A Lover and A Liar

Useless

Looking as the witch walked out of the door, finally convinced to do what they had asked her to, Katherine turned at her father, waiting for his thoughts on this. It was always like this. Her father spoke and she listened. Whatever he said was right, and Katherine was never allowed―not even capable―of doubting his words, nor his intentions.

"She isn't going to do it," Vincent stated, for Katherine's huge surprise. "She isn't going to cast another spell on Julian. But why?" he spoke to himself mostly, as if she wasn't even there on the room, the real key to his larger scheme.

"But she said she would," Katherine interrupted his thinking-out-loud, causing Vincent to snap his head at her, a hard look on his face.

"Are you stupid?" her father growled at her, looking almost disgusted that his daughter wasn't the brightest of them all. Countless of times he had told her, repeated to her how he wished he had never left her mother―a simple servant that had died giving birth to Katherine―pregnant with her. It seemed this might be one of those cases. "She was bloody lying at us, gaining a bit more time. But what will she do? She knows I have her grandmother's life on my hands, why is she risking this so much when she has done it before?"

Katherine gulped. "Maybe she's regretted it?" she suggested.

Roughly, Vincent rushed to her and grabbed her from her forearm, pulling her closer to his face. "It is your f*****g fault, child!" he growled at her again. "You should have found another witch, one that wouldn't make us doubt her next move! One that would only work for me, not risk to expose me to the King! You're f*****g useless!"

Katherine cowered under his strong, hard gaze, as she noticed his wolf right under the surface. "I-I'm sorry," she stuttered, looking down, just as she always did when her father was mad at her. "You told me a young orphan witch was what we needed. There was no more suitable witch than Alina at that time."

"And what about now?!" Vincent demanded. "Now she can ruin us all with a simple word of hers. And this all because you can't get bloody pregnant!" Contrary from his words, his tone was low, not more than some dangerous hisses. But Katherine knew better than that. If he would shout at her, it would mean he was less angrier than he was now. "What's f*****g wrong with you, you stupid child? Why can't you bear a damn pup? Or is it that fool of a King? Is he that useless of a man that he can't put pups on your womb?"

That was what finally made Katherine snap her head up at him, perhaps for the first time, looking at him with hatred and malice. "Don't you call my mate that!" she ordered, with a voice somehow stronger than before.

"Your mate?!" Grabbing on her silky hair, he only pulled her closer. "Your f*****g mate, Katherine?! Why are you kidding yourself? You'd put us all out of our misery if that was true, but you aren't his damn fated mate, nor he wants to put a f*****g mark on your neck! That's what complicates everything in the first place. We're where we are, with a witch threatening us because of you! Because you can't make a man want you! You're useless!"

Tears threatened to spill down her cheeks. It was difficult to hear it because the truth hurt. Because everything her father said was true. Katherine was useless, she couldn't make Julian fall for her no matter what she did, no matter how many years they spent together.

Her head hung low in submission when he finally let her go from his painful grip. "I'll do my best to seduce him, Father."

Vincent snorted, half in disgust, half in disdain. "You've had three years to do that and you've failed, Katherine. That's why the witch is here in this castle." She only nodded, showing she understood. "Just keep an eye on her, don't fail me on something as simple as this again."

"Yes, Father," she obeyed him.

Tapping in his chin, Vincent got lost on his thoughts again. "Why does she look familiar somehow?" he whispered to himself. "The eyes... I think I have seen them somewhere. But where?"

"She is a simple witch that lives in a small village. I don't think you have ever seen her before, except that night, five years ago."

Surprisingly, when she expected him to growl again for the fact she had disagreed with him, he nodded. "You might be right," Vincent said. "For once in your life. Now go and do something useful with your life. And don't forget; if you cannot make him yours, you'll lose him forever."

Katherine did not dare to answer to yet another hard truth that left her father's mouth. Instead, she walked with determination to where she was sure Julian would be. They would have lunch with Alina today, her supposed childhood friend, so he was most probably making sure servants worked to prepare it perfectly for their new guest. It was just like him to do that. Maybe in another man, Katherine would find all this gentleness a bit annoying, but it was Julian, and that was what Julian was.

And Katherine was obsessively in love with him.

And he was hers. It did not matter what her father, the witch, or anyone else in this Court thought, Julian belonged to her. He always would.

Just as she thought, he was right there, helping Annie, the Beta female, in making sure everything went smoothly. "Out, all of you!" Katherine ordered, and her eyes didn't move from Annie's, once a stupid maid the King f****d every night, and now the one taking care of everything that belonged to Katherine, as the rightful Luna Queen she was supposed to be, only if Julian would have marked her.

