My heart shattered into a thousand pieces at the sight in front of me. I had no idea that this kind of pain existed until tonight.
The day I’d been dreading finally came — the day that he would find his fated mate. And it was not me.
♡♡♡♡♡♡♡
A YEAR AGO.
Catherine - 17Tyler - 20CATHERINE.
I couldn’t sleep. That was nothing new. I usually stay up late to watch movies or read books. But tonight, I was laying in bed and staring at the ceiling, waiting for my brother, Jace, and his Beta, Tyler, to come home, like I always do whenever they attend galas where many Alpha Females will be in attendance.
I wanted assurance that Tyler would come home mateless.
Yes, I’d been crushing on my brother’s Beta since I became aware of the word "mates."
Tyler and I grew up together. And everyone around us thought we would end up together as fated mates. My birthday will be in two months. Something I had always looked forward to. I couldn’t wait to see if I would get mated with Tyler.
I’d been praying for it for a long time, and like Mom always said, the Goddess listens to our heart’s deepest desires. So all this time, I was keeping my hopes high.
My body stirred awake at the sound of an approaching car. I had no idea that I had fallen asleep. It was a good thing that I left the window open so I could hear them.
I shoved my blanket off my body and rose to my feet before rushing to the window. That was Jace’s car, and another one was behind his.
They were back, but my room was in a position where I couldn’t see them perfectly.
I rushed and slipped on my sneakers before taking one last look at myself in my vanity mirror, then dashed to the door and to the big window along the corridor.
The view of the packhouse ground was not that clear from the fourth floor with the absence of lights and many trees surrounding it, but I was able to see a female stepping out of the second car.
I squinted my eyes for a better look, but before I could see any male beside her, the Gamma’s gaze went up to where I was, and I immediately hid myself.
I walked away from the window and instead went to the stairs. I wanted to know who she was. I was sure she was not Jace’s mate because if she were, she would be sitting in his car, not in the convoy.
My heart clenched in pain, knowing she could be Tyler’s mate. Or the warriors with them.
Please, Goddess, let it be the latter.
I tried to control the beating of my heart as I walked down the stairs, but my body was a traitor. Instead, it thumped so hard that it seemed like it would jump out of my chest.
And then I heard voices. It only meant they were inside the house already.
I was walking down the last flight of stairs when they all came into view, and it made me stop from taking another step.
My heart shattered into a thousand pieces at the sight in front of me. I had no idea that this kind of pain existed until tonight.
My brother’s Beta, the man of my dreams, the only man I ever paid attention to, was holding a female in his arms.
My eyes darted to her neck, and seeing the fresh mark of a fated mate had shot daggers right into the depths of my soul, as if my heart being broken was not enough. The pain kept coming as if it needed to crush what was left of my sanity.
The Goddess didn’t favor me this time. The Goddess chose her over me.
The air stilled as a smile slowly curled onto my lips as I walked down the remainder of the stairs and stopped in front of them.
The female smiled at me as if she hadn’t taken away the only person who was keeping my heart beating.
She laid out a hand before she introduced herself. "Hi, my name is Zoey. I’m Beta Tyler’s mate."
Tyler’s mate.
I already knew it when I saw her mark, but hearing it was still equally painful.
I should hate her. I should have walked away because she stole the title I had dreamed of having from the very beginning.
Tyler was supposed to be my mate.
Mine.
I took her hand and shook it, the smile still on my face, and for some reason, the tears that I thought would come didn’t.
"I’m pleased to meet you, Zoey. I’m Catherine. Alpha Jace’s sister." I wanted to pat myself on the back for the strength in my voice when everything inside me was crumbling.
I immediately withdrew my hand and placed it on my back, so she wouldn’t see that my hands had begun to tremble.
"I’m glad there’s another female around here. As Tyler told me, the Alpha and Gamma are not mated yet." She smiled before she gazed lovingly at Tyler.
"Yes..." I had no idea what to say anymore. "Welcome to the family."
I let my eyes stay on her face because I knew if I looked at Tyler or my brother, I would end up crying.
But I was putting my big girl pants on as I kept all the pain inside my heart and welcomed Tyler’s mate into my arms when she offered a hug.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.
The Beta is not mine.
He was never mine in the first place.
