chapter 4

Jane had been injured protecting Edward years ago, and her bones had never fully healed. They were fragile now, too easy to break. This fall had shifted the vertebrae in her neck out of place.

Edward kicked open the bedroom door and ripped the covers back, yanking Catherine out of bed.

"How can you be so cruel?"

Back then, Catherine had broken up with him without explanation and turned to Leon instead. Edward had gone looking for her in the rain, covered in wounds, and he'd nearly been killed by a car. Jane had shifted into her wolf form and pushed him out of the way just in time.

But Jane had taken the hit instead. The injuries were so severe that her wolf had gone silent ever since.

"How am I cruel?" Catherine stared at the man in front of her and tears welled up in her eyes. "Edward, if you've got the guts, then strangle me death right now!"

She looked up at him through her tears, her gaze defiant and unbroken. "I never betrayed you. I never let Leon mark me!"

A sharp pain twisted through Catherine's abdomen and her whole body started trembling uncontrollably.

Edward's deep eyes bore into her. After a long moment, he let out a cold laugh.

"You think I'm still naive enough to believe you?" His eyes turned predatory. "Leon has always been ruthless. You really expect me to believe he gave you anything without sleeping with you first?"

The Alpha family of the Thornfield Pack didn't have a single decent bone in their bodies. They sure as hell wouldn't be doing charity work.

The pain slammed into Catherine and stole her breath. She sucked in air, trying to steady herself. He'd never believe her anyway.

She pulled her lips into something bitter. "If that's what you want to think, then fine."

Catherine shoved his hand away and tried to stand.

Edward shoved her back down onto the bed. Catherine struggled against him. "Let me go."

Edward leaned down close to her ear. "You think I want to touch you? You disgust me."

Her heart was already frozen, but his words carved it into pieces.

He reached for her shirt and started unbuttoning it, slow and deliberate. "Thought you said he never marked you."

Edward's smile looked like something that crawled out of hell. "Guess I'll have to check for myself."

A violent shudder tore through Catherine's body and she bit down hard on her lip. Her fists pounded against his shoulders, frantic and useless.

But she was no match for an Alpha's strength.

A fine tremor swept through her body, and cold sweat broke out across her forehead.

Her abdomen felt like someone was twisting a knife inside it. The pain was so intense that she curled up violently.

"Cut the act." Edward's voice was flat. "I haven't even done anything yet."

"It hurts." Catherine shook violently. "My stomach hurts."

The painkillers. She needed her painkillers.

The pills were all Catherine could think about, and she threw herself against Edward with desperate strength.

Edward wasn't prepared for it. His body stumbled back and his leg crashed into the nightstand.

Her purse hit the floor and the pill bottle rolled out. Edward glanced down and spotted two pieces of paper lying there.

He narrowed his eyes and reached for them.

Catherine's expression went tight with panic and she lunged forward, but Edward got there first.

The medical terminology meant nothing to him, but the words at the bottom—Wolfsbane Syndrome—those he understood perfectly.

His face shifted into something complicated as he stared at Catherine. She lay there like a fish pulled from water, completely drained.

Edward bent down and picked up one of the pill bottles, turning it in his hand to read the label.

After a long moment, he threw both the medical report and the bottle onto the bed.

"You're full of tricks, aren't you?" He let out a cold laugh. "You think forging this will make me feel sorry for you?"

He leaned over her, his arms caging her in on both sides.

He even wiped the sweat from her face with false tenderness. "You're not Jane. Even if you died right in front of me, I wouldn't feel a thing."

She was just copying Jane's playbook. Saw that Jane was sick and decided to pull the same act.

How could she possibly have Wolfsbane Syndrome? It was impossible.

Catherine was always lying.

After Edward left, Catherine lay there in the bed and fumbled for the pill bottle he'd thrown down. She didn't bother with water—just swallowed one dry.

An hour crawled by before the pain finally started to fade.

Catherine stared up at the pale ceiling. She started laughing. The laughter turned into tears before she could stop it.