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Why precisely with them? Why with him?' I sighed to myself.

'Because that’s what the pack needs’ snorted Varya, my she-wolf.

'There are so many packs we could ally ourselves with! Honest and civilized packs! We are one of the main packs in the country, and of the highest rank'.

'Yes, just like the Silver Sea. Who were the only ones who had a future Alpha around your age. The others were either too old or too young'.

Unfortunately she was right: Murtagh was the only suitor of my age. The only possible eligible candidate.

'I don't know what to do' I confessed.

'You have no choice' Varya murmured. 'Not that I like it, of course. I would like to meet our mate as much as you do. But sometimes, you have to sacrifice yourself for the common good'.

'They say he's cruel. What if…' the words choked in my throat as a familiar sensation gripped my stomach: fear. Murtagh's treachery was well known: he could have made my life a living with extreme ease, and the marriage contract I had signed did not include the possibility of a divorce, on either side. I would be stuck in a loveless marriage with a horrible and evil man.

'What if he beats you?' Varya concluded for me. 'Is this what you fear? It will not happen. Murtagh might have a hideous reputation, but he is not a fool: he will not dare to antagonize your father, one of the most powerful Alphas. Moreover, if he only dares to hurt us, we’ll kick his '.

Her bravery made me smile and restored my faith in myself: I wasn’t the strongest female of my pack out of nothing. My father’s blood, the blood of the Alpha, ran in my veins. I was perfectly able to stand my chance against another Alpha.

I thanked the stylist and the makeup artist, got up from the vanity and walked slowly towards the large closet of the hotel where I was staying: obviously the Silver Sea pack had offered me the best room in their pack house, but I had preferred to decline the offer, because I wanted to delay the meeting with my fiancé (I was disgusted having to use that word for a person I did not know and towards whom I was only afraid) as much as possible.

The wedding dress was hanging from one of the doors: in a blinding white, it was created by the women of the pack, as was tradition. It was an off-shoulder, empire-style dress, with a six-metre train that started from the shoulders. The silk of which it was made was very soft and of the highest quality, with embroideries of moons and stars all over the skirt; it was very long, so much that I was afraid of tripping over it, given the high heels on which I had to walk and whose mere sight terrified me. The seamstresses had already started working on it the week following the "engagement", which had taken place at a distance; Murtagh's father had sent a letter to my dad with the offer of marriage, he had accepted and a few days later the lawyers of the two packs had met to define, together with my father and Raynard, the terms of the agreement. When he got home, Dad handed me a little black velvet box given to him by Raynard: the engagement ring used by all the future Lunas of the Silver Sea pack. It was a wonderful ring with a white gold frame studded with little diamonds and adorned with a beautiful moonstone, that now rested on my ring finger. Along with it had arrived another box closed by a blue bow; inside there was a beautiful tiara, made with sapphires and diamonds, the same that now rested on my head. The note inside made me realize that it was Murtagh's mother, Susan Kirk, who had sent it to me: she wrote that the sapphires would have matched perfectly with my skin tone, and that she couldn’t wait to meet me. She was the only member of the Silver Sea pack that had regarded me with at least a word, albeit in written form. Receiving those jewels, but above all that message, had warmed my heart: it was nice to know that, in that pack, there was at least one person who was interested in getting to know me in a pure, sincere and disinterested way.

Slowly I ran the fabric of the dress between my fingers, lost in my thoughts: the softness of the fabric was mesmerizing, and the embroideries were so delicate and precise that I could perfectly guess their shapes by simply touching them. It was a wonderful dress, it was the dress I wanted to marry in: just not with a man I didn't know. I didn't even have a photo or description of him: I was about to walk down the aisle with closed eyes.

Knowing I was already late, I grabbed the dress and opened the zip, hidden by the train: I inserted a cotton thread in the slider to be able to pull it up easily and then, being careful not to stain or crease the fabric, I put it on. Once the zip was closed, I cut the thread, put on the high-heeled, white lace pumps and turned to the mirror.

Despite the situation in which I was falling, I could not help but smile in front of that sight: the dress perfectly wrapped my body, elegantly emphasizing the curves of the hips and breasts and making me look taller, ideal for a petite girl like me. The fabric slid over me like water and made my figure glow, matching my pale skin; and as Susan had written, the tiara she had given me made my complexion and my hair stand out in equal measure.

