Chapter 5: Two Monsters

Valeria

Cassian’s shoulders didn’t even twitch. He didn't turn back to look at me. He just let out a low, dry laugh.

"Revenge? You tricked me this same way five years ago and now you’re here to do the same thing.” he drawled, his deep voice dripping with amusement. "Run along back to your mate."

He started walking again, his tall, imposing figure melting into the shadowy trees.

"I'm not going back!" I yelled after him.

He didn't answer. He just kept moving.

I wiped the dirt from my hands onto my torn dress, swallowed the lump of fear in my throat, and hurried after him. My bare feet bled against the sharp rocks and rough twigs on the dirt path, but I ignored the stinging pain. I stayed right on his heels, matching his long strides as best as I could.

"Stop following me, Valeria," Cassian growled without looking back. "I won't warn you again."

"Make me stop," I snapped, my chest heaving as I kept pace behind him. "I am not going back to that pack house. I am done with Lucien. I am truly done with all of them."

He ignored me, pushing through the thick, black thorns. I ducked right behind him, refusing to lose sight of his coat.

We walked deeper and deeper into the dark forest until the thick fog began to clear, revealing a sprawling, hidden fortress cut into the side of a massive mountain. 

Torches flickered along rough wooden posts, throwing long, eerie shadows across the ground. Everywhere I looked, rough, battle-scarred rogues were moving around fire pits, sharpening blades and roasting meat. The instant we walked in, dozens of dangerous, bloodthirsty eyes snapped straight to me.

Low growls echoed through the camp. I felt the dangerous tension in the air, but I kept my head high, walking right behind Cassian.

He finally stopped in the middle of the camp, turning around to face me. His dark eyes burned with intense irritation.

"Turn around and leave," Cassian said, his voice dropping into a low command. "You shouldn't be here."

"I told you, I'm not leaving," I said firmly, taking a step closer to him despite the rogues watching us. "Let’s work together, Cassian."

"Work together?" Cassian scoffed, pointing a thick, calloused finger at me. "Do you take me for an idiot, Valeria? They clearly sent you here to provoke me into starting a war so they have an excuse to wipe my people out."

"Lucien didn't send me!" I shouted, my voice trembling with frustration. "He hates me. He's been feeding me seed blockers for five years. And he kissed another woman on our anniversary right in front of the entire pack. I even jumped off a cliff to get away from him

Cassian’s gaze didn't soften. Instead, his eyes dragged down my face, stopping at the right side of my neck. A cold smirk touched his lips.

"Is that so?" he asked, taking a step toward me. He reached out, his hot fingers brushing against the tender skin of my collarbone, right over the mark resting there. 

"Then why is his mark still burning on your skin?”

I flinched away from his touch, clutching my neck as a fresh wave of humiliation washed over me. "I rejected him. He refused to accept it, but I severed it truly.”

"Leave," Cassian spat, he didn’t wait for a response and simply kept on walking. 

I followed him until he entered a hall, where a massive throne sat at the far end of the room. 

"Valeria—“  he started, sitting on the throne. 

"You want the throne back," I said loudly, my voice ringing clear through the wide hall.

Cassian froze, narrowing his eyes at me.

"Don't pretend you don't," I continued, taking small, deliberate steps towards him. "Lucien’s father framed you for treason decades ago. He lied to the council, took your birthright, and stole the Alpha seat that belonged to you. You've been out here ever since, building an army out of rogues."

Cassian’s jaw clenched, his fist tightening at his side. "Watch your mouth, Valeria."

"Am I lying?" I asked, stopping right beside the armrest of his throne. "Look at your forces out there, Cassian. They are wild. They are brutal. But they are not organized. You don't have enough power or structure to launch a real, successful war against the Sovereign Conclave. If you attack them head-on right now, Lucien will crush you."

"And I suppose a wolfless Omega is going to solve that problem for me?" he mocked, though the tension in his broad shoulders told me my words were hitting the mark.

