Chapter 1: The Sweetest Poison

​Seraphina

​Cassian’s breath burned hot against my throat, his lips trailing a path of fire up to the sensitive curve of my ear. His fingers, rough and calloused from training, tangled in my dark hair, drawing my head back gently to deepen the kiss.

​I leaned into him for a heartbeat, tasting the rich amber whiskey on his tongue, but a cold prickle of hesitation made me press my hands flat against his broad chest.

​“Cassian, wait…” My voice was barely a whisper, breathless and trembling. “Shouldn’t we… shouldn't we wait? If we do this now, in secret, it changes everything.”

​I didn't say what was truly clawing at my chest: Why are we hiding?

​This wasn't how I had dreamed my first time would be. I wanted the grand altar under the full moon. I wanted the pack’s howling approval, the binding mark stamped visibly on my collarbone for everyone to see that I belonged to him, and he belonged to me. I wanted my innocence to be a sacred gift given to my mate, Cassian, on the night he introduced me to the world as his future Beta’s female.

​Instead, we were hidden away in his private quarters, the heavy velvet drapes shut tight against the moonlight.

​“I’ve waited long enough, Sera,” Cassian murmured, his dark eyes gleaming with an intense, possessive heat as he gripped my waist and pulled me flush against his hard body. “I love you. You know I do. Looking at you in this silk dress is absolute torture… but you’d look so much better without it.”

​My cheeks flushed crimson, the heat spreading straight down to my chest. He pressed a tender, lingering kiss to my forehead, brushing away a stray strand of hair.

​“I just want to know we’re real,” I whispered, staring up into his deep blue eyes. I hated how needy I sounded, but I couldn't shake the phantom pain of my past.

​Growing up in the Frostfang Pack as an orphan with a fractured wolf, I was the resident ghost. The weak, pitiful girl everyone stepped over. I was humiliated daily, forced to sweep the grand hall, and mocked for being a mate-less nobody. My life had been an endless cycle of shame and silence—until six months ago, when the Moon Goddess granted me the ultimate miracle.

​Cassian. The most sought-after warrior in the territory, and the next in line to inherit the Beta title.

​When he first pulled me into the shadows and confessed he felt the mate-bond pulling us together, every scar from my childhood seemed to heal overnight. The years of suffering felt like a small price to pay because Cassian was so impossibly gentle with me. He gave me hope. He gave me a future.

​“I know what’s bothering you,” Cassian said softly, tracing my lower lip with the pad of his thumb. “You’re worried because I haven’t announced our bond to the Pack Council yet.”

​I swallowed hard and gave a timid nod. He understood. My heart swelled with relief.

​“I’m waiting for the right moment, Sera,” he coaxed, his voice smooth as velvet, wrapping around my doubts and choking them out. “In two weeks, at the Solstice Ceremony, I will officially be named Beta. Right there, on the high platform in front of the entire realm, I will pull you up beside me and claim you as mine. Imagine their faces. Imagine the shock when the girl they called weak is revealed to be the Beta's chosen mate.”

​A small, genuine smile broke across my face. I imagined the gasp of the elders, the bitter looks of the high-ranking females who used to shove me into the mud.

​“You really mean it?” I asked, searching his face.

​“Every word,” he breathed, stepping closer. “So let this be our private vow tonight. Just you and me.”

​His words wiped away my lingering defenses. When he leaned down and pulled me into an intense, bruising kiss, I stopped fighting. I surrendered to the wave of heat rushing through my veins, letting him lift me into the bed and drown every fear I had ever carried.

​By the time I stirred, the grandfather clock in the corner was soft-ticking past two in the morning. Cassian was sitting on the edge of the bed, pulling his leather boots on.

​“You’re leaving?” I murmured, sitting up and clutching the bedsheets tightly around my bare shoulders.

​“Just running down to the guard barracks for a quick round of drinks with the boys,” Cassian said, turning to throw me a charming, crooked smile. “A little pre-celebration for the ceremony. I won't be long.”

​He leaned over, kissed my lips softly, and added, “Stay here and rest. You’ve earned it.”

