Chapter 148
Chapter 148
Trista’s POV
I looked down, my fingertips trembling.
Whether it was intellect, tactics, or raw Alpha strength, Cassian had me completely outclassed.
Finished
Every time I took a single step, he had already calculated the next three. I never even stood a chance at setting the board.
“Trista,” Alaina said, her voice softening with the weary wisdom of someone who had seen it all. “For a Luna, knowing when to endure is how you gather strength. It’s like a pack hibernating through a brutal winter. I’m not taking sides here; I’m just telling you that sometimes you have to use your ‘sacrifices‘ to pave your own way. That’s how you go the distance p>
I stayed silent, her words echoing in my head.
“Think about your parents. Think about Attwater,” Alaina sighed. “I just don’t want to see you throw away your entire future just to win an argument p>
She kept pushing. “Every pack alliance is built on a balance of power and interests. The mating bond is no different. The reason Cassian can keep you under his thumb–the reason he’s pulling all the strings–is because you’re treating this relationship like a romance, not like leverage p>
She looked me dead in the eye, her expression earnest. “If you start looking at your marriage as a high- stakes negotiation for pack interests, you’ll find it a lot easier to breathe p>
After Alaina left, I sat alone in the ward at the Sanctum Healing Center, absentmindedly rubbing the faint mark of the mate bond on my wrist.
Deep inside, my wolf was curled in a ball, whimpering. Every breath I took tasted like ash.
I looked through the glass door of the ward and saw my father in the hallway. He was pacing back and forth, his back hunched, his shoulders tight with a soul–crushing anxiety. You could see the helplessness in every staggered step he took.
My heart, already fractured a thousand times, felt like it was being ripped apart by wolf fangs. The pain was so sharp I could barely breathe.
My parents were the Alpha couple of the Silverlight pack. They raised me like royalty. I grew up moonstone jewelry and the purest herbal resources; I never wanted for anything.
They never laid a finger on me, never even raised their voices.
with
When they found out I was being mistreated at Ironthorn, they didn’t complain. They immediately sold the pack’s ancestral obsidian cane just to get enough resources to help me start over outside of Ironthorn territory.
And now? My father was wasting away outside a hospital room, the white hair at his temples glowing starkly under the healing charms.
My mother was in a deep coma, her wolf spirit fading more with every passing hour, her moments of
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Chapter 148
consciousness getting shorter and shorter.
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Finished
And Attwater… my little brother was at the academy, messaging me three times a day, terrified that Mom would die or that Cassian was using his Alpha aura to bully me again.
My family gave me everything–the strongest pack support, the warmest blood ties.
How could I be so selfish? How could I trade their lives for my own “dignity p>
I walked to the door, tears finally streaming down my face. “Dad,” I choked out, my voice thick with sobs. “I’ve made up my mind. I’m staying. I’m not terminating the bond p>
Randolph’s eyes turned red instantly. He lowered his head, his shoulders shaking violently. He couldn’t even speak. He just reached out and patted my back–that hand, the one that once led the entire Silverlight pack, was shaking uncontrollably.
I fought back the surge of bitterness and pulled out my comm–stone. I dialed Cassian’s number.
When he picked up, his voice was a flat line. I could feel his aura even through the stone. “Pack your things. I’ll have the omega guards pick you up and bring you back to the core territory later p>
A few hours later, in front of the Ironthorn house.
I stood outside the wrought–iron gates, my hands balled into fists so tight my nails dug into my palms. My pheromones turned bitter with the sheer force of my internal rejection,
The moonstone lamps around the villa cast a cold, harsh light, and the pack boundary wards shimmered faintly–an invisible net, trapping me in the one place that made me feel like I was suffocating.
An omega guard respectfully rang the bell. The sound of the metal hinges creaking open echoed through the silent territory.
The door opened.
Cassian stood there in dark, casual gear. His aura was steady and oppressive. I felt like my feet were nailed to the floor by the silver–etched floor sigils; I couldn’t move a muscle.
The guard gave Cassian a respectful pack salute, hurried my luggage inside, and quickly backed out, taking care to shut the door behind him.
Once he was gone, Cassian walked up to me. He reached out naturally, intending to drape an arm around my shoulder–a move meant for mates, but one that felt like ice against my skin.
I instinctively shoved him away, my pheromones turning razor–sharp.
Cassian’s calm gaze darkened. His aura flared, and the air in the room seemed to solidify.
“Trista,” he said, his voice flat but carrying a lethal authority. “If you aren’t here of your own free will to fulfill your duties as Luna, you can turn around right now. Go back to Silverlight. See how that works out for you p>
I stood in the doorway. I thought of my mother, still lying in that bed at the healing center. I bit my lip until I tasted blood. Then, with a heavy heart, I took a step and walked inside.
Seeing me cross the threshold, a flicker of smug satisfaction crossed Cassian’s face. He pulled me against his
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Chapter 148
side again.
Finished
He didn’t close the door immediately. Instead, he looked down at me, his aura clouding over me. “So, you’ve thought it through? No more temper tantrums about breaking the bond 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.