"You look beautiful, wolfie”.

The warm and deep voice of my father made me jump with surprise: without being noticed, he had walked into the room, probably while I was lost gazing in the mirror.

"Dad!"

I ran to meet him and plunged into his arms: immediately his smell of maple and autumn leaves enveloped me, bringing back the feeling of safety I always felt as a child. It was the scent of family, of the pack: and the pack does not abandon you. Never.

"Oh, Kate ... I never thought I'd live to see this day ... but here you are, gorgeous as a princess" he smiled. His warm brown eyes were shining with emotion and the light of the full moon was reflected in his tears.

I thought of catching that moment to tell him how I really felt about my wedding: with him, my grandma and all the other members of the pack I had lied shamelessly, always showing myself happy and in seventh heaven from the moment he told me he had arranged my marriage. It would have been easy to give vent to my feelings: I knew that, seeing me so scared and worried, he would immediately interrupt the ceremony. What restrained me was his proud and happy expression: Dad had rarely been so happy since the death of mom and Kenny. Since that tragic day he had done everything he could to protect me and make me happy, and I knew that this marriage was also part of that plan: he knew that the extremely violent but loyal members of the Silver Sea would do anything for the future Luna. Through the marriage we would have united the two most powerful and prestigious packs of the country, becoming a de facto royal family and giving security to both packs. It was the wisest thing to do: all sides would win and be happy. Everyone except me. Oh, and Murtagh, probably. Who knows, maybe he didn't want to marry me too.

"Ready to get married, sweetie?" Dad asked, and I nodded. I rarely lied to him, and when I did I felt a lump in my throat; this time, however, I did not, because I knew that it would be the truth that made him feel bad.

'For the pack. I do it for the pack' .

'It will be fine' Varya tried to reassure me. 'I'm sure'.

"Good" Dad smiled and held out his arm to me. "Then, off we go. Your fiancé is waiting for you".

'Murtagh'

I tried to pronounce his name in my mind, just to get used to the pronunciation and sound: it was not a bad name, just a little strange. Rare, actually. It was the name of the man with whom I would spend the rest of my life: I had better get used to it.

We headed for the exit of the room, but suddenly dad shook his head and put a hand to his forehead. "I was almost forgetting!" he exclaimed. Then he put his hand in his pocket and pulled out an elegant box, inside which there was a beautiful pair of yellow diamond earrings, one in the shape of a star and one in the shape of a moon.

They were so beautiful that their sight left me breathless. The earrings were shining bright, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the name of pack, Bright Moon: the pack that I felt I was leaving, despite the fact that things were not quite so.

'I don't want to enter the Silver Sea ... I don't want to ...'

"Honey? Katie, what's wrong with you? " dad asked worriedly and pulled me in a tight hug. "Come on, don't cry… don't ruin such a beautiful make up. Look, these earrings are part of the pack's jewelry collection, but they all agreed to give them to you as you are about to join two packs. Yes, from now on you will be a Silver Sea, but when the time shall come you and Murtagh will be Alpha and Luna of both packs. You will always be a Bright Moon... The most shining star of the pack. Look, now you have something old" and he pointed to the earrings. "Something new," and pointed to my dress. "And something blue," he concluded, adjusting Susan's crown.

I quickly nodded and forced a smile on my lips: the sadness in my heart was not only for the change of pack I was about to undergo, but obviously also for the wedding: but this, dad didn't have to know. Dad handed me a handkerchief and I used it to dry my eyes: and now, I looked perfectly ready for my wedding.

Mate?

MURTAGH'S POV

My bedroom was filled with the smell of sex, mixed with the orchid scent of the girl lying next to me and that of the candles. Their light created strange and hypnotizing shapes of light and shadow, which were capturing my attention more than the woman.

"You were fantastic" she murmured, hugging me, pressing her breasts against my chest. She let out a chuckle and put a wet, lipstick-stained kiss on my cheek.

I just nodded. I should haveprobably answered with something nice, but I just kept watching the dance of the flames. She was just one of the many I'd slept with, and she wasn't even the best: why make her believe falsehoods? She had been loud, unnatural, exaggerated - it would have been more natural to do it with a sex doll.

