Catherine's POV:
‘Mate…’ That single word echoed through my mind. Did I hear him wrong? Maybe that was my mind playing tricks on me. I wanted to burst out laughing, raise my hand, or say something in protest but couldn’t.
My heart felt as if it was ready to jump out of my chest any second. I wasn't really ready with that bit of information, especially not from him.
I am his mate? How could that be? Why would the moon goddess pick me to be his mate? She must have known better than anyone that I was just a mere slave. A no one. Nothing but a freak who lost her memories as a little child. Too irrelevant and weak to be mated to an Alpha’s son.
I have been told by almost every single werewolf in this pack that my existence was never meant to be. That I wasn’t worthy of love from anyone. Let alone have a mate.
I accepted that with an open mind and heart. I knew no one would want a mate as broken as me. Even if I did have a mate, he was the last person I had expected to be with. Let alone being tied to him as his mate. And he knew this all along. He didn’t approach me and I knew the reason why.
He thinks of me as nothing more than just a slave. That’s fine by me though. I don’t expect much from someone like him.
“What did you say?” Alpha Norman said, his voice barely a whisper but I heard him well.
“Do I really need to say it twice? This slave right here,” He glanced at me over his shoulder.
“Is. My. Mate.” Not any one of us had missed the emphasis in his words.
It can't be. I can't be his mate. That would ruin all my plans and I will never ever have the chance to run free from this hell I have been caged in for far too long. Eight frickin' years I put up with all the beatings, all the mocking, all the ridicules. A single year of being stuck in this hell hole will surely push me to the brink of insanity!
I close my eyes, recalling the whole plan I waited so long for me to finally bring it into action. After I turn 18 this midnight, I planned to renounce the pack and become a rogue in the outside world. If I was lucky, I hoped to become part of another pack, not as a slave, but an equal werewolf. But if not, then I would settle living as a normal human being. I promised myself that I won't care being part of a pack after that.
The news was a big slap in the face for Jessica, on the other hand. She burst out in tears and looked at me with deep hatred evident in her eyes. I can tell how hurt she really was on the inside. And somehow, the tiniest piece of kindness that was left in me made me want to pity her. What is more, I overheard from the other werewolves that she rejected her fated mate to be with her chosen one, Easton.
On top of that, Easton doesn't even look like he was the type to care. I looked away from Jessica who was still obviously eye-murdering me in her own way. I can feel her seething anger from her aura alone.
"But even if she is, it won't mean anything because she is nothing more than a lowly slave. How can she possibly compare to me, born from the long line of Betas in our family which is clearly belonging to a much higher status than her?!” She ranted, shooting me a glare before looking at Easton in the eye.
“Easton, are you saying you would rather prefer a slave than me?" She rested her hand on her large breast, batting her eyelashes as she stares at him expectantly.
Jessica's words echoed through the whole room. All heads turned towards Easton, as we waited for him to answer the insecurities of her own.
I saw how Easton frowned and stared Jessica down as if to exert his dominance. Though he was yet to be the Alpha, Jessica and I could feel it.
"Quit making useless assumptions like all the garbage you were just spewing. Let me just get one thing straight, Jessica. You don't get to order me around like you want me to." Easton warned her. Jessica's face turned pale.
I looked down and wished that the floor could just open up and swallow me whole. I can feel my heart throbbing under my shirt, and I loosened my shoulders as I try to get ahold of myself completely. No matter how hard I try, my hands continue to tremble and my body kept shaking without my permission.
"All I want you to do is reject her!" Jessica's voice snapped me back into reality.
Easton growled. Surprisingly, he grabbed her arm and pulled her in close. He leaned in closer to her face and glared at her eyes. Jessica was shocked when Easton yelled at her for the first time.
"YOU don't tell ME what to do!" Growling, his eyes went from amber to shimmering gold. That happens when a werewolf of a higher status shows his power along with that of his own wolf.
I can tell how Easton got easily annoyed at Jessica for bringing up the idea of rejection. Now that we think about it, that might just be my escape plan.
Hope gave fuel to my body with more strength and a little bit of confidence that I might actually just make my way out of here. All I have to do is accept his rejection then it will all be over sooner than I shall be anticipating it.
