Chapter 52

Chapter 52
POV: Jared

"Roxane!" I took a deep breath, staring at the persistent female standing in front of me. I stepped two paces out of the house, crossing my arms over my chest and looking at her with a hint of impatience. "What brings you here, at this hour, to my house?"

"I need to talk to you. It's urgent." She scanned me from head to toe, her voice dripping with sweetness.

"Whatever you have to say to the Alpha should be said during office hours, in the packhouse, like everyone else does when they need something from their leader."

POV: Kat

I approached swiftly, my steps wide and full of purpose, staring her down with irritation. My voice came out cold, firm, and authoritative as I stepped beside Jared, intertwining my fingers with his, claiming him without hesitation.

"She speaks for you now?" The sarcasm and disdain in her tone were obvious. Roxane looked straight at Jared again, ignoring me entirely. "Where's the dominant, commanding male I used to know?"

"Right here." Jared's voice was firm, authoritative. I could feel the satisfaction radiating from him at my possessive gesture. It had been instinctive, natural. Joining our hands in front of another female — it was a silent, undeniable sign of possession. I belonged to him, and he to me. He gently squeezed my hand in reassurance. "I believe there's nothing left to discuss between us."

"You're wrong!" Roxane's glare was like a blade pointed at me, rage burning in her every movement. Her fists clenched at her sides, and her gaze flicked to our joined hands. "You owe me at least a private conversation now that you're mated — after everything we shared before she came into the picture."

"I don’t owe you anything!" Jared growled the words, his eyes narrowing with irritation at her accusation. She had no right — she’d always known where he stood. "What we had was a fling. Just sex, no feelings involved. You knew that!"

"That’s not true! There were feelings!" Roxane shouted, her voice rising with fury as she glared at me. "If she hadn’t shown up, I’d still be in your bed and you’d still be happy with that!"

"I don’t need to hear this!" My jaw clenched as jealousy slammed into me. Their shouting twisted my insides, and the thought of those moments she tried to bring back into Jared’s mind made my chest ache. I couldn’t take another word. I tried to pull my hand from his, ready to go back inside.

"That’s right. Run away, get out of our sight!" Roxane yelled, stepping toward the porch.

"ROXANE, ENOUGH!" Jared’s voice thundered through the air, freezing everyone where they stood. He yanked me toward him, wrapping an arm tightly around my waist — a clear message that he wouldn't let me go.

"Are you out of your mind?" His eyes blazed with wild, lupine fury as he faced her.

"Do you even understand what a Fated Mate is to our kind? Kat is MY mate. Nothing changes that. Nothing is stronger than that bond."

"That’s just ancient nonsense!" she spat, glaring at me again and laughing bitterly. "It’s all in our heads — we can fight it. I was made for you. No one else."

"You’re saying the overwhelming urge to mark a specific female is just some kind of brainwashing passed down from birth?" Jared raised an eyebrow, staring at her with sharp irony. I shifted uncomfortably in his embrace, tension boiling inside me, and he pulled me tighter, lowering his head to breathe in my scent before placing a kiss over the mark on my neck. I wasn’t the only one tense — Andrea stood at the doorway beside Damien, both watching this madness unfold.

"From what I know, the bond we feel when we mark a mate is pure instinct. Lupine instinct. It's so intense it hurts physically when we can't be with them. And I never — never — felt that with you."

"That’s because SHE showed up!" Roxane growled as she lunged toward me. Jared instantly stepped in front of me, crossing his arms over his chest, confronting her. "And she’s going to pay for that."

"You’re going to challenge me now?" Jared’s smirk was cold, his fury rising like a storm. "As a male? A mate? Or your Alpha?"

"I don’t want you!" Roxane snarled again, looking past Jared. I stared her down, stepping out from behind his protection. "I want that bitch!"

"Bitch?" I growled, stepping down the porch stairs slowly. The rage on my face was unmistakable, and my body was beginning to shift. My eyes changed color, my nails morphed into sharp claws, and my voice grew deeper. "This is the third time you’ve come at me. I won’t tolerate another insult. I don’t care who you were in Jared’s bed. Now he’s MINE. Stay the hell away from him, do you hear me?"

"Wait, what do you mean third time?" Jared was stunned, eyes darting between me and Roxane. "What happened between the two of you?"

"None of your business!" Roxane hissed, baring her teeth as she kept her gaze locked on me. "Let’s settle this now. Let’s see who really has the right to stand at your side."

"Right now works for me." I didn’t hesitate. I lunged forward, ready to finally give her the beating she’d long deserved.

"STOP THIS NOW!" Jared barked, his patience finally snapping. "I am your Alpha, above all, and this conversation is over!" He grabbed my arm and gently but firmly pulled me back toward the porch. Roxane fell silent, standing there like she was weighing her next move. Jared looked over his shoulder, his stare dark and threatening. "This isn’t over. I expect you in my office tomorrow morning."

"Katerine," Roxane’s tone softened, pretending concern. "I thought you had more courage than this."

That was the last straw. I slipped around Jared and launched myself at her as she charged straight for me. We collided in midair, but I quickly overpowered her and threw her to the ground. A feral roar echoed around us. That was the moment I knew — even though my vision hadn't turned to black and white, even though I couldn’t quite register the terror in Roxane’s eyes — my transformation wasn't lupine. I shook my head, trying to calm the rage that surged inside me. I had to control it. I had to shift — not into a wolf, but into something else. My usual metamorphosis had taken a different turn... and this time, it revealed the form of a white tiger. I backed off from Roxane, who lay in shocked stillness.

Shame and confusion overwhelmed me as I looked around. Andrea stared, wide-eyed and speechless. She hadn’t expected this — none of them had. Damien was frozen, his mouth open in disbelief. I approached Jared. His expression was a mix of affection and concern. Maybe he was scared — not of me, but of what Roxane now knew, or what I had just revealed to everyone.

"Kat...it's okay," Jared stroked my large feline form gently. I lowered my head, brushing my muzzle against his thigh and averting my gaze. No, It wasn’t okay. I had lost control. I could’ve killed Roxane over jealousy.

Before I could run, I heard Jared calling my name. He called out to me with desperation, his voice echoing in my mind. But before he could reach me again, I shifted once more — this time into something no one could follow. A snowy white owl replaced the tiger, and with a powerful flap of my wings, I soared into the starry night sky, leaving behind the people I loved... people who, in that moment, would not accept me for who I truly was.