THE NEXT DAY
Cassandra stirred under the soft sheets as morning sunlight filtered through the grand, pale curtains of the bedroom. Her eyes blinked open slowly, adjusting to the warm golden hue of daylight. She lay there for a moment, still and silent, staring at the ceiling.
The events of the past few days came crashing back into her mind like a storm tide.
She had merged with her wolf, her true self, and it had left something inside her permanently changed. Not just physically, but spiritually. She didn’t feel like the Cassandra she used to be. That girl, that version of her, had been peeled away layer by layer until what remained was someone stronger… but also someone more confused.
And then there was Evan. Their conversation echoed in her mind like a song stuck on repeat. His eyes, the disbelief in his voice, the way he had tried to claim pain like he hadn’t been the one who walked away first.
But underneath
Her breath caught again, but she didn’t look away this time. She felt the flutter in her chest, the warmth blooming in her stomach, the way her skin prickled with electricity as he shifted forward just slightly, only inches, but enough to make her breath hitch.“You’re staring,” she whispered.“So are you,” he said.“I was trying not to,” she said, unable to stop the small, shaky laugh that left her.“Don’t stop,” he murmured, voice low. “I like it when you look at me like that.”She bit her bottom lip, and that alone made something flicker in his gaze, something deep and burning and barely restrained.He leaned forward then, not fast, not forceful. Just slow. Deliberate. Giving her the space to pull back if she wanted to. But she didn’t. She didn’t move at all. Her eyes fluttered closed just before their lips met.The kiss was soft.
Is that really all of it? she wondered. It feels like there’s still more he’s not saying. Like he’s holding something back.But she didn’t ask. She could see it in his eyes, how hard it had already been for him to say what he had. She didn’t want to push him. Not yet.So instead, she offered a small smile.The rest of the evening passed more gently.After all the heavy truths Darius had just shared, Cassandra could still feel the weight of them lingering in the room, but it was no longer suffocating. Instead of diving deeper into the pain of the past, they quietly let it go for the night, as if they both agreed, silently, that they needed something softer to hold onto for now.“So,” Cassandra said, tilting her head as she leaned back against the cushions. “What were you like as a teenager? Let me guess, brooding, serious, impossible to talk to?”Darius scoffed lightly, t
“When war came, everything shifted,” he said. “Tensions with the northern packs escalated. My brother was no warrior. He never had the stomach for blood, or the instinct for battle.” He paused. “So he handed me the title. Declared me the better leader. Claimed the people trusted me more.”His voice lowered, bitter and flat. “But it wasn’t a gift. It was a death sentence.”Cassandra frowned. “What do you mean?”Darius’s lips pressed into a grim line. He stared at the fire, as if it held the truth in its flickering depths. “He sent me to die,” he said simply. “He named me Alpha so he wouldn’t have to be the one to fight. And if I died in battle? Well… then the threat would be gone. Clean hands. No blame.”Cassandra felt a chill crawl down her spine. “That’s... unforgivable.”He didn’t respond. The silence stretched betw
A moment passed, filled only by the faint crackle of the candle flame. Then Darius’s tone shifted slightly, more serious, more deliberate.“Rowan has already processed the name change. From this moment forward, to everyone in the pack, you are Ashera.”Hearing it aloud made it feel real. Her new name. Her true name. She inhaled slowly, letting the syllables settle in her chest.“Thank you,” she whispered, fingers curling lightly around her wine glass. “I… I also think it’s time I see my adopted father. There’s so much I don’t understand. So many questions that only he might be able to answer. I used to avoid him, but now…” Her voice faltered slightly. “Now I need the truth.”Darius didn’t look surprised. “I assumed you’d say that. I’ve already asked Rowan to arrange a meeting. I know you haven’t spoken in years.”Cassandra blink
Later that evening,After Nia had left, Cassandra made her way downstairs, her soft heels barely making a sound against the polished floors of Darius’s grand mansion. Soraya followed a few steps behind her, quiet and watchful as always.Cassandra's long dress flowed gently with every step she took, and she glanced down at herself, self-conscious. Was this too much for just dinner? she wondered, brushing her hand over the smooth fabric of her gown. Her hair had been styled with care, her makeup subtle but elegant. It was rare for her to dress up like this and rarer still to feel nervous about it.It’s just dinner, she told herself, but the flicker of doubt didn’t go away. But with him? Is anything ever really just dinner?As she turned the corner and stepped into the dining hall, the breath caught in her throat.The table had been set like something out of a romantic film. A single long candle burned betw
Nia stared at her, eyes wide, one hand gripping the pillow like it was the only thing anchoring her to reality. “I’m sorry, what?”Cassandra couldn’t help it, she laughed.She lifted her hand slowly and let her wolf’s power flicker through her, just a sliver. Her pupils dilated, glowing with that haunting gold that only showed when her wolf was awake beneath the surface.Nia gasped and clutched her chest. “Girl, what the actual hell!”Cassandra blinked, letting the glow fade. “Still think I’m joking?”Nia was still frozen in place. “I… I don’t even know what to say. You’re telling me… you’re a werewolf. Like a full-on, moon-howling, shift-at-will, can-heal-fast type of werewolf?”Cassandra nodded.“And Darius…” Nia looked around the luxurious room again as if it were the backdrop of some royal drama. “So he&