"Really" she insisted, noticing my absence of reply, and rubbing even more against me. "It never happened to me that ..."

"You can go" I said dryly. That made her shut up: her continuous, shrill chatter was unbearable.

"But ..."

“I'm busy now. Go, please" I repeated, trying to be more polite, just to get her to get out of my bed.

She sighed and shook her head. "You're an ," she only said, before getting dressed and leaving.

Finally alone, I got up and, putting on a pair of pants, walked to the balcony of my room, which gave a magnificent view of the sea. The sun, a fiery red, was throwing itself into the rushing waves of the horizon: within a few minutes the first stars and planets would appear, and then the Moon would rise. Although that was every werewolf's most coveted moment, and my favorite of every day, that day I hoped it would delay as much as possible. As per tradition, at the rising of the Goddess I would be bound forever to my bethroted.

Katherine, I thought that was her name: Katherine Black. The only things I knew about her were that she was twenty, four years younger than me, and that my mother, way happier than me to meet her, had sent her a gift.

But you never gave Grace anything, did you, Mom? No, you didn't like her. She was not the daughter of a rich and powerful Alpha. She didn’t have the power to make you one of the most important Lunas in the country, I thought to myself, bitterly. I could see her, from my position: she was on the beach, already dressed up for the occasion, giving orders to the members of the pack who were finishing to set up the decorations of the gazebo and the white wooden walkways.

She saw me too, and immediately raised her left eyebrow in disapproval.

Your fiancée will be here in half an hour, she hissed through the mental link. Shower and dress up immediately. You won't dishonor your father, the pack and our guests by showing up at your wedding smelling like a brothel!

Of course, I snorted ironically. I could never ruin your big party.

Make sure you don't be a brat, Murtagh. Now obey.

As you wish.

I went back to my room, closing the windows behind me with anger, and quickly slipped under the shower in my bathroom, hoping that the hot water would help me calm down and drove away all the anger, the disappointment, the sadness. All the pain.

As I feared, it had no effect: it did not even dispel the chill that had crawled into my bones from those emotions and memories.

More frustrated than before, I quickly wrapped a towel around my hips and went back to the room, staring hatefully at the suit I had hung in the back of the wardrobe, to see it as little as possible. I should have worn it to marry my Grace, not this Katherine: but now Grace was gone.

"Murtagh?" Sean, my best friend, walked in and closed the door behind him. He was the only one in the whole pack who had the right to freely enter my room. He was already wearing his own suit, I noticed. “Mark saw the bride's car… that is, Katherine's… and it's ten minutes from here. And the moon is rising. In short, you should get ready".

"I'll be right there" I sighed. "Tell my parents I'll be down in two minutes."

Seven minutes later I was dressed into that stupid suit, busy waiting under a flowery gazebo for the bride to arrive. The only thing I wanted to do at that moment was to shift and run free on the beach, and then get lost in the woods behind; chasing preys, perceiving all the smells, the solid earth under the paws.

"Hey, kid."

My father approached me, with a tense smile on his face that I understood very well: he kind of felt sorry for forcing me into this . It was my mother who insisted that he should write to Alpha Derek, proposing me as a suitor for his daughter's hand: according to her, we were each other’s only possible choice. For both me and Katherine there were no suitors of the right rank: she needed a future Alpha, and I needed a future Luna. From the dynastic point of view we were the perfect match. In the end my father had given in, mostly because my mother's reasons were true: she was the only girl in the whole country that I could marry. We were a powerful pack, and the marriage would have made us even more strong.

Better now, that both of you are young and prone to falling in love, dad sighed when he gave me the news. He had said nothing more, but I had guessed the rest of the speech: he hoped that, in this way, I would not end up stuck in a loveless marriage, celebrated only for dynastic reasons. I could read guilt all over his face: guilt for having to choose the wellness of the pack over my right of being with my own mate, as every werewolf should.

"Hi dad" I murmured, stiffening. I wasn't really in the mood for a balls-breaking father-son kind of talk.

"It's normal to be tense" he said, taking his place next to me. “For better or for worse, this day will change your life. I just want you to know… it's for your own good. Do you know this? "

Grace was my good, I thought, but didn't say it. I just nodded.

"Murtagh ... you are about to get married" he went on, more gravely. "Do you understand what it means? Katherine will be your wife, you will have to protect her and provide for her to the best of your ability."

