Chapter FourThe Man Beneath the Moon
861 Words
Night slowly covered the Moonlight Pack.
The entire territory glowed beneath golden lights as servants rushed everywhere making final preparations for the Immortal Wolf King’s arrival tomorrow.
Inside the pack house, tension filled every hallway.
Nobody wanted to make a mistake.
Especially after Alpha Lucien publicly embarrassed several servants earlier that day.
Katerina quietly carried fresh towels toward the guest chambers while trying not to think about what happened in the hallway.
“She’s my friend.”
Kai’s words still echoed inside her mind.
Nobody had ever defended her openly before.
Not against an Alpha.
Not proudly.
A small warmth spread through her chest at the memory.
“Katerina!”
Lena suddenly appeared beside her carrying pillows twice her size.
“You disappeared after the hallway incident,” Lena whispered dramatically. “Do you know how shocked everyone was?”
Katerina sighed softly. “It wasn’t a big deal.”
“Not a big deal?!” Lena nearly dropped the pillows. “A royal warrior basically challenged the future Alpha because of you!”
Katerina immediately looked nervous.
“Keep your voice down.”
Lena rolled her eyes.
“You worry too much.”
Easy for Lena to say.
Katerina spent her entire life surviving by staying invisible.
Attention only brought trouble.
And now—
People were whispering about her.
Again.
As they entered the northern guest wing, several maids instantly became quiet upon seeing Katerina.
One of them smirked coldly.
“Looks like some omegas know how to gain powerful friends.”
Katerina lowered her gaze silently.
Lena frowned immediately.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
The maid shrugged mockingly.
“Nothing. I just think it’s strange how a royal warrior suddenly cares about an omega servant.”
Katerina tightened her grip on the towels.
She already knew what they were implying.
That she was trying to climb higher using Kai.
The same ugly rumors always spread whenever an omega received attention from stronger wolves.
Lena stepped forward angrily.
“You—”
“It’s fine,” Katerina interrupted softly.
The maid laughed before walking away.
Lena looked furious.
“I hate this pack.”
Katerina forced a small smile.
“I know.”
But deep inside—
The words still hurt.
No matter what happened, she remained an omega in everyone’s eyes.
Weak.
Unworthy.
Disposable.
That night, after finishing her duties, Katerina quietly slipped outside the pack house.
The cold wind brushed gently against her skin as she walked toward the back garden.
This was the only peaceful place she knew.
Far from shouting.
Far from cruel stares.
Far from the constant reminder of her place.
The moon shined brightly above the dark forest surrounding the territory.
Beautiful.
Silent.
Free.
Katerina closed her eyes softly.
Sometimes she wondered what life beyond Moonlight Pack looked like.
A place where omegas were not treated like burdens.
A place where she could exist without fear.
But dreams like that felt impossible.
“You always come here when you’re sad.”
Katerina opened her eyes quickly.
Kai leaned against a nearby tree with his arms crossed.
“You startled me.”
“You were thinking too deeply.”
She looked away quietly.
Kai walked closer slowly.
Under the moonlight, the silver streaks in his dark hair became more visible.
For a moment, he looked less like a warrior and more like the boy she once knew.
“I heard the servants talking,” he said quietly.
Katerina immediately understood.
The rumors.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Kai frowned slightly.
“It matters to me.”
Silence settled between them.
Then Kai sighed softly.
“Katerina… why do you always endure everything quietly?”
She looked down at her hands.
Because fighting back changes nothing.
Because omegas who resist disappear.
Because surviving was easier than hoping.
But she could not say those words aloud.
So instead she whispered—
“I’m used to it.”
Kai’s expression darkened.
“That’s exactly what I hate.”
Katerina looked up in surprise.
Kai rarely sounded angry.
“I left this pack because I couldn’t stand watching them treat you like this anymore,” he admitted quietly. “Every time I became stronger, it still wasn’t enough to protect you.”
“Kai…”
“When the king’s warriors selected me, I accepted immediately.”
His blue eyes softened slightly.
“I thought maybe if I became important enough… I could finally change something.”
Katerina’s chest tightened painfully.
Nobody had ever cared about her that much before.
Then suddenly—
A strange feeling spread through her body.
Warm.
Restless.
Her wolf stirred again.
Mine.
The voice echoed inside her mind possessively.
Katerina froze.
Not again.
Kai immediately noticed her expression.
“What’s wrong?”
“My wolf…” she whispered softly.
The air around them suddenly felt strange.
The wind grew colder.
Even the forest became unusually silent.
Kai’s warrior instincts sharpened instantly.
Something powerful was nearby.
Very powerful.
Then—
A deep howl echoed through the distant night.
Not an ordinary wolf.
Ancient.
Dominant.
Terrifying.
Katerina’s heart started beating wildly.
And inside her—
Her wolf awakened completely for the first time in years.
- Writer
