Chaper Fifty-Seven
“Please, stop! Please don’t do this!” Catherine begged as the man pulled her by her hair toward the door. “Mom, dad, please don’t let him take me away!”
“Quit fighting, they’ve signed you over,” the man above her said with a rough shake. He threw her onto the front porch and Catherine hit her head hard. She glanced up to see the two people who had raised her watch with disapproval.
“For Goddess sake, Catherine. Alpha Dominic wants you. Imagine what your position as luna could do for your family. Don’t you love us? You must not care after all,” the man she’d called father said.
“He-He’ll ki-kill me!” Catherine begged
Her mother scoffed. “If he wanted you dead, he wouldn’t have been paying us to watch over you these last fifteen years.” Her mother looked to the man still holding her. “When will we get our final check?”
The man above her chuckled. “Once she becomes his luna, you will get your reward.”
“That’s bull,” her father hissed.
牛牛
A swirl of wind picked up behind her and she glanced back to see a portal open. Through the portal she saw the image of a man standing with his hands in his pockets. His legs were spread wide and a grin pulled at his lips when their eyes locked.
“Please!” Catherine begged, looking up at the man holding her. “I’ll do anything. I will do anything you want, just don’t take me to him!”
The man reached down and touched her cheek with his index finger.
“Curtis…” the man in the portal warned.
“Sorry, Love,” Curtis whispered, dragging his finger down to her lips. “He and I had a deal.”
Curtis threw her into the portal where Alpha Dominic was waiting for her.
Catherine skirted her way down the hallway of the Moonstone Packhouse. Her heart felt like it was stuffed in her throat. It had only been a day since being brought to the packhouse and she already knew her fate was sealed. Dominic wanted her. His dark gold eyes never left hers. Even while the other girls paraded around vying for his attention, his eyes were locked on his target. Then he touched her beneath the dining table. Then he showed up to her bedroom. She needed to escape.
She heard voices and deviated her path. She ran down the main stairs. Hurried footsteps approached. Her breathing became hard as she raced for the front door. The voices turned to shouts. Tears streaked down her face. She flung the door open, stepped outside and then tripped.
Catherine tumbled forward. Rather than feeling the rough cold scrape of the wooden porch, she skidded against a thick rug. She laid there for a moment, trying to take in her surroundings using her other senses. A fire crackled nearby, heating her skin to a pleasurable level. The rug beneath her scratched against her skin and then she realized her clothes were gone. Catherine sat up, covering herself as best she could. She glanced around. The room was opulent with a huge stone fireplace, several leather chairs, bookcases lining all the walls. She heard a low chuckle behind her and froze.
“Didn’t take you long to break the rules, now did it?” Alpha Dominic observed.
Catherine’s blood turned to sludge. A moment later his pine scent enveloped her senses. He squatted down behind her and ran a knuckle down her spine. She shivered in fear.
“H-He said we would be sent to the dungeons,” Catherine whispered. She glanced over her shoulder to find his eyes skimming her bare back. “H-He said our punishment would be the dungeons and for us to be s-starved.”
“Curtis established a punishment more fitting for my future luna. It was his idea. I didn’t think it would come to this but, perhaps I should have finished what I started in your bedroom earlier so that you wouldn’t have the ability to leave it.”
“N-No, please take me to the dungeons. I’m sorry.”
“You would prefer that? To this,” he questioned with a raised brow. His golden eyes held hers and he smiled. “You wanted to be away from me… is that it?”
Chaper Fifty-Seven
Catherine found herself nodding. “I don’t want to be here. Please, let me go.”
Dominic sighed and touched under her chin. “You’re mine, Catherine. You’ve been mine for fifteen years. You aren’t going anywhere.” He brushed a tear from her cheek. “If you try to leave, you will be brought to me… like this,” he whispered, his voice hoarse as his eyes dipped down to her exposed chest. “And then I will punish you myself.”
Dominic stood and took a step back. He put his hands in his pockets and nodded his head to the bed. “Get on the bed, my little briar patch.”
“P-Please, Alpha Dominic, I have been waiting for my mate,” she tried to explain. The sacred connection of the mate bond was sometimes enough to sway someone. She had to at least try. Instead a flash of lust shot across his eyes and they glowed yellow.
“I am your mate, Catherine. I’ll claim what you’ve saved for me. On. the. Bed,” he commanded.
Catherine shook as she stood. She climbed on the bed, tears streaking down her face. Dominic climbed over her and she was grateful at least that he was still fully clothed. His hand glided up her naked body and the tears came harder.
