Chapter 19

Katherine POV

I could feel everyone's eyes on me the moment I stepped into Portland Public High's main hallway. The whispers followed me like shadows, growing louder as I approached my locker. A freshman girl quickly averted her gaze when I caught her staring. I knew exactly what was happening—Bella had made her move.

My suspicions were confirmed when I overheard a group of girls huddled around a phone: "Our sweet Katherine with an older man. I wonder what other secrets she's hiding." Below the text was a photo of me with Lance at that upscale downtown restaurant. I kept my expression neutral, focusing on retrieving my books while ignoring the not-so-subtle stares. After our volleyball confrontation, no one dared say anything to my face.

I was arranging my textbooks when my locker door suddenly slammed shut. Edward stood there, his face tight with barely controlled emotion as he gripped my arm.

"What are you doing?" I asked, keeping my voice level.

He pulled out his phone, shoving the screen in my face. "Care to explain this?"

I glanced at the photo of Lance and me. "Edward, that's Lance. He's my mother's ex-boyfriend."

"What?" Confusion replaced anger in his eyes.

"He's only about eight years older than me, way younger than my mom," I explained. "He came to Portland to check if I was okay. He knows what she is like. We became good friends when he was dating my mother. He was one of the few boyfriends she had that I actually liked."

"So there's nothing between you two?"

"Of course not. He's more like a father figure to me. Remember the age gap? We might become friends now that he's not with my mother anymore, but I never thought of him that way, especially when he was with my mom."

Edward's shoulders relaxed slightly. "Makes sense. Someone pursuing both mother and daughter would be pretty twisted."

"Exactly. That's why I have zero attraction to him."

I noticed Bella and her friends strutting down the hallway, watching our interaction. On impulse, I placed my hand on Edward's arm, stroking it gently while looking directly at him. The move was calculated—partly to reassure Edward, partly to show Bella I was comforting her former hookup.

Jasmine came rushing toward us, breathless. "Katherine! Everyone's talking about—" She stopped abruptly when she saw Edward. "Oh, sorry, I'll just—"

"No, stay," I insisted, grabbing her arm. "It's fine. I was just explaining to Edward that Lance is my mom's ex-boyfriend. Everything's cool."

As I spoke to Jasmine, I could hear the mental exchange between Edward and Samuel through their link.

"She said what?" Samuel's voice was clear in my mind.

"It's nothing. The guy is her mother's ex-boyfriend. He came to Portland just to make sure she wasn't having trouble being alone with her mother." Edward responded.

I turned back to Edward. "Are we okay?"

"Yes, we're fine. I'm sorry I reacted that way. I should have just asked who he was."

"It was a little weird," I pointed out. "I mean, we've only gone out once. It was nice, but still just once. I don't think you have the right to be that angry."

I knew perfectly well the mate bond was responsible for his intensity, but I had to pretend his reaction seemed excessive.

As Edward walked away, my fingers unconsciously touched my lips, remembering our kiss on the coastal path. The memory still confused me—I couldn't explain how quickly I'd melted into it, responding with an intensity that had startled even me. It was just a mistake, I reminded myself firmly. A momentary lapse in judgment. I had a mission in Portland. One accidental kiss didn't change anything. I couldn't afford distractions, especially not from three werewolves who thought I was their human mate.

We headed to first period together. Bella sat across the room while I took my usual seat next to Jasmine. The triplets positioned themselves in front of us as always. The rest of the day passed smoothly. Though Samuel and Lucius still didn't speak directly to me, I would chat with Edward whenever he was with them. I caught Caspian watching me with a satisfied smile, clearly pleased I was finally interacting with the triplets, but I tried to ignore him.

After school, Jasmine suggested we go for a drive. We traveled about an hour outside East Portland, parking in a secluded lot before hiking through a forest preserve to reach a coastal viewpoint. The panorama was breathtaking—all of Portland and the bay spread out before us. I made a mental note to return in winter to capture the scene in Portland's characteristic rain.

A rustling sound from the forest behind us broke the silence. We both turned, and I saw fear flash across Jasmine's face.

"What the fuck is that?" she muttered under her breath, not realizing I could hear her perfectly. "Portland Northern Pack patrols don't come this far out. Not animal—I can smell it. Something else."

"Are you okay?" I asked innocently.

"I think we should go back now," she said, already grabbing my arm and pulling me toward the car. Her head swiveled constantly as we hurried through the forest. I knew exactly what was watching us from the trees, but couldn't let on.

"Probably just some animal," I suggested.

"Yeah, the animals around here can be pretty fierce," she replied tightly.

She practically threw us into the car before speeding back toward Portland's city limits.

Jasmine dropped me at the end of my driveway—I never let anyone see my decrepit East Side home. "I don't think there's anything to worry about," I told her as I climbed out, though I knew she'd report directly to the triplets.

The moment her taillights disappeared, I sprinted to the forest edge, stashed my backpack in the underbrush, and after confirming no one was watching, activated SPEED. My surroundings blurred as I raced through downtown Portland toward North District's private estates.

I spotted Jasmine's car in the Griffin family's circular driveway. Concealing myself in the trees surrounding the mansion, I listened to the conversation inside.

"You're certain what you heard in the forest was that?" Samuel's voice carried through the open window.

"I'm positive. There was a damn witch watching us. Me and Katherine," Jasmine confirmed.

"Katherine," Edward said urgently. "They know about Katherine."

"What are you talking about?" Alpha Griffin demanded.

"I've been seeing the new girl, Katherine," Edward began.

"Bullshit," Samuel interrupted. "Tell him the truth. He needs to know."

After a heavy pause, Samuel continued, "Katherine is our mate. I know she's just a human, but she's our mate."

Silence fell. I heard Alpha Griffin's footsteps ascending the stairs.

"Well, that could have gone better," Edward muttered.

"We need to make sure they don't get near her," Samuel stated.

"We will," Lucius agreed. "We have to increase patrols."

Hidden among the trees, I processed what I'd learned. The triplets had admitted I was their mate, and apparently, witches were now targeting me. The threads of Portland's supernatural politics were weaving tighter around us all.