Chapter 2
The wound on my forehead throbbed worse than before, and I knew I needed to see a healer. The pack house was eerily quiet—Trevor was nowhere to be found. When I arrived at the healer’s clinic, my steps faltered at the sight before me. Trevor stood there, cradling a baby in his arms, with Kataleya walking slowly beside him. The three of them looked like a perfect family, a tableau of harmony that made my stomach churn.
"Your mate is a bit forgetful," a healer commented with a chuckle. "He didn’t dissolve the formula properly before feeding the pup, and the little one started howling immediately." Trevor looked flustered, his alpha aura flickering with unease as he promised it wouldn’t happen again. It was as if he had already settled into the role of Kataleya’s mate.
Once the pup had calmed down, Kataleya turned to Trevor, her voice soft but deliberate. "Maybe I should nurse him," she suggested gently. "You’re about to mark Poppy as your Luna, and I shouldn’t intrude too much."
I stood a short distance away, my heart pounding as I listened to Trevor reassure her. "It’s fine," he said, his tone firm but gentle. "With the pup being so young, it’s better for you if I stick around to help."
My fists clenched at my sides, my nails digging into my palms. Trevor played with the pup in his arms, his expression tender and attentive. "Such a sweet pup," he murmured, his voice low and warm. "Those eyes look just like mine."
"It’s good if they resemble you; you’re the strong one," Kataleya laughed softly, her eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t quite place. She paused for a moment before adding, "Trevor, if... I mean if..."
"What is it?" Trevor asked, his gaze shifting to her, his alpha aura steady but laced with concern. "You don’t have to worry. Even if I mark Poppy, I’m still the pup’s father. Just let me know if you need anything."
Throughout our mate bond, there had always been a third presence. On the night we first acknowledged our bond, just as the connection between us felt palpable, Kataleya had called, asking Trevor to come to her aid. He hadn’t hesitated for a moment, leaving me standing alone in the moonlight. During countless pack gatherings, when I longed for his attention, Kataleya would claim to be "just one of the pack" and ensure she was always nearby.
And now, it was worse. She had a pup, and it was my mate’s.
I turned quietly to leave, unwilling to confront them, but Kataleya’s sharp eyes caught me.
"What a coincidence, Luna Poppy," she called out, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "Are you here to see the pup too?"
See the pup? More like face my worst nightmare.
"What are you doing here?" Trevor frowned, his alpha aura flaring with irritation. "Do you trust me so little that you have to follow me around like this?"
Kataleya, however, spoke up for me, her tone syrupy with feigned understanding. "Luna Poppy means well. I understand your intentions, and we’ll make sure to give you a grand marking ceremony gift."
"No need," I replied, forcing my voice to remain steady despite the storm raging inside me. "We’re not marking each other."
"Stop talking nonsense," Trevor hissed, pulling me closer, his grip firm but not painful. He whispered sharply for me not to say such things in front of Kataleya. I shook off his hand, my wolf growling low in the back of my mind.
Lately, Kataleya had been posting cryptic images of the pup’s father on the pack’s shared mind link, never showing a full face. The comments from the pack were already pushing them to formalize their bond, and why not? They even had a pup together now.
I turned and walked away, my heart heavy but my resolve firm. The mate bond between us felt like a frayed thread, ready to snap. And this time, I wasn’t sure I wanted to hold on.
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