Mag-log in~ CASSANDRA ~I read the gold letters above the door. They say Veloir and Vine as Ronnie leads me inside.The shop is beautiful, with bright lights, shiny floors, and tall mirrors beside the clothes.Colorful dresses hang on gold racks, while bags and shoes sit neatly on the shelves. The shop smells like flowers and new clothings.Everything looks expensive, carefully chosen, and beautifully arranged.For a moment, I simply stand there, taking it all in.By the goddess, I miss shopping.Back in Crescent Pack, shopping was never this easy. Most stores barely carried my size, and finding something that fit properly was always a struggle. Whenever I wanted a dress for an event, I usually had to get it custom-made, which meant choosing a design, getting measured, and waiting for someone to make it from scratch.Sometimes, the results were beautiful, but the entire process could be exhausting. Other times, the dress would arrive, and I would have to pretend I loved it even when it wasn't q
~ CASSANDRA ~Just as Cassian promised, Ronnie shows up after I finish bathing and get dressed.Honestly, I have absolutely no idea where I want to go. Maybe we can just walk around, explore the pack, connect with nature, and forget, even if only for a few hours, that my stepsister is staying just a few doors away from me while holding the kind of secret that could ruin my life.And as if that isn't enough, I'll soon have to face the woman who kicked me out of her house in the middle of a fucking rainstorm.My life is a mess.“So, where are we going?” Ronnie asks as we walk down the pack hallway.“I don't know. Maybe we can walk around and see what Blackthorn is all about. We could grab a drink with the card Cassian gave me and call it a day.”I slip my hand into my bag, checking to make sure the card is still where I left it.Ronnie stops walking. “No way!” She turns to stare at me, her eyes widening in disbelief. “Girl, you're not about to tell me the Alpha King gave you his card, a
~ CASSIAN ~It’s been a lot. A whole fucking lot. And I’m pissed that the universe hasn’t given her a single moment to breathe.Every time I think things are finally settling down for her, something else comes crashing into her life. Noctari, Rhett, Leah and Trey. It’s one fucking thing after another, and I’m starting to feel like I’m failing her because I can’t make any of it stop.And I’m fucking pissed at myself for not realizing how badly she’s struggling until now.“Of course you don’t,” Ariel retorts.I roll my eyes at his sarcastic comment. The Moon Goddess help me. I barely have the strength to deal with everything on my plate, let alone a fucking wolf who never shuts up inside my head.I’m seated behind my desk with the Noctari file open in front of me.The door is locked, my phone is face down on the desk, and I’ve already told my staff that anyone who knocks better be bleeding. I don’t want interruptions. I need to focus, and I need to understand exactly what we’re dealing
~ CASSANDRA ~I can't eat. I possibly can't, because my eyes are glued to that door, waiting for Leah to barge in at any second, make another stupid demand, threaten me again, and make me look like a fool with the leverage she has over me.“Are you alright?” Cassian asks for the umpteenth time.I blink myself out of my thoughts, finally tearing my gaze away from the door and meeting his concerned brown eyes. After a moment, I look back down at my food, even though I’ve barely touched it.I force myself to pick up my fork and take a bite of the pancake, but I can barely taste it. My mouth feels dry, and the food turns to paste as I chew. I swallow with difficulty, my stomach churning as my mind screams at me to stay alert.“Yeah,” I say with a quick nod, forcing my voice to sound casual.Cassian shakes his head, slowly setting his cutlery down. The concern in his eyes deepens as he leans slightly toward me, his attention completely fixed on my face.“No, you’re not, Cassie.” His voice
~ CASSANDRA ~Every nerve in my body prickles as I blink once, twice, then a third time. Did she really just say what I think she said?I slowly straighten, forcing myself to look composed as I meet her gaze. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, Leah. I already told you no. I’m not helping you, and I’ll have someone escort you out immediately.”She rolls her eyes before letting out a loud, mocking guffaw, her eyes meeting mine with pure amusement.“Shut up, bitch. Don’t stand there and pretend you’re innocent. You killed the Alpha King. You killed Rhett’s father. Does that ring a fucking bell?”My entire body goes cold. The nerves in my skin seem to come alive all at once, and I freeze in place as I stare at her.How the hell does she know? That was supposed to be a secret.I buried that part of my life so deeply that I convinced myself no one would ever find out. No one was supposed to know what happened that night, and yet Leah is standing in front of me, looking at me like she
~ CASSANDRA ~I barely slept last night, even though Cassian kept me tucked against him and checked on me countless times.I never told him about his mother cornering me and threatening me. I didn’t want to pile another problem onto everything he was already dealing with.Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under, but sleep offered no escape.I dreamed about my mother again. I reached for her, desperate to hold on, but she kept fading into the darkness until there was nothing left for me to grasp.Then the Noctari appeared. I was running through the darkness, my heart pounding as something chased me from behind. No matter how fast I moved, I could never get far enough away.And as if that wasn’t enough, I now have to sit here and listen to Leah complain about me stealing her man. Cassian didn’t want me anywhere near her, but I insisted on talking to her. She’s my stepsister, after all.“We wouldn’t be in this mess if you hadn’t stolen my man. So, yeah, you’re the reason we’re getting bac







