Luna Catalina (ENG)

Chapter 15

I admired myself in the mirror. Not to compliment myself, but I looked stunning. Since Kayden had decided to force me to attend Bela's party, I had decided to show him what he was missing by rejecting me. I had put on a knee-length silk dress, fitted to my figure, with a high neckline and a full open back. The color of the dress was very close to the color of my eyes, making them stand out. I had paired it with silver heels, not too high, but they set off my legs. I had ironed my hair and tied it up in a high ponytail, letting my blonde hair fall like a waterfall down my bare back. I hadn't done too much make-up, as I was very tanned from training in the sun, but I had done some eye shadows that I was very pleased with, and I had painted my lips a matte color. 

When I was completely satisfied with myself, I took a small handbag and put a silver dagger in it. Always be prepared. I looked at my watch and decided to go downstairs. I was very late, although I hadn't put much effort into getting there on time either. I couldn't have been less looking forward to the party.

I headed for the garden. When I entered, I was impressed. Whoever had decorated the place had done an admirable job. They had decorated everything with little hanging lights. They had also set a large number of tables with beautiful white linen tablecloths and beautiful cutlery. At the back of the garden a band was playing lively music. Dozens of waiters walked around the people offering drinks and food. 

There were a lot of people. I knew there would be a large number of guests, but I had never imagined there would be so many. I looked around the crowd for someone I knew and finally spotted Cas, Ian and Kayden. I started walking towards them. Kayden and Ian had their backs to me, so Cas was the first to see me. Shee smiled broadly at me and walked up to me. 

-“Well, well, well, you look stunning," Cas said, looking me up and down, "I'm sure he's going to love this tight dress," she said in my ear, giving me a spank on my bum and letting out a naughty giggle. 

Just then my gaze met Kayden's. His eyes were absolutely dark. He devoured me with his gaze without bothering to disguise it. Clearly, he and his wolf liked what his eyes were seeing. "You look beautiful," I heard his voice in my head. As soon as I heard his words, I noticed how my cheeks burned, and I felt even more embarrassed. f*****g mate-bond, making me react like a teenager in love. He looked very handsome too. He was wearing light blue shirt and beige trousers. He had also combed his normally messy hair. 

-“You look pretty”-I heard a voice behind me. Kayden growled in annoyance. I ignored him and turned to smile at Miguel gratefully. 

-“I see you've got your best clothes out for tonight," I said, winking at him. 

-“Well, he's been waiting three years for this moment. The poor guy is anxious, it's going to be the best night of his life, and I don't mean it because of the party." Said Casandra, joining the conversation. 

Miguel rolled his eyes and started to walk away from us. Cas and I had been teasing him all week about him and Bela, and he had had enough of us. Miguel had always been a very shy boy and had never been particularly interested in women, although he is a very handsome boy. That had given Cas and I a lot of witty banter about how he was going to lose his virginity tonight. Jokes that hadn't exactly delighted Miguel. 

-“Wait!" I said, laughing and running up to him. –“I know you want to be with Bela at midnight, but I'd appreciate it if you'd come with me for a couple of hours to ask questions of people from other packs about the rogues.” 

Miguel sighed, resigned. I smiled happily at him and clung to his arm. For the next two hours we talked to a number of people. Kayden and Ian were going to deal with the Alphas and Betas, as it would be frowned upon for anyone outside their social rank to approach them with questions. In the werewolf world there were too many social norms. All the answers Miguel and I got were that they had had rogue attacks, but nothing out of the ordinary. 

Resigned, we looked for Kayden, Ian and Cas. We found them near one of the tables. Kayden and Ian were standing there, talking animatedly with a tall blond man. He was very handsome and muscular. From the aura he gave off, I had no doubt he was an Alpha. At the table sat Mark, Kate, Cas and my favorite person in the world, Lily. She was wearing a red velvet dress and her curls were pinned up in a silver tiara that matched her eyes. As soon as she saw me, she ran up to me and hugged me. I bent down to hug her back. 

-“You look like a princess”. She said as we pulled away from each other.

-“You do look like a princess," I said, stroking her hair and smiling at her. 

-“It's been a long time since I've seen you," she said, looking at me sadly.

-“I know, I've been super busy this week. But I promise you that when Nico gets out of the hospital, we'll see a lot more of each other." I said, hugging her again. 

-“I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting," said a voice behind me. 