"Enough!" Alpha Norman intervened, reminding us of his presence by releasing an Alpha's powerful aura to the room, and that was enough to bring back the other part of Easton in him. The glow in his eyes faded to reveal his natural color, but instead of releasing Jessica's arm, he tightened his grip around it. Jessica whimpered in pain.
"Easton!" Alpha Norman called out loudly.
Seems like even the Alpha does not have complete control over his own son.
In the end, Easton let go of Jessica's arm and faced Alpha Norman who was glaring at him since he came here.
"Well, what a shocking surprise." Luna Grey took a small step forward as she opened her arms to break the silence with that unexpected remark. She glanced my way and clasped her hands together, taking in a quick breath.
"Catherine, why don't you start making breakfast for the pack? I'm pretty sure you are running a little late already." She spoke in a gentle manner but with strictness in her tone.
"Yes, Luna."
I immediately moved from my spot and headed towards the dirty kitchen. As soon as I was sure that I was no longer being watched by neither the Alpha, Easton, nor Jessica , I let out a heavy sigh. My lips were busted. I cursed in pain when I accidentally touched them as I covered my face, wanting to escape from this wicked world.
-----On the other side-------
"Let's talk in my office." Alpha Norman commanded and turned his back to go straight to the Alpha office.
Easton shrugged and simply followed his father without even looking back to Jessica. In her mind, she was cursing Catherine and imagining all sorts of ways possible to get rid of her. She was just a slave, but why does she get to have everything she’s ever wanted from the beginning? Because of her, Easton went from hot to ice cold overnight. She refused to accept the two together as mates. It was silent.
Luna Grey touched her arm softly and was looking concerned for the she-wolf who got dumped and disregarded by her step-son Easton.
The once-quiet Luna touched Jessica's face and faked a gentle comforting smile.
"Sweetie, you should rest. We'll call you when breakfast is ready."
Jessica just nodded and walked away, silently. Her mind never encouraged silence. As she huffed marching to her room in heavy footsteps, gnashing her teeth, Jessica decided to erase Catherine’s existence of this world.
“You will pay for this, bitch.”
Catherine's POV: Thirty eight minutes later. I just finished cooking the eggs, bacon, toasts, some croissants, cheese sandwiches, and breakfast burritos for the whole pack. Unfortunately, I haven't had the time to stuff a croissant in my hungry dry mouth or drink water as I was really really getting behind the clock. I quickly set up the tables and placed all the food that I cooked for breakfast. After several minutes, a bunch of hungry werewolves started sitting down on the pack table and instantly devoured everything at hindsight. The Alpha, Easton, and the Luna were there too, eating their own share of the bounty. While I stood in a corner nearby and silently watched as the food I just created vanished for a short period of time, having none for myself caused a severe pain in my stomach. Some werewolves who were passing by subsequently bumped me on my shoulders, threw water on my dirty apron, and kicked my foot intentionally. Nonetheless, I care little for the brutes, but the pai
Easton's POV: I noticed my mate looked as if she was feeling so uneasy in that dark corner where she stood every day during pack breakfast. I studied her face and tried to make out the meaning of her changing expressions as she stared at the mountain of food on the table. I just remembered my father forbade her to take a seat and dine with the other werewolves in every meal. I saw her hand travel down her stomach, clutching it tight. That small gesture made me know straightaway, she was starving. I excused myself from the breakfast table and stood up carrying my tray. Of course, I refilled all the dishes that was missing on the food tray so I would be providing a whole set of breakfast to my mate. "Done already?" My step-mother, also known as Luna Grey of the Silver Moon Pack, who was sitting at my right clung to my shirt, stopping me from leaving the pack table. I looked at her hand, secretly irritated at this shameless, beautiful woman who became my stepmum. "I just remembered s
Catherine's POV: Easton stopped walking midway to the exit and his sudden movement made me accidentally bump my forehead on his back. I didn't make a sound as he turned around to face me. Our eyes locked. His glowing amber eyes distracted me just for a second and I tried my hardest not to get lost in them. "Hey, it's just that, since you were a slave I never really knew your name." Ashamed of the word 'slave', I turned my head away to look at the wall to my right, not wanting any more to confirm whether there was disgust or loathe in his eyes. "Oh, it's Catherine." "Nice to meet you, Catherine. By the way, I like the sound of your name." He smiled. Unexpectedly, he stepped towards me, so slowly that it made me feel anxious enough to take a step back, wary of his every move.
