Luna Catalina (ENG)

Chapter 17

Catalina was resisting too much, so it was necessary to inject her with wolfbane to render her unconscious. Not enough to do her any harm, but enough to get her to the hospital quickly. As soon as we entered the hospital, I noticed the pack doctor, Dr Mathews, and a large group of nurses waiting for our arrival. Ian must have informed them of the situation. I placed Catalina on a stretcher brought in by two nurses. 

-"Catalina is your Luna.” I spoke.  –“Therefore, you must treat her as such. Her welfare must be your top priority." I ordered the entire medical team. –“If she is harmed in any way, the person who harmed her will pay for it with his or her life.”

They nodded and took Catalina away. We all made our way to the waiting room, crowding it. There were too many of us. Before I could even sit down, Catalina's brothers approached me. Their body language was menacing. They were clearly furious with me.

-“How long have you known that our sister is your mate?" one of them asked. 

-“It's none of your business," I replied dryly.

-“That's none of our business?" the other brother exclaimed angrily, "Catalina has had to endure two weeks of you pretending you weren't mates and being attacked by her former mate and rapist in front of your f*****g face, and you have the balls to say it's none of our business?! This is all your fault!”

They both looked ready to attack me, so I braced myself to receive their attack. Quickly Ian, Mark, Miguel and Caleb stepped in, separating us. 

-“I don't think any of you have any say in all of this," Casandra interjected, looking at the twins. –“It's Catalina's life, and she runs it the way she wants to. If she didn't want to tell you, I’m sure there's a reason why. Now, enough of this fighting, it's not going to solve anything right now."

Casandra sat down, exhausted by the evening's events. We all followed her example and sat down to wait for any news from Catalina. A few hours later, Dr. Mathews appeared in the doorway. I got up quickly and approached him.

-"Our Luna is fine” -He said. “She has three broken ribs and quite a few injuries, but in a day or two she should be fine." I sighed, relieved, but it was then that I noticed the doctor was uncomfortable. There was something he didn't want to say. I looked at him, forcing him to continue. –“We are not concerned about Catalina's physical condition, but we are seriously worried about her psychological state. She seems to be in a state of shock. She is unresponsive to stimuli. We don't know how long it will take for her to come out of this state."

When we went to see Catalina, we found that what Dr Mathews had said was true. Catalina was lying in bed, curled up, and would not respond or look at us when we spoke to her. The next day she was discharged from the hospital, as her wounds and ribs had healed. However, she was still in her own world, refusing to talk to any of us. 

In the days following the medical discharge, I tried to be as attentive to Catalina as possible. It was difficult to balance being constantly aware of her with the crisis my pack was currently facing, and the preparation of the trial against Richard. It didn't help that I could only think about her constantly. I couldn't focus and I wasn't being efficient at all. Still, every day I brought her breakfast, lunch and dinner, and tried to get her to eat something. Her gaze was always empty, without any feeling, as if she no longer had any life inside her. She never reacted to my presence. This situation was keeping me awake at night. I wanted to help her, but I didn't know how. We had sought professional help, but all we had been told was that she was in shock and needed time to come to terms with what had happened. 

It had been four days since the attack, and Catalina still had no reaction. I wanted to be positive, but I was beginning to think that she would never get out of the trance she was in. I sighed in resignation and went into the house. While I was inspecting the patrols guarding the borders of my territory, it had started to pour. All my clothes were soaked. I changed my clothes and went downstairs to get some dinner to take up to Cat. As soon as I approached her room, I noticed she wasn't there. Still, I checked the whole room, including the bathroom and her terrace, just in case. My heart began to beat faster - where had she gone? Thanks to our mate-bond I could sense that she was home and that she was safe, but I couldn't locate where she was. I started looking everywhere for her. I contacted Ian, Casandra, Miguel and her brothers, but no one had seen her. After an hour of looking for her, it dawned on me where she could be. I ran up the stairs and opened the door to the roof. 

As soon as I opened the door, Zeus and I breathed a sigh of relief. Catalina was there, sitting on the floor with her back against the wall. Her eyes were closed, and she seemed to be enjoying the rain. I crept up to her, but she must have noticed my presence, because she opened her eyes and fixed them on me. 

