Faye tailing him, she had been stuck to him since she knew he was her mate, they looked so good together. Chapter 67: CATHERINE MEETS HER MUM Chapter 67: CATHERINE MEETS HER MUM BLACK WATER PACK FALCON I recalled the conversation I had with the ckwater Pack about Catherine''s Mother. "Your mother is alive" I said as I walked into the living room and saw the photograph Catherine held saying the people on it were her parents. They all turned in shock towards where the voice came from "Falcon?" Damon eximed "Yes, it''s me" I confirmed, "Where have you been all this while? You left without notice" he inquired "I had to leave discreetly for personal reasons but I''ve been monitoring this pack closely." The atmosphere remained tense as Luna Diana sought rification about my startling statement, "What do you mean by her mother being alive?" I took a deep breath before revealing what I had discovered. "I saw that woman in the Silver Crescent Pack." There was silence in the air, the weight of my words sinking in. Damon''s grip tightened around Catherine, hope and disbelief in his eyes. "In the Silver Crescent Pack?" Damon echoed, seeking confirmation. I nodded, "Yes. Catherine''s mother is there, and she works in the orphanage home, taking care of children." Damon''s eyes met Catherine''s, emotions passing between them. The room, once filled with shock, transformed into a whirlwind of feelings¡ªrelief, excitement, and a touch of anxiety. "We''ll find her, Cathy," Damon assured, determination evident in his voice. I continued sharing the information I gathered, describing the small, close-knit pack where Catherine''s mother had found refuge. "She seems to be leading a quiet life, taking care of children in need." Catherine''s eyes glistened with unshed tears, Damon held her even closer, silently promising to reunite her with the mother she believed she had lost. Luna Diana, sensing the delicate nature of the situation, spoke with a gentle tone. "This is wonderful news. We''ll n a careful approach to ensure a smooth reunion. Falcon, thank you for bringing this to our attention." As they processed the revtion, the room buzzed with discussions about the next steps. Damon, still holding Catherine, whisperedforting words. "I''ll go take a rest now, I came from a far journey," I said as I turned to walk back "You''re always wee here Falcon, take as much rest as you need, we will still need your help later," Alpha Damon said with gratitude in his voice. I nodded silently and walked away. CATHERINE My mum is alive? The revtion that my mom was alive left me in disbelief. After all these years, I had thought she was gone forever. The anticipation of our reunion filled me with excitement, a mix of emotions that even my usually bitchy wolf felt. "What''s going on with you? You seem more excited than I am," I asked my inner wolf. "You''re my human. Your happiness is my happiness," she responded. "Really?" "Of course. I don''t want you always looking down and gloomy." "Thank you," I said, appreciating the unexpected warmth from my wolf. "You will soon be in your mother''s embrace," she assured me, Damon walked into the room, breaking the whirlwind of my thoughts. "How''re you doing, baby?" he asked. This man has been so sweet to me, every day with him has been the happiest day of my life. "I''m fine, a little anxious," I responded, unable to hide my nerves. "You''ll be fine. Pick a few things; let''s head out and go get your mother," he suggested, a reassuring smile on his face. "Okay, I''ll be down in a bit," I replied. "I''ll wait for you. I don''t want to leave your side," he dered, hismitment touching my heart. "Nobody is taking me from this room, Damon," I teased, trying to lighten the mood. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "I know, but I''ll miss you if I go down alone," he pouted a childlike expression that made me chuckle. "Are you sure you''re the ruthless Alpha of ckwater Pack?" I yfully teased him. "Yes, baby," he responded, lifting me off the ground and twirling me around. "Put me down, Damon!" Iughed, enjoying the carefree moment. "Yes, ma''am," he said, setting me gently on the floor. "Can we go now?" he inquired, holding my hand. "Yes, we can, Mr. Alpha," I replied, teasing him back. He smiled and nted a sweet kiss on my forehead before leading me outside. The truck rolled along the winding road, and my heart raced with a mix of excitement and nerves. Damon sat beside me, offering a reassuring smile as he held my hand. "Nervous, Cathy?" he asked, "A bit, Damon. I never imagined I''d get to see my mom again," I replied, Seeing my mom again was both a dream and a reality. Damon squeezed my hand, offering silent reassurance. We reached Silver Crescent Pack, a small Pack with children ying and the aroma of home- cooked meals wafting through the air. Ryder Parked the truck, and we stepped out, drawing the attention of the pack members around. Approaching the orphanage, my heartbeat quickened. There was a security man outside, and I approached him, showing him a picture of my mum. "Please, we''re from ckwater Pack, and I''m looking for this woman. I heard she works here," I exined. "Is there a problem?" He asked, looking scared at the mention of the Pack. I wasn''t surprised by his reaction; many people are scared of ckwater Pack because of the rumors about Damon. "There''s no problem; she''s my mother," I assured him. "Hold on, let me fetch her," he said and went inside. A few minutester, the door opened, and there she was ¨C my mom, with gentle eyes and a look of recognition. "Mom?" I called out, and her eyes filled with tears as she whispered, "Cathy?" Running into her arms, we embraced, tears streaming down our faces. It was a reunion filled with years of longing and emotions too profound for words. Pulling away from the hug, I pointed at Damon. "Mum, this is Alpha Damon, the Alpha of ckwater Pack, and that is Ryder, his Beta. They saved me," I introduced them to my mom. Mum''s eyes met Damon''s, and I could sense the unspoken gratitude in the air. "Mrs. Thames, it''s a pleasure to meet you," Damon said, extending a hand. Mom smiled, shaking his hand. "Thank you for taking care of my daughter," Mum expressed her gratitude. "Mum, please, I want you toe back with me to ckwater Pack. We''ve been apart for so long, and I have so much to tell you," I pleaded with my mom. "Catherine I don''t know if it is safe to follow you. I don''t want to put you in further danger. That is why I''ve been hiding for so long. What if Alpha Sky finds us?" My mum said worry was written all over her. "Mum, Alpha Sky was killed years ago, and his son Vance took over. But he can''t do anything to us; we are under ckwater''s protection," I tried to convince her. "Okay, wait here. Let me inform the people who took care of me here. I''ll join you shortly," she said as she walked back inside. I walked back to Damon, and he opened his arms, wrapping me in a tight hug. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I''m fine. I''m just so happy that my mum is truly alive," I said to him. "I''m d that you''re happy, Cathy. Your happiness means a lot to me," Damon said. "Thank you, Damon," I said, looking at him with gratitude. And then, shocking me, he said, "Let''s have a mating ceremony." Chapter 68: PLANNING THE MATING CEREMONY Chapter 68: PLANNING THE MATING CEREMONY SKYLIGHT PACK LUCAS When I got back to Skylight Pack after weeks of recovery, my first stop was Alpha Vance''s den. Alpha Vance looked up from his desk curiosity etched on his face when I walked in. "Lucas, where have you been all this while?" he asked. I took a step forward and exined, "Alpha, I got attacked while hunting in the woods. Luckily, some kind rogues found me and nursed me back to health." I lied, I couldn''t tell him I was in the ckwater Pack. "Rogues? Why didn''t you contact the Pack?" Alpha Vance asked puzzled I rubbed the back of my neck nervously. Lying wasn''t so easy. "Umm¡­ I was unconscious, Alpha. They took me far away before I could inform anyone." I found the right excuse Vance leaned back, thinking about what I said. "We sent guards to look for you, but they couldn''t find you. It''s good you''re back. Carry on with your duties." Phew! Finally, I get to leave. Leaving Alpha Vance''s den, I felt like the pack was watching me, maybe because of the mysterious way I disappeared. I had to Follow Alpha Damon''s orders, there was no time to waste. I started looking into Catherine''s parents. The elders, who usually knew the pack''s history, became my first stop. "Elder Tobias, how have you been" "Lucas, you''re back? It''s been a while" "Yes it has, I''ve been away hunting" "Wee back to the Pack" "Thank you. I heard Alpha Vance is still looking for his mate Catherine, do you know anything about her? What happened to her parents?" I tried to start up a conversation. He looked around suspiciously and asked, "Why do you suddenly care about her parents, Lucas?" "I just heard the rumors about Alpha Vance looking for his mate so I was just curious" I replied. Tobias sighed and said, "Some things are better left alone, young one." It felt like he was trying to hide some from me but I didn''t want to push forward to avoid suspicion. "It''s okay Elder Tobias, thank you for your time, I only stopped by to say hi. I''ll go back to my duties now" I said to him and I walked away. Undeterred, I approached Elder Agnes, who knew a lot about the pack''s lineage, and tried to find out from her too but She looked at me with fear and said, "Some stories are best forgotten, child." They stayed silent, making it clear they didn''t want to share some hidden truth. It seemed like the pack was scared of something, and they weren''t ready to talk. BLACKWATER PACK DAMON In the past week, Cathy''s mother''s presence had brought a new dynamic to the pack. Seeing my mother excited about having someone her age to talk to filled me with a sense of contentment. Cathy had dedicated plenty of time to bonding with her mother, sharing stories about the events that had unfolded in her life. Mrs. Celinees across as a genuinely kind woman, and from the short time she has been with us, it''s evident that the usations against her and her husband must have been untrue. Cathy''s frequent smiles bring me immense joy, knowing that she''s genuinely happy. One evening, in the quiet confines of our room, I brought up the topic of the mating ceremony again to Cathy as we hadn''t had the time to talk about it since her mother''s arrival. "Cathy, we need to talk" I approached her and sat beside the bed close to her N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "You look serious, is everything alright" Cathy looked up from her book and asked her expression curious. "Everything is okay I want us to talk about the mating ceremony I told you about the other day" "Mating ceremony? We''re not ready for that" she said Taking a moment to gather my thoughts, I began to reveal the n. "It''s not a real mating ceremony. It''s a strategy to trap Vance." Her eyes widened in surprise. "What do you mean?" "Okay I need us to settle the mate thing once and for all, I want to be able to show you off as mine, and not hide you anymore," I said Catherine was looking at me keenly waiting for a further exnation so I continued "The idea is to make Vance believe that you and I are officially mating. It''s a calcted move to provoke a reaction from him and gauge his intentions." Cathy sat up, absorbing the information. "So, it''s a fake ceremony?" I nodded. "Yes. It might sound unconventional, but we need to understand Vance''s next move. This n is crucial" Her expression shifted as she processed the revtion. "What if this starts a war?" "We''ll be prepared," I assured her. "Our primary concern is your safety and the safety of the entire pack. This n gives us an advantage in dealing with Vance." Cathy sighed, recognizing the gravity of the situation. "Let''s go ahead with the n then, I''m in" "That''s all I need, baby, your support," I said holding her hands and cing a kiss on it. She smiled at my show of love and asked "So how will we go about this n?" We kept talkingte into the night, going over every part of the n and easing Cathy''s worries. I emphasized how crucial it was for all of us in the pack to stay united and protect each other from any possible dangers. As the night went on, Cathy started to understand the reasons behind the n, even if she wasn''t completelyfortable with it. "Let''s put you to bed Cathy, it''ste," I said to her "But I want to read more" she protested picking up her book again from where she dropped it. "No baby, it''s time to sleep," I said and picked her up bridal style and ced her properly on the bed tucking her in Just as I was about to go to bed my wolf screamed "Let''s go for a run" Chapter 70: TAMMYS ILLNESS Chapter 70: TAMMY''S ILLNESS SKYLIGHT PACK VANCE I was sitting in my office, thinking a lot about Catherine. It waste in the day, and the sun was making long shadows on the floor. Suddenly, a guard came in looking disheveled. "Alpha Vance, Tammy is ill. It seems like she inhaled too much of the silver gas," the guard exined with a worried look on his face. "Lead the way," I said, getting up quickly. We went through the big building to get to Tammy''s cell room. The air felt heavy with worry as we walked. As we approached Tammy''s room, the guard opened the door, and there was Tammy, lying on the ground and looking lifeless. "Let''s get her to the healing house right away," I said as I picked her up. We hurried to the healing house, where our pack''s healer could help her. "I need your help, she''s sick," I told the healer as we entered the healing house. "I¡¯ll do everything I can," the healer assured me as he began to tend to Tammy. While the healer looked after Tammy, I couldn''t stop thinking about Catherine. Where was she? Was she safe? "Will Tammy be okay?" I asked the healer, my concern evident in my voice. "I''m doing everything I can for her. She''ll be okay," the healer responded with a reassuring smile. I thanked the healer and was about to leave the healing house, my thoughts still lingering on Catherine and the guilt that enveloped me for rejecting her. Cody approached me, his brows furrowed with worry, I guess he had been informed about his younger sister, his eyes darted between me and Tammy, whoy unconscious on the makeshift bed in the healer''s tent. I could see the fear etched into his features, and I knew he was desperate for answers. "What happened to her, Alpha Vance?" Cody''s voice quivered with concern as he looked at Tammy, his hands clenched tightly at his sides. I ced a reassuring hand on his shoulder and met his gaze. "She''s going to be okay, Cody," I said, trying to infuse my tone with confidence. "The healer is doing everything he can. Tammy inhaled too much of the silver gas, but we caught it in time." Cody nodded, his shoulders tensed with worry. I remember he told me that he had denounced Tammy as his sister for all the atrocities she hadmitted but right now I could see that he still cared a lot for her. "Alpha Tobias is waiting for you in your office," he informed me, his voice tinged with urgency. I nodded in acknowledgment, my mind already racing with the implications of Tobias''s unexpected visit. "Thank you, Cody, look after her, I''lle check on herter," I said, giving his shoulder a reassuring squeeze before turning to head towards my office. As I made my way through the camp, my thoughts were preupied with the sudden appearance of Alpha Tobias. What could have prompted his visit? I couldn''t shake off the feeling of unease that settled in the pit of my stomach. When I arrived at my office, I found Alpha Tobias seated in one of the chairs, his posture rigid and his expression unreadable. The lines on his forehead deepened as he looked up at me, and I could sense the tension emanating from him. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. "Alpha Vance," he greeted me with a curt nod, his eyes holding a steely glint "Alpha Tobias, to what do I owe this surprise visit?" "I came here to discuss the recent events in the territory. It seems we have a pressing matter that requires our immediate attention." I took a deep breath, trying to steady my nerves as I sat across from him. "What has happened? " I asked, my voice steady despite the knot of apprehension that had formed in my chest. Tobias leaned forward, his hands sped together on the desk. "There have been reports of a group of rogues attacking neighboring packs," he exined, "It seems they''reing closer to our territories, and tensions are running high. I want us to join forces in fighting the rogues if they happen to attack any of our packs" My jaw tightened as I processed the gravity of the situation. I knew that we had to act swiftly to ensure the safety of our pack. "I''ll gather our council members for an emergency meeting," I said, my mind already racing with the steps we needed to take to address the threat. "We need to devise a n to protect our territory and our people." Tobias nodded in agreement, and we delved into the details of our strategy, soon it was time for him to leave. As Tobias and I walked out of the office, his words about the healing house caught me off guard. "I was told you were at the healing house when I came. Who''s ill?" He inquired, concern evident in his amber eyes. I hesitated for a moment, then replied, "It''s Tammy, one of our pack members. She''s been unwell, but the healers are taking care of her." Tobias nodded in understanding, and I led him through the winding paths to the healing house. As we arrived, the soothing scent of herbs and the gentle glow of the fire greeted us. There, lying on a bed of soft furs, was Tammy, looking at her now, she looked so innocent and harmless one wouldn''t know that she was capable of so much evil. Tobias approached her, his presence exuding aforting warmth, and I could see the reassurance in his eyes as he looked at her. "She''s going to be alright," he said, his voice carrying a quiet strength. "Thank you" I responded And suddenly he recalled Something and turned to me "I forgot to tell you, Vance. Alpha Damon of the ckwater pack is having a mating ceremony. He''s mated to Catherine Thames." At the mention of that name, Catherine Thames, my heart seemed to stop beating, and my eyes widened in shock. Chapter 71: GIRLS DAY OUT Chapter 71: GIRLS DAY OUT BLACKWATER PACK CATHERINE I woke up this morning feeling the warmth of the sun seeping through the curtains. I stretched and yawned, realizing that Damon was already up. I leisurely made my way to the bathroom, feeling the cool tiles beneath my feet. After brushing my teeth and taking a refreshing bath, I stepped out, wrapped a towel around me, and dried my hair with the soft, warm air from the blow dryer. As I put on my favorite floral dress, I smiled at my reflection in the mirror, feeling grateful for another beautiful day. I walked downstairs to the kitchen, where the aroma of sizzling bacon greeted me. To my delight, I found my mom and Luna Diana engaged in a lively chat as they cooked together. When they noticed me, they both beamed and motioned for me to join them at the table. "Good morning, sweetheart," my mom said, giving me a warm hug. "How did you sleep?" "I slept well, Mom," I replied, returning her hug. "The sun is shining so beautifully today." "Good morning Luna" I greeted and she smiled at me "Morning Cat, you look very beautiful this morning" Sgeplimented and I couldn''t help but blush "Thank you Luna" I responded Luna Diana handed me a te of freshly cut fruits and poured me a ss of orange juice. "Here you go, Catherine. A healthy start to the day." "Thank you, Luna Diana," I said with a grin. