chapter five

Katherine's arms encircled Emilia's trembling body, holding her close as she whispered words of comfort. But instead of reciprocating the embrace, Emilia suddenly pushed Katherine away, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Get out, Katherine!" Emilia's voice was hoarse from crying, but it was laced with a venom that made Katherine's heart race. "Just leave me alone!"

Katherine's face fell, her eyes wide with shock. She had never seen Emilia like this before. "Emily, please—" she started, but Emilia cut her off.

"No, Katherine! Just get out!" Emilia's voice rose to a shout, and she stood up, her fists clenched at her sides.

Katherine felt a sting from the rejection, but she didn't want to make things worse. "Okay, Emilia. I will leave just..” she tried to reason before a growl caught her off.

“Get out!” Emilia’s wolf snarled dangerously as she barged her teeth at Katherine. Katherine swallowed as she hurried downstairs, it might seem like a dick move to others, but Katherine knew that she couldn't fight a beta.

She hurried into her room to lay on her comfortable bed, thankfully her room was soundproof so she couldn't hear any of Emilia's growling. Katherine thought that her sister was still crying over yesterday's embarrassment on her wedding day, Katherine felt guilty. She decided to relax on her bed a bit, slowly she drifted off to sleep.

* * * *

Nathaniel Hawthorne sat in his office, lost in thought, struggling to come to terms with the mate bond he shared with the Omega. His wolf was restless, and his mind was consumed by thoughts of the Omega, more than he cared to admit. He growled, rubbing his forehead, and removed his glasses, feeling frustrated and out of control.

Just then, his secretary, Janet, entered the room, her voice piercing through the silence. "Sir, you have a meeting with Mr. McAllen." Nathaniel startled, scolding himself for not noticing her arrival. "Sorry to startle you, Sir," Janet apologized, before leaving the office.

Nathaniel sighed, feeling defeated. The mate bond was affecting him more than he anticipated, and he knew he needed to find a way to sever it soon. He stood up, gathering his documents on the new fashion styles his designers proposed, and headed to the meeting room.

As a werewolf, Nathaniel Hawthorne was a prominent figure in the fashion industry in England. However, the werewolf society was a secret, hidden from humans, and no werewolf was allowed to reveal themselves to a human, unless that human was their mate.

A human mate was considered an abomination in most packs, and any werewolf with a human mate would be banished, becoming a rogue. Nathaniel despised rogues, believing them to be feral and dangerous, and he didn't think there were any innocent ones.

As he entered the meeting room, Nathaniel greeted McAllen, taking his seat in front of him, trying to compose himself and focus on the meeting, but his mind kept wandering back to the Omega and the bond that was slowly consuming him.

"Good day, Mr. Hawthorne. It's great to finally meet the renowned designer," Mr. McAllen said, beaming with a wide grin as he extended a handshake. Nathaniel shook his hand with a smile, but his expression faltered as he detected the scent of a rogue on McAllen. Nathaniel's frown deepened, puzzled by the presence of a rogue's scent on a human. He pushed the thought aside, focusing on the meeting.

"The pleasure is mine, sir. I have the design samples for the event," Nathaniel said, trying to conceal his annoyance. McAllen's smile never wavered as he replied, "Excellent."

For two hours, Nathaniel presented his designs, fielding compliments and criticism from McAllen.

“Thanks for your time Nathaniel” McAllen said with a smile before standing up, they shook us as they both left the meeting room.

“I will email you the samples” Nathaniel said, McAllen thanked him, grateful that he wouldn't come and check out the adjusted samples again, he only hoped his fiancee would like it.The meeting finally concluded, and as they parted ways..

The moment Nathaniel arrived in his office, he relaxed at the armchair immediately,Nathaniel felt an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over him. He recognized it as a foreign emotion, one that didn't belong to him. His mind raced back to the mate bond and the Omega, and he scowled, resenting the invasion of his emotions.

Just then, a sudden panic surged through the pack link, a mental connection he shared with his pack members as their Alpha. Nathaniel's instincts kicked in, and he immediately focused on the distress signal, his mind racing to identify the source and nature of the emergency..

“Alpha, your mate is missing from the manor” his Delta mindlinked him, Nathaniel could feel his distress. Nathaniel growled in annoyance, he knew that the Omega was alright wherever she was because of the peace she was feeling.

“She is safe, but ask the patrol guards to be on a look out” Nathaniel mindlinked back to him, the delta relaxed immediately and thanked him before cutting the mindlink.

Nathaniel closed his eyes to rest a little before he knew he slowly drifted off to sleep.

* * * * *

Katherine slept peacefully, forgetting all about the previous day's events. Her room was her sanctuary, and she felt a deep sense of calm within its walls. But when she woke up, she was met with a startling sight: Emilia loomed over her, her piercing blue eye gleaming with an otherworldly intensity. Katherine rubbed her eyes, wondering if she was still dreaming. Emilia's gaze was unsettling, her wolf clearly fighting for dominance.

"Are you okay now?" Katherine asked nervously, her voice barely above a whisper. Emilia nodded curtly, forcing a smile before leaving the room. Katherine followed, surprised to find their parents still absent. The evening air was tense, and Emilia's offer of tea seemed like a fragile attempt at truce.

"Tea?" Emilia asked, her voice laced with an undercurrent of tension. Katherine declined, citing her need to pack for her move to the Alpha's house. But Emilia persisted, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling intensity. "Have a tea with me, and I'll bring your things over." Katherine hesitated, but Emilia's words were laced with a subtle command, making it hard to refuse.

As they sipped their tea in silence, the tension between them was palpable. Katherine broke the silence, attempting to apologize for the previous night's events. But Emilia cut her off, her voice laced with a strange, almost menacing, calm. "It's okay, Kathy. I was just feeling weird. I know how much you hate the Alpha."

Katherine burst out laughing, the tension dissipating as she shared stories of her encounter with Nathaniel. Emilia laughed along, her eyes sparkling with a newfound warmth. For a moment, it seemed like the sisters had rediscovered their bond. But as the evening wore on, Katherine knew she had to leave, fearing the drama that would ensue when their parents returned. With a hasty goodbye, she departed, leaving Emilia alone in the fading light of day.

As the Omega, Katherine, trekked back to the Alpha manor, she made a silent vow to herself to prioritize her relationship with her sister, Emilia, above all else. She knew that the mate bond with Nathaniel was strong, but she was determined to resist its pull, at least for now. She couldn't bear the thought of losing her sister's trust and companionship, even if it meant rejecting the divine gift of a mate.

As she approached the manor, Nathaniel's piercing gaze met hers, his eyes narrowing slightly as if sensing her resolve. Katherine steeled herself, her heart pounding in her chest, knowing that the days ahead would be filled with tension and conflict. But she was determined to stay true to herself and her sister, no matter the cost.

"I won't give in," she whispered to herself, her voice carried away by the wind. "I won't let the mate bond control me." Little did she know, fate had other plans, and the journey ahead would test her resolve in ways she never imagined.