Chapter 6

~AURORA~

My knees had gone completely numb.

That kiss. . .it still burned on my lips. Not even Vincent had ever kissed me with such raw, consuming hunger.

Cassian's mouth had claimed mine in a possessive way.

My body had responded before my mind could catch up, leaning into him as if it already knew him. As if it had been waiting for him.

The moment we stepped out of the castle, I could hear Vincent's voice behind us.

"Wait!"

I spun around, heart skipping a beat with foolish hope. Maybe he had finally come to his senses. Maybe guilt had finally touched him and he was about to tell the Moon Reaper the truth, that we were mates, that this marriage was a mistake.

But Vincent didn't even glance at me.

His furious gaze was locked solely on Cassian. "You may think you're untouchable, Reaper, but disrespecting the King of the South is a direct insult to his allies. I won't let that stand."

Cassian didn't flinch. Not even a flicker of concern crossed his sharp, devastatingly handsome face.

Behind us, the man on horseback, possibly his brother, immediately dismounted, hand already reaching for his weapon.

"It's fine, brother," Cassian said calmly, his voice low and steady. "It seems this pup wants to bare his teeth."

"This pup?" Vincent snarled, stepping closer. "I am the heir to the Northern throne."

Cassian let out a bored yawn, as if the entire confrontation was beneath him. "I don't care who you are. All I hear is an animal screeching in my ear. If you want a battle, let's have it. Right here. Right now."

I gasped, my hand flying to my chest.

No. This couldn't happen.

Even though Vincent had broken my heart into pieces, some foolish part of me still cared for him. But it wasn't only that. A strange, terrifying protectiveness surged through me at the thought of Cassian getting hurt. I didn't even know this man. He was supposed to be the enemy, yet the idea of him in battle made my stomach twist painfully.

Vincent's lips curled into a cruel smirk. "Not today. At the end of this week. We'll make it an official event, witnessed by all. Consider it my wedding present to you—your public humiliation."

Cassian's mouth twitched with dark amusement. Both men showed raw confidence, as if each already tasted victory on his tongue.

"Vincent, darling?" Seraphina calls out to him sweetly. "We still have our engagement party to plan. Come inside."

My heart squeezed so tightly I almost couldn't breathe. The pain must have shown on my face, because Cassian's sharp gaze flicked to me, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.

Vincent finally looked at me then. For one fragile second, his cold mask cracked, revealing yearning, the same desperate longing that still lived inside my chest.

I had to fight every instinct not to reach for him, to beg him to find a way, any way, for us to be together.

But I wouldn't humiliate myself like that. Not in front of Cassian. For some reason, it mattered to me what he thought of me.

"It's time to go," Cassian said quietly, his voice gentler than I expected. "To your new home."

I turned and found myself face-to-face with a massive stallion. The same one that caused me to fall on my ass earlier.

The horse regarded me with intelligent eyes, as if deciding whether I was worthy of climbing onto his back.

"Am I. . .supposed to get on that?" I asked, my voice suddenly turning squeaky.

Cassian's brother let out a low chuckle, but my groom's expression remained serious.

"Never ridden before?" He asked.

I hesitated. "Werewolves don't usually need horses," I lied.

The truth was far more humiliating. I couldn't shift into my wolf form, no matter how hard I tried. It was one of the reasons I had been mocked and locked away. I had rarely been allowed outside long enough to even learn how to ride properly.

Cassian's jaw tightened at the word "werewolf," anger moving across his features. Without another word, he stepped forward, his large hands suddenly gripping my waist.

I gasped as he lifted me effortlessly, as though I weighed nothing, and settled me onto the saddle.

A moment later, he swung up behind me with grace. His broad chest pressed firmly against my back, his powerful thighs against mine. The heat of his body seeped through the fabric of my wedding gown immediately.

He clicked his tongue and the horse began to move.

The sudden forward motion made me sway. I bit down hard on my lower lip to trap the startled sound that tried to escape.

At first, I tried to sit rigidly, keeping as much distance between us as the saddle allowed. But the horse's movements made it impossible. With every step, my body rocked back against Cassian's chest.

I could feel his hard muscle and even the steady rise and fall of his breathing, the subtle flex of his arms as he held the reins on either side of me.

His breath, warm and steady, brushed the sensitive skin of my neck with every exhale.

It sent uncontrollable shivers racing down my spine.

I tried to focus on the path ahead but my treacherous body refused to cooperate. Every small jolt of the horse caused his chest to press more firmly against me. His thighs brushed against the outside of mine.

When his fingers accidentally grazed the curve of my hip. The light touch burned like fire.

A whimper almost escapes my mouth and I had to swallow it down.

My cheeks felt hot and I was grateful he couldn't see my face.

Why did I feel this way?

Vincent was my mate. Even after everything he had done—choosing Seraphina over me, my heart still ached for him.

Yet here I was, very aware of every inch where Cassian's body touched mine. I could not even control my heart when his breath fanned across my ear as he leaned forward slightly to murmur something to the horse.

A particularly rough patch of ground made the stallion unstable for a second.

I lost my balance and fell back fully against Cassian's chest. His free arm instinctively wrapped around my waist to steady me.

Oh my.

For a heartbeat, neither of us moved.

His voice was low, rough, close to my ear. "Easy. I've got you."

The words sent a spark straight through me. I hated how my body reacted.

This man was the enemy. He would faster kill me than offer his hand to help.

I shifted slightly, trying to create space, but the movement only pressed me closer.

"You're trembling," he observed quietly.

"It's cold," I lied as the sun shone brightly above.

A soft, knowing chuckle rumbled through his chest.

We rode on in heavy silence after that. But the tension between us thickened with every brush of his thigh, every exhale against my neck.

The accidental graze of his hand felt deliberate now, like he knew what he was doing to me.

How long again?

When would we arrive at our destination? My body was being a traitor right now and I needed to get down from this horse. . .immediately!