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "You always know how to make breakfast special." "Luna, do you know where Damon is? I didn''t wake up to meet him" I asked "Yeah! He asked me to inform you that he''s at the training center, he went to watch the pups train and he didn''t want to wake you up" she responded "Okay Luna" We chatted about little things as the savory aroma of pancakes and eggs filled the air. The sound of sizzling and the clinking of utensils created aforting background melody. It felt like a perfect morning, filled with warmth and love. Soon, the food was ready, and Luna Diana served up delicious portions for each of us. As we began to eat, the door creaked open, and in walked Faye and Melissa "Good morning, everyone!" Faye called out, her bright eyes sparkling. "What''s cooking?" "Good morning everyone" Melissa chimed in too, she came close to me and gave me a back hug "Hi Cat," she said "Morning Mel" I responded "We''ve made pancakes, eggs, and bacon," Luna Diana announced with a smile. "There''s plenty for everyone. Come and join us!" Faye and Melissa quickly took their seats, and soon we were all enjoying a hearty breakfast together. The sunlit kitchen was filled withughter, friendly banter, and the delicious scent of food. It was a perfect start to a beautiful day. The morning sun streamed through the kitchen windows, casting a warm glow over the room. I savored each bite of the delicious breakfast, feeling grateful for the simple joys of life. My mom and Luna Diana shared stories from their childhood, and we allughed together, enjoying the sense of togetherness. As we finished our meal, Luna Diana cleared the table while my mom and I helped wash the dishes. Faye and Melissa stayed to chat. After the dishes were done, we all gathered in the living room, sipping on freshly brewed coffee. The aroma of the coffee filled the air, adding to the cozy atmosphere. We shared stories and each person talked about how far they''ve gone with the task assigned to them in preparation for the mating ceremony, their challenges, and their breakthrough. As we sipped our coffee, Melissa suddenly turned to me with a mischievous sparkle in her eyes. "Cat, Faye and I have dered today a girls'' day out! You need to change into something fun, and then we''re hitting the town," she eximed with excitement. I hesitated, feeling a bit unsure. "I don''t know what to wear," I admitted, feeling a little flustered. Before I could say anything else, Faye grabbed my hand and eximed, "Come on, Catherine! We won''t take no for an answer. Let''s find you the perfect outfit!" With that, they dragged me off the couch and up the stairs to my room. Once there, they dove into my closet, pulling out various dresses and skirts, chattering excitedly about each one. "What about this one, Cat? It would look amazing on you!" Melissa held up a flowy, floral dress. Faye shook her head. "No, no, no. How about this skirt with that blouse? It''s so you!" We tried on a few different outfits, and eventually, we settled on a cute denim trousers and a crop top that made me feel confident and ready for a fun day out. "Perfect!" Faye dered with a smile. "Now, let''s go show off our girl!" We hurried downstairs, and soon we were piling into Mel''s truck, there was excitement in the air, lately everywhere had been so tense because of the preparations so we needed to unwind. The sun was shining, and the promise of an adventure filled me with anticipation. As we drove into town, the lively chatter filled the car. Faye and Melissa discussed the best ces to go, sharing stories and memories of their past outings. I couldn''t help but join in, feeling the thrill of the day ahead. "Let''s start with the little boutique on Main Street," Melissa suggested. "They have the cutest summer dresses right now." "That sounds perfect," I agreed, feeling a sense of excitement building within me. We arrived at the boutique and spent a delightful hour trying on different dresses and giggling like schoolgirls. The friendly saleswoman joined in our fun, offering advice andpliments as we modeled the various outfits. After our shopping spree, we decided to grab lunch at a cozy caf¨¦ nearby. Over sds and iced tea, we shared stories andughter. "Let''s not forget the ice cream shop!" Faye suggested with a grin. "It''s a girls'' day out tradition!" We eagerly made our way to the ice cream shop, where we indulged in our favorite vors, feeling carefree and joyful. As we walked around the town, the warmth of the sun filled me with a sense of contentment. "Let''s hurry up girls, so we can head back," I urged them. "Yes, Luna," Melissa teased. "Mel," I said, feeling a bit bashful. "What? You''re Luna, after all," she retorted. Once we were finished, we hopped into the truck, and Mel sped off toward the Pack. As we neared the Pack Mansion, an unsettling sight caught my eye: Damon was embracing a woman tightly, and she didn''t look familiar. Chapter 72: MIAS VISIT Chapter 72: MIA''S VISIT CATHERINE As we approached Damon and the unknowndy, I couldn''t shake the knot of jealousy and anger building in my chest. My inner wolf was stirring, her instincts ring with irritation. "It''s okay; stay calm." I said this in an attempt to calm her down, but I forced myself to push down the rising emotions. I didn''t want to cause a scene, especially not in front of Damon and the others. She clung to Damon''s side, and I felt a surge of possessiveness and frustration. Damon noticed my approach and disentangled himself from the woman toe forward and greet us. "Hi Cathy, wee back." He said he was pulling me into a hug, but I couldn''t bring myself to fully return it. The sight of him embracing another woman stirred up a storm of conflicting emotions within me. As Damon released me from the hug, he turned to the woman beside him. "Mia, this is Catherine, my mate," he said, gesturing towards me. "Catherine, this is Mia, my childhood friend." Mia''s surprised reaction stung me, and I struggled to mask my feelings behind a forced smile. "You have a mate, Damon? Why didn''t I hear about this?" Mia asked, her surprise evident. "We haven''t had a mating ceremony yet. It''splicated," Damon exined, ncing at me with a hint of concern. As she extended her hand, I reluctantly took it, my grip feeling cold and distant. "Nice to meet you, Catherine," she said. "Nice to meet you too," I managed to say, trying to keep my voice steady. Melissa shot me a knowing nce, sensing my unease. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "So, Mia, how have you been?" she asked, attempting to ease the tension. Mia''s eyes flickered over to me briefly before she responded, "I''ve been good, thanks. It''s been too long, Mel." "Let''s take this to the living room," Damon suggested, and Mia swiftly clung to his side. "I''ve missed you so much, Damon," she said. "I''ve missed you too, Mia," Damon responded. "We have so much to catch up on," she said, and I hated that I was here listening to this. As we stepped into the living room, Damon took a seat, and Mia swiftly upied the spot next to him, linking her hands through his arm. I couldn''t help but notice the way she nestled close to him, and it stung to see them so physically connected. Suppressing my difort, I chose a different ce to sit, trying to hide my dissatisfied expression as I settled in. Luna Diana''s eyes lit up with surprise as she joined us, spotting Mia. "Mia, it''s been so long! What a pleasant surprise to see you here!" she eximed, reaching out for a warm hug. "Thank you, Luna Diana. It''s good to see you too," Mia responded with a smile. As we all settled in, the room buzzed with the warmth of rekindled friendships. The conversation naturally turned to fond reminiscences about the memories Mia and Damon shared from their younger days. "I still remember the time we all went camping by theke," Mia recalled, her eyes sparkling with nostalgia. "Damon, remember when you got lost in the woods?" Damon chuckled, "Oh, how could I forget that? I thought I was an expert navigator until I got turned around, and Mia had to rescue me." The room filled withughter as they delved into more shared adventures. "And what about the time we tried to bake a cake for my mother''s birthday and ended up with flour everywhere except in the bowl?" Damon added, grinning. Miaughed. "Yes, that was a disaster, but we had so much fun." As they continued to exchange stories, my difort grew. I couldn''t join in; it felt like I was on the outside looking in, unable to fully connect with their shared history. It was hard to shake off the unease that had settled over me as I observed the bond between Mia and Damon. "Mia will be staying with us for a few days." Damon announced, and I was so shocked that I choked on my saliva and started coughing. "Are you okay, Cathy?" Damon asked with concern in his voice. I couldn''t help but re at him. "I''m fine," I managed to croak out, still recovering from the unexpected news. "Let me get you water," Melissa offered, already starting to get up. "It''s okay, Mel, I''ll just go get it myself," I said, trying to maintainposure as I stood up and made my way to the kitchen. Once in the kitchen, I filled a ss with water, my mind racing with a jumble of emotions. I felt a pang of unease at the thought of Mia staying with us. As I sipped the water, I struggled to push away the growing difort. Returning to the room, I took a deep breath and tried to distract myself by taking a shower. Afterward, I tucked myself into bed with a novel, hoping to lose myself in its pages. I was engrossed in the story when Damon finally came into the room. He sat on the edge of the bed and looked at me with concern. "Hey, Cathy, mind if we talk for a bit?" Damon''s voice was hesitant as he approached. I closed my book and looked at him; my responses were strained. "Sure, what''s up?" "Hey, everyone! I hope I''m not interrupting anything," Mia said cheerfully as she entered the room, seemingly unaware of the tension that hung in the air. I shifted ufortably, my unease growing as she made herself at home, oblivious to the turmoil she had stirred within me. "No, Mia, you''re not interrupting. We were just talking," I managed to say, my voice strained. Damon nced at me, concern evident in his eyes, before turning his attention back to Mia. "We were just discussing ns for tomorrow. We could use some ideas for things to do while you''re here." Mia''s eyes sparkled with excitement as sheunched into a flurry of suggestions, her presence filling the room with an energy that seemed to overshadow my lingering difort. I sat silently, lost in my thoughts, as Mia and Damon chatted animatedly, their closeness further highlighting my growing sense of unease. After what seemed like an eternity, she finally left for her room. "How are you feeling? Did you have a good time with Melissa today?" Damon asked, trying to start a casual conversation. "Yeah, it was fine," I replied curtly, not offering any further details. Damon''s brows furrowed as he sensed my reluctance. "Are you sure everything''s okay? You seem a bit off." I sighed, avoiding his gaze. "I''m fine. Just tired, I guess." Damon studied me for a moment before speaking again. "You know you can talk to me if something''s bothering you, right? I''m here for you." "I know, Damon. Thanks," I said, my tone indicating that I didn''t want to discuss anything further. Damon looked unconvinced but didn''t press the issue. "Okay, just remember I''m here if you need me." Before we could delve into the conversation further, there was a sudden knock on the door, and it was abruptly pushed open. Guess who it was. Mia Again? Chapter 73: I CANT STAND HER Chapter 73: I CAN''T STAND HER CATHERINE My face unconsciously twisted into a frown. Who bashes into people''s rooms? I questioned myself in my mind, feeling irritated by the abrupt intrusion. Mia breezed into the room, her vibrant energy filling the space as she eximed, "Hey, everyone! I hope I''m not interrupting anything." I struggled to mask my frustration, offering a forced smile. "No, Mia, you''re not interrupting. We were just talking," I replied, trying to maintain a polite tone. Damon nced at me, concern evident in his eyes, before turning his attention back to Mia. "We were just discussing ns for tomorrow. We could use some ideas for things to do while you''re here." Mia''s eyes lit up with excitement, and I sat quietly, feeling a mix of emotions as Mia''s lively presence filled the room. Mia turned to me and said, This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. "Hey, Catherine, we should all go out for brunch tomorrow! There''s this amazing new caf¨¦ that I''ve been dying to try. What do you think?" I hesitated for a moment before responding, "I''m not sure, Mia. I need some time to think about it." Damon tried to bridge the gap. "Cathy, I think it could be a nice way for all of us to spend some time together. What do you say?" I forced a small smile. "I suppose it could be fun." Mia beamed. "Great! It''s settled, then. I''ll make the reservations." As the conversation continued, I felt a growing sense of unease. I longed for a moment alone with Damon, but Mia''s presence seemed to fill all the spaces. I wished I could find a way to express my feelings without feeling overshadowed. As Mia continued to talk, I couldn''t help but feel a pang of jealousy. It seemed like she was deliberately seeking Damon''s attention, drawing him into a conversation that made me feel left out. I felt frustrated and increasingly isted in my own space as I watched them interact. Mia turned to Damon and eximed, "Damon, did I tell you about the new movie that''sing out? We should all go see it together this weekend!" Damon''s eyes lit up, and he responded, "That sounds like a great idea, Mia. What do you think, Catherine?" I hesitated, feeling a bit left out. "Okay," I responded curtly. Mia smiled triumphantly, and I felt a surge of frustration. I tried to focus on the book in my hands, but their conversation filled the room, drowning out my attempts to find sce in the pages. I felt a surge of resentment towards Mia for disrupting the quiet moment I had hoped to share with Damon. As the minutes passed, I struggled to contain my growing frustration. Finally, unable to bear it any longer, I stood up abruptly, causing both Mia and Damon to turn their attention to me. "Excuse me, I think I''ll take a walk outside for some fresh air," I announced, my tone sharper than intended. Damon looked puzzled. "Are you sure everything''s okay, Cathy?" "I''m fine; I just need some time alone," I said as I stepped out into the hallway. He followed me, and I could feel Damon''s hesitation and concern lingering in the air. Mia followed closely behind, her eyes fixed on me with an intensity that made me uneasy. Damon reached out, his voiceced with worry. "Cathy, please talk to me. I can see something''s bothering you. You know you can tell me anything, right?" . "I know, Damon. I just need to be alone right now," I replied. Mia interjected, her tone falsely soothing. "Damon, maybe she''s right. Sometimes we all need some space to sort through things. Let her be." I shot Mia a nce, frustration bubbling up inside me. Damon''s brow furrowed with concern. "Cathy, please don''t shut me out. I want to help you through whatever it is. Just talk to me." I shook my head, feeling the pressure of their opposing energies. "I promise, I''ll talk to youter. Right now, I just need to clear my head." "Alright, Cathy. Take your time. I''ll be here when you''re ready." Without waiting for a response, I headed towards the balcony, desperate to find a moment of peace away from the swirling emotions that had overtaken me. I sat alone on the balcony, weing the cool night air as a much-needed escape from the tension inside. Lost in my thoughts, I gazed at the starry sky until Luna Diana quietly approached me. "Hey, Cathy, why are you sitting out here all alone? And where''s Damon?" Luna Diana''s voice was gentle and concerned. I took a moment to gather my thoughts before responding, my frustration evident in my voice. "I just needed some space. Damon is inside with Mia. She came in and disrupted our conversation, and I just couldn''t take it anymore." Luna Diana settled into a chair beside me, her expression sympathetic. "I understand. Sometimes unexpected situations can be quite overwhelming. But remember,munication is key. Have you talked to Damon about how you feel?" I sighed, feeling uneasy. "Not really. I tried to, but Mia''s sudden entrance made it impossible to have a proper conversation." Luna Diana nodded understandingly. "Mia has a way of making her presence known, doesn''t she? But don''t let that prevent you from expressing your feelings. Damon cares about you, and he''d want to know what''s bothering you." I fidgeted with the hem of my shirt, feeling a mix of emotions. "I know, it''s just... I couldn''t find the right moment to talk to him. It seems like Mia always manages to grab his attention." Luna Diana offered a reassuring smile. "I understand, but don''t let that stop you. Your feelings are important, and Damon would appreciate your honesty. Maybe you could find a quiet moment with himter after things have settled down with Mia. Both of you need to have open and honest communication, especially when things get overwhelming." I nodded, feeling a glimmer of hope. "You''re right. I''ll try to talk to himter. I just hope he understands." Luna Diana reached out and ced aforting hand on my shoulder. "He will, Cathy. Just be honest with him, and I''m sure he''ll listen. And if you need someone to talk to, I''m here for you too." I smiled gratefully at Luna Diana. "Thank you, Luna. I appreciate that more than you know." After the discussion, I felt tired and wanted to sleep, so I turned to Luna Diana. "I''ll be heading in now, Luna." "Oh! No problem, darling; have a good night''s rest." "Thank you, Luna. Do sleep well. Goodnight" As I made my way back inside, my mind was filled with thoughts of how to approach the situation. I walked the corridors towards my