His voice was dark as he spoke. “You will stop crying. You want this. Resist me and I will get Curtis. I want this to be natural for us, Catherine, don’t make me alter your mind again…”
Catherine waited until the maid left her meal inside the door. She’d been forbidden to interact with any of the other girls. After she discovered what they were being used for, she’d begged Dominic to let them go. He saw it as her trying to dominate him and she paid for it. She was still paying for it. She hadn’t seen another soul besides Dominic in five days.
Catherine took the fork and knife from her plate and dropped in front of the door. After ten minutes of frustration and cursing, the door unlocked. Catherine jumped up and sprinted down the hallway. She counted in her head. Every time she’d been brought to Dominic, they’d covered her eyes. After the second time, she started counting each step. Twenty-four down her hall, turn right and another fifteen turn left. Instead of turning right after twenty-seven steps, she turned left… and ran right into Miranda.
The girls shrieked before covering each other’s mouths with their hands. Both girls breathed heavily and nodded before releasing their hold.
“Catherine! We thought you were dead!” Miranda whispered.
Catherine shook her head. “I might as well have been. I am getting out of here. Dominic is on a run with one of the other contestants.”
Miranda nodded sadly. “Julia.”
Catherine knew Dominic was sleeping with the other girls. He didn’t try to hide their scent. He hoped she would get jealous… instead she became disgusted. He told her last night he planned to tell the council by tomorrow that he’d chosen her. Afterward, whether they approved or not, he would mark her. She needed out.
“I need to get out of here,” Miranda continued. “My mate is out there waiting for me. I just need to get to him.”
Mate. Mate. Mate. Graham.
Catherine put a hand to her head and shook it. She leaned against the wall. Images flooded her mind of a lycan shifted. A lycan, she’d never seen one in person. This one was massive with rusty brown hair. The lycan pushed his nose into her neck and then ran off through a kitchen door.
“Catherine?” Miranda asked, gripping her arm.
Catherine. Kitty Kate. Catherine. Baby. Graham.
“Catherine!” Miranda whisper-yelled.
Catherine opened her eyes to see Miranda standing in front of her. Her eyes were darting around the hallway.
“Miranda… it’s you,” Catherine whispered before hugging Miranda in a bone crushing embrace. “You died. Dominic killed you right in front of me. This is… I can’t believe…” Catherine pulled away sharply and watched the horror play out on Miranda’s face. How could this be? She remembered. She remembered Graham. She remembered that Chloe was watching her right now. She remembered tonight and how it would go from bad to worse over the next few hours. Catherine glanced down and shook her head. “Miranda, go back to your room.”
Chaper Fifty-Seven
Miranda shook her head hard. “No, I can’t. I can’t!”
“You must!” Catherine whispered. “Nothing you’ve gone through will compare to what will happen if you go through with this plan. You will get caught. You will be killed and…”
“Simon? My mate Simon?” Miranda asked.
Catherine closed her eyes hard. “I don’t know. But I can imagine. Go back to bed. This will all be over in a few days. I promise. Just please please listen to me
now!”
Miranda nodded and wiped the tears from her face before she turned and ran back down the hall. Catherine took a deep breath. She could change this. She could go back to her room and tonight would never happen. She didn’t even think, she turned and started back to her room. Somewhere along the way though, she miscounted. She pushed open a door and stared out at the back gardens. She pulled her foot back inside but it was too late.
The world around her spun and tears sprung to her eyes as she felt the cool air touch her bare skin. She waited for the sound of his fireplace, or the sound of Julia moaning beneath him. Instead, she heard running water and smelled lavender. Catherine opened her eyes to find herself in front of the second worst man in the packhouse: Curtis.
“Hello, Love, I told you we’d get our moment again,” Curtis cooed.
“No,” she whispered, knowing what was about to happen.
“I thought you might could use a break from our fearless leader for the night,” Curtis continued, walking to his personal bar to pour them a drink. She glared at the drink, knowing he’d put a spell on it. He always put a spell on it. He handed the drink to her and she gripped it tight enough to crack it.
“Dominic will kill you if you touch me again,” she said, knowing he wouldn’t. “Does he know you can do this yet?”
Curtis ran his hand over her arm. “I would never let him know about this power of mine, Catherine, Baby. You don’t want me to send you to him and you get in trouble again do you? Now, be a good girl and come here,” he whispered, stepping back with her toward the bed.
