Chapter 220
Chapter 220
Trista’s POV
Finished
I let out a heavy sigh. “Cassian, do you have to be so damn bitter? Isaiah is my patient and my neighbor. Give it a rest p>
He didn’t say a word. He kicked off his shoes and suddenly snatched my bag off my shoulder, tossing it onto the floor like it was trash.
He was radiating this suffocating Alpha aura as he hauled me into the bedroom and forced me down onto the edge of the bed.
He leaned over me, pinning my shoulders with his hands. He was using his size to keep me trapped in his shadow, a classic Alpha power move.
“Trista,” he growled, his face inches from mine. “I know you hate Samantha. I know you think she’s beneath you. So give it to me straight–why are you sending her to my office to deliver my meds? Why the hell did you drag her to our dinner tonight p>
I met his gaze, then calmly pushed his hands off me and stood up.
I was done avoiding the subject. I looked him dead in the eye with a level of seriousness I’d never used before. “Cassian, you’re the one playing dumb here. I’m helping you out. I know you’re smart enough to see that p>
“Damn it!” Cassian snapped. He lunged forward, grabbing the back of my neck and pulling me flush against him.
His pupils were narrowed into lethal slits. “How many times do I have to say I’m only protecting her so Howard doesn’t wipe them out! Besides the kid, there is nothing going on between us! Those things I said at Howard’s estate–you don’t listen to a single word of it, you hear me? ”
He was practically screaming, his voice raw with desperation. He looked pathetic trying to justify himself, losing every bit of his Alpha dignity.
Looking at him, I couldn’t help it–I started to laugh.
I tilted
my head and gave him a quiet, biting smile. “Cassian, you and Samantha share a son. That is an undeniable, biological fact. According to pack law, you’re tied to that child–and her -until the day you die, right p>
I didn’t give him a chance to answer. “And in the meantime, you’ll burn the world down to protect them. Your instincts, your strength, your time, your money–everything you have will instinctively gravitate toward them. You’re already shackled to that she–wolf and her kid. So
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“You’re willing to go up against Howard for them. You’re defying your parents and trash your sacred vows for them. Honestly, the way you protect Samantha across social ranks is almost enviable. So please, Cassian, stop acting like a victim of fate p>
The room fell into a deathly silence.
Cassian’s pheromones were spiraling out of control, turning sharp and aggressive.
After a long time, he seemed to deflate, all the strength leaving his body. “Fine,” he rasped, his voice sounding broken. “What do you want from me p>
I
gave him a self–deprecating smirk. “What could I possibly want? In a territory as rigid as this, what would I even dare to ask for p>
Cassian turned ghostly pale. He stumbled back a few steps, his throat working as he tried to find words that wouldn’t come.
I watched him struggle as if I were looking at a complete stranger. “You’re only afraid to be with them openly because you’re terrified of Howard’s iron fist,” I added flatly. “But don’t worry. Go ahead and fulfill your ‘true love. If anything goes wrong, I’ll take the heat. I’ll be the villain. I won’t let your precious she–wolf get a single scratch on her p>
With that, I turned my back on him and walked into the bathroom.
I lay in the tub with my eyes closed, feeling a hollow silence inside.
There was no joy, no lingering sadness–even the last spark of resentment had flickered out.
The end of this mateship wasn’t worthy of the girl I used to be–the one who would have sacrificed her soul for him.
I realized then that I wasn’t the one who should feel regret or fear.
I know how to love hard, but I also know how to walk
away.
This tarnished mateship? I didn’t want it anymore.
When I got out of the shower and went back to the bedroom, the water was still running in the guest bath. Cassian had been in there for almost an hour.
I climbed into bed and scrolled through some new healing case studies, completely uninterested in what he was doing.
By the time he walked in holding a gift box, I had already killed the lights.
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Chapter 220
We shared a silent, heavy look.
$ 76
Finished
Cassian set the expensive–looking gift on the nightstand and climbed into bed without a
Even with the distance between us, I could smell his unstable pheromones–cold, pressed, and suffocating.
“Where are the meds I mixed for you at the center today?” I asked casually.
“I left them at the office,” he mumbled.
“Oh,” I said, pulling the duvet up. “Then take a sleeping pill or something. You don’t want your mental state tanking before the meeting tomorrow morning p>
In the dark, I felt the mattress dip.
He picked up the gift box and turned toward me, clearly waiting for me to ask about it.
I just rolled over, giving him my back. “I have to be at the center early. I’m going to sleep p>
Cassian froze.
I didn’t look back, but I could feel his gaze burning into my shoulder blades–it was heavy and uncomfortable.
My breathing eventually evened out as I drifted off.
I didn’t know how much time passed, but a loud thud echoed in the dark–Cassian had slammed the gift back onto the nightstand.
I didn’t even open my eyes. “Even if it’s trash, remember to put it in the b…, 1 said calmly. “Paisley is getting older, and she works hard enough. Don’t give her extra work p>
Cassian didn’t say a word. I slept surprisingly well that night. The man next to me, however, spent the night tossing and turning until the sun started to come up.
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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.