Chapter Five
KATHY
The first thing I became aware of as consciousness returned was the low murmur of voices.
Bryson’s voice.
Furious. Controlled, but only barely.
I kept my eyes shut, my breathing slow. Whoever he was speaking to sounded familiar, though I couldn’t place it. I listened.
“I can’t believe she’s a whore. Pregnant? Looks really can be deceiving. You’d never believe such a sweet, innocent face could be so… so—”
“I should have known. I was blinded by my passion for her. The Luna is supposed to be pure, untouched. That’s how it has always been.”
My heart thudded in my ears. My stomach knotted.
They weren’t talking about me.
…Were they?
“You should have seen my face when the test result came back,” the other man said. “I thought there must be a mistake. I ran it two more times.”
“I watched Kathy grow up,” he went on, “always thought she had a good head on her shoulders. But I guess it’s true—quiet ones are the most rotten.”
Rotten.
I opened my eyes just in time to see the Pack Doctor—Kendrick—freeze, realizing his own words.
“You must forgive me, Bryson,” Kendrick said stiffly. “I didn’t mean to call your mate—”
“She is no mate of mine,” Bryson cut in.
The words landed like a blow. Kendrick’s sharp inhale mirrored my own. Both men turned toward me.
Bryson’s eyes were cold. Disgust simmered there.
Nausea surged, and I fled for the bathroom. My knees hit tile, and I emptied the little I’d eaten into the toilet.
When I emerged, my head still spinning, Bryson’s nostrils flared in irritation.
“What’s going on?” I asked, my voice hoarse.
“I should be asking you that. Who’s the father? Because it sure as hell isn’t me.”
My chest constricted. “What do you mean? You’re the only man I’ve ever been with.”
“Liar.”
The venom in his voice nearly knocked the air from my lungs.
“Bryson, how could you—? How can you be so sure you’re not the father? Is it because we… we made love just once? We can run another test—”
Kendrick cleared his throat, looking to Bryson for permission.
“Kathy,” he said, “Bryson cannot father a child.”
I blinked. “What?”
“Our Alpha is… impotent.” His tone was slow, as though explaining to a child.
I looked at Bryson. The truth was in his eyes. Still, I shook my head. “No. There has to be a mistake. You don’t look—” I caught myself. “We have to test again. There’s been a mix-up.”
“Scientific tests don’t lie,” Kendrick said quietly.
I stepped toward Bryson, resting my head against his chest. “I’m telling the truth.”
He pushed me away like my touch burned him.
“I, Bryson, reject you, Kathy, as my mate.”
The pain of the bond breaking slammed into me, dropping me to my knees. My arms curled around my stomach as if I could hold the pieces of myself together.
I watched him walk out without looking back. Kendrick gave me an apologetic glance before closing the door.
I packed my things in a haze. When I stepped outside, a guard was waiting to escort me.
How sweet of you, Bryson.
Downstairs, Rosa sat on a plush sofa like she owned the place. Her smirk was a dagger.
“Thank the Goddess your mother isn’t alive to see what a disappointment you’ve become,” she said. “You’ve always acted so perfect. Who would’ve thought you’re just a cheap slut?”
She laughed, humorless. “To think my mom used to compare me to you. She’d be so disappointed now.”
Her voice dropped as she stepped closer. I could smell her perfume. “If I were you, I’d disappear. Or kill myself. No one will ever want you now.”
She pressed a kiss to each of my cheeks like a mock blessing, then walked out, heels clicking against marble.
I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms.
“Take me home,” I told the guard. My voice was ice. “Now.”