Alpha, King, Mate

Catalina

I pulled my chair back up and sat down. I could hear Aris' loud howl as he had entered the forest. I was angry with him, of course I was, but I had no idea how to proceed here. The house was unfamiliar and so was the territory. I had no idea where he had brought me, nor did I know how to get out. If I even could in the first place.

Someone cleared their throat. Instinctively I jumped up from my spot. I was among werewolves, even with Aris being my mate I needed to be careful. Especially after what had just happened.

But it wasn't a werewolf. A girl stood in the door opening. She was way too small to be a wolf, and way too underfed. She must be around fifteen or sixteen at most. Her hair was brown and long like it had never been cut before. She had heavy dark circles under her eyes and her bones were poking out through her skin. Still, she smiled at me.

"Luna." She said, her voice a bit doubtful. "King Aris told me to help you find your way in the house. He thought you would like a human friend." She glanced towards the front door, the one Aris had just run out of. Undoubtedly she was scared, I had been scared of every wolf when I still worked for my old pack, let alone the king of all those assholes. 

"What is your name?" I asked her. 

"Catalina, your grace." She answered truthfully. "But I changed it into Catherine." The humans had spoken the old language for a very long time until the werewolves changed it to their own. Names like Catalina were seen as an act of rebellion against the wolves. It had definitely not been her choice to change it. 

"Mine is Victoria," I answered. "Borderline rebellious I believe, though I haven't heard any complaints yet." She smiled with me. "I'll call you Catalina, I prefer it like that."

She looked a bit frightened but nodded nonetheless. "If it so pleases you, your grace." Your grace was something I doubt I could ever get used to. Maybe it was better for my own sanity if I never did. "Do you wish to see your room?"

"Yes, thank you." I said. I followed her up the stairs, but she quickly halted. 

"The king," she glanced back at the front door again. "He offers you a place in his bed, though he would understand if you wish to have your own room first. We have prepared a room for you, if you'd like."

I did not have to think twice about it. "My own room please." I answered. Especially after the fight we just had I did not even want to think about having to sleep in the same bed as him. Catalina nodded and led me down the hallway to the left. 

We entered the east wing. All the dark walls were decorated with paintings. Some were simple, for instance, there was one that just featured one rose. Others were more... Morbid. One of the paintings showed a werewolf standing on top of thousands of corpses. This place needed to be redecorated if I were to stay here.

Finally, we turned right and reached a dead end. Catalina retrieved a golden key from her apron and unlocked the door. The room was a house on its own. I had my own dinner table, with several chairs, a large white and baby pink bed and even my own bathroom. 

Catalina moved a bit closer to me, softly grabbing one of my arms and holding it closer to her. I had noticed the painful tingles that had started to shoot up and down my arm, but it wasn't that bad compared to other injuries I have had. 

My skin was still very red, though I could see the blue undertone of a bruise rising up. "I'll make a bath for you," Catalina said. "I have some ointments that will help." She immediately disappeared into the bathroom. 

Catalina insisted on staying with me in the bathroom. Something that made me very uncomfortable. I could at least convince her to turn around when I got in, there were plenty of bubbles to keep my naked body hidden. Werewolves were far more used to nudity, which is probably why us humans had kept up some more prudish manners. 

She sat on a wooden stool beside the tub and inspected my arm yet again. The entire bathroom was made out of white and grey marble. It looked too fancy, like I wasn't allowed to be in here. I was still waiting for a werewolf to come in here and beat me for using it. 

I recognised the smell of the ointment. A woman in my old pack used to make them too and put them over my wounds if I had fallen. They caused them to close quicker, so the werewolves did not get annoyed by the scent of blood as I walked by. I trusted Catalina more now. No human would ever share the recipe with a werewolf.

Though I was still fuming by just the thought of him, I had to give it to Aris. He knew which one of his servants I would start liking. Catalina had an old rebellious name, she knew of the strange human medicines and most of all: she reminded me of myself, before I had been chosen from that lineup. 

"How long have you been here?" I asked her. She had gotten a piece of cloth and slowly started dabbing away on the bruises. 

"A few years." She answered. 

"Have you always worked for the wolves?" I asked. I could see her tense up by my question. I could imagine how terrifying this must be for her, though I could not think of a way to rephrase anything. "I was with a pack long ago," I told her, trying to set her at ease by sharing information about myself. "Eventually a few things happened and I was forced to leave. Then I joined a group of other humans, and then I had to leave them too, for Aris."

"Your grace," She said, having finished up spreading the lavender coloured ointment on one of my arms and moving to the next. I could tell she was struggling to say something, she kept on glancing at the door like someone would come bursting through it at any time. 

"It's okay," I told her, my voice not louder than a whisper. "I know how you feel, I used to have to serve them as well. Don't say anything that could cause harm to befall on yourself."

Catalina was young, she was still trusting of people. She had kindness in her heart, and that kindness caused her to lean closer to me and whisper. "You have fallen into a snake's nest. The king... He kills and harms werewolves and humans alike for disobeying his commands. My queen, if you want to survive, you need to learn."

I looked back into her emerald green eyes. There was something about them, maybe it was the number of people I had lost in the woods not too long ago or the fact that she seemed so genuine. I leaned back in the tub.

"Teach me."