Chapter 60
Chapter 60
Trista’s POV
His hands hovered over the sofa back. His knuckles tightened slowly, and veins surfaced.
His chest rose and fell noticeably, as if suppressing an instinctive rage or perhaps a rising panic.
He finally walked toward me, step by step.
Finished
His hands clamped my shoulders. The pressure wasn’t harsh, but it framed me securely in front of him. “Trista, tell me, what do I need to do so you won’t insist on breaking the mating bond p>
His pheromones showed a slight tendency to leak out. is Alpha instinct was trying to reclaim control with dominance and promises.
But all I felt on my shoulders was weight, not safety.
I shook my head. “Cassian, whatever you do now is too late p>
A subtle sting pricked my throat. I still said the sentence. “The thought of you being back with the person you truly love, and that you have a son together, is simply unbearable to me p>
This wasn’t just about a “child.” This was the total collapse of three years of suppression, self–convincing, and all my faith, shattered overnight.
“Other than terminating the mating bond,” I looked at him, giving the final verdict. “There is no other way for us p>
He reached out and pulled me into an embrace.
The movement wasn’t exactly rough, but he held me incredibly tight. His arms locked around my back like iron bands, giving me no room to retreat.
“Trista,” he said against my ear. “I know this is unfair to you. But if you can accept Samantha and Algernon’s existence, I will transfer all my assets into your name p>
His breath fell on my neck. His Alpha’s heat seeped through the fabric, slow and steady.
I tried to struggle backward, but he tightened his arms, as if refusing to allow any retreat.
I had no room to move in his embrace. I could barely keep my voice whole. “Cassian, even if you do that, I can’t stop you from being kind to them p>
I looked up at the face I had trusted for over a decade. “I am no longer the little girl who just follows your instructions and believes everything you say. You can’t fool me anymore p>
His jawline flexed. His response wasn’t retreat, but holding me tighter, almost greedily, unwilling to let go.
His chin rested on the top of my head. His voice was low. “Trista, I’m not lying to you. Name a price. I’ll give Samantha and her son compensation. After that, I will only help them when necessary, and I promise I won’t secretly spend another dime on them without your knowledge p>
“When necessary,” I repeated the phrase in my mind.
As long as he deemed it “necessary,” he would always have a reason to cross my boundary, leaving me with the choice to either accept or forgive him.
I fiercely struggled free from his embrace. This time, he didn’t anticipate it. His fingers slipped on my arm as I pulled away.
I backed away from his embrace, returning to the sofa, reopening the distance between us.
I straightened my posture. “Cassian, why don’t you understand p>
I looked at him, word for word. “This is fundamentally not about money p>
My requirements for an intimate relationship have always been almost cruel.
In my heart, he had long since crossed the line.
Even with my heart torn, I couldn’t keep him.
I felt my emotions starting to surge. My throat tightened. My chest felt stretched open. My wolf stirred in my bones, but I fiercely pinned it down.
“I can’t accept my mate cheating on me,” I stared at him, my voice slightly husky. “I can’t accept that his heart still belongs to his first love, and I can’t accept that he has a child with another she–wolf p>
This wasn’t cold “fact–stating.” This was the raw truth I debated with myself every day and night, but could
never accept.
“Cassian, I genuinely can’t move past this,” I continued. “The thought of you with them makes me sick. I feel dragged down completely. I can’t be close to you anymore p>
I saw a moment of clear confusion in his eyes.
But no explanation he could offer would erase what happened over the last few months.
He could only walk closer, once again attempting to suppress the issue with a soothing touch. “Trista, Samantha and Algernon’s existence is a done deal, but you are my only mate. I will absolutely not break the mating bond with you for their sake p>
He said, “I won’t break the mating bond for their sake,” not “I won’t hurt you p>
Before I could fully analyze the distinction, he lowered his head, approaching me with that familiar, almost instinctive move.
The moment our eyes met, I knew what he intended.
He leaned in to kiss me. I turned my head away.
His movement paused mid–air. The next second, his arm instantly tightened, yanking my whole body back to his chest from the side. The force was stronger than before, driven by a need to deny everything.
“Cassian-” Before I could finish the word, his lips sealed mine.
This was not a gentle kiss.
His mouth pressed down with obvious possession and a loss of control, as if desperately tryingve the
relationship was still there, to prove I would still react to him–to prove that if he wanted it, anything could be pulled back into place.
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