Discarded by My Mate, Claimed by My Adoptive Brother

5

KATHERINE

Time slowed to a halt as that nightmare unfolded before my eyes: Mateo – my own nephew – deliberately destroying the most precious thing I owned. He laughed as he did it, stomping the glass wolf into the floor until it was shattered beyond repair.

The screams and wails of that night of fifteen years before rushed back – and, for a moment, it felt like I was no longer in the Alpha’s elegant mansion, but in my childhood home as it was set aflame, as my packmates, my parents, were brutally murdered, and I was just a pup hidden away in the basement by my mom.

“Don’t move from here, baby” her phantom voice echoed in my ears. “No matter what, do not move from here”.

I had obeyed – and became the only survivor of the Moonstone Pack.

I remembered Lysander, my Dad’s best friend and then my adoptive dad, opening the basement door, scooping me up in his arms, and holding me tight – so tight I thought my ribs might break.

“I got you now, pup”, he’d whispered to me. “You’re safe.”

And then, once he’d brought me to his home – my new home – he’d given me that very same glass wolf.

The one thing the fire and the c*****e had not been able to destroy, protected as it was in my parents’ safe.

This is for you, Kat, he’d smiled softly. So you’ll always have your mom and dad close by.

And now, Mateo had destroyed it.

Grinning.

The same kid I’d loved and cared for, the same kid I’d helped with homework and brought to the playground, as a good aunt would … had wrecked it.

“What’s going on?!”

Lucian’s voice bellowed through the stairwell – and a moment later, Diana’s heels clicked in a hurry through the corridor.

Lucian, however, got us first, despite being downstairs: and Mateo wasn’t quick enough to wipe that grin off his face.

Diana, too, gasped when she saw all of that: and as soon as Mateo saw his mother, he started bawling and ran straight into her arms.

“She’s so mean mommy!” he sobbed. “She yelled at me! And I was scared and she – she was chasing m-me!”

“I know, I know, baby” Diana immediately began to soothe him, glaring at me. “You – you hateful b***h. What’s your problem?! Do you hate my son?! Your own nephew?! Are you really that bitter? Lucian, do something! Your wife hurt my baby!”

“That’s not what happened, I … he …” I tried to speak, but words got stuck in my throat, and keeping sobs at bay was getting harder by the seconds.

“She’s lying!” Diana screeched. “She abused my baby and now she’s lying about it!”

“No she’s not” Lucian, though, said, flatly. “I saw Mateo’s face when I came in. If only, I’m sure that’s the other way around”.

“A kid, hurting a grown woman?” Diana scoffed.

“Diana, you and your son are guests in this house” he said coolly. “You will not insult, threaten or disparage my mate and Luna in her own home, have I made myself clear?”

“B-but she …”

“Take Mateo to your room, now, please”.

“Lucian!”

“I SAID NOW!”

The whole house shook when he yelled that order: without making another sound, Diana picked up that brat and fled.

“Kat …”

Lucian slowly crouched beside me, and I felt his hand brush the small of my back.

I fled that touch as if it burned.

It was all his fault – all of that was all his fault.

All he had to do was not even love me, or adore me – just be loyal. Respect our bond, our marriage enough so that Diana and her son didn’t feel entitled to treat me like dirt.

Not even that he had been able to do.

“Kat, I’m so sorry, I’ll … I’ll replace it”.

“It can’t be replaced!” I screamed, trying to pick up what was left of the glass wolf – but the shards were cutting and digging and getting stuck into my palms, and I couldn’t see through my tear-blurred eyes …

“Kat, stop. You’re hurt. You’re bleeding, for the Goddess’ sake. Come on …”

“Stay away from me!”

Finally, he seemed to take the hint.

“I’ll … I’ll be right back. I’ll go get the first aid kit” Lucian mumbled, getting out of my room.

Slowly, I managed to get the most of the pieces into a small box: then, I crawled into bed and wept.

It was gone. The one last thing I had of my parents … gone.

Because Lucian wouldn’t love me. Because he had allowed his lover to treat me like dirt, and she had taught her child to do the same.

But I’d be thrice damned if I allowed it to go on even just another day.

When I walked downstairs for breakfast the following morning, Lucian, Diana and Mateo were already there, silent. All of them had a scowl on their face, and the tension between them was so thick you could’ve cut it. Honestly, I was good with that.

It was bad enough living with my husband’s mistress – having her miserable instead of smugly flaunting her affair and Lucian’s obvious favoritism was a small consolation

Looks like the lovebirds had a spat, I thought, taking my seat. My plate was already filled with my usual – pancakes with glazed bacon.

“Tea, Luna Katherine?”

“Thank you, Mrs. Dawson” I smiled politely at our housekeeper as she poured me some tea. I didn’t even try to keep my smile when Diana’s scowl deepened at hearing her former maid calling me Luna: the fact that Mrs. Dawson not once, in the two weeks Lucian and I had started living there, had made a mistake by calling her Luna instead of me obviously upset her to no end.

“Actually, Luna” she replied, slightly blushing. “It was Alpha Lucian who cooked your breakfast this morning”.

Oh.

“Thank you, then” I said to my husband, without looking at him.

Lucian simply bowed his head, then cleared his throat, shooting a pointed look at Diana.