"I know”.

“And you understand there are many people who’ll try to take her away from you”.

“I do” I answered, clenching my fists. Why the was he talking to me as if I was a fussing kid?

“You’d better listen, boy. Katherine will be scared, just like you, and will seek support from whoever will offer it. Now, you guys are the key of this alliance. Many people, inside and outside our pack, will try to divide you to make sure they have total control over Kate and, therefore, over the next Luna. That’s how politics work. You must avoid this scenario at all costs, and you have to start right now. Do you understand?"

"Yes".

Dad sighed and nodded. "Good," he said, squeezing my shoulder. "Listen, I can’t even imagine how much this is costing you. I know you loved Grace with all your heart, but … I want you to know I admire you immensely for doing this, for choosing the pack over …”

“Over what? Love? The only woman I really loved is dead, so tell me: over what am I choosing the pack?” I hissed, while the pain and the sorrow for Grace’s death overwhelmed me.

“I know that the love between Grace and you was strong” he said calmly. “That’s why we destroyed the pack that took her from you. But you are still young, and I know that your heart is full of love, and not of hatred as you want to make it look. For what it's worth I think you'll both be very happy."

"Let's hope" I murmured, not truly believing those words. I just wanted to end this conversation.

A sound of tires under braking reached my ears and a strange sensation surfaced in my stomach. One I've never felt before.

A shiny black SUV appeared in my sight and stopped right in front of the gangway that the boys had assembled: a man got out on the driver's side and headed for the rear door.

As soon as he opened it, a strange, intoxicating scent spread into the air: I could not identify its components, but the only image that came to mind when smelling that scent was that of a clear, silvery mountain stream, and the smell of woods at dawn.

Mate, Connor, my wolf, said, as he was filled with excitement.

No. No, it can't be, I panted.

It’s her. She’s here! he insisted anxiously.

A slow and sweet melody began to play, a set of strings, choruses and bells made by those members of my pack who dabbled in music; a woman got out of the car, wrapped in a simple but elegant white dress: it was Katherine.

Unlike the other brides at the weddings I attended, she showed no signs of shyness, fear or modesty: proudly, she refused to keep her eyes down and kept her head proudly and quietly raised. She had pure Alpha blood in her veins, after all.

And as soon as I saw her face, her warm light-brown eyes, her highlighted hair, the sweet line of her lips, those sensations I had felt as soon as I heard the sound of the car returned with the violence of a flood, tenfold, a hundredfold in power.

Connor was right. The signs didn't lie.

It was her.

My mate.

Rejected

KATHERINE

When Dad braked in front of the beach, I felt like throwing up. My stomach was twisting almost painfully, and I could feel the bitter taste of bile coating my throat's walls.

And so, the time had finally come. I was really going to get out of the car and get married.

Calm down, Varya said. You can't throw up on the groom. Take it easy.

How the am I supposed to take this easy?!

"Ready, honey?" dad asked. His smile flashed for a second in the rearview mirror, a big, warm, sincerely happy smile.

I nodded quickly and he got out of the car: a few moments later, he opened my door and offered me his arm.

Moon Goddess, please help this devoted daughter of yours. Support me in the trial that I will have to face, make sure that nothing happens to me, make sure everything is okay, I whispered that prayer in my mind, hoping it would be heard.

Moon Goddess, please help this devoted daughter of yours ... I began to repeat the prayer, but suddenly I was distracted by a strange, intoxicating scent. The smell of salt, chocolate and forest were mixed in a fragrance so masculine and sensual that it made my head spin; I had never smelt it before, and instinctively I wondered why my senses, among all the smells I could perceive, had chosen to focus precisely on this, and this only. In any case, it was that smell that made me get out of the car: within me I felt the urgent and pressing need to find out whose smell was it. That need was so urgent that I almost didn't even notice the huge crowd of guests in front of me. Intrigued, I concentrated on the scent, trying my best to find out where it came from without looking like a truffle dog. The track was not clear, but I felt that the further I proceeded towards the gazebo of white flowers, under which I was supposed to get married, the stronger it became.

Mate! Varya suddenly exclaimed. I could feel her jumping up and down in joy in my mind, excited and excited.

What?

Can't you feel it too? It's him! He is our mate! It's his smell! He's here!