All my tension and worries of the last few days vanished instantly, when I saw that her big green eyes were full of vitality.

-Catalina’s P.O.V-

The days following my meeting with Richard were extremely complicated. I had a mixture of feelings that I was unable to identify and sort out. For days, my feelings had swept over me like waves in a huge storm, not letting me breathe. I don't even know how many days I had been in a state of disconnection from reality. I was lying on my bed, when I began to hear raindrops hitting the window. For the first time in days, I got up and went over to open the window. The smell of rain and wet grass hit my nostrils. At the same time, the breeze generated by the storm stirred my hair. 

I noticed how at last the storm that had been going on inside me for days was beginning to calm down. As little by little my feelings began to sort themselves out, I could begin to understand them. Determined to continue enjoying the rain and my new peace of mind, I decided to go up to the roof. The couches were soaking wet, so I opted to sit on the ground, leaning my back against the wall. Drops of water began to soak my face, my hair and my clothes. I closed my eyes and breathed in, enjoying the moment, feeling how each drop of water falling against my body helped me come back from the trance I had been in. 

I meditated in the rain for quite some time, until Kayden's presence interrupted my thoughts. I turned to look at him. Instantly I felt guilty. He was very tense; his eyes were marked by dark circles under his eyes, and he seemed to have lost weight. The pressure and stress he must have been under made him look much older.

-“You scared me, I couldn't find you," he said. He said, coming over to me and sitting down next to me.  

-“I'm sorry.” I said, and I was truly sorry. I never wanted to be the cause of his suffering.

-“Don't worry about it.” He said, with a small smile. 

That small smile was more than enough to bring light and warmth back into my heart. I closed my eyes again and took a deep breath. I noticed how Kayden was staring at me, so I opened my eyes again and looked at him. 

-“When I was little and I was afraid of storms, my mother always told me that we shouldn't be afraid of them, but that we should look forward to the arrival of a big storm.” I started to tell him, I don't know why, looking away from him and looking at the horizon. –“She said that the storms came, swept everything away, and then left. They're scary at the time, she said, but after the storm you go out and find a new world full of new options that didn't exist before. When it rained, we would go out into the garden together and let the rain soak us, so that the storm would wash away our worries and our suffering, and we would be ready for these new opportunities.”

I felt Kayden's arm reach over my shoulders and grab me, pulling me to him. I rested my head on his chest, enjoying the contact of our bodies. 

-“You had me really worried, I thought I'd lost you forever..." He whispered in my ear, as he stroked my hair. 

-“I'm so sorry Kayden, I really am." I said, pulling away from his chest and looking into his eyes. 

We held each other's gaze for a few seconds. The way he looked at me made me feel like a volcano was about to explode inside me. I wanted him more than anything else in the world. 

-“How are you feeling?" he asked me, without taking his eyes off mine.  

-“Better," I said, trying to force a smile. –“I'd be lying if I told you I was fine, but I've managed to calm down a bit. Now I just need to understand what I'm feeling.”

-“And what are you feeling?" he replied, his gaze growing more and more intense. 

-“Mostly disappointment in myself," I said, breaking eye contact and looking down at my bare, breaded feet. I couldn't bring myself to talk to him about this subject if he was looking at me in such an intense way. –“You know, it's funny. Since we're very young, we're taught to be invincible, unfeeling warriors. They tell us that nothing can affect us, that we're trained not to feel anything. And you believe it, you think you're ready to face anything. But the reality is that no matter what happens, we are still human. No matter how much we want to, there are going to be things that destabilize us. And even though I'm aware of all this, I can't help but feel like s**t and a big disappointment".

For the past few days, I hadn't been able to cry, but the tears finally gathered in my eyes. Kayden used the arm he had me by the shoulders to lift me up, as if I weighed nothing, and place me in his lap. I snuggled against him and let him hold me. It was selfish of me, since I hadn't decided what I wanted to happen between Kayden and me. But the contact with him made all my problems seem minuscule and all the pain I was feeling disappear. Kayden was my medicine.

-“I’m very sorry Car. Everything that happened is my fault.” I pulled away from him and looked up at him, surprised by his words. His eyes conveyed the pain and guilt Kayden was feeling. "Don't look at me like that, this is all my fault, and I realized it too late. If the Moon Goddess brought us together, it was for a reason, and I have refused to accept her decision. I always thought that by doing so I was protecting you, but I have achieved the opposite. I will never forgive myself for hurting getting hurt like that practically in front of me."

