CHAPTER 5: BROKEN

KATARINA

A sob ripped through my chest, and I clung to my aunt like a child as she pushed the suite door open and pulled me inside. She slammed the door behind us and led me to the sofa, where I collapsed again in her arms.

“Katarina," she exclaimed urgently. “What happened? Talk to me."

I tried, but nothing came out; my throat closed around the words as I pressed my face against her shoulder. She held me tighter, and for a brief moment, she stopped asking and held me as I broke down in loud sobs.

It took a long time before the storm inside me calmed down enough for me to breathe without gasping, and her eyes darted around the room, searching, before she rushed to the table and grabbed a bottle of water.

“Here," she said gently, placing it in my hands. “Drink."

I obeyed, taking small, desperate sips until my hands were just steady enough. My aunt knelt in front of me, her face filled with concern as she took my hands in hers. “Sweetheart," she spoke quietly. “Today is your big day. You shouldn't be crying like this. What is wrong?"

The words poured out of me before I could stop them. “I don't want to be here," I admitted, my voice cracking. “I want to go home. Please, I want to go home with you." Her eyes widened, and shock swept across her face. “Katarina, has anything happened?"

The question burned, and the memory washed over me all at once, before Greyson's warning echoed in my mind: if I told anyone about what had happened, I'd be sorry.

“I made a mistake," I admitted instead. “I should not have agreed to this marriage. I can't do it. I cannot be Luna."

“Oh, honey!" My aunt reached up to cup my face. “Look at me," she said softly, and I didn't want to. I couldn't without telling her what really happened, but she waited until I did. “I know marriage is scary," she continued. “And Greyson is... intimidating. But that doesn't mean things won't get better. You will get to know each other. You will find your footing. And things will get easier with time."

I shook my head, tears flowing again, and whispered, “They won't. They won't improve. I am going to die if I stay here." Her breath caught, and she looked at my face, fear replacing confusion.

“Katarina," she asked slowly and carefully, “did anything happen?" I didn't respond, and her hands tightened around my cheeks. “Has Greyson hurt you?"

The truth rushed up my chest, heavy as it pressed against my ribs, begging to be free–even though the warning was still ringing in my ears. My lips parted, but the door creaked open before a single word could be said.

I gasped and straightened quickly, wiping my face as my aunt stood and turned. Cyra walked into the room and paused when she saw us, her gaze shifting between my tear-streaked face and my aunt's rigid posture.

“I—I'm sorry," she said quickly, already backing up to the door. “I came to see if you were okay, Luna." Her voice was polite and concerned, but the title she used to address me sounded mocking, and I snapped.

"I am fine." The bitterness in my tone was impossible to hide, not only because of what she called me, but also because her eyes kept darting between me and my aunt, sharp and assessing even though she had no business staring in my eyes.

I also despised the fact that she followed me after I had explicitly stated that I did not want to be followed. Most importantly, she had seen me broken.

“You can go," I said, and she stepped back into the hallway, pulling the door shut behind her. I scrubbed my face with the back of my hand, wiping away the last of my tears as rage flared beneath the humiliation. My husband had been cruel to me, but that didn't make it anyone else's business—especially hers.

But still, Cyra's interruption had one positive outcome. It brought me back to my senses. My aunt couldn't just take me home, and running wasn't an option. I needed to come up with another option.

“You're right," I said quietly, turning back to face her, and she looked at me with cautious hope. “Things will improve," I added. The words tasted strange on my tongue, and saying them didn't make things any better for my aunt because I'd already said too much and scared her.

She reached for me again, cupping my face and gently brushing her thumbs beneath my eyes as she smiled, a hint of relief on her face.

“That's my girl," she exclaimed. "I am proud of you. But I want you to know that I won't be less proud," she went on, “if you called me tomorrow, or any day, just to talk."

Her voice became firmer. “Never forget that I am always available and that there is nothing you cannot tell me.” I nodded, but she wasn't finished. “Your presence here matters," she said. “Do you understand that? You have changed the game for omegas. Nobody can now claim that no omega has ever been Luna. They can't claim omegas are only good for scrubbing floors and warming Alpha beds."

The words cut deep because I already knew my reality in this place. I nodded anyway. I had already worried her enough.

She drew me into a hug, and I sank into it, remembering the feeling of safety before it slipped away again. After that, I went into the bathroom and splashed cool water on my face, then reapplied my makeup before fixing my hair.

I straightened my dress and rebuilt the mask before returning to my aunt. We returned to the hall, and after one final hug, my aunt took her place, and I took mine, my face lifting into a hollow smile as I returned to pretending to be someone my husband had shown me I would never be.

*****

ALEXANDER

Stepping outside, I spotted Greyson in the building's shadowy corner, a cigarette burning between his fingers as he paced back and forth like a wolf trapped in too small a space.

He paused after a few turns, leaned his forehead against the stone wall, and slowly exhaled. And the sight took me aback.

He was mostly hidden in the dark, but my wolf eyes saw everything—the tight set of his shoulders, the way his free hand curled into a fist, and even the faint tremor in his breathing. This was not how a groom was supposed to look minutes after sealing his bond.

I knew Greyson hadn't immediately embraced the idea of marrying Katarina. He needed convincing and time, but as far as I could tell, he had warmed to it. More than that, he began to look forward to it. He wanted to respect our father's wishes, and he had not been forced. At least that's what he told me.

He felt me behind him and straightened abruptly, his head snapping in my direction as I stepped out of the shadows and into view. “That's a look a man shouldn't have on his wedding night," I said as I walked toward him, pulling out a cigarette and lighting it. I noticed how quickly he tried to fix his face.

“It's nothing," he replied quickly. “I'm just tired."

We shared a brief silence as I took a drag and nodded.

“I suppose being tired is expected," I said, to which he huffed out a breath that almost sounded like a laugh.

“Yeah, entertaining those pieces of shit Alphas would exhaust anyone," he grumbled. “Bloody pretenders. They hate our family, but they can't leave us alone because they need us. Makes me sick."

It was no secret that the other Alphas resented our family. But I never took it personally. If another pack had possessed our vast lands, large armies, and gold, they would be despised instead of us. Power always attracted resentment, and my brother understood this as well, but he was not the type to let things go.

We exchanged a few more quiet jabs at the visiting Alphas while I mind-linked someone to bring us drinks, which arrived quickly. I raised a toast to my brother and his special day, wishing him and Katarina nothing but good fortune, and I noticed the tension tightening in his shoulders once more.

It was then that it struck me.

An Alpha was almost expected to conceive on his wedding night, and he couldn't. I turned to face my brother fully and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Are you sure it's just tiredness?" I asked. “And nothing else? Because I'm available if you need to talk."

I didn't finish, and instead of replying, he apologized for the awkward situation that happened earlier. I had no intention of going there anymore, given how he was already down, but now that he had taken it there, the words flowed out of me before I could stop them.

“What happened, Grey? I thought you said she agreed?"