Chapter 185
Chapter 185
Trista’s POV
“I messed up your wrist during that last scuffle, Cassian’s voice was eerily calm–the kind of quiet you only get right before a hurricane hits “Tell me, what’s it going to take to wipe the date clean?
“I want to hear your bones snap under my own hands!” Attwater spat, his voice thick with pure, unadulterated venom.
“Then be a man of your word,” Cassian replied.
My heart dropped. I threw my napkin aside and bolted for the hallway.
Just as I shoved the door open, a sickening, wet crack echoed through the small room.
It was a clean break. The sound was so sharp it sent a chill straight down my spine. s so sharp it sent a chill straight down my spine.
Cassian let out a strangled, muffled groan.
He didn’t lash out like a typical Alpha would; instead, he just stood there, letting his broken wrist hang at a grotesque, mangled angle. Cold sweat beaded on his forehead and dripped into his collar.
Attwater was panting, the feral red glow in his eyes fading slightly as he saw me standing there.
Cassian, fighting through what had to be excruciating pain, turned to face me.
His wolf–eyes, darkened by the shock of the injury, locked onto mine.
He dragged himself toward me, his steps heavy and deliberate, trailing the scent of blood and shaky breath.
“The debt I owed Attwater… it’s paid in bone,” he rasped. “Can we move past this now, Trista p>
I looked at his wrist–it was already turning a nasty shade of purple and swelling fast. I felt a small twitch in my chest, but it wasn’t pity. It wasn’t anything.
I avoided his pleading gaze. My voice was as cold as a stone on a frozen border. “There’s a high–end private clinic at the edge of the neighborhood. I’m taking you there now You need a healer to run an orthopedic scan and reset those fragments p>
I knew Attwater’s strike was brutal, but it didn’t even come close to balancing the scales for the years of humiliation Cassian had put my family through.
The trauma he’d inflicted was like a slow–acting poison in my marrow. I couldn’t just “wipe the slate clean” on scars like that. I couldn’t p>
An hour later, the magic in the clinic settled. I walked out with Cassian, whose wrist was now wrapped in pain–dulling enchanted bandages.
He looked a little pale. I stopped walking and tried to convince the high–and–mighty Alpha to just go home. “You should go back to the manor. They have better medical resources there, and it’s a better environment for you to recover p>
1/2
10.20 vved, Jan
Chapter 185
Cassian’s face fell instantly. The cold cedar scent of his pheromones grew thick and suffocating with his displeasure
“Dista, we are a mated couple, joined under the Moon Goddess,” he said, his voice low and stubborn, clinging to the last shred of his dignity. “Tonight is the New Year’s Blood Moon. If we spend it apart, how ar I supposed to face the Elders at tomorrow’s assembly? They’re all just waiting for a reason to laugh at our bond failing p>
I opened my mouth to snap back with something biting, but looking at that ruined wrist, I lost my edge.
I took a deep breath and gave in, leading him back to the Silverlight territory,
To keep the peace for the ritual, my parents and Attwater chose silence.
The New Year’s dinner went by in a weird, fragile kind of calm p>
By the time we left my parents‘ house,
Sun had long since set. It was 8:00 PM.
The streetlights cast a yellow glow over the patches of dirty snow on the sidewalk.
Cassian’s good hand reached out and grabb
some kind of connection.
mine, his palm burning hot against my skin, trying to force
He turned his head, his deep gaze searching my face, his voice dropping to a hopeful whisper. “Trista… the debt with Attwater is settled. You have your family’s heirlooms back. Can we just… put the mess behind us? Can we start over as mates? Please p>
I didn’t look at him. I just stared at the dark shadows of the trees in the distance. I gave him a non- committal nod and a soft, empty “Okay p>
Some things you get over. Some things you don’t. Eventually, it all just blurs together in the rear–view mirror of time.
I just made a silent vow to myself: From this moment on, I was done letting him–or the wreckage he left behind–break me.
Cassian’s eyes softened with a look of pure, unrefined tenderness. “The dinner was heavy. Want to take a walk under the moonlight p>
I hesitated, but felt a faint, ghost–like tug from the bond. I nodded.
We walked side–by–side. Even in the freezing night, Cassian’s massive frame radiated that raw Alpha power.
A gust of bitter wind tore through the street, messing up my hair and catching the hem of my coat.
Suddenly, Cassian stopped. Without a word of warning, he leaned down and scooped me up into a bridal carry, his strong arms steady and sure.
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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.