MasukAngela:~~~The familiar scenery of home greets me the moment our car crosses the barrier, but it doesnât bring comfort; it feels heavier, almost suffocating, and something inside me tightens.Maybe itâs the shift in air, or the familiar pack magic brushing over my skin⊠Or maybe itâs the weight of what Cassian and I did, what we are now.My heart hasnât settled since we left the hotel. It beats too loudly, like it wants to explode out of me.Iâve barely spoken; I feel tight, like something invisible is following us home, waiting.âŠ.Minutes later, Cassian parks on our parentsâ lawn, and for a second, I canât move. I just stare out the window, fingers curled in my lap, trying to breathe through the dread clawing up my spine.He turns to me, his touch warm as he takes my hand.âTill I return, don't report to the company,â he says seriously. âWe still have no leads on who ran you over. Itâs too dangerous.âI nod, but the fear slips out before I can stop it.âCassian⊠Iâm scared. I feel
It was dark when we arrived at the pack. The quiet hum of the engine filled the silence between us as I parked on our parentsâ lawn.I turn to Angel, who's looking out the window with her hands clasped in her lap. She has been quiet since we crossed the barrier.Her silence eats at me. I can feel the storm in her heart: fear, guilt, and despair.I reach for her hand, my fingers curling around hers, squeezing gently.âTill I return, donât report to the company,â I say firmly. âWe still have no leads on who ran you over. Itâs too dangerous.âHer fingers tremble as they tighten around mine.âCassian, Iâm scared,â she whispers. âI feel something is coming. Please donât go.âMy chest tightens at the plea.The weight of her words pulls at the part of me that would gladly abandon every empire, every underworld throne, to stay by her side. But this is for our future peace.I cup her cheek, my thumb brushing along her jawline.âHey,â I murmur, trying to soothe her. Sheâs my weakness, the one p
Her face falls, and I can already see the storm forming in her eyes as she steps away from me. âReturn to the pack?â she repeats slowly, as if testing the words on her tongue. âWhyâŠ? Is it Melinda and the baby?â I donât answer immediately. I canât. My mind is still half in that basement, hearing Vinceâs voice. She looks at my face expectantly. âThis has nothing to do with Melinda,â I finally say, low but firm. She nods, turning away from me. I can't see her face, but I sense the rising tension through our bond, sharp, restless, and wounded. âOkay, I will ask Cynthia to get me something to change into.â Her voice is too calm. The kind of calm that comes before something breaks. I run a hand through my hair, forcing a calm composure. âAngelâŠâ I step closer, wrapping my arms around her waist and pulling her gently back against my chest. âItâs safer there.â âSafer? Cassian, whatâs going on?â She turns to face me, her brow knitted. Angel has always been intuitive. I can lie to t
Cassian: ~~~ (7 hours earlier) ~~~ I finish buttoning my shirt and slide my wristwatch on and step out. Angelâs still fast asleep, tangled in the sheets, hair scattered over the pillow like spilled ink. Peaceful. Beautiful. Mine. A part of me wants to crawl back into bed and hold her until she wakes up, pretending the world outside doesnât exist. But I canât. Not today. Not when everything Iâm about to do is for her, for our future. I sit beside her, brushing my fingers down her cheek before leaning in to press a lingering kiss on her lips. She stirs slightly, sighing softly. That sound alone could make me stay. I inhale her scent deeply, the only thing that keeps me sane. âThere is something urgent I need to take care of; be a good girl and wait for me.â I leave a note on the nightstand and stand there for a second longer, memorizing the sight of her sleeping. Then I turn and walk out. I step out just as Virus returns. His expression is grim, his usual smug grin replaced
Angela: ~~~ When I finally open my eyes, itâs to an empty bed, sunlight filtering through thick curtains, and the faint scent of tobacco and aged wine. For a moment, I just lie there, staring at the spot where his body should be, the same spot where heâd whispered things that made me forget my own name. My body aches deliciously, reminding me that last night wasnât a dream. Nope. Definitely not. My thighs would file a complaint if I tried to pretend otherwise. My body aches deliciously in all the right places. I bite my lip and bury my face in the pillow, smiling like an idiot. Cassian, my Alpha, my brother, my⊠mate, made love to me. But the smile fades when I realize the sheets beside me are cold, an indication he's left bed for a long time. I sit up, stretching lazily, the sheet slipping down as I glance around the room, only to realize... this isnât the same bedroom. The bedâs smaller, the color different, and his scent is fainter. This isnât Cassianâs master bedroom. He m
Cassian:~~~I can't stop. I know sheâs tired, but I just canât. Sheâs too addictive, too deep under my skin.Every breath she takes, every shiver of her body, and her moans and screams pull me closer and drag me further into the chaos that she is.She is a dangerous kind of peace I could never resist.âOh goddess. Cassian!âHer voice trembles, her back arches into me as her body shivers, caught between pleasure and need.My chest tightens. Iâm losing control again, and I hate that she makes me this weak.I pull out, driving deep inside her.âCassian!â she gasps, arching her back and meeting my thrusts.She's lying sideways as I penetrate her from behind.âAre you going to see that jerk again?â I inquire, thrusting forcefully.âNo!â She shakes her head hard.âI don't trust you.â I thrust again.âI⊠I swear Iâm not lying! Ahhh!â She cries out, her fingers racing to her clit, rubbing it quickly.âPlease, pleaseâŠâ She pleads for more, and I feel her walls clenching around me tightly; she