I stood up and turned to the voice. The blond man Kayden was talking to had walked up to us and was holding out his hand to me in greeting. I looked at Kayden. He was very tense; his jaw was clenched, and his hands were clenched into a fist. I noticed a movement to my left and saw out of the corner of my eye that Miguel had move to my side. Ignoring them both, I accepted the blond man's hand and shook it.

-“Catalina.”

- "Alpha Caleb, nice to meet you. I'm Alpha Kayden's best friend," he said, smiling at me, -"I see you have a few bodyguards.” He said, looking first at Miguel and then Kayden. I just shrugged, saying nothing. "Are you mates?" he asked, pointing at Miguel.

-“No." I answered quickly, but without elaboration. It's none of his business.

-“Then..." he said, looking at me in confusion. Then he looked at Kayden. "But...?"

- "If you'll excuse me, Alpha Caleb." I said, forcing a polite smile, before going to sit with Cas, Mark and Kate. Caleb was clearly starting to tie things up and I didn't want to have to answer their questions. 

As the rest of us talked, Miguel quietly left. I looked at my watch. It was 30 minutes to midnight. I smiled to myself. I really hope Bela is Miguel's mate, they make a great couple. Cas, Mark, Kate and I were drinking champagne and talking animatedly, while Lily played next to us. I'd had a few drinks, and my mind was starting to relax and enjoy the music. 

At 12 o'clock everyone started singing happy birthday, forming a chorus around Bela. We got up from the table and went over to congratulate her. Lily started to run, but I stopped her just in time, taking her in my arms. Miguel and Bela looked into each other's eyes and knew. They were definitely mates, I thought happily. 

-“Mate," Miguel whispered, smiling. 

Bela smiled back, stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. Everyone started clapping excitedly, celebrating the union of the new couple. In my arms Lily gawked at her sister. Just then Kayden and Ian arrived at our side. They both looked confused. 

-“Miguel and Bela are mates?" Ian asked in confusion.

-“You really didn't know?" I asked with a laugh.

-“You knew?" Kayden asked, staring at me.

-“We all knew." Cas said, laughing too. 

We stood back as everyone congratulated the birthday girl and the happy couple. When they had finished greeting everyone, Miguel and Bela came up to us, holding hands. They were accompanied by a tall and very pretty girl. We all congratulated and hugged the couple. I was the first to congratulate them both, so while the others hugged and congratulated them, I studied the girl who accompanied them carefully. 

The girl was stunning. Very tall and athletically built. She had very long, coal-black hair. Her facial features were perfect, defined and her lips were full. But what made my hair stand on end were her huge light blue eyes. Exactly like the eyes that haunted me in my worst nightmares. 

-“Cat, Cas, this is Amy, my best friend. She lives in Washington, so we don't see much of each other. But she came for a surprise visit for my birthday," said Bela, almost jumping for joy. 

Amy smiled kindly at us and held out her hand to shake our hands. Cas and I shook her hand. My heart was pounding. I needed to know if my suspicions were true.

-“Excuse me Amy, have we met before? You look so familiar." I said, trying to hide my eagerness to know the answer. 

-“Mmm... I don't think so. I don’t remember meeting you before, I'm sorry," she replied, smiling at me, "Although you might know my brother, they say we look alike, does Alpha Richard from Blue Mountain ring a bell?

-“Of course it does," said a voice behind me.

I turned instinctively and met those big blue eyes I had so longed to forget. I felt the champagne glass in my hand fall to the floor and shatter into a thousand pieces. But I didn't react, no part of my body responded. I could only look into those huge blue eyes and the mocking smile on Richard's face. I felt terror invade my body and I felt furious with myself. I had been preparing for this moment for two years and my body's first reaction was fear.

-“I didn't expect to see you, what a pleasant surprise," he said, smiling at me. A shiver ran down my spine. –“You look so much prettier than the last time we met," he said, taking a step towards me. 

Quickly a huge figure stood between the two of us. I was inwardly grateful for Miguel's move. At that moment, I didn't own my body and I wasn't able to react. Two years. Two f*****g years of imagining this moment in my head. Imagining how I would torture and kill him on sight. And instead, here I was. Absolutely paralyzed. 

-“I see you've found yourself a bodyguard," I heard Richard say. 

I took a breath and tried to regain my composure. I walked to Miguel's side and looked at Richard. It was then that I noticed that his Beta was standing next to him. They were both looking at me in amusement, with a mocking look on their faces. They were having a great time watching my reaction to our encounter.

