25

25
Katelyn froze, his words sinking in with horrifying clarity. The implications were clear: he was considering removing her as Luna. The title she'd fought so hard to hold, the power and respect she had gained, all of it was hanging by a fragile thread.
She tried to muster any remaining strength, but her exhaustion was overwhelming. Her voice broke as she whispered, "Please... don't take this away from me."
Killian's face remained cold, unreadable. "You almost took something precious from me, Katelyn. You almost killed my mate and my chance of having a child, the one person I swore to protect above all else. Tell me, why should I show you any mercy?"

Katelyn's eyes widened as she felt a crushing despair close in. She wanted to scream, to beg, but the weight of his anger was suffocating. Finally, she managed to croak, "What... what are you going to do to me?"
Killian looked at her with a steely gaze, unyielding. "That will be decided in due time. Or perhaps I should let you go back inside and reflect a bit longer. You should remain here until I see fit."
The guard stepped forward, gesturing for her to crawl back into her cell. She didn't move, paralyzed by fear and exhaustion, hoping that he would have some change of heart. 

But Killian remained cold-hearted, his gaze was bored as he gave a nod to the guard.
As the door to the cell swung open, she realized that he was very, very serious.
She took one last desperate look at him, "Please, Killian... give me a chance to make this right. I... I can change."
He shook his head, a faint smirk crossing his lips. "This isn't something you can undo with empty promises, Katelyn. Your actions have consequences, and now, you'll have to face them."

Luna Katelyn's heart pounded as she watched the Alpha's icy frown. 
The full consequences of her actions were starting to set in, and she hadn't felt this helpless in ages. 
She'd long lost her sense of pride, but she still struggled to hold on to some level of control over her emotions. Ignoring the sharp pain in her knees, she forced herself into a kneeling position, her whole body trembling with the effort, and her head hanging low.
"Please... please, Alpha," she whispered, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as she looked up at him, her voice barely audible. 
"Forgive me... I acted out of line. I promise, it won't happen again. I'll do anything... anything you ask..."

Alpha Killian finally leaned back in his chair, watching her with an unyielding expression. He didn't seem moved by her tears, only more annoyed.
"You'll do anything, you say?" he asked coldly, a small hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. He tapped his fingers on the chair, his eyes narrowing. "If you truly mean that, Katelyn, I'll give you one chance to prove it."
Katelyn's breath caught. "Yes, of course, Alpha! Anything- just name it!" She tried to sound strong, but her voice was shaking with exhaustion.

He raised a brow, almost amused. "I'll restore you to your former status... if you go to Bellatrix and beg her for forgiveness. And I don't mean a half-hearted apology, Katelyn. I mean a proper, sincere apology."
The words hit her harder than a bullet to the chest. Her whole body went stiff, and she couldn't hide the horror that flashed in her eyes. "You mean... I have to go to that Omega's quarters?" Her voice was barely a whisper, laden with disbelief.
"That's right," Killian replied, completely unfazed by her reaction. "And you'll do it immediately. You have an hour to present yourself at Bellatrix's residence and beg her properly."

Katelyn's heart skipped several beats. An hour? She could barely keep her balance, much less muster the courage and strength to face Bellatrix in her current frail state. 
The Luna's breath caught as she stared up at the Alpha. He looked serious and scary, like he wasn't joking around.
She struggled to hold her composure, to keep her voice from trembling too much. But she could feel her pride slipping through her fingers like sand.
"Alpha," she whispered, almost breathless, her voice a strange mix of humility and resistance. "Please... reconsider. You can't seriously expect me to... beg... that woman."

The title 'Royal Breeder' alone felt like poison on her tongue. That woman. The one who had ruined everything for her. The one who had taken her place at Killian's side. The one she was supposed to submit to now, as if her past, her history with him, counted for nothing.
But Alpha Killian's expression remained unchanged, even though her voice was choking with shame. He glared down at her, completely unfazed, his eyes as cold and unyielding as stone.
"Katelyn," he said, his tone deadly calm. "I'm not asking you. I'm telling you. Either you get up, walk over to Bellatrix's quarters, and beg her for forgiveness, or you'll be returning to that cell." He gave her a look that made her stomach twist. "For a much longer stay this time."

A spark of anger flared in Katelyn's chest, momentarily overpowering the humiliation. She felt her fists clench, her nails biting into her palms. 
How could he demand this of her? She was Luna. She had shared his bed, and stood by his side. And now he expected her to crawl to that Omega, to beg her like a common prisoner?
But she couldn't let her anger show, not here, not now. With a shuddering breath, Katelyn forced herself to soften her expression, to let her voice tremble in a way she hoped would tug at some buried sense of pity in him.