“I’m sorry for what Mateo did yesterday” she said, clearly forcing every sillable through her teeth and obviously not meaning any of it. “You’ve been nothing but kind to us, and we have not repaid that kindness. Such things will not happen anymore”.

I slowly nodded, pretending to accept her apology: the only problem was that it was probably the fifth, just that week. Mateo had been terrible to me ever since Lucian had allowed him and his mother to stay– surely because of her manipulations, for up until then, he and I had gotten along just fine.

Now, he was constantly rude, entitled and seemed to have developed a fondness for stealing my things: more than once I’d caught him trying to open my jewelry box. The worst part was his arrogance: whenever I tried to scold him, he’d shrug and say that I had no power over him, and shouldn’t dare to say anything to him, because Uncle Lucian had promised to take care of him and mommy dearest.

“Yes, I’m sorry aunt Katie” Mateo added, looking just as annoyed as his mother.

The thing is, dear Mateo, I thought. That there is someone with more power than your uncle. And we’re about to upset them very, very much.

I smiled. “I’m sure of it, Mateo. I don’t hold it against you – I know you’re going through a tough moment”.

Lucian’s sigh of relief was rather loud.

Diana and Mateo were the first to get up: but while she, as her usual, went upstairs, Mateo lingered in the living room, watching tv.

Let the games begin.

“I’m working from home today” I told Lucian. “I just need to start planning your birthday party, and your mother’s coming for tea around 5 PM”.

Lucian smiled – and, even just a month before, or two weeks before, that smile would have warmed my heart. Now, though … I felt almost nothing.

“A birthday party, huh? Sounds great, baby. Will I be able to peek at those arrangements?” he chuckled.

I shook my head. “Absolutely not. Oh, and the armored transport for the Endless Love tiara is arriving today as well. Your mother would like me to wear it for your birthday dinner, and you know I just can’t say no to her”.

He smiled, taking my hand in his and pressing a kiss on top of it. “Nobody can. I’m sure you’ll look wonderful in it”.

I returned the smile. “Thanks. Oh, and I’d actually like to keep it in a display case here at home, after that. It’s just too beautiful to be kept locked away in a vault. Your mom agrees”.

“Sure, that’d be a lovely addition to the place. Maybe in the parlor? There’s good lighting there, it’d … shine a lot”.

I grinned. “I was thinking the exact same thing”.

He finished his breakfast, then hurried off to work: and in his haste, he didn’t notice the predatory smirk on his nephew’s face.

“It’s stunning” I commented as I admired the gorgeous tiara in the parlor: a masterpiece of diamonds and sapphires, that cast beautiful reflections in the sunlit parlor. “Isn’t it, Mateo?”

“I guess” he huffed. It was just us in the house: Diana and Lucian were at the pack house to take care of some things regarding Nathan’s inheritance.

“You know, you could try to be nice sometimes” I sighed.

Mateo shrugged again. “Why? You’re just a bitter b***h. My mom says so, and I agree. You never let me do anything I want, like my dad! He was a weak and an asshole, and I’m glad he’s gone!”

“You don’t mean that” I said, fighting the urge to scream. How could he say something like this? I’d seen firsthand what a good father Nathan was – but even if he hadn’t been …

“I DO!” Mateo yelled. “I’m so much better now that Uncle Lu is here. And if you’d leave we’d be all so much better!”

“Yeah, you’re not getting snacks today” I decided, shrugging and desperately trying not to let his words get at me. And once the hurt passed … only the desire for vengeance was left.

Don’t worry kid, I’m leaving soon. But you’re not getting the happy ending you think you are.

“YOU’RE A b***h!”

“And you’re in timeout”.

He cursed at me some more before running upstairs: I ignored him and went to answer the door.

“Hello!” Layla smiled, walking in with a tray of pastries in her hands. Her smile didn’t quite reach her eyes – which was reasonable, considering her son had just died … but she was trying.

To hell with politeness and turning the other cheek.

“Ah! It’s beautiful!” Layla grinned as she took in the tiara – her tiara. Her husband had had it made just for her when they had mated. “It looks so much better here, in the light, where everybody can see it. It looks alive”.

“Yeah, it does” I smiled. I felt a little stab of guilt as I realized my plan would soon wipe that smile off her face – but I pushed it down. She was innocent in all of that … but I needed to get out, and I didn’t want to go out peacefully. I felt the need to break, to destroy, and damn, I wanted to give in to that need.

“Where’s Mateo?” Layla asked.

“In timeout” I explained. “He was being … fussy”.

Layla sighed, sitting down as Mrs. Dawson served tea. “He’s always been a handful. Because of his mother, I believe. Nathan always tried to keep him on the right road, to make a good boy out of him, but Diana … she’s always coddled him, let him run wild, and in turn, he came out like her”.

She didn’t have to go further for me to understand: she, too, had never been fond of Diana.

“I love him, but I wouldn’t be a good grandma if I didn’t recognize his flaws” she finished. “And …”

Ping!

I checked the notification on my phone: Lucian had arrived home, which meant that Diana was back as well.

And at the same time, the sound of glass shattering echoed through the house.

It came from the parlor.

Layla rushed, while I took my time: I already knew what had happened. Planned it meticulously.

The look pure, unadulterated terror on Diana’s face as she walked into the parlor saw that her son had just destroyed a multi-million dollar family heirloom was absolutely priceless.