-“Richard," I said at last, pulling myself together and adopting a nonchalant expression.

-“It's Alpha Richard to you," he said, still smiling. 

-“I only call people I respect by their title. And you don't deserve any respect, Richard," I said, emphasizing his name. 

The smile disappeared from his face. His hands clenched into fists and he took a step towards me. This time it was Kayden who stepped between me and Richard, stopping him with one hand. Richard looked at him, surprised by his intervention. It was unusual for an Alpha to interfere in the affairs of another, it could lead to pack conflict. I took advantage of this moment of confusion to turn on my heel and leave. I was met with Cas's worried look and the confused look of the rest; they didn't understand what was going on. But I didn't have time to answer their questions right now. 

I ran into the house. I walked around the inside of the house and out the front door. I noticed Miguel following me. I wished my brothers were here right now, but Nico was still in the hospital and Juan had decided to stay with him, keeping him company. I tried to breathe, but I couldn't get any air into my lungs. I felt myself getting dizzy and felt like throwing up. I rested my palms on my thighs, arching my back, trying to get a breath of air. 

-“Catalina," I heard Miguel's worried voice, "You have to try to breathe, you're choking," he said as he stroked my back, drawing small circles to try to relax me. 

I started to relax and finally got some air into my lungs. It was then that I heard footsteps coming towards us. I raised my head, alert. Kayden was walking towards us. His face was heavy with undisguised concern. Quickly, I took off my heels and handed them to Miguel, who looked at me in confusion. 

-“If you tell him anything about what happened between me and Richard, I swear I'll never speak to you again," I said in Spanish, just in case Kayden could hear us. 

With that said, I turned and ran off into the woods. That was what I needed right now. To run and leave my problems behind. I wasn't capable of facing Richard right now, let alone Kayden and Richard at the same time. I let Electra take control. Soon I was running on all fours, at full speed. I ran for what seemed like hours. Finally, I reached my favorite cliff, where I used to sit and watch the sea. 

I regained my human form and approached some rocks, where a few weeks ago I had left a sweatshirt and a dress, so that I could get dressed when I came. I put them on and sat on the rocks, pulling my knees to my chest. I let the tears finally start to roll, soaking my cheeks. Having to go back to the person who raped and ridiculed you is not something any woman should have to go through. I had always thought about how I would act the day I saw him, even though, deep inside, I had always prayed that I would never see him again. But, not only had I had to see him again, but he seemed anything but sorry for what had happened two years before. 

-“Pretty girls shouldn't go out alone in the woods, they might meet bad men," said a voice behind me. 

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. I jumped to my feet and took up a defensive position. It was then that I realized that I had left my purse with my silver dagger at the party. Richard and his Beta were in front of me, but they were not alone. They were accompanied by at least twenty other werewolves. Their guards, I imagine. 

-“Look how funny, the kitty's got her claws out," Richard said to his Beta, who laughed. 

-“Richard, take her now and let's go," said the Beta, as if bored with the situation. 

-“Don't you dare touch me," I warned them. 

They both looked at me with amusement. The fact that I was resisting seemed to be adding to their amusement. Richard gestured and two of his warriors approached me. Quickly, without giving them time to react, I lunged at one of them, ripping his head off. As soon as I did so, I turned and attacked the other. As we fought, I watched out of the corner of my eye as other guards approached me. I killed the man I was fighting and waited for the next ones to attack me. When I had killed four of his men, Richard seemed to tire of the situation. 

-“Brian, grab the kitty and let's go," he ordered. 

His Beta started walking towards me. He was dilutional if he thought I was going to let him touch me. I ran towards him with claws and fangs out. We began to fight fiercely. We both knew it was a life and death fight. However, the fight was interrupted when huge hands grabbed my shoulders and slammed me into a tree. Immediately, one of those hands moved towards my throat, choking me.

-“I see you've learned to stand up for yourself," he said, smiling wickedly at me, "I like it, I'm a sucker for feisty women. I don't think you and I have had the fun we deserve yet."

He pulled his hand away from my throat and ripped off my sweatshirt. Then he ripped my dress in the breast area and grabbed my right breast, hard. Richard no longer needed to hold me down, because I was paralyzed with fear. I was unable to react. My mind was dead, I couldn't think of anything. I heard him talking, but I didn't know what he was saying. Then Electra took control and attacked him. 

