LOGINCatherine’s POVThe doorknob turned, and the world seemed to tilt.Before I could even process the panic, Ethan’s hand was a vice around my waist, hauling me backward. Without saying a word, he dragged me into the narrow, shadowed space behind the towering mahogany bookshelf that lined the far wall.It was a space that barely fit one person, let alone two, and as we pressed into the dark, the smell of old parchment and dust mingled with the intoxicating scent of rain still clinging to his skin.I squeezed my eyes shut, my heart hammering so hard I was certain it would echo off the wood. A bitter thought flickered through the fear. I didn't understand why I was hiding inside my own study, in my own house, like a common thief.I was the one who had built this pack’s wealth, yet here I was, cowering in the dark because my husband’s brother had his hands on me.But before I could linger on that thought, the door creaked open.“That bitch is too calculating,” Simon’s voice spat, the sound
Catherine’s POV“You didn’t have to do all that,” I said, turning my head away the moment the study door closed behind us.Only minutes earlier, Simon had stormed out with Mina at his side, fury rolling off him. He had not left quietly either. He had pointed at me like I was something he intended to deal with later.Mina had followed close beside him, murmuring for him to calm down, but there had been something satisfied in the way she looked back at me before the door shut behind them. The threat lingered long after their footsteps disappeared down the hall.Ethan did not answer me at once.Instead, he reached behind him and shut the door fully.The soft click seemed louder than it should have in the sudden stillness of my study.My shoulders tightened. “You should leave.”He ignored that and stayed where he was for a moment, one hand still resting on the doorknob, as if he had already decided he was not going anywhere. Then he turned and walked further into the room with the same ea
Catherine’s POV“Where the hell were you?” Simon’s voice slammed into my ear the second I opened the door. “I’ve been calling you!”“Simon, calm down…” Mina’s voice followed.Rolling my eyes, I stepped into the living room and found them exactly where I expected. Simon was pacing like the room was too small to hold his temper. Mina sat on the edge of the couch, her expression worried in a way that made her look harmless.I swallowed the anger that surged up so fast it burned my throat. “What’s going on?”“Where were you?” he demanded again, voice rising. “Do you think you can just disappear on a day like this?”“I didn’t disappear,” I said. “I was with Candace. I told you earlier.”Simon’s eyes narrowed. “I called you,” he snapped. “You ignored me.”I forced my expression into something small, something careful, something he would accept. “I was busy. Candace brought me to Citrine Court. She wanted to shop with her friends. When you called earlier… my phone died so…”“So you chose sho
Catherine’s POV“Hey, are you listening to me?”Candace’s voice broke through my thoughts just as the car rolled to a stop. I blinked and looked up, only then realizing we had already arrived. Before I could respond, she grabbed my arm and gave it a light shake, clearly impatient.“Come on, stop thinking about Simon,” she said, her tone casual, almost dismissive. “He’s the future Alpha. Of course he’s going to act dominant. That’s just how things are. You’re already his wife, so what’s the point of arguing over something so pointless? Why not just let it go and enjoy the night with me?”I stared at her for a second longer than necessary.There was a time when I would have taken this as concern, as sisterly affection. A time when I believed she was on my side.Now, all I could hear was how easily she reduced everything I felt into something inconvenient.“I booked your favorite restaurant earlier,” she continued, already unfastening her seatbelt. “My friends are waiting for us. We shou
Catherine’s POV“So you left him there,” Luna Renee repeated as if she had not heard me the first time, her eyes steady on my face while her omega set the cup down on the table beside her chair. “On a day like this?”She snorted, then looked around the room.The drawing room was too perfect, every surface polished, every piece of furniture positioned like it belonged in a showcase rather than a home. Heavy curtains framed the tall windows, keeping the room dim despite the afternoon light outside.A fireplace sat unused, more for appearance than warmth. Even the scent in the air felt controlled, a faint trace of cedar and expensive tea that told me this was a place designed for meetings, for judgment, and for reminding people who held authority.“You do understand how important this day is, right?” she asked.I nodded without taking my eyes off Simon’s mother.Luna Renee sat with the kind of composure that never looked relaxed, because it was not meant to be. Her posture was elegant, b
Catherine’s POV“You bite,” he murmured, his voice low, amused, his thumb pressing once more against my lip as if he liked the reminder. “I like it.”I hated that my pulse jumped.Before I could start arguing, he leaned back without wiping off that infuriating smirk on his lips, leaving me speechless. How could someone be this shameless? “You should drive,” he added. “You’re drawing attention. I don’t mind an audience, but I doubt that’s what you need right now.”It was as if a bucket of cold water was poured inside my soul. Still, I started driving without looking at him, my focus shifting to the road as if distance alone could dull what he had just done.The city blurred past the windshield, streetlights streaking across the glass as I forced my thoughts elsewhere, anywhere that was not the heat lingering on my lips or the way his voice still echoed in my head.“So,” Ethan said after a while, his tone infuriatingly relaxed. “Where are we going?”I said nothing. I only rolled my eyes
Catherine’s POV- R18My mouth went dry. I swallowed again, the lump in my throat tight and painful. I didn't have to ask what kind of payment he was demanding. The memory of his lips, his hands, and the utter consumption of the night before made the answer sickeningly clear.“Can you just take me t
Catherine’s POVI was crumpled against the car, my legs trembling and breath coming in shallow gasps. I had just exploded in his hands, a wave of ecstasy crashing over me that left me utterly breathless!The realization sent a wave of embarrassment and desire crashing through me. I didn’t want to t
Catherine’s POV“Where were you!?” Simon’s voice hit me before I even saw him.I turned to my left and found him standing near the end of the hallway, shoulders squared, eyes burning. He looked like he was one breath away from snapping my neck in front of everyone.“You’re late,” he hissed as he cl
Catherine’s POV“Mina…” I forced a smile at the woman I had once thought was my friend. “Do you need something?”Her blond hair fell in soft waves around her shoulders, the ends curled just enough to frame her heart-shaped face.She wore that same gentle smile she always did, the one that made peop