Chapter 170
Chapter 170
Third Person’s POV
Cassian followed her out.
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He spent the entire drive managing the fallout through the Mind–Link with Humphrey. His orders were short and razor–sharp, like a blade scraping across stone
But even as he worked, his peripheral vision never left Trista.
She looked indifferent. Her scent was so clean it was almost a void, as if this entire storm had nothing to do with her.
The car crossed the Ironthorn boundary line.
A thin layer of frost seemed to settle on the windows as the city noise died away, replaced by the damp, cold air of the forest and stone paths.
The sound of tires crushing gravel felt unnervingly loud in the night.
The house was ablaze with lights–a fortress that never slept.
Trista was out of the car first, with Cassian right on her heels.
He’d just cut the link and reached out to stop her. “Wait a second p>
Trista shook his hand off with a sharp, fluid motion. She didn’t give him a chance to speak.
Instead, she walked up and greeted Wynn as if nothing had happened, her poise absolutely flawless.
She knew exactly what he wanted to say.
It was always the same script, “Watch what you say in front of the elders. Don’t make this any uglier. Don’t drag the family name through the mud p>
But she was done protecting him.
Trista stepped into the living room and offered her polite greetings to the room full of people.
Wilmot’s face was a bruised purple from rage, Alaina’s lips were pressed into a thin line, and the elders‘ gazes were like a row of cold blades landing on Cassian.
The pheromones in the room were heavy–a sea before a hurricane, calm on the surface but ch deadly currents underneath.
Wilmot pointed a finger at his son, his voice shaking. “Look at the mess you’ve made p>
Cassian’s voice remained steady, the tone of a soldier accepting a reprimand. “It was a lapse in judgment. I’ll handle it p>
Alaina couldn’t help but chime in, her voice trembling. “You’re always pushing the envelope, Cassian. Did you think you could just ‘handle‘ a scandal like this p>
Wilmot looked ready to explode, his fist slamming into the arm of his chair. “Find that reporter. Now. Int her run out of LA by morning p>
18:42 Mon, Jan 5 GO
Chapter 170
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Cassian shot a subtle glance at Trista before speaking. “Dad, this is on me. It has nothing to do with anyone else p>
Finally, Howard moved. He was sitting in the high chair at the head of the room.
He gave a slight nod to a nearby omega, who immediately understood. Everyone was ushered out; even Wynn was “escorted” upstairs.
When the heavy doors clicked shut, the wind was cut off and the room felt like it had been sealed inside a steel box.
The omega brought out a whip and stood behind Howard, holding it out with both hands like a ritual sacrifice.
Howard’s voice was a low, ancient growl that seemed to compress the very air in the room. “Kneel p>
Cassian looked at Trista, took off his suit jacket, and handed it to her.
Trista took it calmly. Her hands didn’t even shake.
Without a second of hesitation, Cassian dropped to his knees in the center of the room. The sound of his knees hitting the hardwood was jarringly loud.
“As the Alpha of Ironthorn, allowing a scandal like this to go public is a failure of duty,” Howard said coldly.
Cassian kept his head down. “You’re right, Grandfather.
“When you fail, you take the punishment,” Howard added.
Trista draped his jacket over her arm and turned slightly away, casting her gaze downward.
Seconds later, the first muffled thud of the whip echoed through the room.
The tip of the whip cut through the air with a short whistle, but the impact was heavy–the sound didn’t crack; it vibrated between the floorboards and bone.
The handle was inlaid with antique silver and obsidian, and the lash was infused with just enough aura to suppress a wolf’s healing factor, making the “endurance a mandatory part of the discipline.
Cassian stayed pinned to the floor.
He didn’t flinch or try to roll with the blow.
As the first strike landed across his back, his muscles corded instinctively. His breath caught in his t Every wolf instinct he possessed screamed at him to look up, to fight back, to overpower the threat- locked those impulses deep in his marrow.
His hands balled into fists at his sides, knuckles turning white, nails digging into his palms. He didn’t make a
sound.
Wilmot watched his son take the beating, then cut his eyes toward Trista.
She didn’t react.
Finding no outlet for his rage, Wilmot let out a heavy, disgusted grunt.
18:42 Mon, Jan 5 G@
Chapter 170
Cassian looked up just before the next strike fell.
His eyes traveled across the gap in the room and landed on Trista.
She didn’t step forward.
She didn’t speak.
She didn’t even look like she was going to beg for mercy
Cassian felt his heart plummet.
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The physical pain was quickly swallowed by his wolf’s high tolerance, but what made his breath hitch was the sudden tug on the mating bond from deep within.
It felt like someone had given a sharp pull on the other end, only to let go immediately, leaving him grasping at a cold, empty void.
That void stung more than the whip.
He remembered it so clearly.
Before they were even mated, he had been punished like this once before.
He and Howard had been in a vicious argument, and the lash had
down just
as
Trista had arrived at
the main house to play with Wynn.
She hadn’t said a word then, either.
Before the first strike could even settle, she had lunged forward, throwing her own body over his to shield
him.
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Ruby Walker
Ruby Walker is a rising voice in the world of romance and spicy fiction. With a gift for weaving deep emotions, sizzling chemistry, and unexpected twists, her stories are a blend of passion and drama that captivate readers from start to finish. Ruby’s writing style is bold and irresistible—perfect for those who crave intense, addictive love stories.