Alpha Kieran's Regret

Chapter 2

_Katherine’s POV_

Thomas led the way down the dimly lit hallway. I followed closely, my body aching from the beating Aria and her friends had given me. My ribs throbbed, my lip stung, and every breath felt like a struggle.

Aria walked beside me, her head held high, a smirk playing on her lips. She wasn’t worried. Why would she be? She was the Beta’s daughter. The Alpha would surely take her side.

My stomach twisted with nerves. Would Alpha Kieran even listen to me? Or would he believe Aria, just like everyone else did?

When we reached the Alpha’s office, Thomas knocked firmly on the door.

"Come in," a deep voice commanded.

Thomas pushed the door open, and we stepped inside. The office was grand, with bookshelves lining the walls and a large wooden desk at the center. Papers were scattered across the surface, and Alpha Kieran sat behind them, deep in thought. He looked up when we entered. His piercing silver eyes locked onto us, making my breath hitch.

I had always been wary of Alpha Kieran. He was powerful, ruthless when necessary, and completely out of my reach. Omegas like me didn’t interact with Alphas unless it was to serve them food or clean up after them.

His gaze moved over each of us before settling on Thomas. "What happened?"

Thomas stepped forward. "Alpha, I caught Aria and her friends attacking Katherine in the kitchen. They were beating her mercilessly, and if I hadn’t intervened, I don’t know what would have happened."

Alpha Kieran’s eyes darkened as he turned his attention to Aria. "Is this true?"

Aria flipped her hair over her shoulder and crossed her arms. "She started it."

Thomas scoffed. "That’s a lie, and you know it. She was doing her duties when you came in and started insulting her. When she refused to wash the plate you spat on, you attacked her."

Alpha Kieran leaned back in his chair, watching me closely. "You refused to wash a plate?"

I swallowed hard. "Yes, Alpha. Aria spat on it, and I—I didn’t think it was right to clean it again."

His lips pressed into a thin line. "Aria wouldn’t insult you for nothing. You must have provoked her."

His words cut through me, sharper than any blow I had taken earlier. Of course. He didn’t believe me.

Thomas shook his head. "With all due respect, Alpha, I know Katherine. She has never caused trouble. She wouldn’t do something like this unless she was pushed too far."

Alpha Kieran exhaled through his nose. He was about to respond when my gaze drifted to the window. The full moon hung in the sky, glowing with an ethereal silver light. It was beautiful—so calm and distant, so different from the storm of emotions raging inside me.

Then, suddenly—

A sharp pain shot through my stomach. I gasped, my hands flying to my abdomen as fire spread through my veins. The pain was unbearable, unlike anything I had ever felt before. It was as if my body was being ripped apart from the inside.

I staggered, my vision blurring.

What was happening to me?

A voice echoed in my mind. I am your wolf, Maya. Today is your eighteenth birthday, and that is why I have emerged.

My breath caught in my throat. My birthday.

I had been so busy with chores, with surviving, that I had forgotten. Today, I turned eighteen—the age when werewolves first connected with their wolves.

This pain… it was my awakening.

"Katherine!" Alpha Kieran’s voice snapped me back to reality.

I barely heard him through the agony. The room tilted, and I swayed on my feet. He was suddenly in front of me, his strong hands gripping my arms.

"Are you alright?" His voice was lower now, softer.

I forced myself to nod, even though I wasn’t sure if I could stand much longer.

"You don’t look fine."

His hands tightened around me, steadying me.

Then, suddenly—

His body went rigid.

His eyes widened, his expression shifting from concern to something else entirely. Something raw.

A deep growl rumbled in his chest. His grip on me tightened, his fingers pressing into my skin.

His lips parted, and he whispered, almost in disbelief, "No… this is not possible."

My heartbeat pounded in my ears.

And then I heard Maya’s voice again. Mate. He is our mate.

My entire world stopped.

No. No, that couldn’t be right. Alpha Kieran… was my mate?

A wave of shock crashed over me, leaving me breathless.

This was a mistake. It had to be.

I was an omega. He was an Alpha. The strongest Alpha. This couldn’t be happening.

I forced myself to look up at him, at his stormy silver eyes that were filled with something wild and conflicted.

"No," I whispered. "This isn’t real."

But deep down, I knew it was.

The bond, the connection—I could feel it now, strong and undeniable.

Alpha Kieran took a slow step back, his chest rising and falling heavily. His hands clenched into fists at his sides, and for a long moment, he just stared at me, his jaw tight, his entire body tense.

I didn’t know what he would say.

But I knew, with absolute certainty, that my life would never be the same again.