CHAPTER 400: HATE

Katrina~

For two agonizing months after Vincent vanished, I lived with a gaping void in my chest, right where our mate bond used to pulse like a second heartbeat. It wasn’t just an emotional ache—it was physical, a relentless, gnawing pain that clawed at my ribs from the inside, as if some invisible beast had sunk its talons into my soul and refused to let go. Every breath felt labored, every step heavy, like I was dragging chains forged from shattered dreams. The bond hadn’t just faded; it had been severed, leaving raw, frayed edges that burned with phantom echoes of his touch, his voice, his shadowed gaze that used to make my world tilt on its axis. I’d wake up in the dead of night, gasping, my hands clutching at my chest as if I could stitch the wound closed with sheer willpower. But nothing filled it. Food tasted like ash, laughter sounded hollow, and even the sun’s warmth on my skin felt like a cruel mockery of the light I was supposed to wield as my mother’s daughter.

My family rallied around me like a fortress under siege, their love a shield against the despair threatening to swallow me whole. Mom—Queen Natalie, the Celestial Princess herself—would sit with me for hours in the palace’s grand library, her hands glowing with that ethereal light as she scoured ancient tomes and cast prophecy spells. Dad paced the halls like an angry wolf, his Lycan strength coiled tight, ready to tear through realms if it meant bringing Vincent back. Uncles and aunts descended upon us: Uncle Sebastian with his piercing dark eyes and Aunt Cassandra, the fierce werewolf warrior who’d once slain vampires herself. They all gathered in the throne room, maps of ethereal planes spread out like battle plans, debating strategies late into the night.

But nothing worked. Not a single trace.

One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon and painted the sky in bloody hues, we all crammed into the war room—a cavernous space with stone walls etched in glowing runes and a massive oak table scarred from past conflicts. Mom stood at the head, her red hair flowing like mine, but hers shimmered with celestial power. Her blue eyes, so much like my own, were rimmed with exhaustion.

"Katrina, sweetheart," she said softly, reaching across the table to squeeze my hand. Her touch sent a wave of healing warmth through me, but it barely dulled the edge of my pain. "We’ve tried everything. I’ve communed with the stars, delved into visions that stretch back centuries. Your grandmother, the Moon Goddess, even lent her sight through me last night. But Vincent... he’s cloaked in something ancient, beyond even her reach."

I pulled my hand away, the frustration bubbling up like acid in my throat. "Beyond her? Mom, you always said Grandma was the pinnacle of power. And Uncle Jacob—the Wolf Spirit—he’s supposed to command the wilds of every realm! What about Uncle Tiger, with his ferocity, or Uncle Fox’s cunning illusions? Uncle Eagle’s aerial dominion, or even Uncle Bubble’s chaotic whims? If none of you can find him, then what good is all this ’celestial might’ you keep bragging about?"

My voice cracked on the last word, and I hated how vulnerable it made me sound. Dad grunted from his seat, his massive frame leaning forward, silver streaks in his dark hair catching the torchlight. "Kat, we’re not giving up. This primordial crap Nat sensed—it’s like fighting fog with fists. But we’ll punch through it."

Uncle Sebastian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, his black hair tousled and dark eyes brooding—just like Nicholas’s. "Zane’s right. I’ve scoured the vampire networks, interrogated shadows that whisper secrets even demons fear. Nothing. But that doesn’t mean he’s gone, Katrina. It means whoever’s hiding him is playing a long game."

Aunt Cassandra, ever the warrior, slammed her fist on the table, her werewolf strength making the wood groan. "And when we find them, we’ll make them regret it. You’re family, Kat. We fight for our own."

Their words were meant to comfort, but they only fueled the fire raging inside me. I stood up abruptly, my chair scraping against the stone floor with a screech that echoed my inner turmoil. "Family? That’s rich. If you all were so powerful, Vincent wouldn’t be lost in the first place! I thought we were untouchable—the Celestial Princess, the Lycan King, gods and spirits at our beck and call. But you’re all just... helpless!"

Tears stung my eyes, hot and unbidden, and I stormed out before they could see me break. The palace corridors blurred as I ran, my hair whipping behind me like a red flag of surrender. I ended up in my room, collapsing onto the bed where Vincent’s scent still lingered faintly on the pillows, a ghost that haunted me more than any nightmare.

Nicholas tried his hardest to pull me from the abyss. My best friend since childhood, with his black hair always perfectly messy and those dark eyes that could charm the stars from the sky, he’d show up at my door every morning like clockwork. Two weeks after that beach revelation, he barged in with a tray of breakfast—fluffy pancakes drowned in syrup, just how I liked them—and a cocky grin that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

"Come on, Kat," he said, plopping the tray on my bedside table. "You can’t skip classes again. Professor Thorne’s already threatening to turn us into frogs if we miss another potions lecture. And hey, I brought reinforcements." He nodded toward the door, where Winter hovered like a shadow, her quiet demeanor making her seem even smaller in the grand doorway.

Winter stepped in hesitantly, her blonde hair framing a face pale with worry. She clutched a bouquet of wildflowers—night-blooming jasmine, Vincent’s favorites. "Katrina... I thought these might brighten your day. Vincent always said they reminded him of home. He’ll be back, I know it. He’s too stubborn to stay gone."

