"Kat!" Ma'am Esther knocked anxiously on Katherine's door, met with an eerie silence. Seating herself on the floor, she released a soft sigh. "I'm sorry... can we please just talk?" she pleaded, hoping for a response. Katherine finally relented, opening the door but blocking the entrance with her frame.

"What is it?" Katherine muttered, her tone guarded.

"I... I never wanted to part with you, but it was the only way for me to gain acceptance among the pack members," Ma'am Esther explained, her voice tinged with regret. Katherine scoffed, clearly unimpressed.

"So, for your own selfish reasons, you abandoned me, subjected me to hatred and ridicule, all so you...