Romane von Thomas

~ Cassian ~ "You are out of your mind, Cassian!" the head elder shouted, slamming his fist onto the long oak table in the council hall. "We cannot go to war with the Blackthorn pack over a personal grudge" I stood at the head of the room, my claws diging into the wood as I glared down the long line of old men. "It is not a grudge, Elder Vance. My father stepped into our territory, disrespected our council, and stole a female from under our roof" "She was a wolfless servant, we should be grateful the alpha would honor our own like this" another elder called out, shaking his head in total disbelief. "And more importantly, she carries Alpha Lucian’s mark now By ancient law, the mark seals peace between our borders. If we attack them now, we are the ones breaking the treaty" "I do not care about the treaty" I roared, my voice shaking the heavy iron chandeliers hanging above us. "She was my female first!. She lived in my house, ate my fo

Chapter 6 The silk tore like paper under his hands. Cool air rushed over my bare skin. I gasped and tried to cover myself, but Lucian caught both my wrists in one large hand and pinned them above my head against the pillows. His silver eyes dragged slowly down my body, taking in every soft curve, every place I had spent years hiding. “Do not hide from me,” he said. His voice was quiet but left no room for argument. “I claimed you in front of an entire pack. I will look at what is mine.” “I am not used to this,” I whispered. My face burned. “People do not look at me this way.” “Then people are blind.” He leaned down and pressed his mouth to the glowing mark on my neck. The second his lips touched it, heat shot straight through my chest and settled low between my legs. I arched without meaning to. He released my wrists only long enough to strip the ruined nightgown the rest of the way off. Then his hands returned, roaming wi

A blinding surge of white hot lightning exploded through my veins, washing away the cold, heavy weight of my past in an instant. I let out a loud, breathless gasp, wrapping my arms tightly around his neck as the room began to spin."Look at her neck!" a council member shrieked, pointing at us as the crowd gasped in shock.A bright, golden crest was burning through my skin, shining so bright that it lit up the dark room. The mark of the Supreme Luna was sinking deep into my flesh, proving to everyone that a wolfless girl could bond with the strongest Alpha alive___I stood before the full length mirror in the grand guest room, smoothing down the soft fabric of my dark dress. The golden crest on my neck pulsed with a warm, steady thrum that buzzed straight into my heartbeat. I kept reaching up to touch it, half expecting the glowing mark to fade away like grease on water. But it remained firm, hot, and permanent against my skin."Stop picking at it," Lucian said, walking into the room

Cassian let out a strangled, terrible scream as the black root magic snapped. He dropped to his knees, clutching his chest with both hands as black blood seeped from his nose. His skin turned ghostly pale, covered in a sudden cold sweat."My chest" Cassian gasped, thrashing on the stone floor like he was drowning. "It burns! Make it stop!""The spell is breaking," Lucian said coldly, stepping back from his writhing son. "When fake ink meets the truth, the body rejects the lie."I ran to Cassian's side instinctively "Cassian are you okay?"He pushed me away "Get off me you pig""Cassian""This is all your fault, you wrecked my day, you're a terrible selfish pig""Cassian how can say that, I didn't do anything I ju...""Enough" my mother snapped and tugged me away Maya saw her chance. She scrambled to her feet, kicked off her sandals, and sprinted toward the open balcony doors."Guards Catch her" my mother shrieked, finally realizing her precious daughter had ruined everything.Four he

"Help" Maya shrieked, her voice tearing through the quiet night.She threw herself against the floorboards, tearing the collar of her nightgown with her own manicured nails. Tears flooded down her cheeks in a frantic, desperate wave as she pointed a shaking finger toward the doorway."Help me, Someone help" she screamed, her voice echoing down the stone corridor. "He tried to force himself on me, Olivia helped him She set me up"I froze, my blood turning to ice in my veins. "Maya, what are you doing?" I gasped, taking an instinctual step backward into the hall."You brought me here" Maya wailed, scrambling backward into the corner like a wounded animal. "You told me Cassian was waiting for me in this room You wanted him to take me so I would not be pure for the ceremony""What.. I...I did no such thing" I shouted, my heart hammering against my ribs like a trapped bird. "You came here on your own"Heavy, thundering footsteps tore down the hallway before I could process another breath.

"Who are you?" Lucian asked, his deep voice shaking the air around us.His silver eyes locked onto mine, burning through the space between us like two hot coals. He was close enough that I could smell the sharp pine and fresh snow radiating off his heavy coat."She is nobody, Alpha Lucian!" Maya blurted out, rushing over and planting herself right beside the giant man. She let out a loud, high-pitched laugh, waving her hand dismissively in my direction. "Please, do not bother yourself with her. She is just our wolfless servant."Lucian did not move a single muscle. He did not even turn his head toward Maya. "I did not ask you."Before I could open my mouth to answer, a tight grip slammed into my upper arm, digging painfully into my skin."Get out of the way, girl!" my mother hissed in my ear. She pulled me back with a violent jerk, forcing me into the shadows behind the stone pillar."Mother, stop," I whispered, wincing at the pressure on my bruised skin."Shut your mouth!" she growle