CHAPTER 3

Katherine

I stood in front of the mirror, staring at my reflection, not sure why I even agreed to this. The dress they gave me was simple but decent enough to blend in. I told myself I wasn’t doing this to fit in — I just needed air, needed to feel like I wasn’t trapped again. If that meant following three gossiping women to a party, then fine. Maybe I just wanted to escape everything, even for one night.

When we arrived, the music was low and the lights were bright enough to make everyone look like they were trying too hard. The room wasn’t crowded, just a few nobles, mostly women dressed like they were competing for attention. Some glanced at me when I walked in, whispering already. I ignored them and moved toward the drinks.

“Katherine, right?” a woman said beside me.

I turned to see a tall brunette with sharp features and a confident smile. “Yeah,” I said slowly.

“I’m Leona,” she said, extending her hand. “Welcome to the palace.”

Her tone was friendly but her eyes were calculating. I shook her hand anyway.

“You should be careful here,” she continued, smiling faintly. “People talk, and one wrong move can get you on the wrong side of palace etiquette.”

I raised a brow. “You mean people like you?”

She let out a quiet laugh. “I’m only trying to help. You’re new, and I heard you had quite an arrival today.”

“I didn’t ask for it,” I said.

“Still, everyone’s talking. Especially about you and Alpha Stephen,” she said, pretending to be casual. “I suppose fate has a strange sense of humor.”

Her words made my stomach tighten but I didn’t show it. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

She took a sip of her drink. “Oh, nothing. Just that I was once promised to him, before… well, before he found his mate.” She smiled again, her tone light but her meaning sharp. “You must feel special.”

I forced a small smile. “Not really. You can have him back if you want.”

Her eyes flickered for a second, then she laughed softly. “You’re bold. That’s going to get you in trouble.”

She excused herself soon after, leaving me standing by the drinks. I didn’t know if I wanted to punch her or laugh at how fake she was. My throat was dry, so I grabbed another glass. The wine burned a little, but it felt good. I took another, then another.

That’s when a man walked over. He was tall, charming, the kind that looked like he never had to try too hard. “You look like you could use some company,” he said.

I eyed him. “And you look like you offer it too easily.”

He grinned. “You’re sharp. I like that. I’m Adrian.”

“Katherine,” I said, though he probably already knew.

We talked for a while, about nothing that mattered — the palace, the food, the ridiculous way people here smiled to your face while tearing you down behind your back. He was funny in a careless way that made me forget where I was. I laughed more than I should have, and before I knew it, my glass was being refilled again and again.

Then the room felt different. Quieter. I looked up and noticed people staring. A few were whispering, their eyes darting toward me and Adrian. One of them didn’t bother to hide it. “She’s really throwing herself at him,” she said to her friend. “Does she even know who he is?”

My stomach turned. “Who is he?” I asked, glancing at Adrian.

He looked at me with a small smirk. “Apparently a well-known womaniser,” he said under his breath.

I heard laughter ripple through the room, soft but mocking. Then I saw them — Leona and the three women who invited me. They were in the corner, whispering, smiling like they’d been waiting for this exact moment. And then I saw Stephen.

He stood near the back, surrounded by a few guards, his eyes locked on me. There was no expression on his face, but his jaw was tight. He didn’t blink.

Something in me snapped. Maybe it was the alcohol, maybe it was the way Leona was smirking, or maybe it was just that I wanted to see him react for once. If they all wanted a show, I’d give them one.

I turned to Adrian, leaning closer. “You said you liked bold women, right?”

He looked surprised but amused. “Always.”

Before I could think twice, I grabbed his face and kissed him. The room went dead silent. Gasps echoed. I could hear a glass drop somewhere, the sound sharp in the quiet.

When I pulled away, Adrian looked stunned, and everyone was staring. Leona’s face twisted, her fake smile gone. The three women beside her exchanged looks, whispering fast.

But I didn’t care. My eyes were on Stephen. His expression had changed — calm was gone, replaced by something darker, rawer. His fists were clenched, and the look he gave me could burn through walls.

I didn’t look away. I just smirked, because for the first time since I got here, I had the upper hand.

I was still standing there, the taste of wine and trouble mixed on my tongue when one of the guards walked up to me. His face was serious, his voice even colder.

“The Alpha wants to see you. Now.”

Of course he did.

I smiled, pretending not to care. “Tell him I’m busy enjoying the party.”

“He said now, Luna,” the guard said again, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I turned to Adrian, who was still watching me with a stunned look. “I totally enjoyed whatever you were up to,” I said, brushing my hand over his arm before walking away. “Maybe next time, we won’t have an audience.”

He chuckled under his breath but didn’t reply. Everyone’s eyes followed me as I left the room, the air thick with gossip but I didn’t care. I’d already done what I came to do—wipe that calm off Stephen’s face.

When I got to my room, the door hadn’t even closed properly before he was there. Stephen shoved it shut behind him, the sound echoing through the room, and in the next second, his hand was on the door beside my head, trapping me.

“What the hell was that?” he snapped. His voice was low but it hit hard.

“What was what?” I shot back, my heart beating faster, not out of fear but anger.

“You made a fool of yourself,” he said. “Of this pack. Of me.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “No, I think your mistress already did that before I got here.”

His jaw tightened. “Watch your mouth, Katherine.”

“Why? Afraid I’ll say something true?” I said, glaring up at him. “That woman—Leona—she planned all of it. I saw her smiling while everyone was laughing. She wanted me humiliated.”

He stepped closer, his chest brushing against mine. “You think I care about her stupid games? You walked into it and made it worse.”

“I walked into it because I didn’t care,” I said. “And it worked, didn’t it? You’re mad.”

His eyes darkened. “You don’t get it. You’re supposed to carry yourself like a Luna, not some drunk trying to get attention.”

“Don’t you dare talk to me about being a Luna,” I snapped. “You forced this, remember? You think I asked for any of this?”

For a second, neither of us said anything. We were too close, breathing the same air, both angry for reasons we didn’t even understand anymore.

Stephen’s hand slammed against the wall beside my head again, harder this time. “You don’t get to question me in front of others,” he said. “You don’t get to make me look like a fool.”

“Then stop acting like one,” I said quietly.

His chest rose and fell quickly, his eyes burning into mine. I could feel the tension closing in, heavy and charged. My pulse was loud in my ears, and I could see his jaw twitch as he tried to control himself.

“You really want to push me?” he asked in a low voice.

“I already did,” I whispered.

He stared at me for a few seconds, then his hand caught my chin, tilting my face up to his. “You forgot who you belong to,” he said, his voice rough, almost a growl.

I didn’t move. “And you forgot you don’t own me.”

His breath hit my skin. “Then let me remind you.”

Before I could speak, his lips crashed against mine, hard and demanding. I pushed at his chest, trying to get him off, but his grip on my waist pulled me closer. I could feel the heat of his anger and something else buried under it.

“Stop—” I tried, but the word barely came out. The bond hit like a wave, so sudden, running straight through my chest. My hands still went against him, and everything inside me froze.

He deepened the kiss, his hand sliding up the back of my neck, holding me there like he didn’t plan to let go. I hated it, how easily my body responded, how that invisible attraction between us snapped open like fire.

I wanted to push him away, but instead, my hands moved up to his shoulders. I didn’t know if it was the bond or me anymore.

Slowly, I kissed him back.