Chapter 13 It's not too late to run.
CATHERINE
Zelda gave me a sharp look and her smile was tinged with something different too. That look didn't pass me by obviously.
“You have to understand, my dear. Kane has lost others before you.”
The words struck me, and I froze.
"Lost? What do you mean, 'lost as in they died'? They're gone?"
She waved a hand dismissively.
"It's nothing you need to concern yourself with. What I'll just say is that he’s just being cautious now. Afraid, even."
"Afraid of what, exactly?" I pressed, not letting her brush it off.
Zelda’s lips tightened, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of something in her eyes, a glimpse of darkness that she quickly masked.
“Catherine, my dear, it would do you well to focus on the present, not dig up the past.”
“But if this is going to affect my life, I deserve to know,” I argued.
She smiled coldly. “Life is full of risks. You married a man like Kane; you must have known that when you agreed to it.” She paused, studying me.
"Well, if my memory serves me right? I didn't agree to any of this madness. I was fucking abducted." I retorted.
"You are the Lycan Queen now, Catherine. Act like it. Curiosity won’t make the task easier."
I wanted to push further, to demand the answers I knew she was withholding, but the stare she gave me silenced me.
Instead, I nodded, feeling frustrated, though. Without another word, Zelda gave a satisfied smile, touched my shoulder in a gesture that felt anything but comforting, and left me there, all alone.
Immediately the door shut behind her, I sat alone, thinking of the drama that just acted out. I took a deep breath, when a faint rustle caught my attention. I looked down, and my heart skipped. A note had been slipped onto the table.
My hands shook slightly as I unfolded it, and the words stared back at me, stark and ominous:
“It’s not too late to run.”
The message was simple, but it filled me with an unease. The whole thing felt gravely unsettling.
KANE
My fists crashed against the cold iron pillar in my room. I watched the metal dent and bend under my knuckles, but it did nothing to ease the chaos in my mind. I kept swinging, savoring the sharp edge of pain shooting through my hand as it dulled the storm within.
Every punch tore open memories I wanted to bury, faces twisted in terror, the relentless screams that clung to me like shadows. And those words, venomous and unforgiving, burned into my mind.
“Monster… Beast…” So I was called. Not just that alone. I was cursed by every breath of theirs as they took in the pain I caused them.
I gritted my teeth, muscles taut as I drove my fist harder, forcing the iron to creak in defiance. But it wasn’t enough to drown them out. The accusations, the disgust in their eyes, the way they looked at me before they took their last breaths.
"No." The word barely escaped my lips. I didn’t want Catherine to see me like this. She was already wary, already glancing at me with something close to fear.
I stopped, breathing hard and leaned my forehead against the cool metal. My hand was bruised, bloodied, but the pain was welcome.
It gave me something tangible, something real to ground me. With a sigh, I reached for her shawl, resting exactly where I'd left it. I brought it to my face, inhaling her scent—soft and calming, like a tether drawing me back from the edge.
Slowly, the visions faded, the screams quieted, replaced by the image of her wide eyes. The way she held herself, brave even when I could see the fear beneath. There was a strength in her, a resilience that intrigued me.
Maybe, I thought, she wouldn't look at me like the others did.
But that gnawing fear remained. What if she saw the monster they all claimed to see? What if she looked at me as my mother had, as so many before her had?
I tightened my grip on her shawl. No. I would not give her a reason to fear me. Not if I could help it.
Zelda slipped into my room, looking at me ever sharply. I could feel her gaze digging into me as she crossed her arms.
“What’s got you so... restless, Kane?” Her tone was half-amused, half-curious, but I wasn’t in the mood for her games.
I turned away, jaw tight.
“I need to mate with Catherine before the next blood moon,” I muttered, half to myself, half hoping she’d let it go. But Zelda never let anything go.
“Why the rush?” She sounded amused, like this was all a game to her. “Is she that irresistible?”
My fists clenched. If only it were that simple.
“She’s my true mate, Mother,” I admitted. “And she can’t find out what I am. Not yet. I don't want her to.”
For a moment, Zelda looked stunned, so rare of her. Then her mouth twisted into a sly smile.
“Oh, so she’s your true mate? Well, well... that does change things now that I know” She moved closer, her voice dropping into something conspiratorial. “If you’re that eager to claim her, why not make a grand affair of it like I suggested? A mating ceremony big enough for the whole kingdom to witness. We can arrange it in a week. You’ll have her bound to you, and she’ll be yours once after all.”
A week. I clenched my fists. I wanted Catherine bound to me, yes. But the thought of her walking into this blind, a pawn in a game she didn’t even know was being played, it made something in my chest twist.
But a week would be enough. Enough to ensure she wouldn’t slip through my fingers. And she’d be mine, truly mine, before the blood moon rose.
“Fine,” I said, meeting Zelda’s gaze. “One week. Make it happen.”
Zelda nodded and turned to leave but I stopped her.
"And, please, no drama." I stated.
She looked at me with a questioning stare but I only shrugged my shoulders.
"You know what I mean, mother."