Chapter 5

Katrina.

I hated myself for acting like this. Why was my heart beating so fast? It must be the proximity between me and Archer inside this small room.

We almost got busted. I managed to get out after I couldn't hear Daphne's voice outside. But when I turned to the right side of the hallway, I almost bumped my shoulder into her.

"Where did you go?" she asked, looking at me suspiciously. I tried to fix my hair and white-buttoned shirt and flashed my perfect smile at her. "Just in the comfort room. Let's go?"

I clung to her arm and walked towards my friends. I still wasn't feeling well, but the new family doctor was good. He gave me painkillers to stop and numb the pain that was affecting my wolf.

When we arrived in the school garden, I saw Damien and Caleb laughing like crazy while holding the collar of a familiar boy. It was the waiter, whom I think is Archer's friend.

I balled my fists at my sides in anger, knowing fully well that they were up to no good. But I put on a fake smile and walked over to them. "What's going on here?" I asked, keeping my tone light despite the fury boiling inside me.

"Nothing much, just having a bit of fun," Damien said with a smirk, not loosening his grip on the boy's collar.

"I saw him here on our school grounds. When I asked what he was up to, he wouldn't tell us," Caleb added, grinning at the boy.

"What did you do to him?" I asked, trying to keep my voice calm when I saw blood at the corner of the boy's lip.

Damien looked at me and replied, "I gave him a lesson."

"On what grounds?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For stalking you. This is the boy who stalked you last time! I knew my girlfriend would be pretty," Damien whispered and touched my cheek. I wasn't in the mood for his cheesy pick-up lines, so I looked away and stared at the boy.

The boy looked up at me with fear in his eyes. "Please, help me," he whispered.

Damien continued, "You're too pretty, Katrina, that any boy would want you. I'm not letting this son of a bitch go!"

I took a deep breath, trying to maintain my composure. "Let him go," I said, my voice firm.

"Or what?" Caleb challenged, his eyes glinting with malice.

I glared at him. He was the one poisoning Damien's mind! It was obvious this was all just a misunderstanding.

"Your boyfriend cares about your safety and welfare, future Luna. Show some empathy to him," Caleb said playfully. Daphne intervened, calling out her brother's behavior. "Stop it now, Caleb! Fighting in our school isn't allowed! You could get kicked out!"

"Oh, lil sis! You hang out too much with Katrina, you've become like her! Nobody will kick us out! We own this place and the teachers!" Caleb said, looking at me with a playful smile. Then, to my shock, he kicked the boy in the stomach!

Archer's friend grunted and coughed up blood on the ground.

I maintained my composure even though I wanted to suck Caleb's eyeballs out with my teeth.

Taking a step forward, I looked at Caleb. "I said... let him go," I used my practiced-Luna voice on him.

"Or what?" Caleb chuckled. Damien was by his side, watching us. He wasn't being playful anymore.

"Or you'll have to deal with me," I said, stepping closer. "And trust me, you don't want that."

"Leon!" 

Archer saw his friend getting punched, so he walked over, helping his friend up. His eyes locked on Caleb, and he raised his fist, ready to punch when Daphne gasped. "Oh my gosh! You look like Damien! Are you like twins?!"

"Hey, stop there, Daph! I don’t have a brother who came from the dirt," Damien scoffed.

Archer smirked, not missing a beat. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't want to be related to a self-absorbed jerk anyway," he shot back.

Damien's face twisted in anger, but I was too shocked to intervene. Archer's words hung in the air, and I could see Damien's fists clench at his sides.

"Please, Archer... get your friend out of here," I pleaded, my voice softer, trying to defuse the situation before it escalated further.

"Wait, you guys know each other?!" Daphne asked, her eyes wide with curiosity and shock.

I balled my fists up at my sides in fear, terrified they'd find out that Archer is my fated mate. Archer grinned at me, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Yeah, we met at her birthday party."

"What?! But we never give invitations to Hawthorn High students," Daphne said suspiciously.

"Oh, don’t worry, miss. I was one of the waiters serving juices and drinks," Archer replied smoothly.

Daphne's eyes narrowed, her sharp mind clearly at work. She looked at him curiously, but Archer just shrugged and started to walk away, holding his injured friend.

