LOGINCassian's shoulder is iron beneath me, and every step he takes sucks the breath from my lungs.The forest blurs by in flashes of silver bark and moonlight as my fists pound weakly against his back.âCassian! You lunatic! Put me down!â I keep yelling.He doesnât answer.Only the low rumble of his growl, the pounding rhythm of his stride, and his scent of tobacco and aged wine, mixed with something darker that makes my pulse stutter.By the time he reaches the road, headlights sweep across us. His jeep waits, engine humming.He opens the passenger door, still carrying me as if I weigh nothing, and slides me inside before taking the driverâs seat.âWhere are you taking me?â I ask, angrily shoving my hair out of my face, panting.His lips twitch.âYou said you wanted to have sex tonight. Iâm giving you that.ââI did, but not with you. I need to find Brandon,â I say, reaching to open the door, but a low, intimidating growl from him makes me freeze in my action.âOpen the damn door, and you
I spent twenty minutes in my closet searching for the one dress my mom bought me months ago.It's a red, mid-thigh jumpsuit with long sleeves and a low back covered with lace and tiny gemstones that glimmered like sin. Back then, Iâd tossed it aside, calling it too revealing.But tonight, I want to wear it.Tonight, I want to stop being the quiet, careful girl behind the glasses.I want to shed that skin and become someone bolderâsomeone who makes people stare.A huge part of me wants to see Cassianâs face when he does.Even my wolf, Silver, hums her approval.âThere you are,â I whisper, holding the dress against me. âPerfect.âI slip the dress on, matching it with shiny beige heels with jewelry. I style my hair, apply light makeup, and then a final stroke of bright red lipstick, and goddess, the girl in the mirror takes my breath away.I look different. Dangerous.I look like someone who could make any man drop to his knees.âŚ.When I step out, Brandonâs eyes darken instantly. He lea
âIâm sorry I couldnât come to see you, love,â he says smoothly, stepping closer. âI came, but your brother forbade me. He knows Iâm the one who leaked the fashion designs.âI let out a slow breath.âOh, that's, um, understandable.ââElla, you know I won't miss a chance to be close to you, not to mention you being sick. But you bringing that topic upâŚâ He pauses, his eyes scanning my face searchingly.âWhy are you distant? Are you pushing me away because you realize Iâm not your mate?â he asks softly.My stomach twists as I blink, caught off guard by the question.âNo,â I say quickly. âItâs not that. I justâŚâ I trail off, swallowing hard. I meet his gaze and ask him. âWhat if you meet your mate one day, Brandon? What will you do?âHe laughs, shaking his head, like Iâve said something funny.âIâll reject her for you.âInstant answer. Smooth. Practiced. Like heâs been waiting to say it.And he says it like love should sound like a promise, but it feels more like a threat.He cups my chee
Angela:~~~I walked into the bathroom and prepared a hot bath and went to stand in front of the mirror.Slowly, I strip naked, as I let my fingers glide over every inch of my body, tracing the swell of my breasts, the dip of my waist, and the curve of my hips, and my breath shudders out as my mind drifts, corrupted and wicked.I canât help imagining Brother behind me, his predatory gaze locking with mine through the mirror, his hands roaming my curves as though they already own me.âCassianâŚâ I moan softly, shivering when he pinches my nipples.âAngel⌠Why do you keep pushing me away? What do you want me to do with you before you accept you're mine?â His voice is hoarse, low, and laced with hunger as he teases my earlobes with his wet tongue.I gasp, throwing my head back against his firm chest, my fingers gripping firmly onto the edge of the sink as heat curls low in my stomach.âTell me, Angel,â he murmurs, rough and demanding.âBecause of⌠everything. Because youâre my big brother
âHow the hell are you pregnant?â I growl, voice low, guttural, and dangerous. Kai presses close, restless, just like every inch of me is demanding answers. Gently, turning toward me, she starts talking, soft and coaxing, the way she used to, when my heart still belonged to her. âHoney, please donât look so upset. You should know those contraceptive pills arenât a hundred percent safe.â She tries to sound lighthearted and teasing, but thereâs an undeniable nervous edge to her tone. And I wonder why, she has always been a confident woman. I donât speak. I just stare at her. âAwww, honey, why are you acting like this?â She presses in that infuriatingly calm tone that used to melt me, used to make me weak as she stepped closer. âMistakes happen. But youâre not considering our child as one, are you?â Her arms slip around me, pulling herself into my chest, and I freeze. It used to feel natural, her touch. Comforting, grounding. But now it feels⌠wrong. Heavy. It's like wearing someo
Cassian: ~~~ Iâm still burning when I step out of Angelaâs room. As disappointed as I am at her for kicking me out after responding to my kiss like she craved me to, I know I couldn't have stayed any longer, because I was on the verge of losing it; the need to just reach out and rip her clothes and claim whatâs mine was overwhelming, but somethingârestraint, respect, guilt, whatever the hell it isâholds me back. Now every breath feels thick, like smoke from a fire I started and canât put out. Her scent clings to meâwild rose, faint coffee, and that spark that only my mate could carry. My lips still tingle from the taste of her, my heart pounding from the echo of her silence. She still didnât say a word after I told her she was mine. Not one damn word. And that silence⌠It's fucking starting to haunt me. I take the stairs slowly, one heavy step at a time, forcing myself to breathe, to think, to anchor. But the second I reach the bottom, I'm hit by the smell of fresh flowers, th