Suddenly the trace became clear, obvious, impossible to lose: it led directly to ...

Oh, goddess, I whispered to myself. The man to whom that perfume belonged was standing under the gazebo: his gaze was fixed on me, deep, unreadable, of a limpid gray. Involuntarily my eyes were drawn to the rest of his figure: Murtagh (he could only be Murtagh, since the other two men under the gazebo were an Elder around his eighties and another man who looked almost fifty) was at least 5'9 '' tall and his whole body was a bundle of muscles that wriggled underneath the skin. His face was perfectly chiseled and the most attractive I have ever seen: his hard jaw line, straight nose, strong eyebrows and amazing lips were all perfectly balanced in an irresistible combination of male beauty and strength. His grey eyes were enhanced by his hair, shiny chocolate brown waves that, under the moonlight, looked almost sprinkled with morning dew.

Everything about him was a reminder of his strength, his prowess, the fact that he was a warrior and a future Alpha; the stories had to be true.

As soon as his eyes met mine I knew that Varya was right: he was my mate. Every fiber of my body screamed at it: from the butterflies in my stomach, to the strange sensation I felt in the lower belly, to the unconscious desire to bury myself in his arms and never abandon them.

How is it possible? I don't even know him!

Even so, those feelings increased as I got closer to him.

What if he doesn't want me? Doubt crept through me. What if he refuses me?

Well, then he'd be an idiot, Varya commented. Her happiness was uncontainable, and I had to try hard to keep it at bay: if I had let it take over, chances were that I'd jump on him like a wolf in her heat. You are his mate, plus you're perfectly healthy and capable of producing many small puppies. It’d be his loss, girl.

A few steps later I found myself in front of him, and for the Goddess, up close he was even more attractive, and his perfume intoxicating. I felt dad kissing my hand and repeating me that he loved me, and saw him reaching his Beta, Mark, in the front raw, but all those sensation were like the ones of a distant dream: all my attention was focused on him, on my mate.

Say something, I begged him, even though I knew he couldn't hear me. Do something ...

Suddenly something changed in his eyes; from gray, they first became black, and then amber. His wolf was taking over, and I felt that Varya was doing the same too.

"Mine," he growled, his voice halfway between human and feral. He reached out and grabbed my wrist, pulling me against his chest and squeezing me against him. At that moment, the world around me ceased to exist: there was only me and Murtagh, it was only us. Just feeling his hands, big and strong, hold me close to him sent me into raptures, making me feel sensations that I never imagined existed. The way he tangled his fingers into my hair, tugging them just a little, how his chest felt warm and solid against my cheek ... everything about him was amazing, mesmerizing, perfect. Varya, inside me, howled with happiness. Her joy also infected me, so much that I tried to hug him as well ... when it all ended.

Suddenly he shuddered and parted abruptly from me: his eyes were gray again.

"What happened?" he whispered, his voice filled with tension and something I could only identify as anger.

But ...

"You claimed her as your mate" the Elder, who was in charge of celebrating the wedding, said with a smile. "You declared it in front of your assembled pack".

"My wolf did it" Murtagh retorted, still speaking softly so the guests wouldn't hear. "Not me".

My mind went completely blank as I felt my chest tighten painfully with sorrow, confusion and desperation. I was his mate: he had declared it himself, he said I was his, that I belonged with him. Why was he taking it all back now?

Varya's happiness also faded: in its place, a horrible sense of confusion and bewilderment grew.

"This makes no difference" the Elder said solemnly. “You, Murtagh Kirk, son of Alpha Raynard of the Silver Sea pack, have declared that this woman, Katherine Black, daughter of Alpha Derek of the Bright Moon pack, belongs to you, thus depriving her and yourself of the possibility of a rejection, and therefore you are bonded for the rest of your lives. You are now One; one soul, one body, one mind. This makes the marriage superfluous: now your packs are united by a much deeper and more solid bond than the one that would have been established through your marriage. Rejoice, children of the Moon, and be happy, for the Goddess has decided to bless you. When the time comes the two of you will be Alpha and Luna: honor your titles".

The crowd exploded in cheers and cheers of jubilation, but I hardly heard them: I could only feel my broken, shattered heart, and my anger.