Catherine’s POV: I woke up feeling a little bit dizzy. I didn't open my eyes because I noticed the intensely bright light that was peeking through my vision. Why is it so bright? More importantly, the smell of a comforting scent went up my nostrils easily as I continued to breathe. Although it wasn't that strong of a scent, something about it left me wanting more. My body also felt like it was literally floating in the air. It seemed that I was leaning on something like a hard surface. However, I noticed that my body was moving on its own to a certain direction. A hand trailed closely behind my neck, and another against each of my knee, legs closed. Gently and slowly, I let myself see everything that surrounded me. At the very first moment, I saw Easton. He was carrying me in a bridal style going to someplace, evidently far from the kitchen where I remembered myself getting beaten by a number of pissed and hungry werewolves only moment
Catherine's POV: I jumped up in fright. When my eyes searched the room, there was no one around. "Who is that?" I focused my senses to catch on any movement or any sound coming from inside the room. "It has been a long time since we merged. But then, I felt the seal that separated us for years break, " "Where are you?" I heard the voice chuckle. It was then that I realized, the voice I heard did not come from the room, but deep inside of me, in my mind and to the depths of my soul. "How could you not recognize my voice? I'm Raya, your wolf silly!" She giggled again. I felt my cheeks blush, embarrassed of my stupidity for not knowing my own wolf at our first meeting. "Sorry," I said, and my body shifted from being tense to relaxed with the knowledge of her presence. My wolf. I finally have my wolf. Knowing I was no longer alone made me quite a bit emotional, and I was feeling overwhelmed and thankfu
Catherine's POV: The delicious scent of fresh mint woke me up out of curiosity on where it had come from. As I opened my eyes and attempted to move, the instant pain around my wrists suddenly distracted me from going further to that purpose. I felt that my hands had been handcuffed to the metal frame of the bed I was currently lying on, and I looked up where I felt my hands were tied to in order to confirm it for myself. I tried wriggling the cuff in a bid to get my hands loose. Just then, I sniffed the same familiar scent back from the garden where I attempted my escape, and realized a horrifying truth behind it. The sound of footsteps approaching me slowly made me cautious and expectant of something evil about to befall me. I shrink back on the bed in fear. "Catherine, Catherine, Catherine, you never fail to surprise me every time," I flinched upon hearing the sound of his voice. "Easton. . ." I barely said his name through a whisper. "Well, it appears I have awoken my mate. Tr
Catherine's POV: "Aaahhh... Please... Stop..." I mumbled and moaned shamelessly in between the words I forced out of my mouth as I attempted to open my eyes despite a strange feeling that keeps circling around my insides like crazy. "Faster?" He spoke so suddenly and just after hearing his strangely familiar voice, he quickened his pace like a wild dog in heat. The tone of his voice makes me imagine his face, grinning. In. Out. In. Out. I felt like I was being crushed and my insides were being turned inside out with the same motion. "Aahhhhh... Stop... I can't..." I tried to get ahold of myself but just couldn't. I felt his hands move and his fingers wrapped around my legs as he spread them further apart. For a moment, I thought I felt my bones break when he opened me wider. I curled my toes and squirmed knowing my hands were handcuffed to the metal frame of the bed. With nowhere to run and no means to escape at all, I swallowed the ur
Catherine's POV: Tears stung my eyes as I felt a lump form in my throat. Those two clear words that came from his filthy mouth surprisingly sent the far door on my right side crash loudly as two huge, built werewolves came rushing in and stood on both of my sides. I glared at them hatefully. The two of them wore the exact same outfits, like a uniform. I squinted my eyes at them, wondering where I had seen them before. I can almost grasp it, but it was somewhere far from my memory. They stared at my state of undress, amusement dancing in their eyes as their wolves showed, wanting to take over their bodies probably to devour mine. My wolf whimpers at the thought, but I held myself together, gritting my teeth and letting out a threatening growl directed towards them. "Don't you dare come any closer!" I warned them, not even caring about the fact that I was already naked and exposed to these men. My breasts and snow white skin were out there in the open. The sheets fell