Except he hadn't.

She wanted to hate him for that, but she simply could not. Yet that didn't mean she was not angry at him because she was. More than angry.

"I said, out!"

None of the servants, including Annie, spoke, however, Annie gave her a quick hateful glance before she bowed to the King only, and walked out of the dining hall.

"How many bloody times do I have to tell you that under any circumstances you're not to disrespect my people, Katherine?" Julian growled, and that made him only sexier. "And in my presence?"

"Why am I not your Queen yet?" All of the sudden, Katherine demanded. "Why am I not your Luna? Why don't people respect me as your equal, why don't they bow down to be as they should?"

He gripped on the back of the chair he was leaning into, closing his eyes in frustration. "Respect is earned, Katherine, and you're doing nothing to earn it."

"No, respect is not earned, it is given when you're the mate of the King!" Her high-pitched voice echoed on the large hall. But she didn't care. She was too frustrated and hurt and annoyed to care. "Why haven't you marked me yet, Julian? Why?"

Julian let out a deep sigh, this time not confident enough to look right in her eyes. "We have talked about this, Katherine. It's still early."

"Bullshit!" she cried out. "It's been more than three years. You want me, Julian, I know you do." She walked closer to him, running her hands on his chest, studying the expression on his confused face. "No matter how much you postpone this, the ending is inevitable. You belong to me, you know you do." Without leaving him time to protest, she shoved her hands in his head and brought his face down for a hungry kiss.

Hungry from her side though, because Julian didn't feel too eager about it. But Katherine didn't allow herself to give up, she only pushed her body between his legs more, pressing against him. "Don't fight this," she told him when she separated her lips from his. "Don't fight me, my love."

Once more she was the one to crash her lips into his for another bruising kiss, however, for her complete and utter surprise, Julian pushed her away, his gaze snapping at the door as his eyes opened wide in surprise.

"Alina."

How had he even felt her presence? Katherine, nor her wolf, hadn't sensed anything.

Alina seemed to be in a loss for words. Katherine gave her a quick threatening look. If she ever did anything, said anything to ruin this, it would be literally her end. Katherine would tear her apart if the witch separated her from her love.

"I..." she hesitated, "I- I'm really sorry, I walked in an inappropriate time."

Katherine couldn't clearly understand why her lips were trembling as if this affected her on a personal level. Did she feel this much guilty?

She turned on her heels to leave, but in a few large steps, Julian was in front of her. "No. Don't leave. I prepared this for you myself." He pointed at the table, letting the witch know he had helped personally.

It made Katherine grit her teeth together, suddenly jealous. It was insane to be jealous about an ugly dark skin-toned witch, but Katherine was.

Well, maybe not ugly. But a villager. Poor. Disgusting.

But of course, Julian didn't know this. He thought she was a noble Lady, from one of the most powerful royal covens on the Kingdom of the Witches. Katherine couldn't blame him for having such manners towards her.

"But I... You..."

"We should be sorry for doing something inappropriate when we were expecting you to come. Right, Katherine?"

She forced a smile on her face. "Of course, my love." Katherine almost forgot she had to act as if Alina and her were close. "Come, my dear, the food is getting cold. We have so much to talk about."

Alina did as she was told, fortunately for Katherine.

The entire meal was tensed, however. Katherine tried her best to act as if they were the bestest friend there could be, but she didn't know how much of it was working. Julian didn't seem properly convinced.

"Why didn't your father join us?" Julian asked her.

Before she could speak, Alina beat her to it. "Vincent said he was really busy with some documents, but he wished us the best time together." She smiled politely.

Damn it, the witch was good at what she was doing.

Seductively, Katherine tapped her fingers alongside Julian's arm, catching him by surprise. She raised herself from the chair and caught his lips with hers, simply to show Alina who he belonged to. That with or without her spells, Julian was hers.

"Katherine," Julian whispered when she sat back on her chair, with a contented smile on her face.

Alina got up abruptly, almost causing the chair to fall backwards. "Thank you... for the meal. And the time. I really enjoyed it." Her voice sounded strangled. "I think I should go now."

"Alina, why are you leaving? You didn't even eat anything," Julian told her gently.

Katherine wanted to laugh at her. Of course she hadn't, she didn't even know what spoon and what fork to use among as many as there were on the table. She didn't know table manners. She was useless.

Alina looked down at her hands, smiling, a bit sadly. "I think I have a stomach ache... Your Highness," she added, pleasing Katherine. "But thank you for the invitation." She left without saying a thing more.

Julian's face fell, but when Katherine thought he would sit down and continue eating, he decided to follow right after her.

This time it was Katherine's heart that fell. 

Why?