LOGIN~CASSIAN~I was fucking pissed. First Vincent showing up in my territory, trying to make a move on my wife, and now the damn watchers breathing down my neck, threatening to move Aurora back to that prison they called home. I couldn't catch a damn break. Blood from Vincent's wounds was still faint on the air, and I was happy for that. I was so close to finishing him off and he didn't even know it.I looked to my side. Seraphina was a fucking pain in my ass, clinging as if she already were my wife. The girl didn't know when to back down or take a hint.I was so close to risking it all. One word from me and I could start a war just to keep Aurora close. It killed me pretending to be upset with her earlier. I hated the way my voice had come out cold, hated the way she'd flinched. She was mine—the only one who mattered in this mess of lies and forced alliances. The thought of her being taken away made my power stir restlessly beneath my skin, threatening to spill out and choke the l
~AURORA~The garden erupted into chaos the moment Seraphina's voice shredded through the night. "What on earth is going on here?" she demanded, rushing down the path. Her eyes widened in genuine shock when they landed on Vincent, still bleeding on the ground where Cassian's power had thrown him. "Vincent?" She gasped dramatically, pressing a hand to her chest as if the sight physically pained her. Her gaze darted between the three of us—me with my tear-streaked face, Cassian showing barely contained fury, and Vincent pushing himself up with a groan. Seraphina covered her mouth with both hands, eyes sparkling with what looked like concern but felt far too fake. "Vincent, I told you I have no choice but to marry Cassian. You shouldn't have caused a scene. There is nothing you can do to stop this arrangement. Nothing that any of us can do."I stared at her, disbelief cutting through my pain. Did she really believe Vincent had come here to stop her union with Cassian? Was Seraphina
~CASSIAN~I was losing what little control I had left. The gathering dragged on like a rope tightening around my throat, every polite conversation and forced smile made it pull tighter. This was torture—standing here, pretending like I was happy when I've never felt more miserable in my life. My eyes kept scanning the hall, searching for Aurora's familiar form, but she was nowhere to be seen. The spot where she had been standing moments ago was now vacant, her presence vanished without any indication of when she had left or where she might have gone. My chest tightened with a mix of worry and fury. Where the hell was she?Seraphina immediately noticed my frown, her sharp eyes catching the tension in my jaw. She slid closer, her delicate hand brushing against my arm in a possessive gesture that ignited a flicker of anger within me. "Cassian, darling, you seem distracted," she murmured softly, her voice soft. "There are many people waiting for responses to their questions, and your
~AURORA~The night felt heavier with Vincent still standing there, his presence like a shadow I couldn't escape. I turned to walk deeper into the gardens, desperate to get away, but his hand caught my arm—not hard, but firm enough to stop me. The faint spark of our old mate bond flared weakly at the contact, a painful reminder of what once was. I yanked my hand away, heart pounding.I did not want to hear anything else that he had to say. I did not care. He was no longer important to me. "Vincent, leave me alone," I whispered, voice breaking with the tears I was still fighting. I did not want him to see me cry, especially since these tears had nothing to do with him. He stepped closer, eyes intense under the moonlight. "We need to talk, Aurora. Please. Things are different now."Why did he keep saying that?I laughed bitterly, the sound sharp in the quiet garden. "Different? Seraphina is inside announcing herself as the true princess, the only family I've ever known just threatene
~AURORA~I couldn't stay in that hall a moment longer. The weight of Seraphina's taunts, the pitying and judgmental stares, the reminder of her claims about Cassian, it all pressed down on my chest until I felt like I was suffocating. Tears still blurred my vision as I slipped through a side door, the cool night air hitting my flushed cheeks. I walked deeper into the gardens, arms wrapped tightly around myself. Pain radiated through every breath. How much more could I endure? The announcement, the public humiliation, and now the possibility that Cassian had truly turned to her. . .it was too much. I kept walking, desperate for distance, for a place where I could let the sobs break free without an audience. Especially since I didn't want Seraphina to taunt me anymore. It reminded me of old times and I hated every second of it. My heart felt raw, bleeding from wounds I thought had gotten over long ago—because of my husband. Rounding a corner near a fountain, I collided straight in
~AURORA~The gathering dragged on like a nightmare I couldn't wake from. Cassian remained at the center of it all, surrounded by Moon Reapers and nobles who pressed him with questions and cautious congratulations. I stayed near the edge of the hall, trying to become invisible, but my body felt dull. Every forced smile I managed strained my face. My head throbbed from holding it high, from pretending the whispers didn't cut me to the bone.Seraphina had been circling like a predator all evening, but when Cassian was pulled into a deep discussion with a group of high-ranking warriors, she finally broke away. Her gown moved against the floor as she approached me, that triumphant smile sharpening into something cruel. I never thought this day would come. I thought I had finally gotten away from the Varkas people. Now, I had no choice but to see Seraphina every day. And as long as she was here, I would surely be seeing more of my stepmother. My stomach twisted. I wanted to retreat, to
~CASSIAN~I was fucking pissed.The kind of rage that burned low in my gut like lava, the kind that made my jaw ache from how hard I was clenching it. How dare that smug, spineless Vincent prick stroll into my house, my territory, and look at my wife like she was already his. Like he had any right
~CASSIAN~What the fuck?The moment my eyes landed on her face, the world narrowed to a single, ugly mark.A bruise stained the delicate curve of Aurora's cheekbone. But that wasn't all. Her lower lip was split, a thin line of blood already drying at the corner of her mouth. The sight made my bloo
~AURORA~I stared at Vincent, unable to form any words from the shock of his offer. He was actually asking me if I wanted to escape this marriage? A bitter laugh almost escaped my mouth. Was Cassian's plan to make him jealous already working better than either of us had anticipated?He was the one
~AURORA~This was the first time Seraphina and her mother had ever greeted me with anything resembling warmth, and I wasn't foolish enough to believe it was genuine. "Vincent is here as well," Seraphina announced sweetly, her eyes gleaming with malicious delight as she waited for my reaction. “He







