Discarded by My Mate, Claimed by My Brother

8

KATHERINE

What?!

I wasted no time in following him out the door – only barely managing to catch him when he hopped in the car.

“What’s going on?!” I asked, frantic. “Where are you going?!”

“Diana’s sick, they’re bringing her to the hospital,” he quickly said. Coldly. As if he didn’t have time to spare for me. “I’m leaving.”

“You’re… no, you can’t!” I hissed, feeling my heart thunder in my chest. I was acutely aware of all the guests flooding the lawn – witnessing that scene. “We… we came here together! We can’t leave!”

“I have to go! She’s sick, I can’t waste my time at a stupid party!” he growled, shaking my hand off his arm. “I’ll see you at home!”

The tires screeched on the snow-covered gravel as I stood there, frozen, watching him speed off into the driveway – humiliating me in front of two hundred people.

For a moment, I just stood there, paralyzed.

I should’ve been used to it by now, to Lucian choosing Diana over me. For some reason, I’d lulled myself into the illusion that things were changing, that I was finally gaining leverage, or at least closing in on the distance. I hadn’t even considered the possibility that he’d leave me stranded, three hours away from home, in front of everyone.

And yet he had, and so publicly it had been a horrifying, humiliating spectacle.

He’d run after her, shaking me off of himself like dirt.

'Keep it together!' A voice inside me barked. 'You need to come out of this as the winner, or at least dignified!'

“What’s going on, darling?” Dad asked, running over to me, his face etched with worry.

Here’s the chance.

And even if, at that very moment, the humiliation hurt so much all I wanted to do was to curl up in his arms, cry and beg to stay home… I performed.

You’re about to get out. You’re about to expose him and his affair to the world. Just hold on a little while longer.

I smiled – a polite, diplomatic, reassuring smile.

“Oh, it’s all right. Our sister-in-law got sick, and he’s her only relative nearby,” I explained, making up an excuse. “Layla and Harold are away, so he had to rush back.”

“I see,” Dad nodded, though his eyes remained dark with doubt.

He knew, he’d seen the way Lucian wrenched himself away from me. I read the silent question in his gaze and offered a nod in return.

I’m fine. Don’t worry.

He’d done more than enough for me – saving me from my own home’s rubble, giving me a home and a family at the cost of his own marital peace. I couldn’t ask more of him.

Nor I needed to. It was the good thing of being adults.

“Let’s get back inside, everyone!” Karen announced, her voice bright with fake happiness as she herded the guests back into the pack house. “Lysander, Katherine, come on!”

But when her eyes landed on me, all of the warmth and kindness reserved for the other guests was gone, replaced by a cold, barely controlled ire.

“What the hell was that?!” She hissed and screamed once she successfully cornered me in the kitchen, slamming the door shut behind her.

“Karen, I…”

“For years, I’ve kept a roof over your dirty head. I didn’t want to, but I did, out of respect for my husband and his friendship with your father,” Karen seethed. “You made yourself useful to this pack once – when you had the sense to mate with Lucian Farrow and repay us with a good, strategic alliance. And now… this!”

My cheeks burned with shame and anger. There was nothing I wanted to do more than scream – to yell at her that I was a child when Lysander had taken me in, that I didn’t ask to be adopted, and that I sure as hell didn’t ask her horrible treatment of me or to be trapped in a loveless, humiliating political mating.

But whenever she spoke, I seemed to lose my voice.

“You had one job, Katherine. One–be a wife and provide Lucian with heirs. You clearly failed the latter, but I was hoping you’d at least fulfilled the former. And after this mortifying, harrowing display, it is obvious you failed at that too. At my own birthday party! What do you think people will talk about now, huh? How do you think this will reflect on me? On this pack?”

“It was nothing of the sort, Lucian just had to…”

“Your lies might convince Lysander, but I know a discarded wife when I see one,” she snapped. “Your duty was to make this marriage, this alliance work, and you’ve failed miserably. You’re useless to this pack. We needed to talk to Lucian about strengthening our military alliance, but I see there’s no point in doing that. I wonder how long it’ll be before he sets you aside for good and takes someone else as his Luna. Someone decent, apt for the job.”

Rage burned deep inside my stomach. He’s not going to discard me. I am leaving him! I wanted to scream.

But that scream stayed silent in my throat. Buried.

“I want you gone,” Karen then said, with a finality, a severity in her tone that chilled the blood in my veins. “Don’t you ever show your face around this pack again. We’ve done so much for you, and this is how you repay our hospitality. I’m disgusted by you.”

“Karen…”

“Leave. Now. I do not wish to see you again.”