room, and as I reached it, I opened the door, and to my greatest shock, Mia was lying on top of Damon. Chapter 74: A NIGHT OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND HEALING Chapter 74: A NIGHT OF MISUNDERSTANDING AND HEALING DAMON I stood outside my office, my heart pounding in my chest, as I called out to Cathy, pleading with her to open the door. Cathy opened the door, and immediately Mia fell on me, trying to reach for the remote in my hand. "Cathy, please, open the door." Please, Cathy, let''s talk about this. You''ve got the wrong idea!" Inside, Catherine remained silent, her breathsing in short, uneven gasps. I could only imagine the confusion and hurt she must be feeling. My mother walked up to me, cing a hand on my shoulder. "Damon, what happened?" She urged, her voice filled with concern. Taking a deep breath, I began to exin, "Mia and I were just trying to figure out the remote for the TV, and she lost her bnce and fell on me. It was just an ident, Mom. Catherine misunderstood the situation." Luna Diana nodded thoughtfully. "I understand, but Cathy is feeling very upset right now. We need to handle this delicately." She turned back to the door and called out, "Catherine, sweetheart, please open the door. Let''s talk this through." Catherine remained silent. She must have felt so hurt and betrayed, and I couldn''t me her after what she had seen. I continued to plead with her from outside the door, "Cathy, I swear to you, there''s nothing between me and Mia. You have to believe me." Despite our pleas, Catherine remained silent behind the closed door, refusing to let anyone in. My mom and I exchanged worried nces, unsure of what to do next. I knew it would take time for Catherine to process everything. After a few moments, Catherine unlocked the door and opened it a crack, her eyes red and puffy from crying. I felt a surge of relief wash over me at the sight of her tear-streaked face. I tried tomunicate my sincerity as best as I could: "Cathy, please, let me exin." Cathy hesitated, but Mom gently guided her into the office and closed the door behind her. "Now, let''s all sit down and talk this out," she said in a soothing voice. As we settled into chairs, I began to speak. "I understand how it looked, but I promise you, there is nothing going on between Mia and me. She''s just a friend, and what you saw was aplete ident." Catherine wiped away her tears and looked at me, her expression still filled with doubt. "But why was she on top of you? It looked so... intimate," she murmured. I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I know, I know. It was a misunderstanding. Mia was trying to reach for the remote, and she lost her bnce. I didn''t have time to react before you walked in." Mom reached out and took Catherine''s hand. "Sweetheart, sometimes things aren''t as they seem." Catherine nodded slowly, her mind still reeling from the shock of what she had witnessed. "I want to believe you, Damon, but it''s just so hard." I leaned forward, my eyes earnest. "I understand, Cathy. I''ll do whatever it takes to make things right. I would never do anything to hurt you." Catherine felt a flicker of warmth in her heart at my words, and I felt a glimmer of hope. I gently guided Cathy back to our room, the weight of our recent conversation still heavy in the air. I wanted to do everything I could to make Cathy feelfortable and cared for. I turned to her as we entered our room, my expression soft and earnest. "Are you hungry, Cathy?" I asked, taking a step closer to her. Cathy shook her head, a small, tired smile ying at her lips. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. "No, I''m okay," she replied. "Would you like to take a shower before we go to bed?" I asked gently, hoping to provide her with somefort. Cathy nodded, her eyes meeting mine with a hint of gratitude. "Yes, that would be nice," she murmured. I motioned toward the bathroom. "Go on in; I''ll be right here," I said, offering her a reassuring smile. As Cathy disappeared into the bathroom, I took a moment to prepare everything she might need. I laid out a fresh towel and her favorite bath products, wanting to make sure she felt as pampered as possible. When she emerged a few minutester, her damp hair clinging to her shoulders, I reached for the hair dryer and gently began to dry her hair, my touch light and careful. My inner wolf, seeking to nurture and protect, was eager to provide her withfort. "Is the temperature okay?" I asked as I tousled her hair with the dryer, making sure not to apply too much heat. Cathy nodded, her eyes closed, as she leaned into the warmth of the dryer. "It''s perfect; thank you," she murmured. Once her hair was dry, I led her to the bed, tucking her in with the covers pulled snugly around her. "I hope you feel a little more rxed now," I said, my voice soft and filled with concern. Cathy nodded, her eyes meeting mine with a glimmer of appreciation. "Thank you, Damon. I do feel better," she said, her voice carrying a hint of warmth. As I settled into bed beside her, I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. Together, we drifted off to sleep. MIA After Damon rushed out to chase Catherine, who met us in an awkward position, I came back to my room. I had always wanted Damon. We grew up together, ying and doing everything side by side. Our parents, both Alphas, were close, and it felt like fate had brought us together. But then I had to leave for a long time to study. When I finally returned home, excited to see Damon again, I was met with news that shattered my heart. He had found his mate. "I can''t let them be together," I whispered to myself, my heart sinking with the weight of my realization. The moon goddess had granted them the bond of mates, but their mating ceremony had not yet taken ce. I still had a chance to win Damon''s heart. I''m going to make him see that we were meant to be together. Chapter 75: LUCAS RETURNS TO BLACKWATER PACK Chapter 75: LUCAS RETURNS TO BLACKWATER PACK LUCAS. I walked into ckwater Pack with a heavy heart, knowing I needed to report back to Alpha Damon. I couldn''t find any clues about what happened to Catherine''s parents. Knocking on his office door, I entered when he called out for me toe in. "Alpha Damon," I greeted "Lucas, you''re back." "Yes Alpha" Alpha Damon looked up from his desk, his gaze meeting mine with concern. "What did you find, Lucas?" he asked, his voice steady. "I''ve been trying to get information from the elders at Skylight Pack, but they''ve been silent and warned me not to get involved," I exined, frustration creeping into my voice. Alpha Damon leaned forward, his expression reflecting his concern. "I see. It''s a sensitive matter, Lucas. And I think something is threatening them. "Catherine deserves to know the truth, Alpha," I said earnestly. "I understand your sentiment, Lucas, but we must tread carefully. We don''t want to cause any conflict between the packs," Alpha Damon cautioned, his tone measured. "What is the next n, Alpha?" I asked. "We found Catherine''s mother, and she''s here with us; that should be enough for now. We will dig further into itter." "Oh! That''s good news; I''m d her mom is safe," I said. "So Lucas, have you decided if you want to be in my pack or if you want to go back to the Skylight Pack? Alpha Damon asked "I''d rather serve in this pack, Alpha; my loyalty is with you," I said as I bowed. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. "Alright, then Lucas, continue your duties here at ckwater Pack," he instructed. "Thank you, Alpha Damon. I won''t let you down," I said gratefully, feeling a renewed sense of purpose. FAYE When Lucas returned from Skylight Pack, I was overjoyed to have him back. We spent the entire day together, relishing each other''spany and enjoying the simple pleasures of life. We shifted into our wolf forms and ran through the woods, feeling the exhrating rush of freedom as the wind whipped through our fur. As we ran side by side, the worries of the world seemed to melt away, andughter bubbled up from within me. "I''ve missed this, Lucas! Just being out here with you, feeling the wind in my fur," I eximed, a wide smile spreading across my face. Lucas, matching my enthusiasm, replied, "Me too, Faye! There''s nothing like running through the woods with you by my side." We continued our yful romp through the forest, the sun casting a warm glow over the trees. The scent of pine and earth filled the air, and for a while, it was just the two of us, lost in the simple joy of being together. As we slowed to a stop in a sun-dappled clearing, I nudged Lucas with my nose, a mischievous glint in my eyes. "Race you to the old oak tree!" I was challenged, excitement coursing through me. Lucasughed and wagged his tail, his eyes sparkling with merriment. "You''re on! But you know I''m going to win," he teased, hispetitive spirit shining through. With a yful bark, I took off, my paws pounding against the earth as I raced toward the towering oak tree in the distance. Lucas was hot on my heels, hisughter mingling with mine as we sprinted through the woods. Reaching the tree at the same time, we both copsed in a heap ofughter, our sides heaving as we caught our breath. "Tie!" I dered, grinning from ear to ear. "Agreed! You''re a formidable opponent, Faye," Lucas praised, his eyes alight with admiration. "Remember the time we first went for a run?" Lucas asked, breaking the silence as we gazed at the clear, starlit sky. I turned to him, a smile tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Of course I do! You were so determined to show off your hunting skills, but you ended up chasing your tail instead," I teased, a yful glint in my eyes. Lucas chuckled, the sound filling the air with warmth. "Hey, I was just trying to impress you," he said, his tone light and teasing. "I was already impressed by your enthusiasm," I replied, reaching over to nudge him gently. Weughed together as the leaves rustled, making a beautiful sound that seemed to reflect our bond. Lying next to each other, our problems seemed less important, and we just enjoyed a peaceful time together. "Sometimes I wish we could stay like this forever," Lucas murmured, his voice tinged with a hint of longing. I turned to him, my gaze meeting his with understanding. "I know what you mean. But no matter what happens, we''ll always have these moments to cherish," I reassured him. We remained there by the stream, our quiet conversation punctuated by the asional rustle of leaves and the gentle murmur of the water. In those simple, unguarded moments, we found a sense of peace and understanding that bound us together in a way words could never capture. As the night deepened, we finally rose to our feet, ready to return to the pack grounds. The moon bathed the woods in a soft, silvery light, casting a serene glow over everything around us. "Thank you for today, Lucas. It''s been perfect," I said, gratitude filling my voice. "Thank you for being you, Faye. I wouldn''t trade this day for anything," Lucas replied, sincerely coloring his words. As we returned to the pack house, I felt happy. The moon shone, and I knew something special had happened. Lucas and I looked at each other and then went to our rooms. In my room, I thought about the night and got ready for bed. It felt nice to remember everything that happened. Iy down, feeling peaceful, and closed my eyes. Suddenly, a loud howl broke the silence. It was a call for help from someone in our pack. I got worried and went to the window. Outside, I saw our pack members gather urgently. Something was wrong. I quickly dressed and went to join the others. I saw Lucas, and we both knew that something serious had happened. Alpha Damon started talking, and I felt scared. "What happened?" I asked Melissa when I got to the square. "We''re under attack." Chapter 76: ALPHA DAMON STANDS AGAINST ROGUES Chapter 76: ALPHA DAMON STANDS AGAINST ROGUES DAMON I sat behind my desk in my office, surrounded by blueprints and renovation ns for our pack''s school, deep in conversation with Melissa and Ryder. We were discussing the much-needed improvements to the school to ensure afortable and conducive learning environment for the pups. Melissa leaned forward, emphasizing the need for more spacious ssrooms. "The currentyout is too cramped for the growing number of pups we have," she insisted. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. Ryder nodded in agreement. "We should also prioritize updating the learning materials and technology. The pups need ess to the best resources for their education." I nodded in response, taking in their suggestions. "We want the school to be a ce where the pups feelfortable and inspired to learn. We should also consider adding more recreational areas for them to unwind and y during breaks." Melissa suggested expanding the outdoor spaces. "We could create an outdoor ssroom and maybe even a garden where the pups can learn about nts and nature." Impressed by their thoughtfulness, I agreed, "That''s a great idea. Let''s make sure the renovation ns include outdoor areas that promote hands-on learning and exploration." As we continued to brainstorm, we heard a scary growl outside. Melissa and Ryder looked worried. I stopped talking and listened to the strange noise. "Did you hear that?" Melissa asked, looking concerned. I nodded. "That''s not a sound, I know," I said, reaching for my sword. Ryder said, "What could it be?." "We should check it out," Melissa said firmly. I agreed. "Let''s go," I said, standing up and leading the way out of my office. As we walked through the pack house, the feeling of urgency filled the air, and the growl stayed in my mind, making me worried about what might being next. The moon was high in the sky, shining a strange light over the pack. The growls came from rogues. Rogues are nasty creatures that don''t belong to any pack. They had attacked our territory. As the leader of the pack, it was my job to protect everyone, and tonight, I would lead the fight against these invaders. The air felt tense as I stood at the front with Melissa, Ryder, Faye, and Lucas beside me. Melissa looked at me with determination in her eyes. "Damon, we can do this. Let''s show these rogues they made a big mistake by picking a fight with us." With a nod, I drew my sword, the cold steel gleaming in the moonlight. "Stay close, everyone. We fight together, and we protect our own." The rogues emerged from the shadows, snarling and baring their fangs. The sh began, fur and steel colliding in a chaotic symphony. I moved with calcted precision, my sword slicing through the air as rogues lunged at us. "Melissa, cover the left nk! Ryder, watch our backs!" Melissa''s agile form danced through the chaos, her jaws snapping at rogue throats. "Got it, Alpha!" she shouted between growls. Ryder, a massive ck wolf, stood guard, his eyes scanning for any rogue attempting to sneak up on us. "No rogues are getting through on my watch, Alpha!" Faye and Lucas fought side by side, their fur stained with the blood of their enemies. Faye''s voice rang out, "Alpha Damon, we need to push them back!" I nodded, my eyes scanning the battlefield. "Everyone, advance! Drive them out of our territory!" As we pressed forward, the sh intensified. The scent of blood filled the air, mixing with the earthy aroma of fur and sweat. I parried a rogue''s attack, delivering a swift counterstrike. "Stay together; don''t let them break our formation!" During the chaos, Melissa''s voice cut through. "Alpha Damon, on your left!" I swiftly turned, meeting the charge of a rogue aiming for my nk. The sh of our weapons echoed as I engaged in a fierce duel. "You won''t harm my pack," I growled, pushing the rogue back. Melissa lunged in, her teeth sinking into the rogue''s neck. "That''s for challenging our Alpha!" We continued our advance, each step pushing the rogues farther from our territory. But the battle was far from over. The rogues fought with a ferocity born of desperation. Faye''s voice rang out. "Alpha, more rogues are iing!" I scanned the horizon, spotting a group of rogues attempting to nk us. "Ryder, Faye, deal with the ones on the right. Melissa, Lucas, hold the center!" As my pack members executed my orders, I spotted movement to my left. A rogue, sneaking through the chaos, aimed for a vulnerable spot. I intercepted, our des shing in a shower of sparks. "You won''t get past me!" The rogue snarled, teeth bared. "You can''t stop us, Alpha!" The air was thick with the scent of victory, but the battle wasn''t over just yet. The remaining rogues, desperate and cornered,unched a final assault. Their snarls echoed like a sound of rage as they regrouped, determined to make onest stand. I tightened my grip on the sword, my eyes scanning the approaching rogues. "Stay focused! They won''t go down without a fight!" I barked, rallying my pack for the impending sh. Melissa stood by my side, her eyes alert. "They''re not backing down, Damon!" The rogues lunged forward, and the sh resumed. Swords met ws, and the battleground once again erupted into chaos. I blocked a rogue''s attack, the sh of steel ringing in my ears. "Hold your ground! We can''t let them regain any force!" Ryder lunged at a rogue attempting to nk us, his massive form a formidable force. "You won''t get past us, scum!" He growled, his teeth snapping. Faye and Lucas fought with strong determination, moving swiftly in their wolf forms through the chaos. Faye''s voice stood out in the noise. "Alpha, we''ve got them on the ropes." The rogues, outnumbered and outmatched, began to retreat once more. But this time, there was no room for mercy. "Push them back! Don''t let a single one escape!" Imanded determination, fueling our final push. The battleground became a whirlwind of fur and steel as my pack relentlessly pursued the retreating rogues. Melissa''s agile movements allowed her to swiftly take down a rogue attempting to escape. "Damon, they''re retreating!" A triumphant grin crossed my face. "Finish them off! We''ve got this!" With each passing moment, the rogues were driven back, their resistance crumbling. We fought with a tenacity born of our collective will to protect what was ours. The moon bore witness to the unfolding victory, its gentle light casting shadows on the retreating rogues. As thest rogue fell, defeated and disheartened, a wave of relief washed over the battleground. "Well done, everyone. We''ve defended our territory once and for all," I dered, pride swelling within me. The battle ended, and everything went quiet. We were all breathing heavily, and we could hear the rogues running away in the distance. We looked around at the mess we had fought through. Our fur was dirty and covered in blood from the intense fight. Melissa, Ryder, Faye, and Lucas came close to me, and I could see in their eyes that they were both tired and proud of what we had achieved. "Alpha Damon, we