"Alpha Killian... we've known each other for years," she began, trying to soak her words with a gentle, pleading tone. "We were more than just... allies. I was there for you in ways no one else was. And now, to humiliate me like this, to demand I beg..." She shook her head, her gaze falling to the ground as if the weight of her sorrow was too much to bear.
"Please, Killian," she whispered, her voice barely a breath. "I've suffered enough. Let's not make this... worse than it already is."
But Killian's expression didn't soften. He watched her in silence, arms crossed, the cold, detached look in his eyes making her heart sink. It was as if he were watching a stranger- a pitiful, unworthy creature who was wasting his time.
"Are you done?" he asked, his voice flat.

Her mouth fell open slightly, the words she had prepared dying on her tongue. How could he respond so... indifferently? Had he truly forgotten everything they had once shared? She swallowed, a fresh wave of desperation clawing at her.
"Killian," she tried again, her tone more pleading now, the strength she had once commanded dwindling into something weaker, more pathetic. "You know I acted out of loyalty to you. I did what I thought was best for you, for us." She licked her lips, struggling to maintain her composure. "You and I both know Bellatrix doesn't deserve this position. She might be your mate but she's just an Omega, nothing more. She was becoming too proud and I... I was only trying to protect what's rightfully ours."

He raised a brow, a trace of something dark flashing in his eyes. "Is that so?" he replied, his voice dangerously quiet.
"Yes," she nodded quickly, grasping at the sliver of attention. "If you think about it, you'll realize that everything I did was for us. You and I have a bond, Killian. We were meant to lead together, to guide this pack. Bellatrix... she's a temporary distraction. You know that."
She hoped her words would stir something in him, some flicker of the old feelings he had for her. But instead, Killian's lips curled into a cold, humourless smile that made her stomach twist in dread.

"Meant to lead together?" he repeated, his tone mocking. "Protect what's rightfully mine?" He leaned down, his face mere inches from hers, his voice dropping to a deadly whisper. "Is that what you call attacking my mate? Is that what you call trying to tear down the one person who did nothing but serve me?"
Katelyn's throat went dry, her heart racing as his words struck her like a slap to the face. The hatred in his eyes was unmistakable, a burning loathing that she hadn't expected, hadn't anticipated.

"Alpha, please," she managed, her voice shaking now, the last vestiges of her pride crumbling. "It... it was a mistake. I was acting out of... out of misguided loyalty. I thought... I thought it was what you wanted."
Killian straightened, crossing his arms over his chest as he looked down at her with a cold, assessing gaze. "You thought wrong, Katelyn. And now, you're paying the price. I don't care what excuses you come up with, or how you try to paint yourself as some loyal, selfless Luna. The truth is, you crossed a line, and now you're going to face the consequences."

She felt her heart sinking, panic clawing at her insides. This wasn't going the way she'd planned. She'd hoped to manipulate him, to make him see her suffering and take pity on her. But Killian was unmoved, his stance unwavering. He was nothing like the man she'd once known.
"Please... don't make me do this," she whispered, her voice barely audible, her gaze fixed on the floor. "Anything but this. I... I'll do anything else if that's what you want. Just don't make me beg her. Don't make me crawl to that... that Omega."
Killian's gaze hardened, his eyes narrowing as he studied her. "You think I care about your pride, Katelyn? You think I'm going to spare you because you can't bear the thought of begging the woman you tried to destroy?"

She flinched, his words cutting deep. Her pride, once her shield, was now a burden, dragging her down, chaining her to the shame she felt. She wanted to protest, to argue, but she knew it would be useless. He was beyond reason, and she was tired of this damn cell!
"No," she whispered, her voice breaking. "You're right. I... I deserve this."
But even as she said the words, she couldn't hide the bitterness in her tone, the resentment simmering just beneath the surface. She felt trapped, and cornered, her pride clashing with the harsh reality of her situation.

Killian watched her, his gaze cold and unyielding. "Then you'll do as I say," he replied, his voice leaving no room for argument. "You'll go to Bellatrix, and you'll apologize. Sincerely. No games, no manipulation."
The thought made her feel sick, but she had no choice. She could see it in his eyes-he would let her rot in that cell if she refused. He wouldn't hesitate to make good on his threat.
"Yes, Alpha," she murmured, her voice barely a whisper, her shoulders slumping in defeat. "I... I'll do as you command."

He gave a small nod, satisfied. "Good. And don't think for a second that I'll tolerate anything less than full compliance, Katelyn. If I hear even a hint of lies in your apology, if you so much as glance at Bellatrix the wrong way, I'll make sure you regret it."
Her heart hammered in her chest, but she forced herself to nod. "Understood."
He turned away, dismissing her as if she were nothing more than a nuisance. "You have one hour. Don't make me wait."