Chapter 1 Prologue

Prologue "I'm pregnant," I mumbled, hardly believing my words as pain ripped through me and my eyes welled up with tears. The world around me seemed to spin as I struggled to comprehend the reality of the situation. Just moments before, I had seen him kissing her, and the sight had made me sick to my stomach. How could they do this to me? I felt betrayed, hurt, and alone, and I didn't know how to get through this. The pain in my chest was almost unbearable, and I wondered if I would ever be able to trust anyone again. The door creaked as I watched them together, my heart pounding.

He held her so close, kissing her repeatedly on our bed. We had shared the bed since we had marked each other as mates. I had been so excited to tell him my news, to share with him the joy of our new little life growing inside of me. We were finally going to be parents and complete our little family together. But now, all of that was gone, shattered by his betrayal. I felt a wave of anger and sadness wash over me as I realised everything we had built together was based on a lie. The tears streamed down my face as I turned away from them, my heart heavy with grief and pain. "Wow, it looks as if you are both enjoying yourself!" I shouted, my voice echoing off the walls. They both jumped apart, the look of guilt in his eyes when he saw me. I could feel the anger and pain coursing through my veins as I realised he had betrayed me in the worst possible way. He was supposed to be my mate, always there for me, yet he had thrown it all away for a cheap thrill. I turned away from him, my heart heavy with sorrow and regret. I knew that this was the right thing to do, but it still hurt so much to let him go. "Oh my goddess, Catarina, this is not what you think," my stupid best friend, Tara, tried to reason with me, but I was too disgusted by her. She was no friend. I wanted to hurt and rip her apart, but I couldn't shift. I was pregnant now, and I had to think about my unborn child. Despite the anger and pain that I felt, I knew that I couldn't let my emotions get the better of me. I took a deep breath and turned away from them, my heart heavy with sorrow and regret. I knew that I would have to deal with the aftermath of this betrayal, but for now, I needed to focus on taking care of myself and my baby. "Get out of here. NOW!" Lochlan shouted in his alpha tone to Tara, who grabbed her dress and hurried out of the room. I could not bear to look at him. I was too disgusted. I was his Luna, his queen, and yet this is how he treated me behind my back. I turned on my heel and ran away as fast as I could. I could feel my heart pounding as I tried to distance ourselves as much as possible. I knew he was behind me, and I could hear his footsteps getting closer and closer. Suddenly, I felt him grab me and whirl me around to face him. He was still half-dressed, but his eyes were full of anger and hurt. I refused to look at him, my body shaking with emotion. My wolf whimpered at our mate's touch, torn between the desire to be close to him and the need to protect our hearts. He was not supposed to betray me like this, and now all I wanted was to get away from him. I could not think straight, and I needed time to sort out my feelings and figure out what to do next. "Look at me, my Luna." He placed a finger under my chin, and I cursed the stupid mate bond for making me feel such sparks of excitement at his mere touch. "Let me go, please," I begged, tears falling down my cheeks as he wiped them away. My heart was broken. I pushed him away with all my might; shocked at my reaction, he stumbled back. I took that chance and ran. "Catarina, please let me explain," Lochan shouted after me. But I didn't want to hear his excuses. I was tired of being lied to and betrayed. I needed to take some time to figure out what I wanted. "I need some space," I said, not looking back at him. "I need to think things through." With that, I walked away, my heart heavy with pain and regret. I knew this would be a difficult journey, but I was determined to come out stronger on the other side. "You do not get to leave me," he growled, grabbing me and shoving me back into the room. My heart pounded in my chest as I realised that he wouldn't let me go so quickly. I could feel the fear and anger rising inside of me as I realised that I was trapped. But I refused to let him see my weakness. I stood tall and met his gaze, my eyes blazing with defiance. "I can leave you whenever I want," I said, my voice steady and robust. "You have no control over me. Not anymore. You disgust me." "You can't leave me," he said, desperation creeping into his voice. "My wolf needs you, I need you, so why would you leave?" I looked at him, my heart heavy with sadness. I knew I couldn't stay with him, not after everything that had happened. "I'm not leaving because I want to," I said softly. "I'm leaving because I have to." I shook my head sadly, and he stood silent for a moment. "I, Catarina Greys, reject you, Lochan Lakes, as my mate," I said firmly, looking him dead in the eye. The words seemed to rip his heart out, and I could feel his pain radiating. But I knew I had to be true to myself, even if it meant hurting him. "I'm sorry," I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. "But I can't be with someone who doesn't respect me." He looked at me, his eyes filled with pain and confusion. "Please forgive me?" he asked, his voice barely above a whisper. I shook my head. I had to go. "Accept my rejection. You and that hoe are welcome to each other." I spat angrily, unable to bring myself to say her name. Lochlan was not the one I thought he was, and I had loved him with every bit of me. What a waste of time. Now, I had to think about my pup that was currently growing inside of me. He could never know about that; he would never let me go. I knew that without me by his side, he could have that bitch instead. "Let me go." I yanked my arm from him and kicked him between the legs, which caused him to shriek out in pain. "I will never accept your rejection!" He growled after me, and those were the last words I heard from him.