did it!" Ryder eximed, a proud gleam in his eyes. A smile tugged at my lips. "Yes, we did. But the night is not over yet. We need to ensure our territory is secure and tend to the wounded." As we moved to assess the aftermath, Faye''s voice cut through the tension. "Alpha, where is Cat?" Chapter 77: DAMON AND CATHERINE UNEARTHS A DARK CONSPIRACY Chapter 77: DAMON AND CATHERINE UNEARTHS A DARK CONSPIRACY BLACKWATER PACK DAMON A surge of concern hit me. "Right, Cathy and the rest. We need to check on them." We made our way to the safe ce where Cathy and the rest of the pack members who aren''t warriors were kept. The relief that washed over me when I saw them unharmed was palpable. "Cathy, are you okay?" I asked, my eyes searching hers for any sign of distress. She nodded. "I''m fine, Damon. I was so worried. I''m d you''re okay." "I made sure they were safe," Mia chipped in, holding onto my arms. "I''m so happy you''re okay, Damon. I don''t know what I would do if anything happened to you." She said, and looking at Cathy''s face, I could see she wasn''tfortable, so I quickly detangled myself without making it very obvious. "I''m okay, Mia; we should be worried about the wounded pack members." N?velDrama.Org owns this text. With Cathy safe, our attention turned to the wounded pack members. The healing process had just begun, both physically and emotionally. As we tended to injuries, Faye questioned, "Alpha Damon, what''s our next move? Do we pursue the rogues, or do we fortify our defenses?" I considered the options. "For now, let''s focus on fortifying our defenses. We''ve dealt them a significant blow tonight, but we need to remain vignt. I''ll send scouts to monitor their movements." MIA Fury boiled within me as I confronted the rogues who had failed in their assigned task. The moon hung high, casting a gloomy light on our hidden meeting ground. These rogues, whom I had paid handsomely to eliminate Catherine, now kneel before me, their failure a stain on my ns. "You imbeciles! I paid you a hefty sum toplete a simple task, and yet Catherine still breathes, and ckwater Pack stands unbroken."My voice sliced through the tense air like a de. The Rogue Alpha, bearing scars that hinted at past battles, kneeled before me, avoiding direct eye contact. "We tried, Mia. But that pack¡ªthey''re more resilient than we anticipated. Damon is a formidable Alpha." I scoffed, my disdain evident. "Resilient? Formidable? You were supposed to eliminate her, not make feeble excuses! Do you know the inconvenience you''ve caused me?" The Rogue Alpha, nervously scratching at a scar on his forearm, stammered, "We''ll try again, Mia. We just need more time." My eyes narrowed, and my patience waned. "Time is a luxury we don''t have. I gave you a task, and you failed me. You understand the consequences." The Rogue Alpha, desperate and filled with fear, pleaded, "Mia, please. Give us another chance. We''ll ensure Catherine doesn''t survive the next attempt." I circled him, a predator assessing its prey. "Another chance? You had your chance, and you blew it. I can''t afford to make any more mistakes. My ns hinge on Catherine''s demise, and I won''t tolerate further ipetence." The Rogue Alpha swallowed hard; the weight of my displeasure was evident. "Mia, we''ll do whatever it takes. We''ll regroup, n better, and ensure she doesn''t see another day." I considered his plea momentarily. "Fine, but this is yourst chance. If you fail again, I won''t hesitate to erase you and your entire pack from existence. Am I clear?" The rogue Alpha nodded vigorously, beads of sweat dripping down his face. "Crystal clear, Mia. We won''t disappoint you again." As I walked away, my frustration lingered like a storm cloud. The rogues, left to contemte the weight of their impending task, exchanged uneasy nces. The moon above bore witness to the unfolding drama, its pale light casting shadows on the determined but apprehensive faces. Days passed, and my impatience grew. The rogues had assured me they were ready for a second attempt, but doubt gnawed at my confidence. Summoning the Rogue Alpha once more, our meeting took ce in the secrecy of the night. "You''re running out of chances, Mia," the Rogue Alpha said, desperation etched in his voice. My eyes bore into his. "This is your final opportunity. Fail me again, and your fate is sealed." CATHERINE A few days after the war, the remnants of the battle still hung in the air as I woke up. The sun was rising, casting a warm glow over ckwater Pack''s territory. As soon as I became Luna, I couldn''t afford to becent. I needed to be stronger and ready for any potential threats. Damon had already left the bed. Gently, I slipped out of bed, went into the bathroom, and brushed my teeth. I made my way to the training grounds, the crisp morning air invigorating. The aftermath of the war left scars on thend, but it also fueled my determination. I needed to be prepared to hone my skills for the battles thaty ahead. Damon, already on the training grounds, went through a series of controlled strikes with his sword. His movements were precise, a testament to his experience and strength. I approached him, my gaze fixed on the weapon in his hand. "Damon," I called out, catching his attention. He turned to face me, his eyes holding a mix of concern and curiosity. "Catherine, you should be resting. What are you doing out here so early?" "I can''t afford to rest, Damon. We need to be ready for whateveres next," I replied, determinationcing my words. He studied me for a moment before nodding. "But we''re training; we have everything under control; you shouldn''t worry, Cathy." "I want to train too. I want to be stronger and more skilled. I want to contribute to our defense," I stated, my gaze unshaken. Damon''s expression shifted¡ªa mix of pride and concern. "Cathy, you know I can always protect you, and you don''t need to do this. But if that''s what you want, I''ll help you train." A sense of gratitude washed over me. "Thank you, Damon; I want to train." We began the training session, and Damon guided me through various exercises to enhance my combat skills. The sun climbed higher in the sky as we worked on improving our technique and agility. Damon, ever the patient teacher, offered guidance. "Focus on your footwork, Catherine. It''s crucial for bnce and agility." I nodded, absorbing his advice, and adjusted my stance. The sword felt weightier in my hands, but with each strike, I could sense improvement. "Good," Damon acknowledged. "Now, let''s work on your defense. You need to anticipate your opponent''s moves." As the training continued, Damon and I engaged in a series of sparring matches. His experience shone through, but I held my ground, determined to learn and grow. The sun reached its zenith, casting a warm glow on our determined faces. Damon paused the training with a glint of pride in his eyes. "You''re doing well, Cathy. Your determination is admirable." "Thank you, Damon. I want to be the Luna our pack deserves," I replied, catching my breath. He smiled, a mixture of affection and admiration. "You already are. But if training is what you need, we''ll continue. We''ll make sure you''re prepared for anything." The training continued, each moment reinforcing my resolve. After our training, we were heading back to the pack house, and as we were about to pass the corridor, we overheard someone on the phone. "This night she would be alone; you can attack then; you better not fail this time." Chapter 78 Chapter 78 CATHERINE That voice sounded oddly familiar, and it wasn''t long before I could pinpoint just who it was. We both tiptoed to the corner and saw Mia, who was on the phone. She didn''t notice us, which was quite a relief. Damon wanted to go and confront her, but I was quick to stop him. ¡°Just let her be." I stopped him before he could do anything drastic. He looked at me with a confused look. I quickly pulled him out of there before she could see us and dragged him to another corner, which was farther away. He stopped in his tracks and turned to look at me with a in look. ¡°It''s obvious that she''s up to something, but yet you''re willing to just let her go scot-free?¡± He inquired. ¡°She''d deny it if we confronted her, so I think it''s best that we justy low and try to figure out what she''s up to on our own.¡± He thought about it and nodded in response. His mind was puzzled, and throughout the way home, he didn''t say a word about it. His reaction got me worried, especially since he''s remained rather quiet. ¡°Are you okay?¡± I touched his shoulder, snapping him out of his thoughts. He looked up at me, taken aback at first, but just nodded in response. ¡°I don''t know why, but I''m having an odd feeling about it. What does she mean by that? And who is she referring to too?¡± I knew that he was finding it hard to admit it, especially since they''ve been friends for a rather long time. He''s finding it hard to believe that she''d want to betray him. I didn''t want to jump to conclusions just yet until we''d figured out a way to bring out everything that she''s been doing. I patted his back softly as a way to help with what he was feeling. He looked at me with a small smile on the side of his face. I knew he wasn''t too happy, but he would have to ept the truth sooner orter. We arrived back at the mansion, his hands sping mine as he led me up to his study before I could say anything else. A maid was there cleaning it out for him, but he dismissed her. ¡°Get Ryder in here for me,¡± he ordered her. She nodded in response and walked out to her Ryder, who arrived minutester. He could see the tension on our faces, which created more issues for him. He looked at both of us and said, ¡°I don''t know what''s up with the silence, but I''m praying that it''s nothing bad.¡± ¡°We think Mia has something to do with the attack." ¡°We don''t know if she does,¡± he interrupted me, and I couldn''t believe that he was defending her at this point. ¡°It''s just a phone call, and it could be about anybody since there''s no need to jump to undefined conclusions,¡± he stated. I had to gulp down arge amount of my saliva as a way to hide the pain that I was feeling and how he just proved how much she meant to him, making me feel worthless. ¡°He should tell you all the details in context." I turned my attention back to Ryder. ¡°I''m hungry and would go grab myself something to eat instead.¡± "Cathy¡­" I didn''t bother answering him, as all I wanted to do was just clear my head right now. She was obviously up to something, and even if he''s not convinced, I''m going to do what needs to be done. ¡°I knew that it was you who was seated here." A squeaky voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Faye was approaching me, and I was somewhat grateful that she wasing. It was getting somewhat annoying to drown in my sorrows all alone. She took a seat beside me, enjoying the scenery as we both sat down in silence. It was good until she noticed that I was feeling very down. ¡°What''s with that face? Did Damon do something wrong again?¡± She inquired, adding a bit of sassiness to make me smile. It worked, and I giggled lightly but was quick to snap out of it. ¡°It does involve Damon, but more of Mia,¡± I opened up. ¡°Oh,¡± she let out. ¡°You do know that they''re just childhood friends, right? Damon only wants you and would never think of cheating on you.¡± If only that was affirmative. It''s urate that she thinks of him as something much more than a friend, and he''s just too nice to notice that part of her. ¡°I know,¡± I said. ¡°But I don''t know why, but I feel like she''s up to something. She''s just acting odd, and I can''t help it.¡± She was about to reply, but a voice disrupted her before she could say anything else. ¡°Cathy¡­¡± Damon called. What was he doing here? Couldn''t he just give me some breathing space and perhaps some time alone? I decided to hear him out, but Mia came to him at that moment, intensifying the anger that I was initially trying to subdue. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. I turned to Faye and grabbed her hand, pulling her up. ¡°Let''s get out of here,¡± I told her. ¡°But he wants to see you; why are you in such a hurry to leave?¡± She demanded to know. The sight of Mia was making me pissed, and I just didn''t want to be around either of them. I managed to grab Faye away from there, and we went to the yard instead, where seats were already lying around. ¡°Thank the Goddess,¡± she said, taking a seat on the chair, trying to catch her breath. ¡°Why did you leave the moment Mia arrived?¡± She questioned. I ignored her question and decided to ask her for a favor instead. ¡°Can you help me with something, Faye?¡± I asked. She raised her brows, curious to know what I meant. ¡°What do you mean?¡± She asked. ¡°I need you to help me bust Mia.¡± Chapter 79 DEATH PLANS Chapter 79 DEATH PLANS TAMMY I could feel the sun burning in my face as I stirred and winced when I tried to get up from where I was lying. I knew that I had been taken to the healer by Vance. That meant that he still cared about me. At least that was something. That was thest thing that I heard before I cked out. I closed my eyes and took my time to open my eyes slowly, then I took in my surroundings. I was in the pack hospital, and I was expecting to be chained to the bed or for many guards to be with me, but it was quite the opposite. There was no one in the room, to my greatest surprise. ¡°I guess I should have cked out earlier than this,¡± I said to myself, then chuckled. The door to the room was opened, and a woman walked in. It was the healer because of the surprised look on her face when she saw me sitting on the bed. ¡°You are awake!¡± she said with a high-pitched voice, and I winced. The effect of the silver wasn''t fully gone. My head was still throbbing, and my vision was still blurry. ¡°Water.¡± I croaked out, and she went over and poured me a ss of water, then brought it to me with an eye roll. ¡°No one is your ve around here. I had to plead with the Alpha not to chain you up because you had to heal up, and that wouldn''t do you any good,¡± she said, and I smiled at her. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her slowly. ¡°Drink that water and quit sounding like a dying frog.¡± What she said made me pause in anger and look at her. If only I wasn''t caught, she would have been under my feet, begging for me to spare her right now. Doesn''t she know that I am her Luna? ¡°Did I say anything wrong?¡± She asked me with a glint in her eyes. She was trying to provoke me so that I could end up back in that God-forsaking cell. ¡°Of course not. My vision is still blurry. I didn''t do anything wrong yet, did I?¡± I asked her, and she chuckled. ¡°It''s all good, child. Just take the water and rest well. You are better than before, so I need to inform them to chain you up.¡± She said she was about to leave the room, but I held her hand. "Please, can you not do that yet? My head is still throbbing. I don''t think I am really good yet.¡± I put on my best weak face, and she pushed my hand away from her. ¡°My son¡¯s mate''s sister was among the people that you killed. You are just alive because I don''t have the evil in me to kill you,¡± she said with hate in her voice, and I was shocked. How did she even know about the reason I was locked up? Did Vance already tell everyone about it? I tried to open my mouth to talk, but she had already walked out of that room and then mmed the door behind her harshly. ¡°That wouldn''t bring her back to life, would it?¡± I said loudly that this time I tried toe down from the bed, but I was shocked when I fell straight to the ground in pain. My leg was still weak. I shouted in frustration when I couldn''t get up from the floor anymore. I decided to wait a little bit. ¡°He will be mine. Catherine can never have him again. I won''t let that happen!¡± I shouted when the thought of that look that Vance gave me crossed my mind. That wasn''t the way he normally looked at me. Now, his eyes were only filled with hate and disgust when they stared at me, and it was only Catherine¡¯s fault. I just needed to get rid of her finally. I must not make a mistake this time around, and even though it means doing it myself, I would. The collector couldn''t even do a thing. Good riddance! ¡°So useless! I thought he was way more powerful than Catherine from the way Father talked about him.¡± I thought to myself. I tried to stand up again, and I could finally do it, and I sighed in relief. No one was obviously outside of my door because they would have stormed in from the way I screamed earlier. ¡°I just need to go to Vance and beg him to take me back. It shouldn''t be that hard. He still loves me. He is just distracted by Catherine.¡± I assured myself, then left the room. I wasn''t seen by anyone, and I just slipped out of the pack hospital and then shifted mid-air and ran to the pack house. I used a ce that I knew the patrols wouldn''t be in. I was already familiar with their arrangement. ¡°I don''t think we should be doing this. You should just apologize to Vance and try to convince him to lessen your punishment.¡± My wolf tried to talk me out of it, but I just ignored her. ¡°Tammy!¡± She growled and then stopped running. ¡°What are you doing? We have to get to the packing house immediately. I can''t afford to lose Vance right now. I won''t lose him because of you too, so let''s go!¡± I said this to her coldly, and then we continued running. This content is ? N?velDrama.Org. We got there in time, and I shifted back and changed into a new set of clothes that I found hanging outside. ¡°Nothing can be done right now. I think Vance is heading to the healing house.¡± My wolf told me in a hurry, and we ran back quickly. Iid back down and made sure that my face was still looking pale. I could feel Vance''s presence when he walked into the room, but it was with another person, and I heard what made me let out a gasp. ¡°I forgot to tell you, Alpha Vance. Alpha Damon of the ckwater Pack is having a mating ceremony. He''s mated to Catherine Thames.¡± Chapter 80 BUSTING MIA Chapter 80 BUSTING MIA CATHERINE Faye looked surprised by what I was asking of her. ¡°What do you mean that I should bust Mia?¡± She asked me with a confused look on her face. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. ¡°She has something to do with those rogues that attacked us,¡± I said with certainty, and I saw the look that crossed her face when I did that. I understood where she wasing from. Mia was someone that they were all close to from childhood, so saying that about her when I didn''t even know her could be perceived as just jealousy. ¡°Are you sure about this? That isn''t something she can do.¡± Faye spoke cautiously while looking at my face. ¡°Damon and I heard her making a suspicious call, and I know that he is going to make up some excuses for her in his head, so I want us to bust her. I am sure that she is up to something.