Chapter 144
Trista’s POV
Finished
I looked at him, but that old warmth–that feeling of chasing the light–was gone. All that was left was raw hostility and defensive walls.
I knew the wolf in my chest felt the same way.
My throat was parched and aching, but I made sure every word was sharp. “You’re a real piece of work, Cassian. You’re pathetic p>
Pathetic, my wolf echoed in a low snarl.
Cassian’s expression didn’t change much, but I saw his grip tighten slightly. “Your mother is at the healing center on an IV drip. I’m taking you there now p>
My heart skipped a beat. Panic flared.
I yanked my hand back with everything I had, recoiling from his scent like it was toxic–even my wolf nature wanted to hide from him. I turned and sprinted toward the curb, flagging down a car.
A taxi screeched to a halt almost instantly.
Cassian stood his ground, his body angled toward me but not moving.
I scrambled into the backseat and barked out the name of the healing center. The red glow of the taillights was quickly swallowed by the city traffic.
He didn’t try to stop me. He didn’t chase.
At the Sanctum Healing Center, I rushed upstairs, practically half–running until I threw open the door to the ward.
Someone was just leaving; the lingering scent of “thoughts and prayers” mixed with heavy anxiety made the air in the room feel suffocating.
“Mom p>
I dropped to the side of the bed, almost kneeling by the rail. My voice cracked with a mix of fear and humiliation.
Ulva was propped up against the pillows. When she saw me, her eyes filled with tears, and she reached out to grab my ice–cold hands.
She rubbed her palms over my knuckles again and again, as if she were trying to wake herself up–checking to make sure I was actually back from behind those iron bars and that this wasn’t just another nightmare.
“You’re out,” she whispered. “Thank God p>
I sniffed, trying to keep my voice steady. “Mom, Dad, don’t worry. I’m innocent. I’m going to find someone to help me fight this. I’m taking this all the way p>
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Chapter 144
Randolph and Ulva traded a look of pure heartache and hesitation.
Finished
Ulva suppressed a sob and tried to reason with me. “Trista, honey, we know how much you’ve been hurt. We can’t do much to help, so don’t worry about us. Just… think everything through before you decide. Don’t do anything reckless p>
My eyes burned with a fierce, stubborn light.
“Don’t worry about me, okay?” I looked at them both, articulating every word. “I know exactly what I’m doing p>
If the price for breaking this mating bond was a few years of my freedom, I was willing to pay it.
That afternoon, I met my old neighbor, Hera, at a coffee shop.
Winter sunlight hit the tabletop, stretching the shadow of my coffee cup across the wood.
Hera took one look at me and started sighing. “You and Cassian were so perfect together. I really thought you two would go the distance. I never imagined it would end like this p>
I sat in silence, my fingers interlaced until my knuckles were white. I looked haggard, and I knew it.
“Don’t waste your sympathy on me, Hera,” I said, my voice quiet but steady. “A male wolf who cheats on his mate isn’t worth pining over p>
Hera bit her lip, then decided to lay out the cold, hard facts. “I know you have the evidence against him. But Trista, have you really thought about the scale of this? Silverlight isn’t even in the same league as Ironthorn anymore. Forget about your family–there isn’t a single person in all of LA with enough balls to go toe–to- toe with them p>
“I know,” I replied. I knew better than anyone.
I hesitated for a second but decided not to defend myself.
Hera continued, “Your parents are getting older. Ulva’s health is fragile. Attwater has his entrance exams next year. If you go head–to–head with Cassian, cou really handle the price you’ll have to pay p>
I slowly lowered my head, propping my elbows on the table and burying my face in my hands, my fingertips pressing into my temples.
I knew the cost of a total war with Cassian. I’d known it from the start.
But I’d been pushed to the edge of a cliff. There was no more room to back up.
Hera sighed again. “You have parents, a brother, friends, a career… your future at the healing center is so bright. Don’t waste your best years in a prison cell over some man. It’s not worth it p>
Everything she said made sense. I understood it all.
But some wounds can’t be stitched together with logic.
The unseen trauma, the nightly suffocation, the trust ground into dust by his betrayal–that was a slower, more agonizing death.
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Chapter 144
Finished
If it meant getting away from this mating and away from Cassian for good, I’d take ten years behind iron
bars.
After leaving Hera, I walked the streets for a long time.
The winter wind whipped through my coat, but I couldn’t get warm.
I pulled out my communicator and dialed Klein, the pack lawyer I’d previously retained.
He was polite, but his stance was a brick wall.
He didn’t just refuse to keep the case; he wouldn’t even meet me in person. Before hanging up, he gave me one last piece of “advice,” basically begging me to drop it and stop picking a fight with Ironthorn.
I didn’t push him. I knew why he was scared.
After that, I hit four or five different law firms. Every office was shiny and prestigious. Every lawyer was well- spoken and professional.
But not one of them would touch my case.
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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.