11

Katrina was still shaking in her brother’s embrace when he pulled back, his hands resting on her shoulders as he looked into her eyes. Luca’s face was a storm of emotions—worry, confusion, and something harder, something that made Katrina’s stomach twist. “What did you do?” he asked, his voice low but firm, like he was bracing himself for an answer he didn’t want to hear.

Katrina’s lips pressed into a thin line, her heart pounding. She didn’t want to say it, didn’t want to admit the truth, but Luca’s gaze was unrelenting. “Katrina,” he said again, his tone sharper now, “did you have a hand in what happened last night? With Ashley?”

Her throat tightened, and she felt the tears welling up before she could stop them. She looked up at him, her eyes glistening, and gave a small, reluctant nod. “Yes,” she whispered, the word barely making it past her lips.

Luca stepped back, his hands dropping from her shoulders like he’d been burned. He shook his head, his eyes wide with disbelief. “You… you set her up?” His voice cracked, and he ran a hand through his hair, pacing a step away as if he needed space to process what she’d just admitted. “You planned this? You got Alessandro to lie, didn’t you? To make Adrian think Ashley was betraying him?”

Katrina’s tears spilled over, but she didn’t deny it. Instead, she reached for his arm, her fingers trembling as she grabbed him. “Lucas, please, don’t go!” Her voice was desperate, breaking with every word. “You have to understand. I love Adrian. He’s mine—don’t you get that? I rejected my mate for him! I gave up everything for him! It’s only fair that he does the same so we can be together!”

Lucas froze, his eyes narrowing as he stared at her, his shock morphing into something closer to anger. “You don’t understand, do you?” he said, his voice low and heavy with frustration. “This isn’t just about you and Adrian. This pack is in danger, Katrina. If Adrian loses himself to his wolf’s anger, his pain over losing his mate, we’re all at risk. The whole pack could fall apart. And what’s this about rejecting your mate?” His voice rose, disbelief lacing every word. “When did this happen? You kept that from me? Your own brother?”

Katrina’s tears flowed freely now, but she lifted her chin, her voice trembling but defiant. “Father knows,” she said, her words sharp despite the tears. “I told him when it happened. He understood why I did it.”

Luca’s jaw dropped, his hands clenching into fists at his sides. “Father knows?” he repeated, his voice thick with betrayal. “You told him, but not me? Your brother? The one who’s always had your back?” He shook his head again, like he was trying to shake off the weight of her words. “Do you even realize what you’ve done? What this could mean for all of us?”

Katrina’s face crumpled, but her voice was fierce, almost frantic. “You’re my brother! You’re supposed to stand by me, not turn against me! I love Adrian—why can’t you see that? Why can’t anyone understand?” Her words spilled out in a single, breathless rush, her tears staining her cheeks as she glared at him, her chest heaving with emotion. “I did what I had to do! Ashley was in the way—she was always in the way! I couldn’t let her take him from me!”

Lucas stared at her, his expression a mix of anger and pity. “You think this is love?” he asked, his voice quieter now but no less intense. “You think manipulating Adrian, getting him to reject his mate, is love? Katrina, you’ve hurt him. You’ve hurt the pack. And for what? So you can have what you want?” He shook his head, his voice dropping to a near whisper. “You’ve gone too far this time.”

Katrina’s sobs grew louder, her hands reaching for him again. “Lucas, please,” she begged, her voice breaking. “You don’t know what it’s like to love someone this much. I gave up my mate for him. My mate! Do you know how hard that was? I did it because I know Adrian and I are meant to be together. Why can’t you support me?”

Lucas stepped back, pulling his arm free from her grasp. “Support you?” he said, his voice tight. “You’re asking me to support you after you lied, manipulated, and put the entire pack at risk? Katrina, I love you, but this… this is wrong. You’ve crossed a line.” His eyes softened for a moment, but the anger was still there, simmering beneath the surface. “When did you reject your mate? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Katrina wiped her tears, her hands shaking. “few months after I was chosen for Adrian,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. “I met him, but I knew he wasn’t Adrian. I couldn’t be with him, not when I’ve loved Adrian my whole life. So I rejected him. Father said it was my choice, that I should follow my heart.”

“Follow your heart?” Luca’s voice was incredulous. “And what about Adrian’s heart? What about Ashley? She was his mate, Katrina. The Moon Goddess chose her for him, and you tore that apart. Do you even understand what that means for an alpha? For the pack?”

Katrina’s face twisted, her tears mixing with anger now. “Why does everyone care about her?” she snapped. “She’s nothing! She’s weak, pathetic—she doesn’t deserve him! I do! I’ve been by his side, supporting him, loving him, while she was just… just there, causing problems!”

Lucas shook his head, his voice cold. “You don’t get it, do you? This isn’t about who deserves what. You’ve hurt people, Katrina. You’ve hurt Adrian, you’ve hurt the pack, and you’ve hurt yourself. And for what? A chance at something that might not even be real?” He took a step back, his eyes searching her face like he was looking for the sister he used to know. “I can’t believe you kept this from me. I can’t believe Father knew and didn’t tell me.”

“Lucas, please,” Katrina said, her voice breaking as she reached for him again. “You’re my brother. You’re supposed to be on my side. I did this for love!”

“Love doesn’t destroy people,” Lucas said, his voice firm. “Love doesn’t tear a pack apart. What you did wasn’t love—it was selfish.” He opened his mouth to say more, then closed it, shaking his head one last time. He turned and walked out, his steps heavy but determined. Katrina’s voice followed him, desperate and pleading.

“Lucas, please! Don’t leave me!” she called, her sobs echoing as she sank to her knees. But he didn’t stop, didn’t look back, leaving her alone with her tears and the weight of what she’d done.