¡± I told her, and she sighed. ¡°If you say so, then Luna. I trust your judgment, but we have to investigate this thoroughly. We can''t me her without evidence. I am sure you are aware of that by now.¡± she said, and I blushed. ¡°You aren''t stillfortable with me calling you Luna,¡± she pointed out. ¡°It''s not that. I was just feeling overwhelmed. I am aware of all of that; that''s why I am asking for your help on this matter.¡± I told her, and she nodded. ¡°Should I bring Melissa into it too? Melissa isn''t that close to Mia, so she would be happily ready to help out.¡± Iughed at what she said, then nodded after a while. ¡°We must not let anyone else know, though. Damon and I are already walking on rocks because of her.¡± ¡°But you know that Damon and her are just close friends, right? You don''t have to feel intimidated by her.¡± ¡°I am not feeling intimidated. She knows what she is doing, and I told Luna Diana earlier today when she asked me about what was wrong when I was crying. She just said the same thing about them being friends.¡± I exined it to her. ¡°And that''s true. Don''t think too much about it.". ¡°They may be friends, but that doesn''t mean that''s what Mia wants. I can see the way she looks at him, Faye, and I know that you all can also see it. You all just keep saying that to convince yourselves.¡± I told her, and she sighed. ¡°Damon said that you were hungry. Don''t you want to eat anymore?¡± Faye asked me while changing the subject. ¡°I don''t feel like doing that anymore. It won''t make me feel better at all. I am just eager to bring out the truth. Let''s go tell Melissa.¡± I told her, and she held me back. ¡°I will bring her here. You just wait for us,¡± she said, and then left me alone. I went back to just looking at the sky and sighing multiple times. ¡°Someone might think that person died by the number of times that you have sighed in two minutes.¡± I heard a high-pitched voice behind me, and Mia stepped forward and then sat down beside me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± I asked her straightforwardly, and she was surprised by the way I threw the questions at her. ¡°Luna Diana told me about how you were feeling, so I decided to talk to you about it. You don''t mind us talking, right?¡± She asked me, and I forced a smile, then nodded. ¡°So what was the problem again?¡± She asked me and then scratched her head, which made me almost roll my eyes. ¡°I thought you said you spoke to Luna Diana?¡± I asked her. ¡°I only keep important things with me. I tend to forget things that aren''t important, so if you can remind me about them,¡± she said, and I stood up due to the way she sounded so disrespectful. ¡°I remember it. Just sit down already. Are you going to tell Damon about it again? You need to chill out and stop acting like a jealous mate. That isn''t the type of mate that Damon envisioned for himself,¡± she said, and I scoffed. ¡°You are something,¡± I said slowly, and she smiled at me. ¡°It''s true,¡± she said after a moment of silence. ¡°I indeed want Damon,¡± she said, and I looked at her in surprise. ¡°Does that change anything then? If I ask you to reject him and leave him for me, would that be possible for you to do?¡± She asked me again, and I felt a growl leave my lips. ¡°I have always loved him, from the moment we met when we were kids. We clicked, and our parents were so sure that we were going to be friends. We thought so too.¡± I stood up from the chair and then looked at her with no smile on my face. Her fake smile dropped, too. ¡°I don''t want to listen to that. That was the past, and it is going to remain in the past. You were part of his childhood, and that''s good. That won''t change, either, since he only considers you as a friend.¡± I told her, and she chuckled. ¡°Is that what he said? Did he admit to you that he only considers me a friend?¡± She asked me, and I started wavering. ¡°Don''t think about it, Catherine. She is just trying to y games with you," Wolf informed me. ¡°I won''t y games with you right now. You shouldn''t be here. I need some time alone.¡± I told her, and she held my wrist tightly, which made me wince in surprise. ¡°You may be his mate for now, but that will change soon. You both haven''t mated yet, right? That isn''t going to change, and you will be thrown back into the pack that you belong to. The Skylight Pack!¡± she shouted, and I felt a power surge out of me in anger. ¡°Cat! Your wrist is on fire!¡± Melissa shouted. Chapter 81 Chapter 81 CATHERINE ¡°Cat! Your wrist is on fire!¡± Melissa said behind me. Mia was still holding my hand tightly with the look that she wasn''t letting it go any time soon. Mel was beside us immediately and she yanked our hand apart. I didn''t even notice when my wrist started burning and how was it even burning? I saw the surprised look on Mia¡¯s face when she saw my wrist. ¡°What''s going on with you? Your wrist was burning.¡± Faye said to me. ¡°I didn''t feel any pain though. It''s quenched out now so it''s not a problem.¡± I assured them and Mia was about to leave when Faye stopped her. ¡°What are you doing here Mia?¡± she asked her and Mia turned to us and then smiled. ¡°I just wanted to let her know that she didn''t have to feel insecure about anything. Damon and I are just friends.¡± she said sweetly and I was almost losing my mind. I could swear that I heard her mouth that remaining words, ¡°for now¡± ¡°Okay then. You should have been careful too. Why hold her wrist like that?¡± ¡°She was really angry and wanted to walk out so I was trying to stop her to exin better.¡± she lied again smoothly then left. ¡°Hmm. Is that true Cat?¡± Faye turned to me and asked me about it. ¡°I just thought that you will believe what she has to say since you all have being close.¡± I said quietly then sat down back. Melissa and Faye came to me and then sighed. ¡°This isn''t about who we got close to first. You are our Luna and Damon¡¯s mate. Nothing and no one ever change that fact.¡± Mel said to me. ¡°I really don''t know how my wrist got on fire but I think it''s because I was angry.¡± I thought to myself. ¡°Are we going to talk about how we saw you when we came here?¡± Faye asked me and I brushed it off. ¡°Not right now please. I just need to get my head around some things first.¡± I told her and she nodded after a while. N?velDrama.Org copyrighted ? content. ¡°She didn''t tell you anything bad right?¡± Mel asked me. ¡°She just said that she admits that she wants Damon.¡± I dropped the bomb and they didn''t look really surprised. ¡°You must have heard wrong because Mia and Damon have never been anything other than friends.¡± Faye told me slowly again. ¡°Damon has been waiting for you to talk to him. He is really worried about you Cat.¡± Mel said to me and I sighed. I wasn''t ready to look or talk to him yet. The images of what I just saw kept shing before my eyes. ¡°Are you okay?¡± ¡°Yes, I am. I don''t want to talk to him right now. That''s fine right?¡± I asked them. ¡°Of course it is. We don''t just want you to misunderstand him at all. He has nothing for Mia. He loves you Cat and I know that you know that very well.¡± ¡°I saw them in a very promiscuous position Faye. I don''t know what to think about that because you all just keep telling me the same thing.¡± I said. ¡°Do you really think that they have something together?¡± I heard Luna Diana¡¯s voice behind me and she walked towards me. ¡°Luna Diana.¡± i said to her. ¡°Answer me first Cat.¡± she said to me and I looked down. ¡°I don''t know what else to think but I will get my thoughts settled down first.¡± ¡°Yes or No. You and Damon need to talk. Sitting here won''t solve a thing Cat. You should know better than this.¡± I excused myself and then went to our bedroom. He was already sitting on the bed and fidgeting his fingers. When he saw me he got up from the bed and approached me. ¡°Baby¡­¡± he started and I started feeling that tears flowing from my face. ¡°I swear there is nothing going on between us. You have to believe me.¡± he said and pulls me into a hug. ¡°I really don''t believe her Damon.¡± I told him honestly and he kept hugging me tightly. ¡°She said that she wants you.¡± I said again and he looked at me. ¡°That''s not true. She must have just said it to piss you off a little. Mia is mischievous.¡± he said and I frowned. ¡°How about we both discover what we heard her speaking on the phone?¡± I asked him and he couldn''t answer because the room door was pushed open and Mia walked in. Oh gosh! This got to be routine! ¡°Damon! I have been looking everywhere for you.¡± she whined then ignored the fact that he was holding me ans came in between us. ¡°Umm¡­¡± Damon was lost of words while I looked at him an expected him to do something. ¡°I didn''t interreupt anything did I?¡± she said her famous lines. ¡°Yes, you did. We were having a serious conversation. Didn''t you notice that?¡± I asked her with frustrationced in my voice. ¡°I didn''t. Damon you should have said so. Didnt you take it as a serious conversation?¡± she asked him with a glint in her eye and I was about to leave the room once again. I couldn''t stand watching all this. ¡°I will leave you both to it.¡± I said. ¡°Wait..¡± Damon called for me and held me back. ¡°We will speakter Mia. Cat and I were having a serious conversation.¡± he said to her and she smiled sweetly. ¡°Oh really? Okay then. I will meet youter then. Go easy on her.¡± she said and left the room. I went to the bed and justid down. ¡°Cat.¡± he called for me. ¡°I just want to rest. Leave me alone.¡± I told him. ¡°If we want to sort this out then we really need to talk about it.¡± he said and I sat up and bursted. ¡°Aren''t you seeing it or are you just pretending not to see it?!¡± Chapter 82 Chapter 82 SKYLIGHT PACK VANCE ¡°I forgot to tell you, Alpha Vance. Alpha Damon of the ckwater Pack is having a mating ceremony. He''s mated to Catherine Thames.¡± I turned around swiftly in shock and anger. ¡°What did you just say?¡± I asked him, and he confirmed it again. ¡°Alpha Damon¡¯s mate is Catherine Thames, and they are having a mating ceremony soon. It has been let out to the other neighboring packs as well.¡± Tobias exined further, and I growled. So that was the reason Alpha Damon didn''t let me see her when I stormed back to the ckwater pack. ¡°Is there a problem, Alpha? You are crushing the table.¡± Alpha Tobias asked me, and that''s when I even noticed it. ¡°Are you sure about what you are saying? You are aware that you can be killed for making false rumors, right?¡± I asked him, and he smiled. ¡°I am sure about that, Alpha. I heard it correctly. I am very sure.¡± He confirmed it again, and I was trying to keep myself together. ¡°I told you to just let her go. She has moved on, and you should do the same,¡± my wolf said to me, and I scoffed. ¡°Stop saying nonsense. She hasn''t moved on. She is just being shown love for the first time, and she is distracted by that. I am her only true mate. Has she forgotten that?¡± I said to my wolf. ¡°You rejected her, though. Do you expect her toe back to you after everything that she has gone through? You chose Tammy, so why don''t you stick with that?¡± ¡°Tammy is a monster. She does disgusting things. I don''t want Luna to be like that. Catherine is the only Luna that I will have. She will have toe to me.¡± ¡°Even if it means war? You know very well that Alpha Damon will never give her to you willingly,¡± my Wolf asked me. ¡°I don''t care about that. All I want is my mate, and I will get her by all means possible.¡± I said to him, then requested a paper and pen. It was brought to me quickly, and I decided to write to Alpha Damon about Catherine. He should know better than not to take someone else¡¯s mate. ¡°Alpha Damon. I would like to apologize for storming into your pack and asking for Catherine just because of a cookie, although I would like to tell you that my guess was right. Catherine is in your pack, and I already know about the mating ceremony that you are preparing. She is my mate, and I wouldn''t like to go to war because of this. Kindly return her to me before war breaks loose.¡± I wrote that down while also trying not to sound like I was asking for war. I tried to be as nice as possible. ¡°What are you writing in there?¡± Tobias asked me when he noticed that I was writing a letter for the Alpha Damon. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°I just need to talk to him about the marriage ceremony with Catherine Thames,¡± I said, then sent for the letter to be sent to the ckwater Pack. TAMMY After Vance and his guest left, I was just thinking about how my n was going to work. I just overheard them talking about Catherine being mated to Alpha Damon of the ck Water Pack. What does that mean? The Moon Goddess still gave her a second chance, mate? Just the thought of her being happy made me send all of the things on that table to the floor. Vance and Tobias were so engrossed in their conversation that they didn''t even notice me eavesdropping. All I needed to do was get back on Vance¡¯s good side. He will be invited to the mating ceremony, and I had to go with him. I was going to finish her off there. Once and for all. She could have just died silently, but then she made me go through hell, and then she thought that she would live a peaceful life after that. Vance would not want the mating ceremony to happen at all, obviously, but I will have to kill Catherine before then. The collector did a bad job, and I haven''t heard from it again. It just went quiet. They couldn''t have killed it, right? I still had work to do. It can''t possibly just go right now. It has to make up for exposing me! ¡°What''s all of this? Are you crazy?¡± The healer asked me when she walked into the room and saw the mess I had made on the floor. ¡°Tell Vance toe see me,¡± I told her, and she scoffed. ¡°It seemed like you hadn''t epted the fact.¡± She couldn''tplete her sentence when I threw a dagger in her direction. She barely dodged it, and it cut her neck a bit. She looked really scared, and then I walked to her slowly, like a predator. ¡°Do something and make sure that Vance gets here quickly, or I will show you how far I can go,¡± I screamed, and she ran out of the room. ¡°When do you n to stop all of this? You almost killed that woman,¡± my wolf said to me. ¡°Come on. My goal wasn''t to kill her; if not, I would have. Throwing a dagger is an easy thing for me to do.¡± I went back to that bed andid down. After a while, Vance rushed in. He looked relieved to see that I was okay, but I could still see the built-in anger inside of him. ¡°You can''t go alone to that mating ceremony. You need to go with your Luna.¡± I told him straightforwardly. There was no need to beat around the bush with him. He already knew everything. All I needed to do was convince him that I was now good. ¡°Do you expect me to take you there with me?!¡± he growled. ¡°Do you want Catherine to get mated to Alpha Damon of the ckwater Pack?¡± Chapter 83 Chapter 83 VANCE ¡°You haven''t replied to my question. Why do I need to take you there? After what you did? Are you fucking stupid?!¡± I shouted at her and was about to go grab her when I was held back by Alpha Tobias. ¡°You need to control yourself, Vance. She may be right about this one,¡± he said to me softly, and I removed myself from him. She had this famous smirk on her face that I wanted to p off so badly. The look on her face was pissing me off. ¡°Why do you look so angry? I just made a harmless request,¡± she asked me, looking so innocent, and I had to hold myself back from falling into her lies and innocent looks. ¡°And what if you try to do something stupid? Do you think I even trust you to take you there with me?¡± ¡°You have no choice but to do that, Vance. I was already your Luna, but now you want Catherine back. Don''t you know what other people are going to say if you go alone to the mating ceremony?¡± She asked me. ¡°That you are an Alpha who doesn''t know what he wants. They will probably think that you are asking for war by going to the ckwater pack to dere war with Alpha Damon by trying to take away his mate.¡± Alpha Tobiaspleted it, and I clenched my fists in anger. ¡°They are not, Mate. She is my mate and my Luna!¡± I shouted, and he frowned. ¡°Respect the way you talk to me. I won''t tolerate that again,¡± he said to me, and I apologized for that. ¡°So what do you think? I am fine now. Painkillers will do the trick.¡± Tammy said to me, and I noticed her nce at Alpha Tobias. He was supporting her all of a sudden, and I was getting suspicious. Did she get him to try to convince me? ¡°On one condition, though,¡± I said to her. ¡°There is not meant to be any condition because I am the one offering my help to you to apologize for the wrong things that I might have done. Say it though,¡± she said to me, and I saw a look on her face. She looked like she had changed for once, and I could trust her again. ¡°That you don''t leave my side for even one minute. If you do, then I won''t hesitate to punish you very well when we return to the pack.¡± I told her, and she smiled and then nodded. ¡°I understand what you are trying to say, Vance, but then you have to trust me again, please. I am really good again, and I have learned from my mistake, so if you could forgive me, I would be d,¡± she said to me with tears in her eyes, and I quickly went to her. ¡°Don''t cry, Tammy. I am trying my very best to put it behind me, but then I keep remembering what you did, and I can''t just forgive you for what you did easily.¡± I said to her, and she engulfed me in a hug suddenly, much to my surprise. I didn''t know how to react at all, so I just stood in shock. ¡°What are you doing?¡± I asked her, and Alpha Tobiasughed. ¡°Just stay still for a while. The girl just needs a hug after all the suffering she went through just because of a mistake that she made,¡± he said, and she sighed, held my neck, and made me look at her. ¡°I am sorry, Vance. Please forgive me,¡± she said to me, and I saw tears flowing down her cheeks. ¡°Don''t cry again. I can''t trust you. You have to win my trust back. I can''t just give it to you freely again.¡± I said to her, and she sighed but then nodded. ¡°I understand what you are saying. I will win your trust back by all means,¡± she said to me with her voice filled with determination. Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Why don''t we all go back to the pack house now? I can''t be in this room any longer. It''s making me sick.¡± ¡°Can I leave this ce too? I am getting nauseous.