I stared at him dumbfounded, not quite knowing what to say. For the first time since we'd known each other, Kayden and I had managed to have a deep, honest conversation. 

-“Thank you for saving my life," I said. I smiled at him, this time sincerely. 

My smile brought a smile to Kayden's face. However, that smile was quickly replaced by a look of concern. 

-“There's something I need to tell you," he said.

-“What is it?" I asked, concerned.

-“Richard has asked for a trial to resolve this whole situation," he replied.

-“A trial? On what basis? And who would be the ones to judge us?" I asked, puzzled. I didn't understand anything. 

-“Do you know Emerson's laws?" I shook my head. –“More than two hundred years ago, there was a huge war between all the territories in this region. The origin of that war was the dispute between two Alphas, Arthur and Ezekiel, over a woman, Samira. Samira was Arthur's mate, but Ezekiel fell in love with her as soon as he saw her. He tried to win her over in every possible way, but Samira only had eyes for his mate. Desperate, Ezekiel turned to a powerful wizard. No one knows how he paid him, but the wizard managed to make Samira believe that Ezekiel was his mate."

"Samira left with Ezekiel. Arthur, furious, declared war on him, and rallied all the packs he had alliances with to get Samira back. Ezekiel also contacted his allies, assuring them that Samira was his mate and that Arthur wanted to kidnap her. The war lasted for years and destroyed entire packs. In order to end the bloody war, an Alpha named Emerson gathered all the Elders people of the packs involved in the war, to judge the situation and make a decision. It is not clear how, but Ezekiel's deception was uncovered. As punishment, both Ezekiel and his pack were exterminated".

"After resolving the conflict, the different Alphas and Elders of the region came together and created the laws of Emerson. These laws contain the rules for resolving conflicts between the different packs and Alphas. All the packs in the region signed them. When a new Alpha is appointed, he must swear that he will rule according to these laws. Among these rules is the obligation to respect the relationship between an Alpha and his Luns. Anyone who breaks this rule will be judged by the court of Elders. Furthermore, any Alpha who breaks or refuses to enforce Emerson's laws may be exterminated along with his pack."

I nodded, processing everything Kayden had just told me. 

-“But that's good, isn't it? That Richard has asked to go to the tribal?" -I asked. –“After all, he's not my mate anymore. We can prove it and he'll be punished for what he did."

-“It's not that simple," replied Kayden, who seemed genuinely concerned about the situation. –“Both he and I will have to provide proof that you are our mate. Your word won't be a strong enough proof, as you could be bewitched like Samira was. Add to that the fact that, while the court used to be composed of wise Elders with great hearts and wisdom, it is now composed of a bunch of corrupt old men."

-"And when is the trial?" I asked.

-“Sunday.”- Kayden replied.

Sunday was three days away. I closed my eyes and leaned back against his chest, realizing what a complicated situation I was in. On top of all that, I would have to see Richard again. The mere thought of seeing him again sent a shiver through my body. 

-“Catalina, I swear he's never going to touch you again," -Kayden whispered to my ear. –“Whatever that bunch of old men say, I'm not going to let anyone, especially that scum, near you. I'll sacrifice everything I have to stop them, even if it costs me my life or my pack. They will never hurt you again."

 Although I was aware that the situation was too complicated to be resolved by Kayden's promise, his words comforted me greatly. I couldn't explain why but being with him gave me power and security. I felt invincible with Kayden by my side. 

-“Come on, you're freezing," Kayden said, pulling us up. 

It was then that I realized that it had stopped raining a while ago and that I was shivering from the cold because of my wet clothes. Kayden took my hand and led me downstairs. I followed him without thinking too much about where we were going, until we stopped at a giant dark wooden door. Kayden's room. I looked up at him, surprised. 

-“I know I don't deserve it, but could you sleep here with me?" he asked, pleading with his eyes.

I opened and closed my mouth several times, trying to make a sound, but the words wouldn't come out of my mouth. I didn't know what I wanted to do. On the one hand, my heart and Electra ached at the thought of being separated from Kayden. On the other hand, I had so many questions about us, had Kayden accepted me as his mate? After all, did I want to accept him? should we try? do we have a chance of a future together?

