Prologue
"I'm pregnant," I mumbled, hardly believing my own words as pain ripped through me and my eyes welled up with tears. The world around me seemed to spin as I struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation. Just moments before, I had seen him kissing her, and the sight had made me sick to my stomach. How could they do this to me? I felt betrayed, hurt, and alone, and I didn't know how I was going to get through this. The pain in my chest was almost unbearable, and I wondered if I would ever be able to trust anyone again. The door creaked as I watched them together, my heart pounding in my chest. He was holding her so close to him, kissing her again and again on our bed. The bed that we had shared ever since we had marked each other as mates. I had been so excited to tell him my news, to share with him the joy of our new little life growing inside of me. We were finally going to be parents and complete our little family together. But now, all of that was gone, shattered by his betrayal. I felt a wave of anger and sadness wash over me as I realized that everything we had built together had been built on a lie. The tears streamed down my face as I turned away from them, my heart heavy with grief and pain. "Wow, it looks as if you are both enjoying yourself!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls. They both jumped apart, the look of guilt in his eyes when he saw me. I could feel the anger and pain coursing through my veins as I realized that he had betrayed me in the worst possible way. He was supposed to be my mate, the one person who would always be there for me, and yet he had thrown it all away for a cheap thrill. I turned away from him, my heart heavy with sorrow and regret. I knew that this was the right thing to do, but it still hurt so much to let him go. "Oh my goddess, Catarina, this is not what you think," my stupid best friend, Tara tried to reason with me, but I was too disgusted by her. She was no friend. I wanted to hurt her and rip her apart, but I couldn't shift. I was pregnant now, and I had to think about my unborn child. Despite the anger and pain that I felt, I knew that I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. I took a deep breath and turned away from them, my heart heavy with sorrow and regret. I knew that I would have to deal with the aftermath of this betrayal, but for now, I needed to focus on taking care of myself and my baby. “Get out of here. NOW!” Lochlan shouted in his alpha tone to Tara who grabbed her dress and hurried out of the room. I could not bare to look at him. I was too disgusted. I was his Luna, his queen and yet this is how he treated me behind my back. I turned on my heel and ran away as fast as I could. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as I tried to put as much distance between us as possible. I knew he was behind me, and I could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. Suddenly, I felt him grab me and whirl me around to face him. He was still half-dressed, but his eyes were full of anger and hurt. I refused to look at him, my body shaking with emotion. My wolf whimpered at our mate's touch, torn between the desire to be close to him and the need to protect our heart. He was not supposed to betray me like this, and now all I wanted was to get away from him. I could not think straight, and I needed time to sort out my feelings and figure out what to do next. “Look at me, my Luna.” He placed a finger under my chin and I cursed the stupid mate bond for making me feel such sparks of excitement at his mere touch. “Let me go, please.” I begged, tears falling down my cheeks as he wiped them away. My heart was broken. I pushed him away with all of my might, shocked at my reaction, he stumbled back. I took that chance and ran. "Catarina, please let me explain," Lochan shouted after me. But I didn't want to hear his excuses. I was tired of being lied to and betrayed. I needed to take some time for myself and figure out what I wanted. "I need some space," I said, not looking back at him. "I need to think things through." With that, I walked away, my heart heavy with pain and regret. I knew that this was going to be a difficult journey, but I was determined to come out stronger on the other side. "You do not get to leave me," he growled, grabbing me and shoving me back into the room. My heart pounded in my chest as I realized that he wasn't going to let me go so easily. I could feel the fear and anger rising up inside of me as I realized that I was trapped. But I refused to let him see my weakness. I stood tall and met his gaze, my eyes blazing with defiance. "I can leave you whenever I want," I said, my voice steady and strong. "You have no control over me. Not anymore. In fact you disgust me.” "You can't leave me," he said, desperation creeping into his voice. "My wolf needs you, I need you, so why would you leave?" I looked at him, my heart heavy with sadness. I knew that I couldn't stay with him, not after everything that had happened.. "I'm not leaving because I want to," I said softly. "I'm leaving because I have to.” I shook my head sadly and he stood silent for a moment. "I, Catarina Greys, reject you, Lochan Lakes, as my mate," I said firmly, looking him dead in the eye. The words seemed to rip his heart out, and I could feel the pain radiating off of him. But I knew that I had to be true to myself, even if it meant hurting him. "I'm sorry," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't be with someone who doesn't respect me." He looked at me, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. "Please forgive me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. I shook my head. I had to go. “Accept my rejection. You and that hoe are welcome to each other.” I spat angrily, not being able to bring myself to say her name. Lochlan was not the one I thought he was, I had loved him with every bit of me. What a waste of time. Now I had to think about my pup that was currently growing inside of me. He could never know about that, he would surely never let me go. I knew that without me by his side he could have that bitch instead. “Let me go.” I yanked my arm from him and kicked him between the legs which caused him to shriek out in pain. “I will never accept your rejection!” He growled after me and those were the last words I heard from him.Four years later... I woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside my window. I stretched my tired body out and glanced at the bedside clock, feeling a sense of dread. I wished it wasn't that time, but I knew I had to get up and start my day. I got out of bed and headed to the bathroom to shower and get dressed. As I washed my hair, I couldn't help but think about everything I had to do that day. Meetings, errands, cooking, cleaning... the list seemed endless. But then I remembered my darling twins, Nadia and Nathan. I smiled as I thought about them, imagining their bright eyes and infectious laughter. Everything I did was for them, and that thought made all the difference. They were my whole world, and I loved them with everything I had my wonderful babies. I was thankful that they were more like me with their looks, but Nathan certainly had his fathers' stubborn side. I shivered at the memory of Lochlan. I had done the right thing to escape him and
