Chapter 0003

•CATHERINE•

When I woke up in the morning, the other side of the bed was still empty.

Cold.

A heavy feeling settled in my chest. Something was wrong. I could feel it.

I decided to check on Brian first.

*****

I found Brian in the living room, already awake and eating snacks.

“Hey, baby,” I greeted Brian with a quick kiss on the cheek. Usually, he’d light up the second he saw me, but today, nothing. He didn’t even flinch, just stared at the TV with a grin plastered on his face.

“Did you have breakfast?” I asked.

He nodded without looking at me, eyes glued to whatever was on the screen. It felt off because Brian always ran to me in the mornings, but maybe he was just upset because I’d slept late.

“Who made you breakfast? I thought you’d wait for Mommy.”

“Mary already made me breakfast,” he said. “I’m full.” He glanced at me once before turning back to the TV.

My heart dropped. The words shouldn’t have stung, any kind she-wolf could cook for the pack. But hearing her name in my son’s mouth sent a flicker of unease through me.

Before I could stop myself, I stood up and walked straight to the guest room—the room Leo gave Mary.

The door was slightly open. I pushed it and stepped inside.

She was scrolling on her cellphone, laughing about something when she lifted her eyes and looked at me.

“Oh, look who it is… our Luna. what are you doing here?” She asked, standing and folding her arms like she owned the place.

Nyra’s voice echoed in my mind, calm but firm. ‘Be careful with her, Cat. She’s not who you think she is. Don’t say or do anything that might get you in trouble, and get her the favor of the Alpha and pack members.’

“Mary,” I said calmly. “Thank you for helping Brian this morning.”

She looked up, smiling too easily. “Of course. He was hungry.”

“Next time, let me know first,” I said softly. “He’s sensitive about routines.”

Her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “Of course, Luna. But the boy was hungry because you overslept. And instead of owning that, you’re here throwing a tantrum because you’re failing as a mother?”

My blood boiled. “Brian is my son,” I said, trying to keep my voice even. “If you want to help him, talk to me first.”

Before she could answer, Leo’s voice came from behind me.

“What’s going on here?” Leo’s voice thundered behind me. He stormed into the room and immediately went to Mary’s side.

“She came in here and threatened me!” Mary cried, her voice trembling just enough to sound believable.

“That’s not true,” I said, forcing calm into my voice. “We were talking about Brian. I thanked her for feeding him. But—”

Leo’s glare landed on me, sharp as a blade. “Enough!” His voice cut through the air like a blade.““Mary is our new member—you need to be nicer to her."

My wolf pushed at the edge of my control, but I stood still. I whispered, my voice breaking. “You’d rather believe her lies than your own mate?”

“Leave us,” he ordered coldly. He wrapped his arm around Mary’s shoulder. She leaned into him, smirking when she thought I wasn’t looking.

“Thank you, Leo,” she murmured sweetly. “I was so scared.”

“You’re safe with me. No one will hurt you,” he answered, his voice softer now and protective. The same voice he used to use with me.

I walked out before the tears could fall, slamming the door behind me. My hands shook as I stepped onto the porch, trying to breathe, trying to stop my wolf from taking over.

“Did you see how quiet Luna was when the Alpha introduced his mistress?” I overheard a pair of she-wolves whispering nearby. “So sad. I thought he loved her.”

“She’s the silent Luna, all right. If my mate ever did that to me, I’d rip them apart and hang their bodies in the hall.”

“They’re not mates. Alpha has never acknowledged it.” another voice said.

“I forgot that,” came the reply, followed by laughter.

I clenched my fists and turned back into the house, slamming the door shut.

All these years, I had tried to be the perfect Luna, yet now they saw me as silent and powerless. However, the real me was nothing like that.

Leo was my mate and he has treated me well all these years. Maybe not that well, but at least he recognized me as the Luna and gave me the authority to manage the pack, didn’t he?

It’s just lately… maybe he’s been a little distracted. But I think we’ll work things out.

When I reached the hallway to our bedroom, I ran right into him. He looked at me with the same bitter expression and tried to walk past, but I grabbed his arm.

“Leo,” I said quietly. “You’ve changed recently, but I’d like to understand why. I don’t want a fight.”

He stared at me for a moment before he answered. “Do you want to know why things are like this between us?”

My chest tightened, and my stomach sank because I knew what he would say. I had thought I could make him love me after the six years we had been together.

I thought one day he’d look at me and love me. We were true mates, and we both felt it the day we first saw each other. But no matter how much I had tried, he seemed to struggle to move on from his dead fiancée.

I thought if I became more patient, loving, and tolerant, he would love me.

But what he said next completely shattered me.

“Mary is my ex, Catherine.” He paused for a moment and continued, "She is also the mother of Brian."

Everything inside me shattered.