Chapter 245
The Heartbroken Luna’s Choice. Banish Love
Chapter 245
Third Person’s POV
“Wait–what do you mean, ‘legally speaking p>
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Trista caught the nuance in Cassian’s voice immediately. She locked eyes with him. “What’s the catch p>
Cassian was kneeling beside her, focused on applying a specialized healing ointment to the gashes on her hand. “My grandfather had my mother and my uncle with his first Luna,” he explained quietly. “After she passed, he marked another she–wolf from the Tudor family. Alistair was the son from that second union- my mother’s half–brother p>
Trista’s jaw dropped. “You’re saying the head of the Shadowfangs is actually… ”
Cassian reached up and gently tilted her chin to close her mouth, a reflexive, almost tender gesture.
“Their pack was short on male heirs,” he continued. “To keep the alliance strong, my grandfather let his youngest son take his mother’s last name and take over the Tudors‘ business p>
Trista still didn’t get it. “If you guys are blood relatives, why does Alvin look at you like you’re a home intruder p>
Cassian kept his head down, focused on wrapping the gauze. He didn’t hide a thing. “Years ago, Shadowfang was getting squeezed by rival packs and hit a massive financial crisis. At the time, my mother’s side–the Gilberts–was busy expanding, and Ironthorn didn’t have the liquid cash to help. My grandfather refused to bail them out. He sat back and watched as Shadowfang’s assets were cannibalized by their competitors p>
“And then what?” Trista pressed.
Cassian tied a neat knot over her bandage and held onto her wrist, his expression turning deadly seriou
“Then, Alistair’s mother went looking for private funding to save what was left of their territory. She couldn’t handle the humiliation of failing and jumped from the roof of her building. Since then, Alistair has treated anyone with Gilbert blood as a mortal enemy. He cut all ties between Shadowfang and Ironthorn p>
Trista went quiet. In the world of werewolves, tragedies over territory weren’t exactly rare.
“After the suicide, Alvin–the old man downstairs–completely fell apart,” Cassian added. “Alistair went rogue to get revenge, partnering with some pretty shady underworld types to build his capital. He spent years laundering that money through new front companies to go legit. About a year ago, he was ambushed by mercenaries overseas. He survived, but his leg was trashed. He’s back in the States now specifically for secret treatment from someone with your level of expertise p>
Cassian paused, his thumb brushing against Trista’s pulse. “I’m telling you all this dirty laundry so you’ll stay on your toes. Alistair is mentally unstable right now. As his doctor, you aren’t just fighting his injuries- you’re dealing with an Alpha who could go feral at any second p>
Trista stared at him, her voice flat. “So after this whole long story, your point is just that you don’t want me taking the case p>
Cassian looked up, his eyes full of a strange sort of helplessness. “Does it even matter if I try to stop you anymore p>
They locked eyes for a few seconds. Trista’s lip curled into a mock smile. “Not really. Usually, you just skip the talk and use your rank to threaten me into doing what you want p>
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15:50 Wed, Jan 21 GG.
Chapter 245
13%
+5 Pearls
Cassian flinched, his fingers stiffening. He slowly let go of her hand and started packing up the first aid kit.
“I told you I’m done with those tactics,” he said, his voice sounding a bit hoarse. “I meant it p>
Trista watched him under the lamplight. This sudden wave of “softness” made her skin crawl.
Honestly, she preferred the cold, arrogant version of him–at least then she didn’t have to hesitate about leaving.
She stood up to head to the bedroom.
As she passed him, Cassian gave her one last warning, “You’re going there to heal him, not to die. If his instincts slip, you need to save yourself first p>
Trista stopped and looked back with a cold laugh. “Cassian, you’d risk your life for Samantha. Why can’t I take a risk for my career p>
Cassian lunged to his feet, closing the gap between them until they were inches apart.
He stared deep into her eyes, his voice sounding like an oath. “My life… belongs to you. Take it if you want it p>
Trista’s heart skipped a beat, but she covered it with a sneer. “I’d believe in a curse from the Moon Goddess before I’d believe a word out of your mouth p>
She turned and walked into her room.
“What is wrong with Samantha?” she wondered.
She’d been hiding ever since Cassian’s last phone call, and now he was acting like he had lost his mind.
The rest of the month was a blur of work. Trista was drowning in patients, and Cassian stayed in this mode.
By early March, Trista was heading out the door one morning when Cassian intercepted her.
“Trista,” he said, blocking her path. “Think about it–when was the last time you actually had dinner at home p>
She shoved past him to put on her shoes. “If eating alone is that boring, call Samantha. I’m sure she would love the company p>
Cassian’s face went stone–cold.
Trista just shrugged. “Or I could call Fred and Isaiah. I’m sure they’re hungry p>
Sara Lili
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.