I hope you're all enjoying the chapters, just wanted to pop in and say... I've been obsessing over a book, and if you're all interested in second-chance romance, do check out The Alpha's Banished Luna by Lilly Rose. Give it a go, you might like it. And more romance is blossoming between Cassiel and Aurielle. Can't wait for you to see that.
Aurielle DuVall I had the best sleep of my entire life. My body feels rested in a way it never has before, like every muscle finally decided to unclench. I guess the cure to sadness is kissing an amazing man and then falling asleep in his arms. Maybe that is a little dramatic, but I cannot deny that being held by Cassiel all night was something close to perfect. His warmth surrounded me, steady and grounding, and the rhythm of his breathing lulled me into the deepest, dreamless sleep. I dread the thought of having to sleep separately after this. Once you taste something that good, the idea of going back feels unbearable.How did I stay in a loveless marriage? I've been given so much attention over the past few months that I can't understand how I went three years only getting scraps. Morning came quicker than I wanted. Cassiel was already awake, his voice calm as he told me we would be heading back to his pack today. The weight of responsibility tapped me on the shoulder immediatel
Cassiel Aldric It took a long moment before I dared to open my eyes. My wolf still thrashed inside me, hungry, demanding, clawing at the last threads of control I had left. The beast wanted more than a kiss. He wanted to claim her, to leave no doubt in her mind or her body that she belonged to us. My jaw clenched as I held myself back, fighting the primal tide with everything I had. My arm remained locked around her waist, firm and unyielding. Every muscle in me screamed to move it lower, to pull her even closer, to feel every inch of her pressed against me. But I forced myself still. Restraint was the only gift I could give her right now, and I respected her too much to let my desire trample over her readiness. Love burned in me, deep and untamed, and the bond that tied us together magnified it until it consumed every corner of me. The fated pull doubled every ounce of feeling until I could hardly breathe under the weight of it. Years of discipline, all the patience I had drill
Aurielle DuVall I tried to step back from Cassiel, but he did not move. His hands slid from my face down to my waist, holding me firmly, pulling me until there was no space left between us. My chest pressed against his, and the sudden closeness stole the air from my lungs. The sound that escaped me was half gasp, half broken breath. “Thalia,” Cassiel said without turning his head, his voice low and cutting. “Why are you here?” His eyes went from my eyes down to my mouth, and I watched as he swallowed with barely contained desire. It felt like he had been holding back, but now that I made the first move... his restraint was broken. Thalia blinked, startled by the coldness in his tone. “I came to check on Miss DuVall.” Cassiel’s grip on me never faltered. His eyes did not leave mine. “If you had done your job properly the first time, you would not need to check on her at all. Did I not give you instructions to escort those men back to our pack?” His words were sharp, clipped,
Aurielle DuVall I darted my eyes away from him before he could make a move. Not because I didn't want to kiss him.But because deep down I doubted he ever would. Cassiel was too much of a gentleman to kiss me while I was vulnerable. Though I don't think it would make him any less of a gentleman if he did decide to kiss me. The moment I slipped into the tub, the water embraced me in warmth. The bubbles rose in soft peaks around my shoulders, carrying the faint scent of lavender. Every ache in my muscles loosened and I felt myself sink deeper, letting the day’s stress dissolve into the ripples. Cassiel did not leave. He crouched beside the tub, close enough that his presence wrapped around me just as surely as the water did. His silence was heavy, yet not uncomfortable. He was watching me. I dragged the washcloth over my skin, following the rhythm of my own movements, but awareness of him pressed at me. When I dared to glance up, I found his eyes fixed on my face. His expression wa
Aurielle DuVall I shut my eyes the entire way back to the house, not because I wanted to sleep, I couldn’t, but because keeping them closed felt safer. I trusted myself in Cassiel’s hands. He wasn’t incompetent, not the kind of man to leave me to handle every detail alone. He was steady, reliable, and even in my haze, I knew he wouldn’t fail me. Still, rest never came. I was far too aware of every bump in the road, of the strange heaviness pulling at my limbs, of the bitter metallic taste coating my tongue and teeth. My body wanted to collapse, but my mind remained stubbornly awake, stuck in its own endless replay of everything that had gone wrong today. When Cassiel finally arrived at the house, it felt both too soon and not soon enough. He didn’t waste time, his voice cut firm but polite as he dismissed the mercenaries, telling them they could go with an edge in his voice that made it clear they were in trouble. They listened instantly. They always did. The guilt pricked sharp
Aurielle DuVallI’ve decided, I’m going to take the risky option. The dangerous one. The kind of option that could get me killed if I made one mistake. But I promised myself, before I even made my move, that I would not stand still and wait to be saved by these people. If I did nothing, he would win. If I fought, at least there was a chance.I forced my lungs to fill, forced the air into my body even though panic was threatening to strangle me. My wrists were burning from the pressure of his grip, and his other hand pressed cruelly over my mouth. His skin tasted of dirt, of sweat, of the kind of filth that never really washes away. His breath reeked as it hit my cheek.My senses were being haunted.Before I could talk myself out of it, I lifted my foot and slammed my heel down on his toes with every ounce of strength I had. There was a sharp crunching sound that turned my stomach, bone meeting bone in a way that was not natural. He shouted in pain, his roar so loud it startled the bi