"Why are you still awake?" Tyler’s deep baritone voice rattled my whole being, making my knees weak. I always gave the same answer when he asked me this. I would tell him, of course, that I was waiting for him to come home. But I couldn’t say that anymore.
My eyes darted to Austin as I withdrew from hugging Zoey.
“I thought I’d talk with Austin about my schedule tomorrow.” I finally answered without taking my eyes off my cousin, who was also my brother’s Gamma.
"Oh, so you and Austin?" Zoey said, her voice sounding so happy.
"No way," Austin chuckled before he moved beside me and placed an arm around my shoulders, pulling me into his side. "This girl here is my favorite cousin."
"Oh, sorry…" She smiled sheepishly, and I was still trying to find something to hate about her, but I couldn’t.
But I knew I still hated her.
"I think we should call it a night." My brother finally spoke. "We can talk about everything tomorrow."
"Thank you, Alpha. I’m tired too, so I just want to rest." Zoey stated.
Of course, she wanted time with him. Alone.
I waited for Austin to say his usual spiel about fucking or sex, as he would in instances similar to this, but it never came.
Was he feeling my pain too?
Zoey and Tyler excused themselves, and I just nodded my head, smiling at Zoey but refusing to look at Tyler until they were out of my sight.
I saw Jace and Austin follow their movement up the stairs, and when the footsteps were not that loud anymore, they moved their gazes back at me.
Jace’s eyes softened, as did Austin’s.
I raised my hand and pointed a finger, shaking it as tears filled my eyes. "I’m okay, don’t say anything."
But the tears I was trying to stop still fell from my eyes when my brother’s arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest.
I finally let out the cry I was trying to fight off as I gripped his shirt tightly.
No one said a word, but I could see Austin looking at us, his hand on his waist as he brushed his hair with his other hand, and the pain was evident on his face.
I closed my eyes as Jace pressed a kiss on my hair.
"You will be fine, Catherine. Tell me what I can do to help." Jace’s voice broke. He was always tough, and his voice never faltered in my presence until tonight.
"I don’t know." I kept swiping my eyes with my hands, but the tears came anyway. "I just want the pain to stop."
CATHERINE. I wished for the pain to stop, but it never did. So I took the coward’s way out and left my home and my pack. There was no way I could live in the same house with the female who shattered every dream and fantasy I built around Tyler and me. I had to leave while there was still some sanity left in me. My name is Catherine Galhart, a second-born Alpha Female from the Galhart clan. My brother, Jackson, is the Alpha of the Black Shadow Pack. And his Beta — Tyler Salvatore — was my first heartache. Almost a year ago, I left our pack and traveled to another continent to forget the man who broke my heart. It was not an easy journey, but I slowly learned to accept that he was not meant for me and that there was someone out there whom the Goddess deemed worthy of my love. One day, when I’m ready to fall in love again, I will meet him. I waved at the man who held a placard with my name, and he immediately came to help me with my luggage. I just landed at Harley Airport after
CATHERINE. "Catherine?" His voice reached my ears, and the loud thumping of my heart became louder. It had been too long since I heard his voice, but I had memorized it so well that I would still know it was him, even in my sleep. I slowly turned around from the top of the steps and locked my eyes with the man who gave me my first heartache. "Hi!" It was the only thing that came out of my throat. "You came back early." A broad smile was on his lips, which made the dimples on the sides of his cheeks appear. The same smile that would always make my knees weak "Yeah…" "I thought you were coming home in two weeks." He began walking up, and the moment he landed on the top step, I moved backward, which stopped him from moving forward. I saw pain cross his eyes, but I ignored it. "I want to surprise Amara." "I see." He opened his arms and smiled widely again. "Welcome home, little tyke." Little tyke. Little rascal. He would call me that when we were younger, as I always ended up get
SIX MONTHS LATER. TYLER. I puffed the cigarette in my hand as I stared at the darkness in front of me. I was standing outside Jason and Jessica’s home in Bernice City. Alpha Jace and Luna Amara, together with their son Colton wanted to visit their grandparents and Catherine. Catherine had been living here since she got back from traveling abroad. She was moving on with her life while I was still stuck in the same place I’d been — still lost and trying to find meaning for my existence. She rarely visited the territory, and I knew it had something to do with me. I had no idea which was hurting me the most: losing the chance to love her or losing the friendship we had nurtured since childhood. A car stopped in front of the gate of their home, and Catherine climbed out, giggling, before waving to her friends. I glanced at the clock on my wrist. It was already past six in the evening. Does the university end classes around this time? "Tyler?" Her voice came out soft and sweet. I m