“No,” Catherine said, trying to fight him.
“Drink,” he ordered, pushing the glass up toward her lips.
“No!” Catherine threw the glass to the ground, sending shards of it scattering across the room.
Curtis looked down at the glass and then his eyes shot up to hers. He thrust his hand out and gripped her throat in a punishing grip. Catherine fought against his grasp. This was new. He’d never hurt her. He was always so gentle and caring. He had always just drugged her. How was she changing this memory?
“I wanted to be sweet, but Dominic was right. You need to be broken, don’t you?” he mused. Catherine shook her head. “No, I think he was right, but I don’t need a tea to change your mind.” His eyes glowed violet. “I’m stronger than that now.” Suddenly Catherine’s gaze glossed over. No. “That’s it. You want me, don’t you, Baby?” Curtis whispered. Desire flooded her veins and a heat crept over her skin. “Say it. You want me, don’t you, Baby?”
Catherine whined. “Yes.”
Surrendering to Destiny
Chapter Fifty-Eight
“So you see, Dear Catherine, that is why you are mine,” Dominic explained as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. “It’s all planned out. We’ll make a fine
team.”
Catherine glanced around, trying to get her bearings. She recognized Dominic’s mahogany duvet. The sun had set outside of his window. Dominic turned and pulled the tie from his shirt.
“Just because the council needs time to deliberate, doesn’t mean we have to put off our plans,” Dominic mused, stepping towards her.
Catherine scooted back on the bed, suddenly remembering where she was and what was about to happen. Dominic quirked an eyebrow up at her.
“Suddenly so skittish? We made a deal, I tell you everything, you don’t fight me tonight,” Dominic reminded her.
“I will never stop fighting you,” Catherine suddenly hissed.
Dominic chuckled and tsked. “You are mine, Briar.”
Dominic grabbed her ankle and pulled her roughly to the edge of the bed. Catherine thrashed, trying to get away from him.
“You are not my mate!” she screamed.
“Yes, I am,” he roared, pulling her further down and pinning her beneath his weight.
Catherine continued to struggle, remembering if she did not, he would have his way. “You are not my mate! My mate would never hurt me like this! He actually loves me and he will kill you!”
Dominic stilled and sat back. He looked down at her, confusion etched across his forehead. He glanced around, his eyes narrowed as he studied the room around him. Then his face morphed and a pleased smile stretched his cheeks. “You’ve found him, haven’t you?” Dominic asked.
Catherine’s breathing became ragged. “N-No.”
“This is a memory… You’ve found a witch and are looking for something,” Dominic chuckled. “I knew you would find him. But…” Dominic sniffed her. “You haven’t marked each other yet?”
Catherine couldn’t believe this. “H-how do you…”
“We share this memory, Catherine,” he said, skimming his nose down her throat. “It’s one of my favorites to relive. Except for the end.”
Catherine began to shift, trying to get out from underneath him. “Let me go!”
“Certainly not, we have a play to finish here. We don’t want the witch to know your little secret, do we?”
Dominic loosened his hold just enough, allowing Catherine to jerk upward slightly. She used the moment to free her right leg and then kicked his face. He roared in pain and fell back from the bed. Catherine scrambled from the bed and ran for the door. She tried the knob but it was locked. She jerked the knob, trying to open it. Tears blurred her vision and as they fell from her face, the door in front of her faded away. She stepped back and heard Dominic chuckle.
“There’s goes my tooth, right on cue, Now, for the good part…” Dominic whispered. Catherine swiveled around to see him dabbing at his mouth. He flashed her a smile, blood coating his teeth. “Back on the bed, Catherine,” Dominic ordered. She shook her head. “Come now. Last time I let my anger get the better of me. This time, I want to see your pleasure as you take my venom. On the bed… Now,” Dominic repeated, standing in front of her now.
“Fuck. You,” she hissed before spitting in his face.
His face twisted in anger but then he shook his head and laughed. “You won’t be getting out of it that easy this time, Briar.”
Dominic lurched forward and grabbed her by the waist. Catherine screamed and pounded on his back as he walked her to the bed. He threw her down, but kept a firm hold of her wrist. The swift jerk dislocated her shoulder. She screamed in pain but Dominic didn’t stop. He tied her wrist to one bedpost and then calmly walked to the other side. Catherine tried to roll away but his clawed hand wrapped around her other forearm and his claws sank deep.
“Stop!” Catherine screamed as he fastened her second wrist.