Richard reacted quickly. He parried the attack and slammed us to the ground with ease. After all, he is an Alpha, my strength was no match for his, let alone in this state. He started kicking me in the ribs. When I tried to cover them with my arms, he kicked me in the face. He bent down and grabbed me by the neck again, lifting me up and pinning me against a tree again. 

-“Listen to me, you f*****g b***h," he said, pressing his face to mine. –“You're going to regret what you just did. I'm going to f**k you, and then I'm going to let every one of my guards f**k you, until you moan like a b***h. After that, I'm going to torture you until you die, did you hear me?!"

I closed my eyes and nodded. To die, that's all I wanted right now. If letting him do whatever he wanted was going to get him to kill me, that's what I was going to do. I wasn't going to resist. I just wanted to die. Just as I opened my eyes, to assume my inevitable fate, a gigantic grey wolf with white paws pounced on Richard.

My legs were not strong enough to hold me up, so when Richard stopped holding me, dragged by the grey wolf, I fell to the ground. I had never felt so much pain. It hurt so much that it made me wonder why I was still alive. I grabbed my legs and pulled them to my chest, curling into a ball, trying to release the pai. It was then that I decided to look at what was going on around me. A few feet away from me, the grey wolf was making sure no one was getting close to me. In the background, more wolves were fighting, but my gaze was not able focused on them. I could only look at the grey wolf.

I felt like I was drugged and was having hallucinations. Everything was happening in slow motion. That wolf was the most beautiful creature I had never seen in my life, it looked otherworldly. A thought quickly crossed my mind. I had no doubts, I was sure I had died and was in another dimension. A dimension were the most gorgeous and unique creatures live. My eyes followed the wolf. It gave off an aura of power that could intimidate anyone and in its eyes it carried death drawn. But it didn't frighten me, nor did it intimidate me. On the contrary, I was extremely attracted to him.

With the image of that perfect creature, I let my eyes close little by little. I didn't even have the strength to keep my eyelids open. Everything went black. I felt so much pain that I stopped feeling anything. I don't know how long I stayed like that, but I woke up when huge arms grabbed me, holding me like a baby. With great effort, I managed to open my eyes. I looked at the man carrying me and I was speechless. 

If the grey wolf had made me doubt whether I was alive, this man confirmed that I was not. Such a man could not exist on earth. I had to be in heaven, or wherever werewolves go. His silver eyes, huge, wouldn't leave me. They were hypnotic, I couldn't take my eyes off them.

-“Am I dead?" I asked in a whisper. I didn't have the strength for more, but the man seemed to have heard me. 

His brow furrowed in confusion. He turned his eyes away from me to speak to someone. The loss of contact with his eyes made my heart empty. I don't want those eyes to ever stop looking at me. With the little strength I had left I tried to move my hand towards his face, to force him to look at me. But it was not necessary, because immediately his silver eyes looked at me again. This time they were full of concern. 

-"You're not dead, Cat," the man said, "We're going to get you to the hospital and you're going to be all right, I promise."

At first, I could only fixate on his angelic voice. I let every inch of my body enjoy the effects of that voice. His eyes kept looking at me, intensely. It was then that my mind finally processed what the man had said. I was not dead. I was not in heaven. I was still here. 

-"I'm not dead?!" I asked hysterically, trying to pull myself out of the man's arms.

The man didn't flinch and grabbed me tightly. I began to perceive the things I hadn't noticed in my trance state, when I was admiring those grey eyes. The pain in my body was still there, it was even more intense than before. The man was walking with a fast gait and that was accentuating my pain. Around us were more werewolves and a she-wolf. The woman was looking at me intently, with clear concern. Those faces looked familiar, but I couldn't tell from what. 

-"You're not dead, Cat." Repeated the man carrying me. "And I'm not going to let you die."

At these words, I completely lost control. I didn't want to be alive; I couldn't take it anymore. I was exhausted from carrying a past. I had decided to give up. It was my decision. This man could not come to tell me that I could not die. It was the last option I had left, and I couldn't let him take it away from me. 

-"Let go of me!!! Let go of me!!!"-I shouted, as I tried to move. This time with more force and putting more effort. The man's arms grabbed me even tighter. He was talking to me, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. "Let me die, I beg you"- I said looking into his huge eyes. I noticed how the tears fell uncontrollably down my cheeks. "Please, please..."- I begged him while sobbing. 

I rested my head on his chest and cried inconsolably. 

I needed him to let me die, and I would do whatever it took to get it.