CATHERINE. “I need my luggage,” I told the Beta after Mindy left us in the kitchen. I was holding the ice pack on my cheek. “He has it. But I can ask him later. I can also ask Mindy to look for clothes you can wear in case he won’t return your luggage today.” I let out a frustrated sigh before a question came out of my lips. “Why are you staying here? Your Alpha is a monster.” “Maybe give time to get to know him. Maybe… maybe…" “Maybe, what? That maybe he will change? That the bond between us can make him a better person?” “And why did you come here?” He asked, his eyes narrowing. “I could tell that you don’t like him at all.” He replied in a hushed tone before he looked around and motioned for me to follow him. We went to the main kitchen, and the three Omegas there turned around to greet us, but Xander raised his hand, stopping them from doing so. I handed one of them the ice pack before they all just went back to what they were doing while we exited a door leading to the ba

CATHERINE. I lifted my arm and saw that red marks began forming as the pain intensified. My jaw tightened as I gritted my teeth before they chattered when another pain shot right through my chest, making my body move voluntarily, and I fell to the ground. It was painful like my chest was being ripped apart, but I refused to cry. I swear, I would make him pay for every bit of pain he gave me. I knew there was no remedy for this. Grandmother Jessica told me that she endured this pain for over a year before my grandfather finally decided to man up and choose the female he wanted to be with. This was still a sensitive topic in the family, but for some reason, I found myself asking her about it when I was sixteen. She said she would take sedatives to fall asleep, but most of the time, she would bear it on her own until she just became numb. But aside from not having access to sedatives at the moment, my body was also reacting badly to them, so that was why they didn’t sedate me during

CATHERINE. I haven’t encountered any of Maddox’s pack members except the Omegas at the packhouse, so I had no idea what I would be facing. The Beta wanted me to go somewhere and hide until the training was over, but Purity and I agreed to face it head-on. I knew Maddox was pure evil, but a part of me wanted to believe that the people in this pack were part of the family my forefathers governed, and based on how proud Grandpa David would talk about them, I knew most of them loved the Montrell. And I hoped they would remember that before they attacked me. It was already past ten in the morning when I decided to go down and head for the training area. I knew no one among the people I saw along the way, and although they were looking at me weirdly as if scrutinizing me, I kept my head up and kept walking. “Finally, you showed up.” Maddox’s voice rang in the quadrangle, and all heads turned in my direction as I walked toward the makeshift arena where they stood. “Of all things, I hate

CATHERINE.“Drink.” He growled. I growled back before I grabbed his forearm, sinking my fangs into his wrist, hoping I would hit his pulse. But then, for shifters, it takes more than just hitting the pulse for him to drop dead, especially if he’s an Alpha. The taste of his blood, his scents, and the sparks between us were spreading tingles between my thighs, but I knew where my heart and my head were. “Enough.” He chuckled as he pulled his hand away.I already felt a connection snap within me, and I took the opportunity to throw my head back and moan with my eyes closed, letting him think I enjoyed his repulsive blood as I mindlinked his Beta.‘Beta Xander, Luna Catherine here. Come inside the Alpha’s office. Don’t knock. Just come in.’I disconnected and blocked off my mind before I opened my eyes. I knew Xander was nearby, but it was up to him whether he could help me or not.Maddox smiled as his knuckles brushed against my cheek, and I stepped closer to him just in time when the

CATHERINE. “I don’t want you here. You better leave.” Maddox’s voice reached my ears as I neared the dining room. “But Mom wants to...” A female replied, but she was not able to finish her words as Maddox intercepted them. “I don’t fucking care!” He roared, and my heart thundered loudly. They were arguing, probably because she was not supposed to be in the packhouse. “Can you calm down, please?” The female said. Her voice sounded familiar, but I couldn’t pinpoint where I heard it. But the moment I turned to enter the room, I found the answer I was looking for. The female sitting at the dining table with Maddox was the same female that haunted my nightmares for over a year. And she was back to haunt me more. Zoey. My brows raised when Zoey’s gaze met mine. I had no idea if I was upset she was with Maddox, or because she was somehow linked to Tyler, and for some reason, it didn’t seem right that she was with Maddox. “What are you doing here?” Maddox’s voice snapped me from thro