​My heart did a happy flutter. Once he stepped out and the door clicked shut, a burst of nervous energy swept through me. I didn't want to just lay here. I wanted to care for him. I wrapped myself in my simple linen dress, tied the sash tight, and hurried down into his private kitchenette.

​I whipped up a batch of spiced meat pies—his absolute favorite—mixing the dough, tossing in fresh herbs, and baking them until the golden crust filled the room with a rich aroma.

​Twenty minutes later, I set a hot plate on the table just as the side door opened and Cassian walked back in, looking surprised.

​“You cooked?” he chuckled, leaning over to inhale the scent. He grabbed one right off the tray, taking a massive bite and making a sound of pure satisfaction. “Gods, Sera, you’re trying to spoil me.”

​“You deserve it,” I said softly, feeling a warm glow in my chest.

​“You’re going to make a terrifyingly good wife,” he teased, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he grabbed his cloak from the chair. “The guys are calling for me from the lower hall. I really have to head down now, but I’ll be back before dawn.”

​“Don’t stay up too late,” I called after him with a soft laugh.

​As the heavy wooden door shut, I leaned back against the counter, breathing in the quiet space. For the first time in my life, I felt safe. I felt valued. All those years of being the pack's pitiful punching bag were finally over.

​I smiled to myself, walking over to clean up the table—and then my eyes caught a sleek, silver mirror-glass object lying near the bread basket.

​His communication stone. He’d dropped it from his pocket.

​“Oh, Cassian,” I shook my head affectionately. Knowing he’d need it to check guard rotations, I grabbed the stone, tucked it into my apron pocket, and stepped out into the chilly night air to catch up to him.

​He hadn't gone far. I followed his scent trail toward the grand outer balcony near the training grounds. I walked with my head held a little higher, my step lighter, imagining the day I wouldn't have to walk five paces behind him in public.

​As I approached the arched doorway leading out to the terrace, I heard the raucous laughter of men. Cassian was there, surrounded by four of his high-ranking warrior friends. I paused just behind the heavy stone pillar, preparing to step out and hand him the stone, when one of the warriors—Gideon—shoved Cassian playfully.

​“So, Beta Cassian,” Gideon drawled with a loud grin. “The ceremony is in two weeks and you’re taking the supreme oath. When are you going to introduce us to your actual female? Who’s the lucky high-blood you've been hiding?”

​My heart leaped into my throat. He's going to tell them, I thought, my chest hammering with sweet anticipation. This is it.

​“Yeah, come on, man,” another guard chimed in, leaning against the stone railing. “Don’t tell me it’s that orphan girl, Seraphina? She’s been trailing behind you like a lost puppy for months.”

​I held my breath, a bright, triumphant smile spreading across my face as I waited for Cassian to shut them down and claim me proudly.

​Cassian threw his head back and burst into a harsh, ringing laugh.

​“Seraphina?” Cassian’s voice cut through the cold air like a silver blade, coated in pure amusement. “Are you out of your mind? I’d never tie myself to a pathetic, fragile piece of trash like her. She doesn't even have a functioning wolf.”

​The smile froze on my face. The blood in my veins turned to liquid ice.

​“Then why keep her around?” Gideon laughed.

​“She’s a convenient warm body,” Cassian sneered, taking a deep swig from his flask. “The girl is so desperate for affection that all I have to do is say a few sweet words and she falls right into my bed, cooking my meals and begging for more. She’s just a helpless fling to pass the time.”

​The warriors erupted into roaring laughter, clapping Cassian on the back.

​“I haven’t found my true mate yet,” Cassian added, his voice dripping with arrogance. “But when I do, it’ll be a high-ranking female from a royal bloodline who actually brings power to my title. Not a pitiful, broken stray.”

​I stumbled backward, the world spinning violently around me. My knees buckled, and I slammed my hands over my mouth to choke back the agonizing scream tearing its way up my throat.

​The communication stone slipped from my numb fingers, clattering loudly against the stone floor.

​Inside the archway, the laughter instantly died.

​“Who’s there?!” Cassian’s sharp, commanding voice barked from the balcony, followed by the heavy, ominous crunch of his footsteps rushing toward the pillar.