The Alpha and the Oracle (The Belesone Pack #1)

Chapter 7

Josanna didn't feel the same about Katarina as the rest of the community did. They were too close as sisters to allow that kind of disloyalty into their relationship.

"No. I'm not sure how it will work, but we're supposed to sit together." Katarina agreed with a knowing smile.

"Ooh, I can take a picture." Josanna beamed suddenly. She rushed out of her chair and across to her mobile phone as it sat on the counter.

Katarina wondered if she was going to take a picture right that second, until her sister plugged her phone in to charge and took her seat again.

"I don't want it suddenly dying on me when I'm about to snap you and the hunky Alpha together." She joked as she settled down to enjoy her hot chocolate.

Katarina felt a flush go up her cheeks at the words, embarrassed as both her sister and father laughed at the joke. It was funny, but she was also really embarrassed by the fact that the whole school, shifter and human kids alike, would see them together.

She had no doubts that was what her grandfather had planned when he suggested it. He hoped it would give Milo time to get used to being seen in public with her. Unfortunately, it might just embarrass him and convince him that she was the wrong mate for him. Under any and all circumstances.

"We'll be okay dad. Everything will be fine. I'll take care of it." Katarina promised that nothing bad was going to happen. She would make sure of that.

Katarina stayed with her family until her hot chocolate was finished. Then, she politely left them and retreated to her room.

The tears were there, waiting to make their escape. But she wouldn't let them. Not this time. She couldn't. Because if there was one thing she had to do now, it was be strong and brave. She just had to be strong and brave for one week. That was no time at all. And when the week was over and Milo had found his true mate, she would disappear.

***

Grene woke with a start to the sound of howling. When he glanced at the clock on his way out of bed, he saw that it was three in the morning.

Katarina hadn't been asleep for long.

He pulled on a pair of joggers and rushed to her room, relieved that Josanna had been so used to Katarina's episodes for so long that she didn't wake from them any more. "Katarina, it's all right." He soothed as he walked into her bedroom and closed the door behind him.

A small wolf was lying curled up on the floor, howling in pain. He didn't know why she did it, or what internal instinct told her she was in pain, but she never had a choice.

Sometimes she transformed in her sleep and sometimes she woke from a nightmare and transformed from fright. She knew that she wasn't strong, so whenever she was threatened, she transformed into a wolf, to protect herself.

He pulled the blanket from the bed and laid it over the small wolf. It raised its head to look at him with sad eyes and he could only smile.

Grene stepped back into the hallway and removed his clothes, laying them over the banister. He transformed into his own wolf form, much larger and darker in colour than Katarina.

He pushed the door open with his muzzle and wandered inside to lie with his daughter. Her small wolf body was literally shaking with fear and she made a pathetic, whimpering sound that spoke of true suffering.

He lay down beside her and watched as she moved over to the comfort of his warmth.

For a long time they lay there, Katarina ducked under one protective paw, until he could be sure that she wasn't crying any more. Whatever her wolf was seeing or feeling was terrifying her human and wolf self.

It took over an hour for the shaking to stop and her breathing to relax. Once that happened, Grene moved away from his daughter and left the room. He transformed in the hallway and put his clothes back on, before going into Katarina's room and lifting her onto the bed.

She wouldn't transform back to her human self until morning, when she woke, but at least she was safe and she could be warm in her bed.

He lay the duvet back over her and rubbed her muzzle gently.

"Goodnight sweetheart. Sleep well." He sighed as he left the room and returned to his own bed. He hated seeing her that way. It was heartbreaking but becoming, unfortunately, more and more regular.

Not for the first time, Grene wondered what was going on inside his daughters head. Was it her dreams that sparked off these episodes, or was it her unique talents? Was it just another thing that made her different from the rest of the pack? Yes. Undoubtedly.

He needed to know what was happening to her and how it was going to affect her in the long term. Was she going to lose complete control of her wolf? Was she going to be walking through her high school one day and turn just because she was upset? Was she going to be walking home from school and suddenly go from human to wolf in a split second, without even knowing it? He didn't want that for her.

It was a crime to show themselves to humans. Even if she didn't know she was doing it, it would make no difference to her punishment. She would be punished and banished. Lashes or caged, it didn't matter. What mattered was that Katarina's delicate, fragile soul would be crushed by such punishment.

Grene slipped into bed and reached to turn off the lamp.

Instead of flicking the switch, he gazed at the bulb for a moment, until his vision became hazy. He had one choice. One way of getting answers, but he wasn't sure he wanted to resort to that yet. That was the last option. If he went there, he couldn't undo it later.

Finally flicking off the light, Grene decided that he would keep a close eye on Katarina in the next few days, while the Alpha courted her. If her symptoms increased, he would turn to drastic action and ask for Carlton's help. But not before then.