[7]

FIVE YEARS LATER

“Victory—again!”

Cheers erupted around the courtroom as the judge struck the gavel for the final time. My team broke into applause, their voices echoing through the chamber while I slowly exhaled the tension I’d been holding for days. Removing my robe, I glanced at the stack of documents on the desk—my hard-earned victory, the tangible proof that justice had prevailed once more.

“As always, Cassandra Vale remains undefeated,” one of my teammates said proudly, clapping my shoulder.

I gave a small, tired smile. “It’s not me who won. Justice finally sided where it should. And I couldn’t have done it without all of you. Thank you.”

“Oh, she’s still as humble as ever.”

“That’s our Cassandra!”

We all laughed together. Someone started talking about throwing a small celebration, but all I wanted was sleep. Too many sleepless nights had gone into this case. As we exited the courthouse, still talking and joking, a familiar teasing voice broke through the noise.

“Don’t tell me you’re getting picked up by Mr. Orion again?” Sally nudged me playfully. She’d been my closest friend for the past five years, ever since I started over.

A sleek black car pulled up in front of the courthouse steps. The back door opened, and a tall man stepped out—his every movement controlled, deliberate. The crowd instinctively parted for him without needing to be told. Power radiated from him, not through aggression or words, but through presence alone. His gaze—sharp and commanding—could silence a room with just one look.

Orion Caldrex. Alpha of the NightFang Pack. My savior.

“Congratulations on your win,” he said as he approached, holding out a bouquet of white roses—simple, elegant, and strangely personal.

“Thank you, Alpha Orion.”

A faint smile tugged at his lips. “Do you have time for dinner, Cassy?”

I hesitated. “Dinner… or another negotiation?”

“Both,” he replied lightly, amusement flickering in his eyes.

Refusing him wasn’t an option. Orion Caldrex didn’t need to command to be obeyed. With a simple nod, he led the way, and without another word, I followed him—leaving the courthouse and my moment of triumph behind.

***

I never really knew where Mr. Orion would take me on nights like this. But no matter where we went, one thing was constant—I never felt unsafe with him. If anything, being near him felt like the only safe place left in my life.

I still remember that night. The night I was cast out of SilverFang.

Dragged through the mud under the storming sky, accused of crimes I never committed. The Pack I had once protected turned its back on me, driving me out with merciless force. By the time I stumbled into the forest beyond their borders, I was broken—bleeding, weak, and barely clinging to life.

If Alpha Orion hadn’t found me that night… I wouldn’t have survived.

“What’s on your mind, Cassy?”

His deep voice pulled me back to the present. Even after five years, I wasn’t used to the way he said my name—too familiar, too gentle for an Alpha like him.

“Nothing, Alpha Orion,” I answered softly. “Just… tired from the trial.”

He let out a low chuckle. “That case you just won must’ve been exhausting. You defended a human corporation against a Pack-owned company. That’s… bold of you.”

“Isn’t that what lawyers do?” I replied flatly. “I defend what’s right, not who’s powerful.”

Orion’s gaze lingered on me, steady and unreadable. “That’s exactly why I’m asking for your help.”

“Tell me what I can do for you. You’ve already done more than enough for me—”

“But before that,” he interrupted softly. The car had stopped without me realizing it. “We’ll have dinner here. You don’t mind, do you?”

When I stepped out, the warm glow of a classic steakhouse greeted me. Typical Orion—elegant, restrained, and quietly commanding. As always, I couldn’t bring myself to say no.

We ate in comfortable silence, the hum of soft jazz blending with the muted clinking of glasses. The dim lighting wrapped around us like a cocoon, soothing and dangerous at once. I hated how safe I felt near him.

“Now, back to what we were discussing,” Orion said, setting down his knife with deliberate calm. That gesture alone meant the meal was over. “You know NightFang is facing a lawsuit. Breach of contract, territorial exploitation.”

“I thought that issue was settled,” I murmured, taking a slow sip of wine.

“It isn’t,” he replied. “In fact, it’s getting worse.”

“And you want me to take the case?”

Orion nodded once. “Of course. But there’s something else you should know.” His eyes locked on mine—calm, unflinching. “The plaintiff... is SilverFang Pack.”

The glass in my hand froze midair. “What?”

“Alaric Drayden is leading the charge.”

The world stopped spinning. That name—one I’d sworn never to hear again—sliced through me like a blade. I shut my eyes, steadying my breath. “I don’t want anything to do with them anymore.”

“I know.” His voice softened, but the authority beneath it never faded. “But, Cassy... maybe this is your chance.”

I frowned. “What do you mean, Alpha Orion?”

“Alaric only attends major hearings. If you take this case, sooner or later, you’ll have to face him yourself.”

I met his gaze sharply. “I don’t need to see his face ever again.”

“But you still need your daughter, don’t you?”

My body went rigid. For a heartbeat, every drop of blood in my veins felt like ice.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, I’ll find another attorney.” He lifted his wineglass, gesturing for me to do the same. “Don’t overthink my request.”

I hesitated, my thoughts spiraling.

“But if you’re brave enough to face your past,” he added quietly, “maybe this is your moment to take her back, Cassy. Think about it.”

***

Ignoring Orion’s words turned out to be impossible. I was exhausted, but sleep wouldn’t come.

Eventually, I found myself sitting at the desk tucked into the corner of my room. On my iPad screen, a hidden folder lay open—the same one I only dared to look at once a year, on my daughter’s birthday.

The photo was blurry, taken from a distance, but it was enough. Enough to remind me that the little girl in that frame was mine—the child I ached for every day. She looked thinner now, paler. Every year, one new picture appears, always on my birthday. A cruel gift I never asked for.

Tears slipped down my cheeks soundlessly. My hand trembled as I traced her face on the screen.

“My daughter,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

Once again, I shut my eyes tightly.

“All right, Alaric,” I whispered under my breath. “You want a legal war? You’ll have one.”

The next morning, with steady steps and a clear mind, I went straight to Orion Caldrex’s estate. I might have interrupted his breakfast, but I knew he wouldn’t turn me away.

“What brings you to me this early, Cassy?” he asked with that disarming smile of his.

I met his gaze without hesitation. “Is your offer still on the table?”

“I’ve made you many offers,” he said lightly, pulling out a chair in that calm, commanding way of his. “Sit. I’m sure you skipped breakfast.”

Before taking the seat, I spoke firmly. “The offer to take the case against your Pack, Alpha Orion.”

His eyes softened, though his gaze held that same unshakable power. “Are you… certain about this?”

“I’ve spent long enough hiding,” I replied, voice steady as steel. “It’s time I take back what’s mine.”

He smiled again—slow, knowing, and filled with a thousand unspoken meanings. “Then make sure you win, Cassy. I don’t take kindly to losing.”

“I will.”