¡± Tammy requested. TAMMY First thing, check. I was finally d that I could convince him to take me to the mating ceremony. I kept getting images of the look on Catherine¡¯s face when I stabbed her with a knife or used my w instead. That will be so much fun! For all the pain that she caused me and the tears. She was going to get everything back. If possible, I wanted her to be tortured before she died. A slow death is what I want. With her begging me to forgive her. Iughed inwardly as I kept thinking about it. Vance wasn''t very hard to convince with Alpha Tobias on my side. He didn''t know my n, but it was easy to convince him that I had changed and only wanted what was best for Vance and the pack. He did a good job of convincing Vance with just a few words. I guess promising him a night with me was totally worth it. His mate was dead already, so there was no one for him to remain loyal to. ¡°Are you going for this?¡± my wolf asked me for the umpteenth time. ¡°Yes, I am. I am a girl who goes with what she says.¡± I said to her, and we bothughed. That was what I loved about my wolf. We both think alike, and she always supports me in my decisions, unless they are life-threatening, of course. She always wants to protect me. ¡°I will keep her under observation until we are ready to go. I don''t trust her.¡± Vance said to Alpha Tobias:. ¡°Alpha. A letter came in from the ckwater Pack.¡± The guard that wasguarding my door entered the room and announced it to us. Chapter 84 Chapter 84 DAMON I was still trying to get my head around the fact that Mia was the cause of the rogue attack. Did I believe it at first? No. Did I take my time to think about it and start to doubt her? Yes. I don''t know, but I was finding it hard to believe it because I have known her my entire life. She was practically like family to me. What would she gain if she was the cause of the rogue attack? That question kept popping up in my head. I couldn''t think of a good reply to that. I know that because of the position that Cat found Mia and me in, she must have been so confused, and she didn''t let me exin anymore. She was currently with Melissa and Faye. I saw them while I passed by and walked to my office. I needed to give her some space to think about everything, then I could talk to her when she was ready and wanted to hear what I had to say. ¡°Alpha Damon. A letter came in from the Skylight Pack.¡± A guard mindlinked me, and I froze. What else could Alpha Vance want again? He came earlier on just because of some cookies and started asking about Catherine. Could he have finally found out that she was here? ¡°Okay then. Do the normal procedures for the letter, then have it delivered to my office.¡± I mindlinked the guard back, and he understood. We always followed the normal procedure of checking when other things from other packs were sent to our pack. A lot of Alpha¡¯s and Luna¡¯s have been murdered just from them opening a gift bag or a letter due to trusting everyone. I was almost killed, and that''s when I realized that I had to do this all the time. Not out of fear but for the protection of my pack. My pack needed me. They needed an Alpha, and if something happens to me, then there will be no one to protect them. ¡°What could be in the letter? It can''t be good news, of course. It''s either they need help from our pack or it''s about Catherine.¡± I thought to myself, and I was very sure about that. ¡°You maye in,¡± I said before my door could be knocked on. I could already smell his scent from a mile away as he approached my door. ¡°Is that the letter?¡± I asked him, and he nodded and stretched out his hands to give me. ¡°We did thorough checking, and if you are still doubting, I can open it here to check it for you, Alpha,¡± he said, and I chuckled before grabbing the letter. ¡°If you think that I am going to let you risk your life for me, then you must not know your Alpha,¡± I said to him, and he smiled. ¡°Nothing must happen to you, Alpha, because we all need you, so putting my life in danger for you is my little way of saying thank you for all you do,¡± he said, and I chuckled. ¡°Stop saying silly things. You can thank me in other ways. By bing the best patrol guard or the best warrior. That''s a better way.¡± I said to him, and he nodded but made no attempt to leave the office, so I raised my eyebrows at him. ¡°I just want to be here when you open it,¡± he said, and I rolled my eyes. ¡°Leave already, Jamal,¡± I said to him, and his eyes widened. ¡°You know my name, Alpha,¡± he said in shock, and I held myself back fromughing hard. Was I that strict to the point that knowing my pack members'' names was such a big deal? ¡°Yes, you are strict, and many are also afraid of you. Aren''t you aware of that? You can also be friendly sometimes, so it must be confusing to them.¡± My wolf said to me, and I chuckled. ¡°You can leave. I will call you if I need you again.¡± I said to Jamal, and he bowed before leaving the office. Immediately he left, and I touched the envelope gently. I could feel the negative energy in the letter, so it was not good news. I opened the content of the envelope, took a letter out of it, and thenid it on my table to read it. "Firstly, I want to apologize for barging into your pack again with the self-proimed desire to see Catherine just because I tasted some cookies. That was wrong of me. I''m d I did that because it wouldn''t havee to my attention that Catherine was indeed there. She is my mate, and I am sure you are aware of that. N?velDrama.Org owns this text. You keeping her with you while knowing that means that you are indirectly asking for war from the Skylight Pack by keeping their Luna. I will be waiting for your response, and it would be much better if you brought her here without any drama. This is where she belongs.¡± The pen in my hand broke to pieces from the way I was clenching my fist. A growl escaped from my mouth, and I just had the urge to run over there and rip off his head. How dare he act like they treated her well? After everything that they made her go through,. ¡°I will fucking kill him with my bare hands,¡± I said, and I was about to rip the letter into pieces but then stopped because it mighte of useter. We have already prepared everything for the fake mating ceremony. This would be the perfect time to trap him inside. I picked up my pen and a new letter so that I could write a letter back to them. ¡°It is my honor to formally invite you to the mating ceremony of Catherine Thames and Damon. I hope you can make it, and if you have any problems with your arrival, then you must let us know so we can help.¡± I wrote back and then put the invitation card in. ¡°Jamal I need you to send the letter back to the Skylight Pack.¡± Chapter 85 Chapter 85 VANCE I stared at the letter with my hands shaking in anger. How dare he? I tried to be as polite as possible and not bring in any unnecessary fights. He dared to do this to me. I held the letter that was sent back from the ckwater Pack. He didn¡¯t even acknowledge what I said at all. All I could see was the invitation letter that he sent for me to attend their mating ceremony. ¡°Is everything fine?¡± Alpha Tobias asked me when he walked into my office. He could sense that something was not right; immediately, he walked in and saw my face. ¡°It¡¯s all good. I just got an invitation letter.¡± I spoke to him briefly. I couldn¡¯t bear to trust anybody during this period. Even he could betray me at any point, and I didn¡¯t want to take any risk at all. ¡°Did you get the invitation letter?¡± He asked me, and I looked up in surprise. ¡°What? Do you think that I wouldn¡¯t know that they would send you that? I knew it before you even gave them your letter.¡± He replied and sat down in front of me. ¡°If you knew, then why didn¡¯t you say a thing?¡± I asked him in anger, and he clicked his tongue. ¡°That¡¯s because I knew that you would behave in this manner. That¡¯s how you are acting right now, with no shame on your face. This isn¡¯t how an Alpha should react to things. Use more of your brain.¡± He said this to me, and I tried to hide my anger this time. I understand that he is trying to make something clear, but he didn¡¯t have to do it by making me look stupid. ¡°I got the invitation letter first. I have just been debating if it¡¯s worth going to.¡± He said. ¡°So why are you telling me now? You should have told me earlier so that I could.¡± ¡°Do what? What did you think you were going to do at that point then?¡± He asked me with a frown on his face. ¡°Probably be more prepared for this. What am I going to do right now? I don¡¯t want to act on repulse. You are by my side, right?¡± I asked him a lot of questions, and he only chuckled. ¡°You know very well that I am not on anyone¡¯s side. I only stay on the smart side.¡± He reminded me, and I rolled my eyes at him. ¡°Okay then. Fine. Whatever.¡± ¡°That¡¯s too much sassiness from someone who wants my help.¡± He said it to me with augh. ¡°I am sorry. I was just pissed that you weren¡¯t on my side. We have won together, but then you don¡¯t want to say whose side you are on.¡± I tried to exin it better to him. ¡°Being on the other side can benefit me a lot, even if it is just a nce. I will be able toe up with something that will make sense. I hope that answers your question now.¡± He said this to me, and then I sighed. I was trying so hard to not let my emotions show on my face because of what he just said, but then my fist was suffering pain due to the number of times that I squeezed my hand. ¡°I will be leaving for the ckwater Pack soon,¡± I said to him, but then it was as if he was waiting for me to say more. ¡°I am also thinking of taking Tammy. That might be the only option for now, so I don¡¯t have a choice but to take her.¡± I said to him, and he nodded with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s what people say. The next minute, they would be all over the ce with their so-called spouse.". He said that to me, but I couldn¡¯t even tell where that came from. ¡°Can I go bring her here now? If she is going with you soon, then we might as well release her early enough. She has to get some things done, including her nails. She got a pedicure before getting into the dungeon. She needs those treatments again before leaving for the mating ceremony.". ¡°And if she doesn¡¯t get it? I hate how you are supporting her all of a sudden. What¡¯s the issue, and what has she used on you?¡° I asked Tobias all of a sudden because he had been taking her side like she had promised him something, and he chuckled deeply. ¡°Is that what you think?¡± He asked me, and I looked away. ¡°Should I go bring her from the beaming ce?¡± He asked me, and I shook my head. I don¡¯t want him to do that. ¡°I want to do that myself. I want to see her face when I do that. She should be healing very well right now, so there isn¡¯t an excuse for her to be properly chained like a normal prisoner should be.¡± ¡°You are taking it far.¡± Heughed, and then I remembered the letter again. I just felt like running to the pack right now and ripping everyone that gets in my way until I find the Alpha. ¡°You will have to calm your thoughts down a bit too. Because if you go along with what you want to do right now, you will only get yourself killed and hanged at the ckwater Borders.¡± He said it to me, and I growled. ¡°I wrote to him in peace about it, and instead of him addressing it and bringing my mate to me, he sent a mating ceremony invitation to me instead!¡± I shouted and almost lost my cool. ¡°You are making me restless. Calm the fuck down.¡± My wolf spoke for the first time today, and I sighed. I was worried. ¡°Can¡¯t you see what¡¯s going on? He wants to steal our mate away from us.¡± I said to my wolf. ¡°When you rejected her, she wasn''t your mate, but now that a powerful Alpha wants her, she is suddenly your mate again?¡± He asked.... This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . Chapter 86 Chapter 86 VANCE.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . I was getting ready to leave the Skylight Pack for the ckwater Pack with Tammy. She requested a lot, and I gave it to her. She imed that she wanted to look her best and that if she could see Catherine, she was going to apologize to her. I felt like she had changed for the better, and I was d. "Thank you for trusting me and letting mee with you. I know that it''s hard, but you just epted it without making it such a big deal. Thank you.¡± Tammy said and then hugged me from behind to my surprise. I pushed her off, and she looked hurt. ¡°You are wee. Your position in the pack depends on how behaved you are tonight.¡± I told her, and she smiled mischievously. ¡°Why should I behave myself when you are going there practically asking for war in his pack?¡± she said to me, and my eyes widened Alpha Tobias has been filling her in on everything we have been talking about. That snake! ¡°It wasn¡¯t him. I am not a fool, and I know you too well to know that''s what you are going to do.¡± She said without me saying that it was Alpha Tobias who told her. ¡°Okay then. We have to go now, and you have no business knowing what''s going to happen tonight. You either shut up in that crowd or your head will go for it. You know how it is when amoneres between two Alphas.¡± I told her, and she cleared her throat before nodding. m aware of that. I won''te in between you both. All I want is to apologize to Catherine. That''s my main purpose for going to their mating ceremony.¡± she said, and I clenched my fist at the mention of ¡®mating ceremony¡¯ ¡°You need to rx. You don¡¯t know if she even wants it that much. When did you reject her? She couldn''t have gotten over you so fast. That''s going to be crazy if she has.¡± ¡°You are right. There is no way that she has gotten over me. All she needs to see is my face, and all of the feelings buckled up in her wille pouring down.¡± I said to Tammy, then smiled to myself at the thought of Catherine running into my arms. ¡°Let''s go. It''s better to be early.¡± She said that. and I nodded I had to go very early so that I could expose Alpha Damon before the mating ceremonymenced. If it does, then I won''t be able to ever have Catherine emotionally. Their souls would be tired together, and they would need each other for eternity. ¡°You look handsome.¡± She said it to me suddenly, and I stopped walking and faced her. ¡°Thank you. You look good too.¡± ¡°Could I get a thank-you gift instead? I have been a good girl for some hours now, just like I promised.¡± ¡°Okay then. What do you want?¡± I asked her. ¡°Just a kiss.¡± She said that, and I frowned while looking at her coldly. I was about to walk past her when she held my hand and made me turn to her again. ¡®It seems like you aren''t going to behave yourself again,¡± I stated, and sheughed. ¡°Just kiss me on the cheeks. That''s all I want, and I don¡¯t think that¡¯s such a big deal.¡± She said so, and I decided to do it because I didn''t want to stand there arguing with her for a long time. I leaned forward and was about to kiss her cheeks, but then she moved her head, and her lips met mine instead. My eyes widened in anger, and I pushed her away. Her head hit the wall, and she groaned. ¡°What do you think you are doing?!" yelled at fer and was about to let my wolf take over so he could teactrher a lessen, but then Alpha Tobias came to us and smirked when he noticed Tammy''s flushed fate. ¡°You both should skip this. Let''s head ta thie pack right now, or your will lose your chance.¡± He said it to me, and I rushed out before be could saya thing again. - Getting to the ckwater Pack was a nerve-wracking journey for me, no matter how well I tried to hide it. It felt like I was also walking into my trap. It kept urring to me that I could still leave. ¡°We are here.¡± The driver informed us, and I looked outside. The mating ceremony was already in full swing. The decorations were so beautiful. ¡°This looks nice,¡± Tammy said as we got out of the car. I got inte the hall with Tammy and was met with different powerful Alphas from different packs present. It wasn''t fake after all. I had a hunch that it was fake, and Damon just wanted to make me give up on Catherine. Then I thought about it. How could he have invited great Alphas from differentpanies just for a lie? That''s not possible. I turned to my side and saw that Tammy was just looking all over the ce. These were the kinds of things that she liked ¡°Tammy.¡± I tapped her arm, and she came out of her trance. We were taken to our tables by an Omega, and I was angry at the way she addressed me. ¡°The Luna is so beautiful.¡± Someone passed me and said. The person in the gold dress turned around, and Tammy and I gasped. It was Catherine. and she had the best look. ¡°She looks so different.¡± Tammy said, but I sensed bitterness from what I was hearing. ¡°She looks...¡± ¡°Beautiful and glowing for someone who was rejected by her original mate.¡± Tammypleted it for me with a frown on her face. Chapter 87 Chapter 87 CATHERINE Today was the day. Although it was a fake mating ceremony, I couldn¡¯t help but feel nervous because one day it was going to be the real one. Melissa and Faye were in the room with me while I was getting ready for it. "You look nervous. Is everything okay?¡± Faye asked me, and I smiled forcefully. Melissaughed and continued applying the makeup to me. ¡°You look like you are about to take a dump. Stop forcing yourself to smile.¡± Melissa said, and they both ended upughing while I tried to keep a straight face. "So, how are you feeling right now?" Faye asked me. but I couldn''t even give her an answer. I knew that I was nervous yet happy, and at the same time, I felt like something bad was going to happen. I didn''t want to ruin their moods, so I didn¡¯t tell them, of course. ¡°If only it were real. You guys could just do the real mating ceremony. Anyone who wants to fight shoulde. That''s how I love it.¡± Melissa said, and Iughed ¡°You think it''s going to be that easy, huh?¡± ¡°It''s not, but then it¡¯s better to do everything now. I can¡¯t imagine doing itter. It''s going to be bloody.¡± She said to me, and a silver dagger just shed in front of my eyes, and I gasped. Faye noticed it and came to my side immediately with a worried look on her face. ¡°Are you okay? You just looked like you were about to pass out.¡± She asked me, and that drew Melissa¡¯s attention to me. I didn''t even know how to exin it. I just felt like I had seen what was going to happen in the future. All I saw was a silver dagger and then heads on the floor. ¡°I don¡¯t even know. I can¡¯t exin it. I just don¡¯t feel good.¡± I told them. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you say so? Damon could have just postponed the ceremony.¡± Melissained, and my eyes widened. ¡°Postpone it? Powerful Alphas from different countries are here. That will be disrespectful, and it may increase Damon¡¯s enemies.¡± I told her with a frown on my lips. ¡°He doesn''t care. You are his top priority right now. Do you think that he cares about what other people think or say about him?¡± She said. ¡°But I do. I don¡¯t want to be a mate who causes distractions in her mate''s life. Since I came, you all have just been moving from one problem to another. I hate it so much.