TYLER."I always do, Tyler. But you’re not returning the favor." She said the last part in a low voice before she slid out of her chair and turned around, ready to walk away.I felt every word she said, and it hurt. Because all the while, I thought everything I did was to protect her heart. How would I know I would still end up hurting her?My hand coiled on her wrist as I pulled her back gently. "Where are you going?" "I want to dance." She pulled her arm away from me gently."Alone?""I've been dancing alone for a while now. I’m used to it.""Then dance with me." I wanted to pull her closer, but like before, I didn’t want to take advantage."I’m not sure if I can beat the last dance partner you had." She said before biting her bottom lip.How do I tell her I never had any dance partners at all? Zoey and I never attended balls together, except once held in her territory for Lawrence's birthday gala, but we didn’t dance together. We simply showed up."I never had one except the littl
*FLASHBACK.Catherine - 8 years oldTyler, Jace, Austin - 10 years old CATHERINE. I wore a light purple t-shirt that I tucked inside my white shorts. I had already slipped on my running shoes, and my hair was pulled up into a ponytail to make sure it wouldn’t go to my face. I was all geared up for play. I just needed to wait. I sat at the end of my bed, hands clasped together, watching the clock intently. When the big hand pointed to the number 9, I jumped up and ran out of my bedroom. It was fifteen minutes before four in the afternoon. I heard Jace telling Tyler and Austin they would go to the clearing inside the forest at this time. I ran down the stairs and out of the front door. I was right. They were already walking away with the other boys around their age. I stopped at the top of the steps and counted how many there were. One, two, three, …. seven, eight, nine. Yes! There were only nine! They would need one more! I skipped the stairs and ran fast to follow them, b
CATHERINE. “Why are you smiling?” Tyler asked and it snapped me away from the memory playing in my head. We were driving toward the restaurant of my choice so we could eat something as we were both hungry. I smiled at him as I contemplated telling him my thoughts. Because before that, I was thinking of the words I told him — that I was the only one protecting his heart and that he never did it for me. But then, so many memories of our childhood came flooding back, where Tyler had never let me down. Jace had always been a good brother, but Tyler was more protective when it came to me. It was why Mom would always ask him to watch me as well, in case Jace might not. Because between the three of them — Tyler, Austin, and Jace — Tyler was the most responsible one. “You’re not sharing, and yet you keep smiling. It makes me curious.” He said, a broad smile on his lips, and I wished I hadn’t glanced in his direction because he looked too sexy from this angle. Oh, damn this. He looked
TYLER. “I missed you...” I whispered, hoping she would say those words back, but there was just silence, and it hurt. “Please, let me make it up to you. Let’s start over again.” Catherine sighed deeply before pulling away from my arms, but she didn’t move too far. Our faces were so close that her breath was fanning against my skin. “I’m not sure I understand what you are expecting when you say start over again.” She said “Pick up where we left off before you went to Australia.” “I’m not the same person anymore, Tyler. If you think I’m still the same girl who’s head over heels for you….” “I never meant that way.” But that truth hurts. It was a confirmation that I was not the center of her universe anymore. “Can we go back to being friends, and will you allow me to pursue you this time?” She was just looking at me, and I was having a hard time reading her thoughts. Was that a no? “I can wait too. If you don’t want me pushing myself on you, I can wait. But I mean, can we still be
CATHERINE.The late dinner with Tyler was awesome. In fact, the whole night with him was perfect. He had always been great company, but tonight was special. Whether there were people around us or just us in the car, he would look at me as if I were the only one he was seeing. His eyes would always search for mine, and his hands would always brush the stray hair away from my face like he didn’t want even a single strand to block his view of me. Tyler had always been attentive to me, but not this focused that I couldn’t help but revel in it.After dinner, we walked around the city, just checking out the crowd and the places that were still open. I showed him the direction that would lead to my university, and although he wanted me to take him there tonight, I told him I could do it some other day. And I thought that made him happy. “So that means I get to take you out again so we can go around the city and the places around here. Right?” He asked. We were already on our way back to w