Before he left, Archer glanced back at me, and I felt the mental tug of our mind-link. "Is this your circle of friends? I’m disappointed in you," his voice echoed in my mind, making my heart sink.

As they exited, I could hear Archer murmuring to Leon, "We’re going to the clinic."

I watched them go, my chest tight with guilt and fear. Turning back to Damien and Caleb, I put on a fake smile, masking the turmoil inside me. "Let's just get back to class," I said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"Are you okay? Let’s go, baby..." Damien said, reaching out to hold my hand.

I felt a surge of annoyance. His touch didn’t feel the same anymore, and I hated being touched by him. "Where were you last night? I called you many times!" I hissed at him.

"We were out at the club. Drinking. I texted you about that," Damien replied, his brows knitted.

I frowned, remembering a text from my parents that said they needed to talk. Archer hadn’t told my parents we were fated mates, and the secrecy was starting to weigh on me.

As we walked back to the school building, I couldn't help but glance over my shoulder, hoping Archer and his friend would be alright.

Inside, Daphne grabbed my arm, pulling me aside. "Katrina, what was that about? I feel that you've met him several times."

I hesitated, my mind racing for a plausible explanation. "He's just someone I met at the party, that's all. Nothing more."

Daphne frowned, clearly not convinced but decided to drop it. "Okay, but be careful. Those guys from Hawthorn High... they're trouble."

***

My parents texted me to come home after class as soon as possible. I knew what was coming the moment I walked into the living room and saw both of them waiting for me, their expressions grim. The atmosphere was tense, and I could feel the weight of their expectations pressing down on me.

"Katrina, the marriage with Damien needs to go ahead," my father said, his voice leaving no room for argument.

I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "I know what to do, Dad. I’ve already rejected my mate the day I met him at my birthday party."

My mother's worry was palpable. "But what about your wolf, Katrina? This could be dangerous!"

"I can control her, Mom," I replied, trying to sound more confident than I felt.

My father's anger simmered just below the surface. "You need to make sure your wolf doesn't come out, or we'll be exposed to the Smiths family."

"I understand," I said, nodding. The last thing we needed was a scandal.

"I will meet with his father tonight. Go with me," my father insisted, his tone brooking no refusal.

"Alright."

Later, in Damien's room, things escalated quickly.

Both of our parents were in the office, so Damien and I went inside his room to chill. The moment the door closed, he was on me, his lips pressing hard against mine as he pushed me onto the bed. His hands roamed over my body, his touch igniting a fire in my veins.

His tongue explored my mouth hungrily, and I found myself kissing him back with just as much intensity. He climbed on top of me, his weight pressing me into the mattress as he deepened the kiss.

His hands slid under my shirt, caressing my skin and making me shiver. I could feel the heat between us building, his need evident in the way he touched me.

I let out a soft moan as he nibbled on my earlobe, his fingers skillfully unbuttoning my blouse. He pulled away briefly to remove it, then immediately returned to kissing me, his lips trailing down my neck and across my collarbone.

I arched my back, my body responding to his every touch.

But just as he started to slide his hand under my skirt, I froze. The intensity of the moment overwhelmed me, and I gently pushed him away.

"I'm not ready," I whispered, my heart racing.

Damien's frustration was clear. He sat up, running a hand through his hair. "You're always like this, Katrina. You turn me on and then back out." 

I started panicking. "I'm sorry, I just—"

He cut me off, anger flaring in his eyes. "I can't keep doing this." Then, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

I sat there, stunned, my mind racing.

As I looked around the room, my eyes fell on something on his table.

A pregnancy test.

My heart sank, pounding painfully in my chest.

Why would Damien have a pregnancy test?

Suspicion gnawed at me. Was he cheating on me?

I stood up, my legs feeling like lead, and walked over to the table. The test was negative, but that didn't ease my mind.

My heart was beating so fast it felt like it might burst out of my chest. I picked up the test, turning it over in my hands, trying to make sense of it.

Damien had never mentioned anything about this.

The thought that he might be seeing someone else behind my back was almost too much to bear.

I put the test back down and sat on the edge of the bed, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in my stomach.