Se connecterTalia’s POV“How long was I out?” I asked Cassian as I pulled my clothes on.After another day hidden away in the woods, wrapped in each other, he had mindlinked someone to bring us clothes.He shrugged lazily from where he leaned against the tree, his arms coming around my waist the second I stepped close enough.“Two days?” He mumbled, pressing a slow kiss to my lips.I opened my mouth to respond, but he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his tongue slipping into my mouth like he couldn’t help himself.A soft sound escaped me before I could stop it.I kissed him back instinctively, my hands flattening against his chest.I didn’t know whether to push him away or pull him impossibly closer.His hand tangled in my hair as the heat between us thickened.I moaned quietly, feeling warmth pool low in my stomach.My wolf stirred hungrily.“Cass,” I breathed against his mouth. “We have to stop.”He stepped forward anyway, crowding into my space until my back hit the rough bark of the t
Talia’s POVThe stretch was exquisite—almost too much, yet exactly what I needed. We both cried out, the bond singing between us as he filled me completely. For a second we stayed like that, joined as deeply as two beings could be, trembling with the intensity of it.Then he started moving. It was slow at first, giving me a moment to get used to the fullness again. After so long without him, my body had almost forgotten what it was like to be filled up. But the slow pace wasn’t enough for me. My wolf clawed harder. “Cass,’ I gasped, “more.”That one word was all it took. I could see the moment his restraint snapped, and he pulled out, almost completely. Then plunged in.Hard. Deep.A scream tore out of my throat, my hands coming up to his back, my nails digging into his skin.His pace was relentless.Each thrust slammed into me with the force of a man who had almost lost everything. I wrapped my legs around his waist, my heels digging into his back, urging him deeper. My nai
Talia’s POV I didn’t know how long we remained in that position. And I didn’t care to know. I was with my mate. His arms wrapped tightly around me, grounding me in reality. The warmth radiating off him seeped into my bones. His scent was stronger now, drowning out the scent of the forest around us. And the feel of his skin against mine— Goddess. It was different. Stronger. More intense. Like the bond had rooted itself deeper beneath my skin. My breath caught in my throat. “Are you okay?” he murmured softly. “You almost died.” I pulled back slightly, just enough to look at him. His warm eyes were already on me. Filled with concern. Fear. Relief. He frowned slightly. “Your eyes,” he whispered. “They’re green again.” Oh. Something settled heavily in my chest. Something dangerously close to disappointment. His gaze slowly drifted downward, settling on my sternum where the Goddess’ mark had once rested. His fingers brushed over the spot gently. “It’s gone too.” I
Nicole’s POVI stared out the window. “Still waiting there?” Mason asked from behind me. I turned slightly, offering him a small smile. A smile I’m sure didn’t reach my eyes.He sighed, stepping inside and shutting the door behind him. “You barely leave the room,” he whispered, coming up behind me. “I’m worried about you.”His hand came up to my bare back, at the spot where I’d been stabbed. I was fully healed now, but the poison had made it scar. A scar I’ll carry for the rest of my life. “It doesn’t hurt anymore.”“That’s good,” he mumbled. “But I wasn’t talking about the injury, and you know it.”I sighed, already knowing where this was heading.“They’ll be fine,” he reassured.“It’s been two days,” my voice cracked. “She needs to eat, she needs—”“She’s with her mate,” Mason cut in gently. “If anyone’s going to look after her properly, then it’s him.”Still. I had seen the desperation on his face before he had marked her, had heard her heartbeat slowly weaken. What if—A l
Nicole’s POV Everything happened too fast, blurring together. Cassian took Talia in his arms, and just when the moon was about to dim, he marked her. The wind tore through the clearing again—no longer still—and the moon went back to the sky, where it hung over us, casting a soft glow on all of us again. But my attention wasn’t on the moon, or the council members. Or even my mate beside me. My attention was on her. On Talia. Who lay limp in Cassian’s arms. My chest tightened, a lump forming in my throat. She was still, too still. Her skin was pale, and her head hung in an unnatural angle. My legs trembled. With fear and something colder nestled in my chest, I reached for her, my senses sharpening, listening. I couldn’t hear a heartbeat. Not from her. “Talia!” I cried, finally breaking out of Mason’s hold. Cassian whose face had been pressed against her neck looked up, a feral growl tearing through him. I froze in my steps. His eyes we
Cassian’s POV Everything clicked. The memories slammed into me. Not as fragments this time—but whole, complete. Like a broken recorder suddenly forcing pieces back into place at once.Our first kiss, the first time I saw her in those woods after years apart, the way she had looked at me when she’d confessed her love, the fear in her eyes when I’d stupidly brushed iff her worries. All our arguments.Our happiness.Every moment she challenged me. Our grief.Everything came rushing back with brutal force.I’d lost her. I’d lost her to the council, to Kira. To my own weakness.A roar tore through my chest as my wolf surged forward violently, finally breaking through the cage he had been trapped in for so long.The ground beneath me shook in response, the trees shook, the air thickened—like the earth itself could sense my grief, anger and pain all at once. Like it could sense my thirst for blood and hunger for vengeance. My entire body vibrated as pure, undiluted rage spread thro
Cassian’s POV I stormed out of the library, each step sharp and hurried as I tore through the halls of the pack house. My pulse thundered in my ears, anger pounding into my skull with every second that passed. The SUV waited in the driveway, the front door already open—just as I’d ordered. “Ca
I yawned, my back stiff from being in one position all day. I'd spent the majority of the day reading history books, history books Mrs Alanna had shoved down my throat yesterday. A tutor to guide me into the Luna role, huh? I hadn't seen Cassian since the feast, which was two days ago. I'd cried
The knot in my stomach refused to loosen. I’d slept with Cassian.Well… maybe not slept with, but it was something. A moment. And the worst part? I admitted it. I admitted I was his.Groaning, I buried my face in my palm.“Talia?”My head snapped up as the door creaked open. Tasha stepped inside, b
The afternoon was unusually still, the kind of silence that gnawed at me more than any storm. From the terrace, I watched the warriors run drills across the grounds, dust rising under their boots. They moved in unison, sharp and precise, but all I could see was chaos. The chaos waiting just outside