I sat up, staring at them both, the pain twisting into something sharper, uglier. Hate. It wasn’t fair, I knew that deep down. Nicholas was just being Nicholas—brooding yet magnetic, hiding his soft side under layers of arrogance. And Winter... she was trying so hard, her voice trembling with genuine fear for her brother. I’d caught her once, a month ago, huddled in the palace gardens under a willow tree, her shoulders shaking as silent sobs wracked her body. She loved Vincent fiercely, just as she loved Nicholas. But every time I looked at them, all I saw was the chain of events that ripped my world apart.

Nicholas had made Winter sad, she’d run away, vanishing into the morning like the dreams she could weave. Vincent, ever the protective brother, had chased after her. And to do that, he’d broken our bond—severed it clean to show his pain and hate for my family who had threatened his. Now he was lost, entwined in some ancient void, and it was all because of them.

"Get out," I whispered, my voice low and venomous.

Nicholas blinked, his cocky facade cracking. "Kat, what? We’re just trying to—"

"Help?" I snapped, standing up so fast the tray rattled. "You think flowers and pancakes fix this? You’re the reason he’s gone! You hurt her, Nick—she ran because of you! And Vincent... he left me to find her. If you two weren’t so wrapped up in your perfect little mate drama, he’d still be here!"

Winter’s eyes widened, hurt flashing across her face like a storm cloud. "Katrina, please... I didn’t mean for any of this. I love my brother—I’d give anything to have him back. And Nicholas, he—"

"Save it," I cut her off, my celestial magic flaring involuntarily, making the room’s lights flicker with divine rage. My eyes must have glowed, because Nicholas stepped back, Leo—his wolf—stirring protectively in his mind. "You two get to hold each other at night, whisper sweet nothings while I rot here with this... this hole in my soul. It’s not fair!"

Nicholas reached out, his vampire speed making the motion a blur, but I dodged, retreating to the window. "Kat, you’re my best friend. I get it—you’re hurting. But blaming us won’t bring him back. Let’s go to class, distract yourself. Winter and I, we’re here for you."

I laughed, but it came out bitter, choked. "Distract? Like everything’s normal? No, Nick. Just... leave me alone."

They exchanged a glance, Winter’s hand slipping into his, and that simple gesture twisted the knife deeper. They left quietly, the door clicking shut like a final nail in my coffin of isolation.

Even my brother, Alexander, couldn’t breach the walls I’d built. Alex, with his steady wisdom and that big-brotherly protectiveness, cornered me in the training grounds a few days later. The sun beat down mercilessly, glinting off the practice swords scattered around us. He was shirtless, sweat-slicked from sparring, his muscles rippling with the same Alpha strength I inherited from Dad.

"Kat, you can’t keep pushing everyone away," he said, tossing me a wooden sword. "Come on, let’s spar. Like old times. It’ll get the blood pumping, clear your head."

I caught the sword, but let it dangle limply in my grip. "What’s the point, Alex? Sparring won’t find Vincent. Nothing will. Mom’s visions, Dad’s hunts, Uncle Jacob’s spirit calls— all useless. I used to think we were gods among mortals, but we’re just... pretenders."

He frowned, circling me slowly. "That’s the pain talking. We’re powerful, but the universe is vast. Vincent’s out there—calculating, ambitious as ever. He’ll fight his way back. And you? You’re too strong to crumble like this."

I lunged half-heartedly, our swords clashing with a dull thud. "Strong? I feel like glass, Alex. Shattered. Everyone drove him away—you, Mom, Dad, Uncle Seb, Aunt Cass, even Nick. You didn’t accept him from the start. Treated him like a threat because of his blood. If you’d just... welcomed him, maybe he wouldn’t have run."

Alex parried easily, his eyes softening. "We were cautious, yeah. Demons have history with us. But we came around, Kat. For you. Don’t let hate poison that."

I dropped the sword, turning away as tears blurred the world. "It’s too late for advice. Just... go. I need to be alone."

He hesitated, then sighed. "I love you, sis. We’re all here when you’re ready."

But I wasn’t ready. I retreated deeper into solitude, wandering the palace gardens at dusk, where the shadows whispered Vincent’s name. The pain was a constant companion—physical twinges in my chest during the day, emotional storms that left me sobbing into the night. I hated them all: Nicholas and Winter for sparking the chain reaction, my family for their initial wariness that made Vincent guarded. Even Alex’s love felt like a burden. Isolation was my armor, cold and unyielding, but it was all I had left in a world without him.

The days blurred into a monotonous haze, each one a reminder of what I’d lost. I’d skip meals, ignore summons to council meetings, and stare at the horizon from my balcony, willing Vincent’s shadow to appear. Laughter? It was a foreign concept. Joy? Buried under layers of resentment. And through it all, the void pulsed, a thrilling, terrifying promise that whatever ancient force held him, it would either forge him anew or destroy us both. But I couldn’t face it with them—not yet. Alone, in the silence, I clung to the fragments of our bond, praying for the day the pain would lead me back to him.