-“I realize we still have a lot of things to sort out," -Kayden said again. –“I don't need us to sleep together, just in the same room. I'll sleep on the couch. I need you close, please...Zeus and I need you..." His last words were more of a plea than a statement. 

I nodded and followed him. His room was like a whole flat. Like the rest of the house, his room was decorated in whites and greys. The bed was huge, it could fit 5 or 6 people. He had a small living room with sofas and a TV on the right side of the room. The wall on the left was all glass, opening onto a terrace much bigger than the one in my room. Now that I had seen that terrace, mine looked like a shoebox. As I looked around the room, Kayden disappeared through a doorway. I followed him. The door led to an amazing walk-in closet, the kind you see in those rich woman shows. There was a shoe area, big wardrobes, drawers, and even a couch in the middle to sit on. 

-“Here," Kayden said, holding out a t-shirt. I looked at him blankly. –“I guess you'll want to sleep in dry clothes, you can take a shower too if you want.”

-“Thank you." I smiled and accepted the shirt. "Could you lend me a sweatshirt too, please?”

-“Are you cold?" he asked me strangely. 

-“I'm always cold," I said smiling broadly at him.

It was true. Cas always laughed at me, because she said I wore a sweatshirt or a blanket everywhere I went. Kayden left me a clean towel too. I decided to take a shower to warm up before I went to bed. Kayden's bathroom was just as impressive as his room. It was just as big as my room. Everything was decorated with white marble. What struck me most was the beautiful antique bathtub in the middle of the bathroom. I opted for a quick shower. I got dressed, dried my hair and got out.

While I was showering, Kayden had changed his clothes. He was wearing just pajama trousers, no shirt. I felt my throat go dry as I ran my eyes up and down his muscular torso. This man was definitely not of this world. Kayden was making up a bed on the couch. He looked up when he heard me come in and just caught me biting my lower lip as I admired his muscles. 

-“Do you like what you see?" he smiled, amused. 

I noticed how I instantly turned red and wished the earth would swallow me up. I didn't answer and walked over to the bed, ready to lie down. Before I got into bed, I looked at Kayden again. He was clearly so much bigger than that couch, sleeping there was going to be very uncomfortable. Thanks to the light in the room, I could see his tired face and dark circles under his eyes even more. It wasn't fair for him to go another sleepless night because of me. 

-“Kayden," I called out to him. He immediately fixed his big silver eyes on me. “I think your mile-long bed is big enough for us to sleep separately. It doesn't make sense for you to sleep on the couch."

-"Are you sure?" he asked, surprised. 

I nodded and climbed into bed. Seconds later I noticed how Kayden lay down next to me, though respecting my personal space at all times. I smiled gratefully and closed my eyes. However, I couldn't fall asleep. All I could remember was the image of Kayden with his shirt off, which was starting a huge fire inside me. 

-“Cat," Kayden said in a raspy voice that sent a wave of desire through me. "You need to stop thinking about whatever you're thinking about. I smell your arousal from here, and I don't think I can hold back much longer."

Instantly my cheeks burned again. s**t. Werewolves could easily smell when a Shewolf was turned on, and Kayden had smelled how I was getting turned on by him. I blanked my mind and tried not to think about anything. I thought I wouldn't get a second's sleep with Kayden next to me, but, to my surprise, I promptly fell into a deep sleep. 

The next morning, I was woken up by a big noise. I could hear a lot of footsteps and voices coming from the hallway, as if there were a lot of people crowded in there. I looked to my right and saw that Kayden was gone. So, I got up and went to the door, puzzled. I knew that, except for cleaning, everyone was banned from this floor except Kayden and Lily. When I opened the door, I found at least 20 warriors from Kayden's pack. They were running back and forth, in and out of Lily's room. Ian was there too. 

-“Ian!" I called out to him. 

 Ian turned at the sound of his name. He looked me up and down, surprised, as he approached me. That's when I remembered I was dressed in Kayden's clothes. I tried to ignore the embarrassment I was feeling at the moment, so I could search for the answers I wanted.

-“What's going on? What are all these warriors doing here?" I asked.

-“Lily's not here. She's missing. Someone has taken her."