¡± I told them, and Faye groaned ¡°We can''t be sad right now. Today is a happy day. Just take it as a rehearsal for how your real mating ceremony is going to be.¡± She said it to me, and then they both hugged me. ¡°I feel better now. Thanks for the pep talk.¡± I told them, thenughed.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°You look really good. All you need right now is your dress.¡± Melissa gushed, and I tried so hard not to blush. ¡°Thank you,¡± I said to her in a shy manner. My dress was brought by Faye, and I couldn''t help but be in awe of it They wanted it to be a surprise. so I didn''t follow them to do the shopping. Faye said she was good at knowing sizes just by looking at the person, so right now we are all just trusting her instincts. ¡°The dress better look on her face." Melissa gave Faye a threatening look, and Fayeughed it off. ¡°When have I ever failed in my job? It¡¯s going to look good on her, Mel. You need to trust me more.¡± She said it with a proud look on her face. ¡°This looks expensive. You guys didn''t have to go that far. It''s just a fake mating ceremony.¡± I told them while looking at the dress. I could see that those were real diamonds on the dress. ¡°It didn¡¯t cost much at all, and your mate got it for you. You should be very happy right now.¡± Faye told me with a smile. ¡°It looks really expensive, though. Are you sure?¡± I persisted ¡®It was just $30,000. Are you happy now? Now wear it: let me see how good it looks on you!¡± Mel shrieked, and Faye and I closed our ears. ¡®I thought Fheard $3,000, but wait, it is $30,000! Are you kidding me? Are you being real right now?¡± I asked then? both and was scared to¨¦ven touch the dress. Content b¨¦longs ite) - After talking for some minutes, I found myself in the dress, and we were alreadyte, so they had to rush out ahead of me while I came out alone. I was trying to find my way around when I noticed some piercing eyes on me that made my hair rise from my skin. I turned, and I saw Vance and Tammy locking straight at me. ¡°They can¡¯t do anything now. I am in my pack.¡± I said to myself, ¡°What if the pack abandons you?¡± My inner voice asked me, and I felt a hand wrapped around my waist. ¡°What are you thinking about so loudly?¡± Damon asked me as he came to me, and I frowned. ¡°Are you still mad at me?¡± He pouted, and I couldn''t just resist. I wanted to keep being mad at him, but he just looked so fucking good. ¡°You look so good.¡± She said to me that she was about to adjust Damon''s tie when a grow left my lips. ¡°Don''t touch him!" I snapped at her. ¡°Jeez. Possessive much!¡± Chapter 88 Chapter 88 CATHERINE. I wasn''t shocked when I heard what Vance just said. The look in Damon''s eyes also told me that he wasn''t. ¡°Did you invite him?¡± I asked Damon with a frown on my face, and he nodded slowly. ¡°And you didn''t think of telling me? I almost bumped into him just right before you came.¡± I told him, and he held my hand to calm me down. ¡°I wasing to your room to let you know, but I didn''t see you. That''s why I came looking for you before you both ran into each other. You know what he is capable of. He might try to steal you away,¡± he said to me. ¡°And you still invited him,¡± I said this to him and tried not to roll my eyes at him. ¡°I wanted him toe and watch what he lost because he thinks that I am going to give you back. He was never your mate. We were made each other from the first day we were both born.¡± Damon told me ¡°What''s going on?¡± ¡®Is this true? ¡°Alpha wouldn''t do a thing like this. What does this man think he is saying?" The murmurs from the pack members and the guests could be heard clearly. Although the pack members were also part of the n to make everything look real, they didn''t expect to hear this. ¡°What do you think you are staying for?¡± Damon turned around to Vance and shouted with a growl, threatening to leave his lips. ¡°This is the truth. I have pack members to prove it. She is my mate, and you snatched her away from me. Who do you think you are to do something like that?¡± Vance wasn''t holding back and was just saying things as he liked. The other Alphas moved away. They knew best not to intervene when two Alphas were having a huge argument. They could only intervene when it would lead to a bloodbath. ¡°You were never her mate!¡± Damon shouted, and everyone gasped. It was as if he had been lying about me all along. ¡°So now you can say that she isn''t your mate, right?¡± Vance asked him with a smirk.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°She is my mate, Alpha Vance, and you know that. Stop all of this drama and go sit down.¡± He dismissed Vance, and I could tell that he hated it. Vance was someone who loved being respected a lot, and Damon saying this in front of everyone was a very big deal for him and a huge blow to his ego. ¡°How dare you try to dismiss the subject when you just admitted to the fact that she is my mate? It wouldn''t be done that way, Damon. Thus, the mating ceremony won''t be held at all. She is mine, and she has to go back to my pack with me.¡± He said that and took a step toward me. I moved back out of fear. and Damon frowned. ¡°Are you okay? Don''t show him that you are scared of him.¡± he told me, and I nodded. m not your mate, Vance,¡± I told him with a straight face, and he startedughing. I checked around but didn''t see Tammy. Didn''t hee with her, or were my eyes just ying tricks on me? ¡°You both have decided to gang up against me. and it''s dumb because you have always been afraid of Aloha Damon. All of a sudden, you are by his side. Does he fuck you that good?¡± He asked me, and Damon clenched his fists and was about to go to him, but I held him back. ¡°You were never her mate, Vance. You were just.a substitution that the Moon Goddess gave to her until I came inte the picture, and guess<> what?-You rejected her, and you. havethe guts toe here and itn that she is your mate? Damon sald everything in anger.. ¡°It doesn''t matter if I reject her or not. That''s our business. How do youe into the picture, then? Only I can have her, or no one else. You don''t seem to understand me." ¡°Psycho,¡± I said. ¡°What did you just say?¡± Vance asked me with a growl. ¡°I said, psycho! You are such a psychopath. What then? Are you going to hit me again. or will you take me to the dungeon? Are you gging to keep quiet while? pretending like you don''t know what goes of in your pack''s walls?¡± > shouted at him in anger for the first tinge, and he looked at mei¡¯ shock. ¡°That was so sexy,¡± he said all of a sudden, and I choked on my saliva. ¡°We willmence the mating ceremony now,¡± Damon told the priest calmly amid the chaos ¡°It can''t happen!¡± Vance shouted at the priest, and the man stepped back. I could tell that the priest didn''t like what he was seeing at all. He was also into the n, but he probably didn''t think that it would escte to this point. ¡°Why don''t you try to calm down Alpha Vance?¡± an older Alpha spoke up. ¡°How can I be calm when my mate is being taken away from me?¡± he asked him ¡°I didn''t know that she could be this powerful or this beautiful.¡± he said to himself, but I could still hear it due to my ear senses ¡°That''s your loss now. I invited you so you could be happy for your ex-mate. You also have a Luna right now, don''t you? So what else do you want? "What, Luna?¡± he asked Damon. ¡®I heard her name was Tammy, and you even came with her,¡± Damon said, but he didn''t see Tammy next to him ¡°Where is she?¡± "Cat, move away!¡± I heard a scream and then felt a pain in my abdomen. I looked down and saw the silver dagger that shed before my eyes earlier. Chapter 89 Chapter 89 CATHERINE I felt my eyes widen, and I was shocked . I looked up and saw Tammy with a smirk on her face and her hand still on the silver dagger. ¡°So it was about me. I couldn''t even get it when it was about me.¡± I said to myself bitterly, then groaned when I felt the dagger move deeper inside of me. ¡°Do you think that you deserve happiness at all? After wnat you made me go through at the Skylight Pack?¡± Tammy asked me, then startedughing loudly. ¡°What are you saying? Who should be saying that?" I asked her, and she was going to p me in the face when I held her hand ¡®If anyonees closer, I am going to slice her head off. This weakling can¡¯t do a thing but shiver under my touch.¡± She threatened everyone, and I just looked at Damon I could tell that he was really worried about me. He also knew that I wouldn''t die just because of a dagger. You need to do more than that if you want to kill either of us. ¡°You must have thought that you would be more powerful when you came to the ckwater Pack,¡± she said with augh, and I just allowed her to y around with the dagger. ¡°But guess what? You won''t be surviving today. I made sure to coat this with wolfsbane so you won''t be getting out of here alive.¡± ¡°Is that all you got? Why didn''t you chop off my head first? That could have saved you.¡± I told her, and she startedughing. ¡°You have gone nuts,¡± she said to me, then turned to everyone. ¡°This girl is not going to be a good fit for Luna in your pack. She is so pathetic and weak. Why couldn''t you just die earlier? If you did, then you wouldn''t be stressing out Vance like this. Of all ces for your body to swim after throwing you into the river, why did ite to this ce?¡± she shouted in anger. ¡°That''s because this is my true pack,¡± I said to her. ¡°Why are you sounding okay? You should be coughing out blood by now and dying. Why do you look okay?¡± She asked me with a confused look on her face. ¡°That''s because you won''t kill me now. Do you really think that you will get away with this?¡± I asked Tammy, and she smiled sadly. She knew that she wouldn''t escape alive, but she just came intending to kill me and die afterward. ¡°Of course I am aware. We are still going to continue this fight even after we both die,¡± she said to me, and I chuckled. ¡°Was the wolfsbane fake? He said it would work after two minutes.¡± She spoke to herself. ¡®Tammy surrender. I tald you not to do anything stupid. How could you still do this?¡± Vance shouted with tears in his eyes. ¡°That''s not possible anymore. I can''t give you up, Vance. You don''t know how much I love you. I rejected my mate for you, and thought you did the same for me, but then you couldn''t stop thinking abaut this girl.¡± She said thisto Vance, and I sighed. Content b¨¦longs ~ ¡°Can you both take this somewhere else? I have a mating ceremony to continue.¡± I told them. ¡°Shut the hell up.¡± she said. twisting the dagger in my tummy. I gasped from the pain that I felt this time around, and I knew that I had to do something or I would be killed by her. I saw Damon was about toe forward. ¡°Don''t.¡± I warned him, and he looked broken ¡°It seems like you don''t care about her. I am going to chop off her head if you take a single step forward again.¡± Tammy threatened him, but he didn''t look fazed by it at all ¡®If you wanted to, then you could have done that from the beginning,¡± he said, taking steps forward. When I saw the fear sh in her face. I quickly pushed her aside and then drew the dagger out of my tummy. ¡°How is that possible? I made sure to go deep,¡± she said. ¡°That''s a reason that''s best known to me and my pack members.¡± I told her, and then she moved backward She cried and then moved to attack me again, but this time she stopped when she noticed that Damon was in front of me. ¡°Do you really think you are going to get past me?¡± He growled loudly and everywhere shook. ¡°Leave her to fight alone. You know very well that she is just a weakling: that''s why you keep trying to protect her.¡± Tammy said, and it all happened so fast that I couldn''t process it.T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. She couldn''t say herst words when Damen shifted to his wolf and bit her head off her body. I gasped and locked at the scene. Everything that I saw this morning was happening before my eyes. I watched as her head rolled off the ground and people moved out of that way. They didn''t seem fazed by it at all. ¡°What did you just do?¡± Vance shouted in anger, but I could sense fear in his voice. He could have just stayed put, but then Cody, his beta, came to fight with Damon. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Damon turned around to ask me for a brief second, and I nodded Chapter 90 Chapter 90 CATHERINE After Damon made sure that I was okay, he turned to Vance and growled at him. Vance, Tammy¡¯s brother, who washis Beta Cody, and a warrior I can''t seem to remember his name was beside him, all charged towards Damon to fight him I was pushed aside by Damon, and he started fighting them. It was obvious that they were no match for him, but they were all just thirsty for revenge, and I could see it in Tammy¡¯s brother''s eyes very well. I just stood by the side, chuckling, because they didn¡¯t know what the gold fur meant. I noticed that the warrior was distracted and wasn''t really into the fight, so I mid-shifted and crept behind him before biting his head off. The hall was filled with people''s gasps as blood poured on the floor again. This made Cody and Vance stop and look at what was making them murmur again. I think after seeing his man''s head on the ground, he finally knew that he had to stop or they would get killed next. I could see his eyes filled with regret, but he had already gone too far to suddenly start regretting anything. He went back and held Tammy''s brother back. He was still snarling and growling at everyone. Damon shifted back and was automatically in new clothes, then he faced Vance, and his eyes saw red. ¡°How dare youe into my pack and try to steal my mate away?!¡± He growled loudly, and many people fell to their knees out of the power that came out of him. I was the only one standing confidently. ¡°Alpha Damon.¡± Vance stuttered ¡°You don''t need to talk so much. I just need a blood payment for the harm that you almost caused my pack,¡± he said, and as the Wolf King, it must be obeyed. Vance looked like he wanted to burst into tears, but then he was holding it back too tightly. I didn''t want any more bloodshed today. Just looking around at the hall and seeing that amount of blood there, I wanted to throw up. I wanted to speak, but Melissa beat me to it. ¡°Damon. This is another time, and I think another form of payment should be done. I don''t want any more bloodshed, and I think that you should consider that.¡± She told him softly, and he thought about it for a while. ¡°Can I tell him what his payment should be?¡± I spoke up after a long while, and all attention went to me as they were all curious about what I wanted to say. ¡°Do you have something to say?¡± he asked me, and I nodded my head. ¡°Go ahead, then. I will always listen to you and all of your needs.¡± he said, and I blushed. ¡°For your punishment, tell me the truth about my dad''s death.¡± I turned to Vance and ordered him to speak. I could tell that Damon wasn''t satisfied with the only question I asked him. ¡°Is that all?¡± he asked me, and I nodded my head. ¡°! just want to get that answer. Answer me!" I shouted at Vance, and he looked down again ¡°Will you keep looking at the floor and not talking?¡± Damon asked him, but I just held Damon''s arms back. I could tell that he was losing his patience. ¡°Just give him a bit more time. He will say something soon.¡± I assured him, and he frowned ¡°Are you sure? He looks like he is thinking of ways toe up with a lie or run away right now.¡± He said it to me, and I chuckled. "We were not trying to kill your dad, Catherinesl was stil young, just like you, sotonly heard them discussing this on-the site where they killed yourparents,¡± he said to meyand I found myself shaking in anger. ¡°What were they saying? That''s the question. What do you mean by they were not trying to kill them? It was nned; you still don¡¯t want to tell the truth, right?¡± I asked him with a voice cold like ice.N?velDrama.Org owns this text. ¡°You need to calm down, Catherine. What I mean is that they didn''t mean to kill your dad, but then your dad was trying to escape from the pack. ¡°And? Does that give them the right to kill someenie just like that? Is there more,to that story? That isn''t> complete I am listening.¡± I said.to¡± Vancen was losing my patience, ande was trying badly to just piss mevfe. s 4 ¡°Your dad was trying to run away from the pack without the Alpha''s permission.¡± He said it one after the other, and I clenched my fist. ¡°And if he was, did any person even try to find out why they were running?¡± I asked out of anger. ¡°How could I know that? During that period, there were rogue attacks in a very rming way, and that was the time that your dad thought was the perfect time to run away.¡± he said in a very mocking way. I saw Melissa give me a look to calm down, so I did. She was the best sister anyone could ever ask for. I nodded to her, then moved back a little: ¡°How about I exin something better?¡± Mother''s voice was heard in the hall, and all attention went to her. ¡°Vance¡¯s father was aware of Catherine''s power and wanted him as his Luna.¡± She started, and I felt the urge to throw up. ¡°What the heck? ¡°That''s crazy and disgusting. Didn''t he already have a mate?¡± The voices of the pack members could be heard loudly. ¡°I was really-scared, and while my husband-and I were trying to talk about it, it didn''tst long as hei Was killed off and I was raped and eft thereto die.¡± Mother said, and I felt a tear¨¦ escape from my eyes..Content b¨¦longs to ~ ¡°Their sins are too much to be forgiven,¡± I said. Chapter 91 Chapter 91 CATHERINE When I heard everything that they had done to my parents. I wanted revenge. I suddenly want to just rip Vance''s head off. How could his father even want me as his Luna? That''s truly disgusting, and no matter how well I tried to think about it, it just got more disgusting for me. ¡°Catherine,¡± Damon called out my name, and that''s when I realized that my cheeks were wet. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked me, and I nodded. ¡°I will be fine. It''s just tears. It won''t kill me.¡± I told him with a bitter chuckle, and he frowned. ¡°I don''t want you frowning at all. Just smiles and happiness all the way around,¡± he told me, and I smiled at him. That''s the same thing I want, but I guess fate has another thing installed for me. ¡°As the wolf king. I dere that you will be Alpha only by name,¡± Damon said to Vance, and he gasped. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Vance asked Damon, and I clicked my tongue. He was still so confident about something that he had ever done. ¡°That means that the Skylight Pack will belong to me from now on. You will only be bearing the Alpha title, but all orders that will go on in the pack will be given out by name. It''s the right time to deal with everyone from that pack. It seems like no one is in their right senses yet.