Chapter 374
Third Person’s POV
Cassian went rigid, the very last thread of his restraint snapping.
Wynn was powerless to stop a top-tier Alpha in a total tailspin. She could only watch as he tore through the closet like a trapped beast.
“She spent six months of her salary to buy you those cufflinks, and you didn’t even look at them. Do you have any idea how much that hurt her p>
Wynn’s voice was thick with tears. “You ignored her when she was right in front of you, and now you’re putting on this act? For who? Grow up, Cassian p>
“Shut up!” Cassian whipped around, snarling.
The corners of his eyes were a bloody red, but his expression was stuck in a state of delusional high. “She’s just trying to get a rise out of me. She’s waiting for me to beg. She’ll come back. She has to p>
Wynn felt a wave of hopelessness wash over her. He was living in a fantasy.
She backed toward the door, her voice turning cold. “Grandpa said you have to visit him tonight. No more excuses p>
Before leaving, she pulled Paisley aside and told him to keep a 24-hour watch on Cassian. She was genuinely afraid he was about to completely self-destruct.
10:00 AM, when Humphrey pushed open the office door, he was hit by a wave of sub-zero pressure so intense it made the hair on the back of his neck stand up.
Cassian was buried in his massive executive chair, his sharp suit barely containing his exhausted frame.
His head was tilted back, eyes closed, but the pheromones rolling off him were like a freezing tide, making it hard to breathe.
Humphrey held his breath and set the files down as quietly as possible. He bit the bullet and lowered his voice. “Alpha Cassian, it’s confirmed. Alistair was definitely ambushed p>
Cassian slowly opened his eyes. A flash of lethal intent flickered in his dark pupils. “The R.M. Syndicate is behind it,” Humphrey continued. “Those lunatics think they can play outside the rules. They’re dead set on tearing a piece out of this territory.” Cassian sat up straight, crossing his long fingers. He looked as cold and immovable as a stone carving.
Noon, at the healing center parking lot, Trista spotted the familiar Rolls-Royce Cullinan and tapped on the window.
Cassian lowered the glass, his bottomless eyes locking onto her. “Get in p>
“We can talk right here.” Trista stood a good two feet from the door, drawing a very clear line in the sand.
Cassian’s brow furrowed, and his aura instantly flooded the car. “Are you getting in on your own, or am I coming out there to carry you p>
Trista could feel the erratic, dangerous edge to his energy. She knew he was on the verge of losing it, so she reluctantly sat in the passenger seat.
The windows and the soundproof partition slid up immediately, cutting them off from the world.
“Starting now, you are stopping all treatment for Alistair. You don’t set foot in Shadowfang territory again Not one step.” Cassian stared ather his voice a hard command.
Trista was quick to catch the danger. “Something happened p>
Cassian looked away, his voice hoarse. “You want to leave me, you want to punish me-fine. I’ll take it. But on this one thing, you have to listen to me p>
“Cassian, what makes you think you have any say in my life anymore?” Trista let out
a dry laugh. “Who exactly are you to me p>
It was like someone had dumped a bucket of ice water over him. The light in his eyes vanished.
It took him a long time to claw back a shred of logic. “Even without the bond, we grew up together for twenty years. You should know I’d never hurt you p>
“I used to
that too,” Trista said,
think th
her voice dripping with irony. “I trusted you blindly because of those years. Even when I knew your heart was somewhere else, I still rane headfirst into this mating. I thought that at the very least, you wouldn hurt me. And look how that turned out p>
Cassian’s throat worked hard, but he couldn’t force out a single word.
Trista didn’t want to waste any more time. She reached for the door handle.
Suddenly, a searingly hot hand clamped onto her wrist with terrifying strength.
“I’m sorry… it was all my fault.” Cassian stared at her, searching her face for a hint of the woman who used to love him, but all he saw was annoyance.
He leaned in close, greedily inhaling her scent the only thing that could keep him grounded. “I can’t sleep without you,” he whispered. “The medicine you made for me gone
Trista’s response was clinical and detached. “If you have insomnia, go make an appointment at the clinic. I can’t help you p>
She tried to pull away again, but Cassian finally snapped. He hooked a long arm around her and yanked her into his chest.
No matter how much Trista fought him, he held on with a frantic, obsessive grip. He buried his face in the crook of her neck, begging into her skin.
“If I don’t go to the clinic… would you really just let me die p>
“Let go!” Trista shoved against his chest, which felt as hard as iron. “Whether you live or die is none of my business anymore p>
In the cramped, suffocating backseat, their energies clashed violently, locked in a toxic stalemate.
Suddenly, Cassian stopped breathing. His gaze locked onto Trista’s bare neck. His voice turned cold and sharp. “Where is the necklace I gave you p>
Trista used the distraction to break free. She adjusted her shirt, her voice hard. “Whether I wear it or not is my choice. You don’t get a say p>
“You promised the day we severed that you’d never take it off,” Cassian said, his eyes drilling into her.
Those necklaces—the ones that represented their mating bond-were the only thing left holding his mind together.