INICIAR SESIÓN~ CASSANDRA ~My neck is wrapped in something incredibly strong, warm, and oddly comforting, and for a few hazy seconds after waking, I have no idea where I am.The softness of the bed feels unfamiliar, nothing like what I can remember, and certainly nothing like my room. I can feel something warm pressed against my back, making it difficult to move, while the slow, rhythmic rise and fall tells me that whatever is behind me isn't an object.Wake up. Wake up. Wake up, Cassie.I blink my eyes open and glance down, only to find a muscular arm wrapped securely around my waist, its weight resting comfortably against me as though I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.Cassian. His body is molded against my back, his chest so warm against my shoulders, while his legs are tangled loosely with mine under the duvet, which is tucked securely around us, trapping our shared warmth and leaving only my head and part of my shoulders exposed.I shift slightly, testing the arm around me, but his hold in
~ CASSANDRA ~“You taste so good. So fucking sweet… so addictive.” His lips part as those dark, hungry eyes lock onto my teary, wrecked ones. “My Cassie. You’re mine to ruin. My mate. And I’m going to make you forget every fucking trace of your ex… even if it means fucking you until you say yes to our mate bond.”I bite my tongue against the words, but they slip out anyway.“Thank you…”He climbs up my trembling body, catching my wrists and pinning them above my head. With his other hand, he parts my thighs and settles fully between them. My eyes widen when I feel his hard, thick cock press against my skin.Fucking hell.I squeeze my eyes shut, expecting him to fill me. He doesn’t. Instead, his fingers, still slick from my orgasm, reach my mouth. He tugs my lower lip down and parts it open.“Open up.”I do.“That’s my filthy little slut,” he murmurs, voice low and almost reverent, like the word is a claim instead of an insult. “Look at you. Ruined already and still so eager. My perfec
~ CASSANDRA ~I lose count of the moans ripping out of my throat.Cassian has slowed down now, and somehow that’s worse. He lathers soap between his palms and spreads it over my skin in long, deliberate strokes, slow enough to make me yelp, enough that I have to bite my lip to keep from begging.His hands travel everywhere. They start at my neck, thumbs stroking the sensitive line of my throat. Then they slide down over my breasts, circling the nipples he just bit and sucked until they’re aching all over again. I jerk when he moves lower, soaping the soft curve of my stomach, massaging it like every inch of me deserves to be touched.Then his hands reach my thighs, my eyes slam shut. I grab his wrists, trying to stop him, or maybe trying to pull him closer. I can’t tell anymore.He gently moves my hands away.“Let me finish,” he murmurs, spreading my thighs apart in the warm water. His soapy palms glide down the insides of them, caressing, teasing, getting closer and closer to where I
~ CASSANDRA ~A flash of light from a torch shines through the rain, briefly illuminating the high-back tinted window of the car as Cassian gently settles me into the passenger seat before reaching over and lowering the window just enough to see outside.I crane my neck, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever is standing there, even though Cassian's broad frame blocks most of the small opening, while the rain continues to pour heavily around us.Through the narrow gap, I make out a man dressed in a black leather coat, an umbrella held firmly over his head, and it takes me only a second to recognize him as one of the pack patrol.His eyes narrows toward Cassian, and his posture straightens immediately."Alpha Cassian," he says respectfully, dipping his head in a brief bow."I'm sorry, Alpha," the patrolman says quickly, lowering his head again. "I didn't realize it was you. I was only doing my job."Cassian's expression eases slightly as he gives him a small nod. "You did exactly what yo
~ CASSANDRA ~ It’s hard not to stare, even though I’m trying so damn hard not to. It’s fucking hard, and fuck Lyra, because of all times, she chooses this moment to start prancing heavily in my head. Heat pools between my legs without warning. My toes curl. For some stupid, traitorous reason, all I can think about is what happened in that restroom. My pussy clenches at the memory. I swallow hard and force my eyes to the rain sliding down the window, the blurred trees rushing past, the windshield wipers beating a steady rhythm against the downpour. “Where are you taking me?” He drags a hand through his tousled hair, eyes still locked on the road. His jaw stays clenched. “Home. Where you won’t get kicked out while it’s raining.” Embarrassment burns across my cheeks. All that girl-power, I-don’t-need-anyone energy I’d been throwing around has come back to bite me in the ass. He isn’t mocking me outright, but I can hear the faint amusement under his voice. “I wasn’t kic
~ CASSANDRA ~I make my way through the darkness with not a single penny to my name, and it's almost amusing, in a dark sort of way, how cruel fate can be.It's been less than a week since I found out that my son isn't mine, that I was nothing more than a surrogate, and fucking hell, I had just walked away from a toxic, selfish, narcissistic man who thought the entire world revolved around him.I had finally hoped I wouldn't have to see him again, only to somehow get lured right back into his web. As if that wasn't enough, fate looked me right in the face and said, Hey, you. I'm not done dealing with you yet, before throwing Cassian into my life as my mate in the most intricate fucking web imaginable, leaving me caught between choosing him and walking away for my sister. Then there was that stupid bet, me getting involved with him, and... hell.Don't think about it, Cassie. Don't.I squeeze my eyes shut for a second and keep walking, trying to force the thoughts out of my head."You'