"Cat?" a voice said, and I turned around to see her. It was Carla, my old friend from four years ago. "Carla?" I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Cat? Is that really you?" I nodded, feeling a sense of guilt and regret wash over me. I had left my old pack behind four years ago, without so much as a goodbye. I had thought that I would never see them again, that I could start over with a clean slate. But now, as I looked at Carla, I realized that I had been wrong. Everything that Lochlan had done to me hurt me so much, I didn’t want to remember him and feel all that all over again. Carla had been there for me so much and I never even said goodbye to her. I had hated to leave everyone behind but I couldn’t face my mate after all that betrayal. He betrayed me. How could I stick around after all that? "I'm sorry," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "I didn't mean to leave like that. I just needed to get away, to start over." Carla nodded, he
I hesitated for a moment before rolling down the window. "Can I help you?" I asked, trying to hide the anxiety in my voice. "Oh hello there miss, I couldn't help but notice your car," he said, gesturing towards the scratches. "Did someone do that to you?" I nodded, still feeling a bit wary. But something about his friendly demeanor put me at ease. "Yeah, I just noticed it when I got here. It's really frustrating." "I'm sorry that happened to you," he said sympathetically. "Is there anything I can do to help?" I shook my head, feeling embarrassed. "No, I don't think so. But thank you for asking." He smiled again, and I couldn't help but feel like I was in the presence of someone special. "Well, my name is Alex," he said, extending his hand. "I work at the office across the street but my friend is a mechanic and could sort you out with these scratches. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask." I took his hand, feeling a sense of warmth
I couldn't believe my ears when Alex said that he wanted to take me to Colorado. I tried to keep my voice steady, but I could feel the panic rising in my chest. "Colorado?" I repeated, trying to sound casual. "Why Colorado?" Alex looked at me with a puzzled expression. "I thought it would be a great place to go hiking and explore the mountains. You know before moving there.” He took my hands in his and looked me in the eyes. “I am serious about you and the twins. I want you three. You’re all my world. I understand that this is a lot for you to take in but I can't imagine wanting anyone else. You mean so much to me.” I tried to keep my smile in place, but my mind was racing. I couldn't go back to Colorado, not after what happened with Lochlan. I had left everything behind and started a new life, but the thought of going back there made me feel sick. I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself down. "That sounds like fun, but I don't know if I can
I walked into the house, and the first thing I heard was Nadia's voice, "Mummy, we missed you. Is Alex staying? Can he please?" I couldn't help but smile at my twins. They were so adorable and innocent, and their excitement was contagious. I turned to Alex and said, "Looks like you're stuck with us for a while." Alex grinned, "I wouldn't have it any other way." The twins ran up to Alex and gave him a big hug. "Alex, can you play with us?" Nadia asked, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Of course, I can." Alex said, getting down on his knees and hugging them both. They were jumping up and down excitedly, and Maria came in and laughed at their happiness. “I’m so sorry that I can’t stay any longer.” Maria apologised profusely as she glanced at her watch and grabbed her handbag. I smiled at her and shook my head. “It’s no problem. Thanks so much for having them again. I am so grateful for you.” I told my dearest friend and gave he
The twins were settled at Maria’s the next morning and I walked into the office with a smiled on my face. Still daydreaming about waking up in Alex’s arms. “Oh, Cat. How are you?” Carla stopped me as I made my way up to the lift. “I’m ok, how are you feeling?” I grinned at her. “I’m exhausted. But Harry tells me you are hoping to get a move to another office is that right?” Carla's eyes widened when I told her I was moving with Alex. She didn't look happy. "What about your job! Are you sure you want to go back that way?" she asked, her voice laced with concern. I knew that she wouldn't be happy about it, but planting seeds of doubt in my mind wasn't the way to go about it. I took a deep breath and tried to explain. "I know it's a big decision, but I want to be with Alex. He's right for me and my twins. He'll protect us and make sure nothing bad happens to us." Carla rubbed her heavily pregnant belly and wiped her eyes sadly.
As we stood in the empty hallway, I felt emotions wash over me. It was hard to believe that we were leaving our old home behind. I looked around, taking in the empty walls and the boxes that were piled high in the corner. It was strange to see everything packed up and ready to go. My heart ached as I watched the twins run through the hallway, their feet echoing loudly. It was a sound that I had loved to hear over the years, but now it felt bittersweet. Nathan and Nadia shrieked with laughter as Alex jumped out on them, picking them both up in his strong arms. Nadia held onto her favourite dolly as Alex spun her around, and Nathan danced at his feet, shouting for his turn to be spun in the air. I couldn't help but shed a tear as I watched them. It was hard to imagine leaving this place where we had made so many memories. But I knew that it was time to move on, to start a new chapter in our lives. "Are you okay?" Alex asked, noticing the tears in my eyes.
"Cat," Alex said, his voice low and serious. "I know this might sound crazy, but I need you to trust me. I looked at him skeptically, wondering what he could possibly be talking about. "What do you mean?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. Mario helped the children into the jet and I was gobsmacked by it all. It was hard to process. “What do you want to tell me?” I asked him. “I will show you. Please just trust me.” Alex said. I looked at Alex, trying to read his expression. There was something in his eyes that made me feel like he was being genuine. But I was still hesitant. "Okay," I said finally, feeling as though I was taking a leap of faith. "I trust you. What do you want to show me?" Alex smiled at me, taking my hand in his. "Come with me," he said, leading me towards the jet. “Goodbye Mario, see you soon.” Alex called over his shoulder to his trusted friend. I followed him, feeling a mix of excitement and apprehension. I had no ide