I was furious with myself for the pain I felt; I had met him only three minutes before, I knew nothing about him, yet his rejection burnt like ; and I was furious with him for first declaring me his and then refusing me, precluding any possibility of having a second chance with another mate.

Because of him, I was now stuck in a completely loveless relationship, forever.

Shattered Hearts

- MURTAGH'S POV -

Connor?

I tried to call my wolf, but no answer came from him. Not even an insult, or an irritated snort. For two hours, and precisely since I had implicitly declared that I did not want Katherine, he had stopped talking to me, or even just sharing his feelings about the whole situation.

Come on, you know perfectly well why I had to do it, I snorted. You jumped on her like a dog in heat! If I hadn't stopped you, you would have boned her there in front of everyone.

Not even the provocation made him answer me, so I angrily sank a slice of garlic bread into the cheesy fondue in front of me. The wedding feast had begun almost an hour ago and not even the shadow of the first of the main courses was in sight. What the were the Omegas doing in the kitchen?! Braiding each other's hair and painting their nails?

I just wanted the night to end as soon as possible. It was becoming unbearable. Both my mother and my father had the same expression on their faces, which meant "prepare your butt for the spanking". Connor had decided to ignore me. All members of my pack and Katherine's were coming to our table to congratulate us on a bond neither of us wanted. She was sitting next to me, and being so close to her, I couldn't help but look at her or smell her perfume, which had already caused me an unwanted erection. And as if that wasn't enough, she did nothing to hide the hatred she felt for me: from the outside, her smiles and thanks for the good wishes seemed wonderfully pure and sincere, but because of the bond we now shared it was impossible for me to ignore the anger and hatred in her voice.

In that moment I saw my parents stand up.

Great, I snorted. As if that day couldn't get worse!

"Here you are!" my father gave us a dazzling smile. "Katie! The last time I saw you, you were still walking on all fours. You truly are all grown up".

"That's true," Mom echoed. Katherine blushed slightly, and in a delicious way.

No! No, I told myself firmly. You don't even have to think about it. She is not the right woman for you. That's enough.

"Thank you" she replied with a soft, polite smile.

"You don't mind if I steal my son for five minutes, do you?" dad asked her.

You really had to put it that way, huh?

By now I had understood something about Katherine, even if we hadn't even spoken a single word to each other: she hated me and would have taken any opportunity to remind me that.

A smirk came to her face, and she shook her head. "Oh, not at all!" he exclaimed, clearly feigning a heartfelt tone. She was perfectly aware that my father knew of my "rejection", since he was right behind me when I said those words, so she accentuated that mocking tone even more, just to make sure that I could not doubt that if my father had taken me away, she would have only been glad.

And that awareness hurt me.

I knew I had no right to be offended: after all, it was I who had hurt her first, and so she had every reason in the world to treat me like that. Yet, seeing the hatred in her eyes hurt more than I wanted. I knew that it was the mating bond that made me feel that way, and not a real feeling (there was and there was going to be only one woman in my life), but that awareness didn't make it any less painful.

It's not right! I shouldn't be feeling like this at all!

"That's great, then," my mother smiled. "Since the chef is a bit late with the courses, I think we totally should take advantage of it. Come on, honey, I'll introduce you to the rest of the pack. Let the men discuss their own stuff. "

She put her arm around Kate's waist and, together, they went off into the crowd. With way much less kindness, however, my father dragged me into the forest.

"Did you by any chance decide to turn off your brain and feed it to the dogs?" he hissed, trying to keep his voice low.

"Dad ..." I began to explain, but he cut me off.

"Stop it. We all saw what happened on the beach" he said, clearly pissed. "You claimed her as yours. Now tell me, why the did you rejected her a moment later?"

"Because Connor chose her, not me!" I protested.

After that, my father went silent for a few minutes, massaging the root of his nose with his thumb and forefinger.

"Murtagh," he said then. “I understand why you are doing this. You lost Grace a year ago and you're still grieving. I saw how much her loss has made you suffer, even if you tried to hide it. But now it's time to move on, do you understand? I …"

"I'm not going to do that," I snarled, shaking off his hand, which he had rested on my shoulder after a supposedly comforting squeeze. “And you have no right to lecture me. You don't know what there was between Grace and me, you don't have the slightest idea of it. I don't want a second chance with this girl, and I won't spoil Grace's memory by being with someone else! " I screamed and left, hurrying back to the banquet.

