Chapter six:

Seraphina's POV

I laid on the floor, Mira beside me. I heard the strangling gasps from everyone.

Mira had hit my sword off my hand. She had thought she would win, not knowing I had spent too many late nights, sharpening my skills.

When everyone was asleep, whenever I was bored. I would go to the court yard and fight the wind till my heart's content.

I never really enjoyed when I was training with others. I tried as much as possible to escape those lessons because we were being guided.

I would not be allowed to use weapons I wanted, I would not be allowed to try stunts I loved.

Our trainer was just too careful with the shewolves and that got on my nerves.

For goodness's sake, a male and a female have the same rank in the battle ground, what happens when you undertrain the females and send them to war.

You just sent them on suicide missions and I was not up for that shit.

I grabbed the bull by the horn and I rewrote my destiny… every night molding my skill.

I always admired Cassian's agility and strength and that was my inspiration every time I trained alone.

It felt like he guided me. Even when I didn't know he was my mate.

I faced Mira, she had a look of shock on her face. She never expected me to be this strong.

The moment she hit off my sword and tried to bring me to surrender, I took a backflip, holding her neck with me as I flung her back.

Her body hit the soil in a thud, she yelled out in pain and I placed her sword on her neck.

She laid there now, at my mercy… staring at me like a cat caught in headlights.

“Elias!!” Cassian yelled. 

I lifted my head as I looked at him. He charged at Elias. He seemed furious

In just two strikes, Elias’ sword fell off his hand and he was on his knees, Cassian placed his sword on his neck bringing him to surrender and immediately the victory bell rang.

I breathed out in relief as I stared at Cassian in admiration. I was expecting him to do his usual stunt after he wins a fight.

But he had no look of happiness on his face.

He dropped his sword and raced up to me, across the field.

I gasped as he pulled me up, he grabbed my arms, looking at me all round to see if I was hurt.

“Are you okay, I thought you were hurt? And I almost killed Elias because of that.”

I smiled, “I'm fine… it was Mira who screamed, not me.”

He turned to the floor to see Mira struggling to get up, she was groaning in pain as she held her back.

His gaze lifted to me and it was filled with admiration.

“My…” he paused, and cupped my face. He kissed my forehead twice and pulled me into a tight hug, his fingers webbing into my hair.

He sighed in relief. “Thanks to the goddess… It would kill me to see you were hurt because of me.”

My heart warmed up as I melted into his arms, my cheeks burning with excitement. I can't seem to smile wide enough.

I want to be hurt every minute, if it would bring us this close together.

“Look at the type of person you call your Alpha… he shares an intimate relationship with a girl that's supposed to be his daughter.”

I frowned. My shoulder tensed as I heard Elias’ loud remark. Murmurs filled the air again, and the volume kept increasing.

I felt Cassian's grip loosen. 

No… hell, no.

I wrapped my hands around his waist, holding him close.

“Don't listen to them… please,” I pleaded to him.

But he was mute. Motionless.

“Who knows what happens behind closed doors… has he been fucking both mother and child?”

No!!! Elias is crossing a line he shouldn't have neared.

Cassian had never shared a room with my mother. He only married her to take care of us, since I lost my father when I was so young.

He married her because of the relationship he shared with my father. He did that to save us from mockery and so no one will call me a fatherless child.

Cassian had never stared at me twice… not once with lust in his eyes.

Cassian's breath started to come out heavily. He is furious, I can feel his muscles shake.

Elias' words got to him.

He let go of me, pulled back, but I still had me and around his waist, he stared in my eyes as he unraveled my webbed fingers from behind him.

“Despicable…”

“Disgusting… yuck.”

“A father and a child? Unacceptable…”

“Reject her… Alpha Cassian… or…” 

An uproar started from the pack members and elders.

“Have you wanted her since she was a child? Have you lusted for her when she would innocently sit on your lap?” Elias asked again.

That was the last straw. “They'll never accept us… Never,” he groaned, his eyes still locked on mine.

I blinked at him as my chest started to heave faster. I shook my head, “They don't have to… it's not their choice to make.”

Cassian gritted his teeth as his face went blank, but I was quick enough to notice the pain in his eyes.

He shoved off my hand and I staggered two steps back. As he strides away from me. It felt like my heart was being plucked out of place.

The pang was bearable. I couldn't move, I couldn't speak… I could only watch us drift further apart.

Cassian reached Elias and stopped in front of him.

He balled his fist and punched Elias right on his face, the crushing sound of his nose and jaw made everyone fall quiet again.

“Ughhh,” Elias groaned as he held his nose and staggered back, the guards jolted into action.

They wanted to stop the fight, but Cassian was not up for it. He walked away flexing his fingers, as though he had delivered his message.

I stood there, rooted to my spot, even as everyone left one after the other.

I dropped to the ground, staring into space.

“Why are you doing this?” I heard a voice that made me turn.

I saw a pair of familiar shoes walk up to me. “Why are you hurting yourself this way, when you know that there's no future for you and Cassian.”

I grabbed the earth in my finger as I gritted my teeth.