Chapter 259
Chapter 259
Third Person’s POV
The next morning. Trista walked out of her room and nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw the figure looming by her door.
“Don’t just stand there like a ghost,” she snapped, her hand over her heart, her voice dripping with defensiveness. “Is your rut hitting carly, or is there something wrong with your scent glands p>
Cassian’s eyes were shot through with red.
He didn’t say a word—he just lunged forward and locked her in a crushing embrace.
Trista’s entire body recoiled. She fought him with everything she had, thrashing like a trapped animal trying to find an exit.
“I was wrong about last night,” Cassian rasped, his voice sounding raw and broken. “Why didn’t you just tell me p>
Trista used a final burst of strength to shove herself out of his hold.
She backed up, her eyes cold as ice. “If you hadn’t already decided in your head that Samantha was the victim, you wouldn’t have come at me with your Alpha teeth bared the second you saw her p>
Cassian’s chest tightened. He felt like his throat was closing up; he couldn’t find a single word to say.
He reached for her hand, but she pulled back before he could touch her.
“Stop with the act, Cassian,” Trista said, her voice eerily calm.
“I don’t love you anymore, which means you can’t hurt me anymore. Your hugs, your guilt, even you–I’m over all of it p>
Those words hit him like a silver blade to the heart.
A flash of desperate, blood–red light flickered in his eyes. He grabbed her shoulders, his voice low and frantic. “Trista, we took an oath! We are mates for life! Stop saying things that will destroy the mating bond p>
“Mates?” Trista let out a sharp, cold laugh. “Cassian, there was never a ‘life‘ for us together. We’ve never really mated p>
“How can you say that?” Cassian’s fingers tightened on her shoulders, his voice shaking.
Trista shoved him back, her words hitting like falling icicles. “Because you broke the contract. You lied to me. You took the devotion that belonged to me and gave it to another she–wolf. You and Samantha- you’re the real unit here p>
“Your grandfather had to force you to stop seeing that rogue. You only picked me as a backup after weighing your options. You’ve kept a mental receipt for every cent you spent on me and my family, but for Samantha, you’d give anything without a second thought. You only take from me; you only give to her. ”
1/3
7:14 pm P M
Chapter 259
Finished
“Your ‘first love‘ is standing between us. Your kid is standing between us. Your regrets are standing between us. You and her are the ‘couple,‘ Cassian. I was just the tool you used to keep your status in the pack p>
Every word she spoke felt like she was flaying him alive.
Cassian looked completely defeated, his head hanging low. “Trista… it wasn’t like that p>
He realized, with a sinking feeling, that he had no actual argument to make.
Trista tilted her head back, forcing the tears back. “Cassian, you’ve done all the damage you could do. You’ve said all the hateful things you could say. I’ve taken all the pain. Now, do me a favor and stop trying to choke me with this fake affection. It’s disgusting p>
She brushed past him, her shoulder hitting his as she walked toward the door.
It wasn’t a hard hit, but it felt like she’d knocked the wind out of him. Cassian stumbled back against the cold wall.
Watching her walk away without looking back, he felt a jagged tear in his chest–the mating bond was screaming.
He closed his eyes, trying to hide his heartbreak and his burning eyes from the world.
At the healing center, Trista buried herself in paperwork and herbal formulas, trying to use work as a shield against the ghost of his scent.
When “Cassian” popped up on her terminal, her fingers twitched.
Before she could process it, the door swung open, and the scent of aggressive pine filled the room.
She didn’t look up. “If you’re here to start something, Cassian, wait until I’m off the clock p>
“I’m here for a physical,” he said.
Trista froze.
This arrogant Alpha–who treated medical exams like a personal insult–was actually doing it?
Had her words this morning finally broken through his armor?
She hesitated for a second. “Out the door, turn left, and check in at the men’s clinic p>
Cassian didn’t move. He walked right up to her desk, his dark eyes searching hers. “I know you can write the referral, Trista p>
Trista avoided his gaze and tapped a few keys on her tablet before sliding the digital form over. “Go pay at the front desk p>
“I don’t know my way around here,” Cassian said, his tone bordering on stubborn. “You take me p>
Trista looked at her assistant. “Zelda, take him. Run every test. Top–tier package p>
2/3
7:14 pm P M
Chapter 259
Zelda looked terrified of the infamous Ironspine Alpha, but she managed to lead him out.
By noon, Cassian had finished his last lab.
Finished
When the nurse told him to come back tomorrow for the results, he only had one response, “Send them directly to Dr. Holmes‘ office p>
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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.