Katherine was sitting at our table again, still busy greeting and thanking, like a good doll.

That's what she is. A well-trained little , nothing more.

I quickly sat down next to her, sent away the who let his gaze slide too much along her curves and then devoured another sandwich.

At least try not to be rude, I heard my father tell me. His tone was serious this time. He obviously didn't like my last comment.

Finally, the Omegas who worked in the kitchens decided to move their asses, and within five minutes the first courses began to be served.

Katherine and I both ate our dinner in silence and quickly: it was clear that she didn't want to dwell on those stupid rituals any more than I did, and so we were the first to finish.

"So what's up?" my mother said swooping down on us like a hawk, and of course addressing Kate. "Was the food good, guys?"

"Yes," I snapped. I knew she was just worried that everything was going well (she was a perfectionist, after all) but I didn't want to take a minute longer of this event.

"I… feel very embarrassed to have to say this, but…" Katherine muttered. "I'm allergic to anchovies and I realized too late that there were some in the pasta. I'm starting to feel a bit strange, so ... "

Allergic? But it wasn't true. I had seen how, during the appetizers, she particularly liked the anchovy canapes: and then, if she really felt bad, I would have felt it through the bond.

Eventually I got there: she was lying. She was lying so she could get away from me.

Well, better. I don't want her around a moment longer.

"Absolutely, sweetheart" my mother nodded. "Murtagh, take her in the pack house and show her where the medicine cabinet is. I'm gonna tell your dad, dear, okay?"

Was I really hoping I could get rid of her for five minutes? Of course not!

Katherine nodded quickly, resting her head on her hand as if she was oh-so-tired. I had to admit, she was good at pretending to be sick.

"Just ... please, don't tell him I actually ate the anchovies. He'd get mad if he'd find out that I wasn't paying attention ... he's just so worried about everything" Katherine asked, with a timid note in her voice.

Mom nodded and smiled. "I got you covered".

So, under the threat of my mother's gaze, I got up and held out my hand to help her get back on her feet. Since I knew the pack lands and the surrounding of the pack house like the back of my hand, I knew how to disappear without being noticed, and that's what I did with Kate. As soon as we were alone, she was the first to break away from my grasp, and the strange sense of emptiness that followed only helped to make me feel angrier about those strange sensations. Speaking about them, it was stupid from me to call them strange: I knew them very well, I just didn't want them. But I had been so foolish to let Connor take over and declare her his, precluding me from rejecting her.

"Thank you" Katherine said dryly, smoothing the skirt of her dress. "You can go back to the party if you want."

"I'd have to explain your absence" I replied.

"Your mother is already doing it."

"You don't know the pack house, you'd get lost" I continued, unable to stop and hating myself for it. I knew it was Connor who conditioned my words: he didn't want to leave her.

Stop it! I yelled at him. I don't want any of this!

I do.

Katherine suddenly turned to me, her eyes sparkling with fury. "Don't you think you've done enough for just one night?" she hissed. "Do me a favor and leave me alone" she growled and, lifting the hem of her dress so as not to dirty it, she began to march towards the back door of the house.

You see? She doesn't want us, I said to Connor. Do as she wants and leave her alone.

It's not true. She does want us. She is OURS!

No it is not. Grace was ours.

Grace is dead! He howled. I could feel his pain growing as the distance between Katherine and me grew: he thought he needed her, but I didn't. I knew we didn't.

I would have made him change his mind: I would have made him understand.

KATHERINE

As soon as I entered the huge pack house, dozens of eyes (blue, green, hazel eyes) fixed on me. All those people wore either kitchen aprons, and they were clearly surprised to see the bride inside the house, when she was supposed to be outside, sitting at the table, celebrating.

"Miss Katherine" a woman in her fifties approached me slowly, with a welcoming smile on her thin, rosy lips. I guessed from her clothing that she had to be the chef: she wasn't very tall, and she kept her dark hair tied in a low bun behind her head. Gently, she placed a flour-stained hand on my arm. "Are you feeling well?"

For a few moments I could not speak: my throat felt as dry as a desert.

"I …"

"She needs an antihistamine" a voice said from behind my shoulder, almost making me jump in shock.

