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.āCassian! You lunatic! Put me down!ā I keep yelling.He doesnāt 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 driverās seat.āWhere are you taking me?ā I ask, angrily shoving my hair out of my face, panting.His lips twitch.āYou said you wanted to have sex tonight. Iām giving you that.āāI did, but not with you. I need to find Brandon,ā I say, reaching to open the door, but a low, intimidating growl from him makes me freeze in my action.āOpen 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, Iād 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 bolderāsomeone who makes people stare.A huge part of me wants to see Cassianās face when he does.Even my wolf, Silver, hums her approval.āThere you are,ā I whisper, holding the dress against me. āPerfect.āI 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.ā¦.When I step out, Brandonās eyes darken instantly. He lea
āIām sorry I couldnāt come to see you, love,ā he says smoothly, stepping closer. āI came, but your brother forbade me. He knows Iām the one who leaked the fashion designs.āI let out a slow breath.āOh, that's, um, understandable.āāElla, you know I won't miss a chance to be close to you, not to mention you being sick. But you bringing that topic upā¦ā He pauses, his eyes scanning my face searchingly.āWhy are you distant? Are you pushing me away because you realize Iām not your mate?ā he asks softly.My stomach twists as I blink, caught off guard by the question.āNo,ā I say quickly. āItās not that. I justā¦ā I trail off, swallowing hard. I meet his gaze and ask him. āWhat if you meet your mate one day, Brandon? What will you do?āHe laughs, shaking his head, like Iāve said something funny.āIāll reject her for you.āInstant answer. Smooth. Practiced. Like heās 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 canāt 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.āCassianā¦ā I moan softly, shivering when he pinches my nipples.āAngel⦠Why do you keep pushing me away? What do you want me to do with you before you accept you're mine?ā 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.āTell me, Angel,ā he murmurs, rough and demanding.āBecause of⦠everything. Because youāre my big brother
āHow the hell are you pregnant?ā 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. āHoney, please donāt look so upset. You should know those contraceptive pills arenāt a hundred percent safe.ā She tries to sound lighthearted and teasing, but thereās an undeniable nervous edge to her tone. And I wonder why, she has always been a confident woman. I donāt speak. I just stare at her. āAwww, honey, why are you acting like this?ā She presses in that infuriatingly calm tone that used to melt me, used to make me weak as she stepped closer. āMistakes happen. But youāre not considering our child as one, are you?ā 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: ~~~ Iām still burning when I step out of Angelaās 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 whatās mine was overwhelming, but somethingārestraint, respect, guilt, whatever the hell it isāholds me back. Now every breath feels thick, like smoke from a fire I started and canāt put out. Her scent clings to meāwild 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 didnāt 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







