Chapter Three
KATHY
The mating ceremony was still months away, set to follow the coronation of Alpha Bryson—newly appointed after his father, the King, passed.
I could still remember the night our bond first flared to life outside the ballroom. The moment had been electric, unstoppable, sealing us in a way no words could undo. From that instant, resisting him had been impossible.
Our connection was not just accepted—it was expected. My foster father had been Beta to the late Alpha, making my place beside Bryson all but written in the stars.
And now, here I was—standing before the mansion that would soon be my home. Soon, I would be Luna of the Blood Hound Pack.
“Carry on, Ma’am,” one of the guards murmured, his hand briefly steadying me. His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.
I gripped my small purse tighter and moved toward the massive front doors. For a moment, I hesitated, staring up at the intricate carvings, the weight of what awaited inside pressing on my chest. Then I pushed forward.
The interior was bathed in warm light—my first time seeing the mansion in daylight. I was caught between awe and uncertainty, standing motionless until a young woman in a white dress approached. Her smile was bright enough to soften the marble halls.
“This way, Ma’am.” She took my luggage and led me up the sweeping staircase.
The silence struck me. No chatter of pack members, no sound of footsteps—just the echo of ours down the long hallway.
We stopped at a large oak door. “He asks that you remain here until he’s ready for you,” she said, placing my bags inside.
Ready for me? The words stirred both curiosity and unease.
Once she left, I sat on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Hours seemed to pass in stillness. I wandered to the balcony, but from here I couldn’t see the road—just trees swaying in the distance.
Restless, I decided to explore. My fingers trailed along portraits in gilded frames as I made my way down to the main hall. The grandeur of it all was almost overwhelming.
I thought of going to him. Surely, he’d be pleased I came without waiting to be summoned.
Up the stairs, down a different hallway this time. My steps slowed as I neared a door larger than the rest—his chambers. My wolf stirred inside me, uneasy.
That’s when I heard it.
Muffled at first, then clearer—sounds that froze my blood.
“Oh yes!”
“Don’t stop!”
“Do you like it?”
My wolf’s growl rumbled through me. My pulse roared in my ears. Every part of me wanted to deny what I already knew.
Hand trembling, I wrapped my fingers around the doorknob and turned it.
The door opened.
And there he was.
Bryson—my mate—his body moving with fierce, relentless rhythm over another woman. Her cries filled the room, echoing in my skull until they became a kind of torment.
My breath hitched. The sting behind my eyes gave way to tears, spilling hot down my cheeks. My heart… it didn’t just ache—it shattered.
This wasn’t betrayal from a stranger. This was the man fate had bound me to.
I stumbled back, hand over my mouth, desperate to leave. But my shoulder clipped the vase by the door. It toppled, shattering on the floor.
Both of them turned.
Bryson’s eyes widened.
“Katherine?!”