Of course that of Murtagh didn't even had the faint idea of listening to me and leaving me alone. With a worried expression on his face, which did nothing but scream falsehood, he wrapped an arm around my waist, pressing me gently against his side. He even dared to give me a soft kiss on the temple to make sure his acting performance looked like an Oscar-worthy one. "I'll take her upstairs, she needs to rest" he went on. "Can you bring it up to her, Felicia?"

"Sure, kiddo" she smiled, patting him on the cheek, with an obviously ironic tone. “As if I can't tell when a girl is feeling sick or not. Do you guys want some time for yourself as mates? I'll cover you" and saying so, she winked at him and left, chuckling.

As soon as we were alone, of course, the worried expression vanished from his face, giving way to complete indifference. His arm disappeared from my waist as quickly as it had arrived and he jerked away from me.

"Follow me" he said then, his voice as cold as ice, starting to walk towards an imposing staircase.

Without any desire to argue, I followed him through the tangle of corridors, rooms and halls of which the house was composed, amazed by the royal appereance and grandeur of the building. After at least ten minutes of walking we arrived on the fourth floor, the one that hosted the family of the Alpha.

"This is my room" he said dryly, opening a door and gesturing for me to enter. “You can sleep here tonight. Yours isn't ready yet, but it will be by tomorrow night. Good night, Katherine."

He turned and made his way towards the door, but I felt the urge to stop him. I knew it was Varya who wanted it, not me, but despite this I couldn't fight that impulse, and so I stretched my arm in his direction. In the very moment in which my fingers closed around his wrist, I felt an electric tingle run all over my arm, from the point where my skin came into contact with his: Varya moaned with pleasure.

Murtagh gave me a cold, furious glance, but did nothing to push me away.

"Is there any problem?" he asked dryly.

"Where ... where are you going to sleep?" I asked, trying with all my might to keep my voice from shaking. "I mean, this is your room, after all."

He was silent for a few seconds: he clearly hadn't thought about it.

"You can take the bed" he said then, using his free hand to gently remove his wrist from my grip. “I'll stay on the couch. Your suitcases have already been brought here, so you can change into a more comfortable outfit, if you wish. The bathroom is over there.” He pointed to a dark wooden door to the right. The next moment he went out, closing the door behind him, leaving me completely alone and still shaken by that strange sensation I had felt by touching him.

Slowly, I reached my suitcases and began to open them, taking out a change of underwear and something to sleep in: the choice fell on a pair of leggings and an old T-shirt from a rock concert I went to with my dad years before.

Murtagh's bathroom was huge: it had a bathtub and a maxi shower, both of them equipped with hydromassage systems. It looked like a prince's washroom. Every single thing in that room screamed masculinity, from the predominant colors, onyx black and dark red, to the fragrances of the bubble baths. Musk and pine, I noticed and chuckled. Typical.

With a sigh, I began filling the tub with hot water, hoping that a warm, bubbly bath would help me end the day in a better way than it had started. But now the time of dreams was over: if I had even dared to hope that my marriage could be happy, I was very wrong. I was condemned to live in a totally stranger pack, with a man who hated me despite being my mate, and who had taken away my possibility of finding happiness elsewhere.

As soon as I found the strength to face the harsh truth, the pain hit me with unbearable force: I didn't even noticed when tears began to wet my cheeks, and my vision became more and more blurred because of them. Within five minutes, my chest was aching from the sobs that were filling the silence of the bathroom.

One of the few clear memories I had of my mom was about a morning in which she was doing my hair, telling me stories about mates: from those tales, it looked like the mate was that one persone that would love me, cuddle me, cherish me, treat me like his queen. I had always wanted a fairytale ending, an epic love with my mate, that kind of love that makes your heart burst: despite the arranged marriage, I had always kept that hope. Realizing that I had been ripped of it just with a few words, with a simple "it was my wolf who chose her, not me", was terrible.

I didn't choose her.

My wolf did.

I had heard enough stories about mates to know that the wolf chooses the wolf, and the man the woman, or the other way around. The wolf of Murtagh, therefore, had not even chosen me, but Varya.

I was trapped in a bond in which I, Katherine, was not wanted by anyone: neither by Murtagh, nor by his wolf.

I'm going to live without love, I admitted to myself, and felt my heart definitely shatter in a million pieces.