Chapter 8 The Alpha's pov: only her

I watched my mate walk away, completely unaware of the bond tethering us together. She didn't know what she was to me, and I wasn't ready for her to find out. Not yet. There was too much about her I didn't understand-too many questions her family refused to answer.

Her parents had left one of the most powerful packs in the country-Jackson's pack. I'd grown up clashing with that Alpha, and when I received a request from his Beta to transfer his family here, I didn't hesitate. I'd wanted to deny them out of instinct, but curiosity and the chance to take something from Jackson got the better of me.

Still, it made no sense. Jackson's Beta was a respected man, yet no one knew he had a daughter. That secrecy alone was suspicious. The power in Katya's blood was undeniable, but something about her didn't sit right. She felt... cloaked.

"She's your mate, isn't she?" Mateo asked, casually leaning against the doorframe like he hadn't just lobbed a grenade into my brain.

I sighed, knowing I couldn't lie to him. He'd been by my side since we were pups.

"Yes," I said simply.

Mateo grinned, folding his arms. "That explains why you've been moping around like a lovesick pup. No wonder you've been avoiding Madeline."

"She isn't my mate," I said flatly.

"That never used to matter."

"It does now. Things are different."

He raised a brow, clearly amused. "So what's the plan? Keep giving her detention until she falls for you?"

I scowled at him. "That was the plan, until you interrupted."

"I'm just trying to help," he said innocently, though the gleam in his eye said otherwise. Then he paused. "Actually... speaking of help-didn't you forget about something?"

"What?"

"The practice matches are happening right now. You know, the ones you authorized last week?"

My eyes widened. "Shit. I completely forgot."

"Yeah well um, I already paired people up and that also includes katya."

"What have you done? She is supposed to be... Wait, who did you put Katya against?"

Mateo scratched the back of his neck, feigning innocence. "Angie."

I glared at him. "Are you trying to piss me off? I don't want Angie anywhere near my mate."

He threw his hands up. "Angie was pissing me off, so I paired her with Katya for training."

"Angie fights dirty," I growled.

"And Katya's feisty, she can hold her own" he countered. "Besides, i didn't know she was your mate until now."

I was already on my feet, stalking toward the door.

"You better pray Katya doesn't get hurt," I warned him.

We made our way to the training fields, where a crowd had already gathered. The grandstand buzzed with chatter as students watched the matches. Several sparring circles were already in use-pairs trading blows, shifting to half-shift form, and grappling with sweat and snarl. It wasn't a formal event, just a weekly tradition meant to test reflexes and release pent-up energy.

I took a seat at the back, hidden in the shadows of the upper tier. Mateo joined me, trying to keep a straight face. I scanned the field for a while. That's when I spotted Katya- slightly pale, sweating, and visibly struggling to stay upright.

"Is she okay?" Mateo asked.

"She was fine earlier..." I murmured, concerned. Something was wrong.

We watched as her mother, Shirley, tries to comfort her. Katya staggered over to a trash bin and vomited, then wiped her mouth with the back of her hand and returned to the training ring.

Katya's name was called, and she moved into the sparring square across from Angie, who was grinning like she already knew the outcome. Jasmine, one of the only decent girls in the packhouse, rushed over to Katya's side, whispering something and gripping her arm trying to stop her.

Katya shook her off, stepping forward with shaky legs.

"She looks awful," I said, my heart pounding as I grew restless.

"That's not exhaustion. That's-" Mateo began, then trailed off.

"Wolfsbane," the realization hit me like a freight train.

I sniffed the air, but there was no scent. Still, it made sense. The nausea, the sweating, the weakness-it was all there.

"I have to stop this," I muttered, standing.

Then Angie lunged.

Katya saw it at the last second and dropped, dodging by pure instinct. She hit the ground hard but used her momentum to kick upward, catching Angie in the face. Blood sprayed from Angie's nose, and she screamed, clutching it.

Katya scrambled to her feet, swaying. She looked like she might collapse.

I was halfway down the stairs when Angie shifted-fur exploding from her body in a flash of silver-gray. The crowd screamed and backed away from the circle. Katya stood frozen, her body heaving, but she didn't shift.

"Shit-she can't shift," Mateo breathed.

She was helpless.

Angie lunged again, teeth bared in a snarl, claws aimed at Katya's throat.

I didn't think-I acted.

A single roar from my chest made the entire crowd freeze. Power surged from me like a shockwave as I launched into the sparring ring, placing myself between Katya and Angie just in time. I caught Angie mid-pounce and threw her to the ground.

"Enough!" I growled, Alpha Aura rolling off me in thick waves.

Angie whimpered, shifting back immediately and covering herself with trembling hands.

I turned to Katya. Her lips were tinged blue, her skin clammy. Her legs finally gave out, and I caught her just before she hit the ground.

"Mateo, get the doctor. Now," I ordered.

Katya's eyes fluttered as her head lolled against my chest. "So cold..." she whispered.

That's when I was certain this wasn't just exhaustion. This was poison.