"Yes," I said without missing a beat. "I spent five years inside that pack house. I know their weakness and I know exactly how Lucien and his father thinks. I can give you the pack on a silver platter."

Cassian stared at me, his chest rising and falling heavily. "And what do you want in return?"

"Make me the Luna of your rogue pack," I said, leaning closer to him, my voice turning smooth as ice. "Announce it to the entire territory. Marry me, take me, and let Lucien know that the woman he treated like dirt is now sitting on the throne beside his worst enemy. I want to ruin him. I want to crush his pride until he has nothing left."

Cassian let out a sharp breath, looking down at me. For a second, the cold hatred in his eyes flickered. I saw the heat rising in his pupils, the subtle flare of his nostrils as his eyes drifted from my face down to my torn dress, where my skin was exposed.

He wanted me. He had wanted me five years ago, and despite everything, that suppressed desire was still burning underneath his anger.

He tried to hide it, pulling back slightly. "No," he muttered, his voice sounding raspy, slightly strained. 

"Why not, Cassian?" I whispered softly.

I took a deliberate step closer, closing the distance between us. He opened his mouth to protest, but the weak words died in his throat as I reached for the top of my torn dress.

With one slow movement, I pulled the ragged fabric down, letting it pool around my feet on the floor.

Cassian’s eyes darkened, his throat bobbing as he swallowed hard. His breathing grew heavy, his physical body betraying every bit of hesitation he claimed to have.

I didn't wait for him to make up his mind. I stepped up onto the platform of his throne, straddling his lap as he sat back into the seat. My bare skin pressed against his rough clothes, and a low, involuntary growl rumbled deep in his chest.

"Valeria..." he rasped, his thick hands coming up to grab my hips. He meant to push me away, but his fingers just dug tightly into my skin, holding me right where I was.

"Shh," I whispered, leaning down.

I slid down off his lap, dropping to my knees right between his open legs. Cassian gasped, his fingers knotting into the armrests of his throne as I unbuckled his leather belt with steady, unhurried fingers.

I pulled his long, hard length free from his pants. It was thick, veiny, and pulsing with heat.

I looked up at him through my lashes. Cassian’s head was thrown back against the tall wooden rest of the throne, his eyes half-closed, his jaw tight as he fought for control.

I wrapped my hand around his thick shaft, taking his warm tip into my mouth.

"Ugh..." Cassian groaned out loud, his hips giving a slight jerk.

I slid deeper, swallowing his heavy shaft, using my tongue to stroke the length of him while my hand worked the base. 

The tight, hot wetness of my mouth drove him over the edge. His hands left the armrests and slammed down into my hair, holding me close as he began to push his hips forward, sliding in and out of my throat with quick  thrusts.

I kept going, pleasing him with control, making sure every wet pull of my lips pushed him further away from his senses, stripping away every ounce of his caution until he lost himself in the thrill of having me right there on his throne.

He pulled me up suddenly, his eyes blazing with wild, wild fire. He grabbed my waist, lifting me effortlessly, and slammed me down onto his thick length in one hard push.

A breathless cry tore from my lips as we locked together. 

Cassian gritted his teeth, his hands gripping my hips tightly as he began to drive up into me with powerful, relentless thrusts. The throne creaked beneath us under the weight of his rhythm, his hot breath fanning across my neck every time he buried himself deep inside me.

"Fine," he growled into my ear, his teeth grazing my skin. "It’s a deal."

I wrapped my legs tight around his waist, riding him back, matching his wild energy while tears of intense heat pricked the corners of my eyes.

My mind flashed back to the night my parents were slaughtered. Cassian’s rogues had murdered my mother and father under his direct command, stealing away my childhood and leaving me an orphan.

And then came Lucien. Lucien, who took me in only to use me, abuse me, humiliate me, feed me blockers, and stomp on my soul for five agonizing years.

Two monsters.

One destroyed my past. The other destroyed my present.

I wrapped my arms around Cassian’s shoulders, pulling him deeper into me as a dark smile spread across my face. I would make them tear each other apart piece by piece, bone by bone, until both of their packs burned to ash.