Chapter 4

A few days later, the mate-matching ceremony arrived in the Darkmoon pack and the entire pack members were bustling as a result of this occasion.

Lucien who was just leaving his abode was dressed in his best royal garments, his hair was perfectly styled and his face glistened as he left Katrina's home.

His hands were bridged behind his back, his chest bulging out in a powerful posture as a tricky smirk paced on his lips —the very thought of him becoming the next Alpha of the pack gladdens his heart!

Reaching Katrina's home, he penetrated the living room and he met her waddling down the stairs all dressed up for the mate-matching ceremony.

"Lucien!" Katrina beamed when she saw him and she moved closer to him "How do I look in this pink gown?" She asked excitedly as she whirled around for him to see.

"Yo...you look great, Katrina!" Lucien compliments her, but his eyes were staring upstairs.

Katrina stopped whirling around in the living room when she caught sight of Lucien ogling at Sienna who was now limping elegantly down the stairs.

She was vexed as she asked, "Are you here to see my step sister or me?"

"H-huh?!" Lucien shutters as he turns to confront  Katrina, faking a cough and he firmly said to her "Oh no, my love. You are the one I came to see because you are special to my heart!"

Katrina sighs with a frown plastered on her face "Fine then! We can both proceed on, I'm certain my stepsister will surely find her way to the mate-matching ceremony!"

Sienna, who heard Katrina's words correctly, raged in anger but she false a smile and said "I'm sure Lucian will wait for me!"

Katrina rolled her eyes.

The ball was placed in Lucien's court, he either destroys his plots and waits for Sienna OR follows Katrina to the mate-matching ceremony and acquires the chance of becoming an alpha!

Lucien was flustered as he said, "I will go with Katrina!" And with that, he walked out of the living room.

Sienna was taken aback and her eyes widened in shock!

Katrina snickered mockingly at her as she turned around and followed Lucien behind, she was very happy that Sienna was left behind!

In her past life, she could recall that she, Sienna,  and Lucien had gone together to the mate-matching ceremony and it happens that Sienna was always in-between them. And back then, she didn't think much about it because she felt it was natural —and nothing was going on between her lover and Sienna.

Too bad right now at the thought of it; she felt incredibly stupid and idiotic!

Hence, Katrina and Lucien arrived at the mate-matching ceremony and spiraled into the crowd of pack members who stuffed the hall to its brink.

"Try to blend in!" Lucien mutters to Katrina's ear, winking at her and he goes off.

Katrina smirks as she turns around, the pack members were showing their respect to her because she's the last bloodline of her mother who was supposed to be the next alpha of the pack.

However, her mother couldn't be the alpha because she got pregnant with a man the people hated and despised a lot!

Katrina faces the door entrance of the ceremony and she sees her stepmother, and her stepsister rushing frantically into the hall.

She smiled mischievously as she went closer to them, her hands bridged on her chest.

"Look at you both running like pups!" Katrina taunted, watching them as they pant heavily.

Sienna was taken aback, did Katrina just talk?

For as long as she knows her, Katrina isn't the type that gets easily audacious when she's being lashed out or bullied!

So, what changed her?!

Sienna couldn't help but feel something is fishy, this isn't the Katrina that she knew before!

"Mind your words, Katrina!" Her stepmother cautioned her, eying her dangerously.

"Oh please!" Katrina rolled her eyes at them. "You both have no place here, you both were only given the privilege to step your foot here simply because you are married to my father!" She said boldly to her stepmother and the woman shrink backward in surprise.

"Katrina, you bit—" Sienna halted her words when the ceremonial bell went off, indicating that the ceremony was about to start. 

Katrina looked down at Sienna viciously before walking away, she went to stand in the middle of the hall as all eyes settled on her!

Katrina could remember in her past life that she had made the first initial step in approaching Lucien during the mate bond ritual. So, this time around she decided to act ignorant as the he-wolves all came one by one to win her heart over.

Meanwhile, Lucien was boiling in anger as he glared at the hungry wolfmen swarming around Katrina.  Although she didn't heed any of the men as she rejected them all!

Having no choice, Lucien swallowed his pride as he lowered his head and went to Katrina instead. He put on an affectionate expression as he went closer to her, and he snaked his hands around her waist.

"My love!" He calls sweetly, pulling up one of his hands and he cups her cheek.

Lucien's heart flickered when he saw that she didn't push him away, and this gave him a ray of hope to proceed with his plans.

He knew that the moment Katrina agreed to be his mate, she'd give up the alpha crown for him!

"...I love you so damn much, Katrina. Accept me to be your mate, and have the privilege to become the line of this great pack!" He softly told her as they fixed their gaze on each other.

Katrina smiled openly at him but deep inside of her she already knows his scheme "I'm sorry, Lucien. Believe me, I want us to be together forever. However..."

Lucien's heart quickened intensely, was she gonna reject him?

"...however, my family doesn't want me to give up my alpha position and I don't want to upset them!"

Lucien was startled by words, snapping his head at Sienna and her mother as he felt that those two must have done something unseemly behind his back!

"Did those two try to cross me?" He thought unbelievably.

Katrina's face turns pale as her eyes blur at Lucien, she slowly jerks his hands off her face as she lowers in her head what seems to be a shame.

"I'm sorry, we can't be together! My family's happiness lies on me!" She cried to him, giving him one last glance before running out of the hall.

"Katrina!" Lucien yells after her, but she is already gone.

Running to the mate-matching ceremonial hall, Katrina quickly wiped her tears off her pretty face as she sighs heavily.

Thanks to the moon goddess!

She just avoided one big mistake she had made in her past life, one big storm which would have drowned her has been prevented!

Katrina exhales as she breathes in the soft breezes of the night, the wind ruffled her hair as it likewise soothes her soul!

However, abruptly, Katrina's heart skips a beat as the uncertainty struck her mind like an instinct!

She felt something that was once dead in her soul swirl into life, Katrina could discern the blooming of her dead wolf, and her heart hammered in exhilaration at what was about to happen...

A-ava! Katrina mind-linked at the existence of her wolf but she got no reply, she knew Ava must be exhausted right now...

"Mate!" Ava cried faintly.

"What!" Katrina sharply gasped, waves of shock swept through her and she swirled around.

In that tense situation, she sighted a strange-looking man whose ominous aura screamed danger as he stood gallantly in the dark.

Katrina felt cold shivers run down her spine.