¡± Damon said, and I know that he meant business. It was not going to be as easy as he was saying. He was going to have more responsibilities, and it all depends on whether the pack members cooperate. ¡°But... I am Alpha, and it''s meant to be done by me. You can¡¯t just take it away from me, and why don¡¯t you ask the other Alphas for their opinion on it? You can¡¯t just do that, please.¡± Vance said, and it sounded like he was begging but also sounded like he wasn''t. ¡°Does anyone have an objection to what I said? Once he or she talks, I promise to lower what I just said.¡± Damon asked for the other Alpha¡¯s opinion, but nobody spoke up. Vance turns around in surprise, and I can see his lips wavering when no one speaks in favor of him at all. ¡°Even you, Alpha Tobias.¡± He said it with a toneced with betrayal ¡°I told you that I don¡¯t take sides with anyone. I only stay on the winning side, and as you can see, you have already lost so badly. Alpha Damon is even being gentle with you, unlike me.¡± He told Vance and his face changed. ¡°How could you do this, huh?!¡± Vance shouted in anger, and guards were on standby to hold him in case he lost control. I lifted my hands to stop them from doing anything, and Damon nodded for them to stop. ¡°What do you want to do?¡± He asked me when he noticed that I was about to move forward to see Vance. ¡°I just want to let out all of my anger and frustration,¡± I assured him and then went to stay in front of Vance. He smiled weakly at me, and I raised my hand and gave him a hard p that made his face turn to the other side. ¡°That p is for all the pain you and your pack members have ever caused me.¡± I told him and gave him another one. It was even harder than the first one that I gave him, his lips were cut and blood came out of his mouth. ¡°This is for your father. killing my father and therraping my mom just because they didn¡¯t allow me to be_ given to Bim. Such a disgusting act! I can even Say it properly.¡± I told ALM and pped him with every night in mestha made him go dowron his kn¨¦es, and I saw Tammy¡¯s-brother. He was about toe afid stop me but was held back by the guards. ¡°If youe here, then you will bear the same faith as him,¡± I tald him with a strict face, and he sat down. ¡°For all the pains that you have caused me, your life will only be filled with misery and pain. You won''t find happiness wherever you go.¡± I cursed him with tears streaming down my face like a river right now. ¡°Cat please.¡± He said to me that he was about to reach my feet to beg me, but I moved back slowly. ¡°Don''t touch me, please. You know, I am really d that you rejected me. I just wanted you to know that. I belong to this pack now, and Damon is my mate, so I wish you could stop being bitter and could move on.¡± I said to him I had no strength to even p him again because I was tired. ¡°Are you sure about that? How are you surex that Danton is your mate when this was fake mating ceremony?¡± We altheard that familiar, a higt+pitched voice, and I cl¨¦sed my eyes and sighed deeply. ¡°Could you just shut the fuck up? This isn''t thetime for this at all, and if you dort want your head rolling ~ on the fl¨¦or like theirs, then you better-go sit your ass down.¡± I o> shouted at her, and she jumped in fear: I guess she wasn''t expecting that at all. I saw Damon give me a thumbs up, and Mel and Faye did the same thing with bright smiles on their faces. As I looked around the room, I knew that this was the right ce for me to be. They didn¡¯t know me from anywhere, but they trusted me and took me in when it was confirmed that I was Damon''s mate. I will always be grateful to them for everything they have done. Even the little things. T¨ºxt belongs to N?velDrama.Org. Chapter 92 Chapter 92 VANCE I regretted my actions so much, but I knew that I had done a lot to even be asking for forgiveness. It wouldn''t matter anymore. I was in front of the waman who was my mate before I rejected her. I could see that she was glowing positively. She didn''t look or sound the same anymore. She wasn''t stuttering and standing with her head dropped to the ground Now she speaks so well, and Alpha is her mate. He is even the Wolf King too, and his orders are meant to be obeyed by every other means. "Catherine, please, could you just...¡± I tried exining myself better, but then a voice interrupted me. ¡°Are you sure you are mated to Damon. or is this all a fake mating ceremony?¡± The girl asked, and Catherine just shut her up. ¡°Now do you realize what you have lost?¡± My wolf asked me, and I just wanted to burst into tears. "Yes, I do, and I want to apologize to you also for not listening to you all along,¡± I told him with a crooked voice. ¡°It''s fine, Vance. Everyone makes mistakes, but doing it twice would mean that you are looking for death,¡± he warned me. I knew that he was warning me directly not to look for more trouble or anything. ¡°I will take it that you have leamed your lesson now.¡± Alpha Damon said to me: "Yes, I have. On behalf of Tammy, I want to apologize again. I never thought that she was going to harm Catherine again. She acted like she had changed, but then she had a hidden agenda.¡± I told them sincerely. ¡°That''s okay. After all, you are kneeling in the pool of her blood. The only person needed to fully ept your apology is her.¡± he said, then pointed to Catherine. I could see that she was emotionally and physically distressed. Although Tammy stabbed her and it healed almost immediately, I still felt like she needed to see the healer because she might have internal bleeding.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Shouldn''t you be gaing to be a pack doctor to check out the ce where Tammy stabbed you?¡± I asked, and she rolled her eyes. ¡°Whatever I do is none of your business, Vance. You should be getting ready to return to your pack and tidy everything up for Damon to take control, she said to me, and I smiled and nodded slowly. ¡°This is a lot to take in,¡± I said to myself and sighed. I came toe and im our Luna back, but I was returning with just my beta, and it would have been only me if he was unable to control himself. I could tell that he was pained about his sister''s death because they were only two kids, and he truly thought that Tammy had changed Coming here and seeing her still doing the same thing must not have been so easy for him ¡°We have to leave.¡± I mindlinked him, and he nodded with his eyes on Tammy''s head. He couldn''t even ask for it because she was a traitor, and she almost killed the ckwater Pack¡¯s Luna. Asking for her head could only mean that he wanted war against the whole pack and wouldn''t be returning the same way. ¡°Alpha. This isn''t right?¡± He asked me with a weak voice, and I chuckled. ¡°Are you nning to do something again? Of course, this is it. I never thought that it would escte to this. All I wanted was my mate, but then I couldn''t get her because I rejected her.¡± I told him in the most brief way possible ¡°You can all leave now. The mating ceremony has¡¯been postponed because there was too much ¡° bloodshed and it can only be done¡± on a peaceful day. I will reach gut againwhen we reschedule its Darfon announced this to everyone ofthe podium. I saw someone''s eyes on me, then looked at the person. It was the girl from earlier that Catherine shut up. I could tell that she meant no good and that she was nning to do something evil. She kept looking at me as if asking me to join hands with her, and I looked away immediately. I was almost killed, and now this little brat wants to put me in more trouble? It''s not going to work. As My Beta and I were leaving the hall to begin our journey back to the pack, I noticed that she was following us, but I pretended not to notice it until I was almost at the door to leave. I turned around sharply and looked into her eyesx"Why are you following me? You etter not do whatever you think yoware nning, or your head will be-Cut off and hung in the <> territory of the pack.¡± I told her straightforwardly, and she ¨¦nly sMirked. to + ¡°Do I look like I want to do shit right now? I don¡¯t want to do anything bad again, and when you do yours, you will regret it like I am regretting mine. So you better don''t.¡± I told her and pushed her away. ¡°Are you looking for more war against this pack? Don''t you know haw much Damon cherishes me? How dare you hold me by the neck like that?¡± She shouted and pointed her fingers at me. ¡°I understand your pain. I can see that you love Alpha Damon.¡± I told her, and her eyes widened ¡°You must not have found your mate yet. Give up and better wait for your mate. He loves Catherine, and nothing will change his perspective unless you want to die. It''s up to you.¡± I told her and walked out. Chapter 93 Chapter 93 MIA ¡°Such a weakling.¡± I said to myself as I watched Alpha Vance and the other guy beside him leave. Just a little shout here and there, and he had already given up. ¡°It''s okay, Mia. You can do all of this by yourself if it¡¯s just to have Damon. I will do anything to have him. Kill anyone in the way until I get what I want. I said to myself, thenughed ¡°What are you still doing here? The entire hall is about to be cleaned.¡± I heard Damon¡¯s voice behind me, and a smile made its way to my face before I turned around, and the smile fell from my face. Catherine was beside him, and he held her hand as they walked. ¡°Catherine. You are here again.¡± I told her with a forced smile, and she smiled at me too. ¡°Of course, I am here. Where will I be, then? This is my pack, or have you forgotten?¡± She asked me, and I clenched my fists beside me in anger. "Oh, is that so? You can never know or be entitled to too much. You never know what will happen.¡± I said this in front of both of them, and Damon looked at me in surprise. I guess he didn''t expect me to say that. What did he expect. then? I should be quiet and let that snake snatch him away from me. It''s not possible. Instead of allowing him to go and stay with her, I will kill him and kill myself first ¡°What are you saying, Mia? You shouldn''t say stuff like that.¡± Damon warned me, and I rolled my eyes and left the ce to go to the meeting.This content belongs to N?/velDra/ma.Org . ¡°Are you there yet? I don''t want to go and wait for you. You know how crucial this period is.¡± I informed the rogue king, and he replied, m here, Mia. It''s your turn to get your ass over here before you get caught. You know what happens if you do.¡± He said so, and I took my normal route to the ce we usually meet up While I was walking. I heard a crunch of dried leaves behind me, and I turned around immediately and brought my dagger out of my pocket. ¡°Who is that? Come out now while I still have the heart to spare your life.¡± I threaten while snarling and waiting for the moment the enemy jumps out. I was running out of time, so when I checked around and saw nothing, I quickly continued my journey. It was just a few minutes away, but then I had a feeling that I was being followed, so I changed my route. ¡°There is no time for you to change routes. Let''s just go and do our thing. By now, Catherine will be all over Damon. You know how she gets.¡± My wolf told me with a voice full of anger. The same way I fell in love with Damon was the same way my wolf fell in love with Damon¡¯s wolf. I don¡¯t know how it was possible since wolves are always the ones that want their mate, but to my luck, my wolf was different. ¡°If we get together with Damon and our matees, I can kill him. It¡¯s not a big deal, and I don¡¯t want anyone aside from my lovely wolf.¡± She said one day, and I knew that the Moon Goddess would choose the right wolf for me. A wolf that always supported my decision, no matter what. I love her so much. I had a feeling that someone was behind me, so I turned around and ced the dagger on their throat. ¡°Who are you, and why have you been following me?¡± I asked and pressed the dagger again. ¡°Calm down, Mia. Get the dagger off my throat. What the heck is this?¡± The rogue king said this, and my eyes widened, and I put down the dagger. ¡°Why were you following me? Don''t you know how sensitive things are?¡± I asked him, and heughed and then hugged me. ¡°I told you not to touch me without my permission,¡± I told him with a frown. ¡°But you said that I can do anything with your body as long as I help you kill that girl that''s getting in your way. Catherine, right?¡± He asked me again, and I nodded. This time, he pulled me closer and kissed me deeply. Not even waiting for me to breathe. ¡°You can''t do that here.¡± I scalded him, and heughed ¡®It''s not gging to be bad to bend you over and£¤uck you here. You have:fio idea haw long I have been craving your body.¡± He said so, and kgave hint a disgusted look. ~ ¡°Come around dawn. I already told you about the movement of the pack, so don¡¯t mess it up again or I will kill you.¡± I told him and pointed the dagger at his face. ¡°Okay fine! You look so sexy doing that, though.¡± Heughed and pushed my hand down. ¡®I have to go now.¡± He said he was about to leave, but then a drop on the floar made me pause because I was already turning around to make my way back to the pack. I turned around, and a scream left my mouth. ¡°So this is what you have been up to, huh?¡± Damon''s voice rang in the forest, and I kneeled quickly. ¡°Damon please,¡± I begged him immediately, and I saw his face. ¡°I told you that¡¯s what she was up to, but you didn''t believe me.¡± Catherine came out beside me and said, "You, this bitch. You don''t know how hard I have tried to kill you."1 2 reached out to hold her neck, but then Lfelt a sharp pain inmy_~ stomach and saw Damon helding the-dagger. ¡° It was then that I realized that I had been stabbed ¡°How could you?¡± I told him with tears in my eyes. ¡°No one touches my Luna and goes scot-free!" He growled Chapter 94 Chapter 94 VANCE I got back to the pack with my beta and was met with such misfortune. They were leaving, and people didn¡¯t pay me any respect at all again ¡°I can''t believe you would do that, Vance!¡± A young pup shouted in my face and stormed off with his mother, who was carrying his younger sibling and her bags. ¡°Where are you going? It''s almost evening, and it¡¯s not safe. There are rogues all around.¡± I told them, and the woman spat at me. ¡°We would rather be rogues than live in a pack like this. I have already removed myself from the pack, so there is no need to refer to you as Alpha right?¡± She asked me, and I looked down shamefully. ¡°Please, you need to get your kids to safety. This is the time that they usually attack, and you are the only one with them. Where is your husband?¡± I asked her. ¡°He was killed by Tammy while you feigned ignorance. My husband was very innocent, and she still killed him. You will never know peace because of what you have dane to me and my family.¡± She pointed her hand at me, then walked off with her kids. ¡°What''s going on here?¡± My Beta Cody asked me. He might be out of it having to see his sister lose her head, but he was still loyal to the pack. ¡°What do you think? Aren''t you here with me? So why are you asking me such unnecessary questions?¡± I asked him and tried to calm down and not show any aggression ¡°Can you gather the remaining pack members in the hall? I need to address something.¡± I told him, and he nodded and then left. I passed through other wolves that were leaving. and they didn''t even care to talk to me as I passed. I only got stress, huffs, sighs, andlooks of disappointment. ¡°Alpha. They don''t want toe, but I think they will when youe and start speaking. Only a few people are here now.¡± Cody mindlinked me, and I made my way to the hall. I walked in, and the few people that were there didn''t even look pleased at all. It was as if they just gave me ast chance to talk before they finally left. ¡°Good day. everyone, and I know no one wants to see my face or listen to me right now. I am aware.¡± I said to them, and they all looked away. ¡°I just want to give my deepest apology to everyone and tell you all a summary of what happened.¡± I told them, and as I was talking. people were slowlying inside to hear what I wanted to say. ¡°I was mated to Catherine Thames from the beginning by the Moon Goddess. Most of you know her. She was a part of this pack and mostly a victim of bullies.¡± I said, and people nodded while others murmured amongst themselves. ¡°I was mated to her, but to me, she wasn''t fit to be my Luna because she was weak, so I rejected her blindly and epted Tammy as my chosen Luna.¡± I broke it down and was given looks of hate. That was the worst mistake of my life because Tammy tried to kill Catherine after she found out that ¡ª she wasmy mate, and then she x threw her inside a river, which lee her tdthe ckwater Pack, where shermet her second chanceymate, A¡étsha Damon," I said that-and then sighed. ¡°This is one hell of aplicated story. What the heck?¡± Someone shouted behind them, and everyoneughed At least the ce was bing more lively, and the tension was reducing as time passed. ¡°So is that why you gathered us around?¡± An elder spoke up and then cleared his throat.Text ? by N0ve/lDrama.Org. ¡°Of course not. I just want to say that I am deeply sorry for failing you guys as Alphas. I didn¡¯t mean for this to happen. I am sorry.¡± I said, and then kneeled, but Cody stood me up. ¡°You fucked up now, but you are still an Alpha. You are not to kneel before your subjects.¡± He told me, and I nodded and then faced them again. ¡°In seeking out a strong pack, you have caused irreparable damage to us and made us the weakest in the eyes of the wolfmunity.¡± Someone said it amid the crowd, and I have nothing to say again. He was right, and all I could do was look down. m sorry, but I won¡¯t stop anyone from leaving again. You can leave if you want to.¡± I said, and people started murmuring again ¡°That''s what a pack means. Even if we fall, we are to get up together and move on. I am not leaving you alone, Alpha.¡± A young boy said it in front of me, and I smiled ¡°The good an¡éNoad news is that the pack will beldng to the ckwater Pack nowsThey will be in charge af what goes on in the pack until > Daman feels like Iam fit to take-over the pack again.¡± I informed them, ang they loved the idea. Content b¨¦longs to 4 ¡°That''s a lovely punishment. I won''t go either. This would be fun to watch.¡± ¡°Same here. m leaving. I don''t give a fuck about what he is saying right now. All my family members are dead because of Tammy, and he wasn''t able to help them.¡± I could hear everyone at once, and I smiled. The pack will be taken away from me, so I won''t be able to hear their thoughts again. Everything will be quiet for once. It was a good and bad thing That''s what a pack was. They always stuck together. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!