CHAPTER 2:COLD BLOOD ON THE HIGHWAY

"Sienna!" Jaxon choked out, dragging himself out of the ruined fountain, coughing up blood and dirty water. "Sienna, what are you doing? You can't just leave with him! You belong to this pack! You owe us your loyalty!"

I didn't turn around. I leaned into Cassian’s side, letting his scent of rain and old power ground me.

"Belong to this pack?" Cassian called back, his voice slicing through the silent yard. "You locked her in an attic and never noticed her until now. You lost the right to speak her name the second she severed that bond."

"Your Majesty, please!" Felicity sobbed from the dirt, her white dress ruined. "She tricked you! Sienna is a liar! She's a spy who sold secrets to wild wolves!"

Cassian’s silver eyes flicked toward her for half a second. The pressure in the air spiked so hard that Felicity slammed her forehead into the ground, choking back her cries.

"Let's leave, Cassian," I said quietly, placing my hand over his chest. "This place smells of trash."

A dark smile touched his lips. "As you wish, little bird."

He held the car door open for me, placing a protective hand over my head as I climbed inside. The door shut with a heavy thud, instantly sealing out the cold wind and Jaxon's frantic shouts. 

As we pulled away, I watched the gates of my old life shrink through the dark tinted glass.

Inside, my knees began to tremble. Breaking the bond was taking its toll, a deep, hollow ache spreading through my chest.

"Drink this," Cassian said gently, handing me a crystal glass filled with a deep amber liquid.

"Is it poison?" I asked, a dry spark of humor in my voice.

Cassian let out a low laugh. "If I wanted you dead, Sienna, I wouldn't have spent five years watching over you. It's sweet liquor mixed with moon root. It will soothe the tear in your soul."

I took the glass, our fingers brushing. A wave of heat shot up my arm. I downed the drink, feeling instant warmth spread through my blood, killing the sharp ache in my chest.

"You said that earlier," I said, turning to face his sharp jawline. "You said you waited five years for me. What does that mean, Cassian? How do you know me?"

"Five years ago, the night your father died, the royal seers felt a massive shift in the territorial energy," Cassian explained, leaning back against the leather seat. "I came to the Silver Moon lands in secret to see the girl they spoke of."

"You saw me?"

"I saw a broken girl crying in the mud over a fresh grave," Cassian murmured, his hand reaching out to softly trace my cheekbone. "I saw a girl whose soul was tethered to an idiot who didn't deserve her air. I wanted to rip Jaxon's head off that night and carry you away."

"Why didn't you?"

"Because the laws of the Goddess are absolute," he replied softly. "A bond cannot be broken by force without shattering the female's mind. You had to choose to break it yourself. You had to see him for what he was and cut the cord with your own hands." He leaned down, his warm breath hovering near my ear. "I waited five long years for you to wake up, Sienna. And today, you finally did."

I closed my eyes, absorbing his words. He didn't know about my past life. He didn't know I had already died once.

The front dash radio cracked to life, shattering the moment.

"Your Majesty," the driver reported calmly. "Three Silver Moon vehicles are pursuing us at high speed. Alpha Jaxon is leading them. They're attempting to cut us off before the mountain pass."

I looked at Cassian. "He's desperate. He knows losing his true mate to the Lycan King makes him look weak."

Cassian caught my hand, his fingers lacing through mine. His eyes glowed a faint, dangerous crimson. "Shall I turn them to ash, or would you like to handle this, little bird?"

A cold smile spread across my face. "Let them catch up. I want him to see who I stand with."

Our lead vehicle pulled to a smooth stop in the middle of the snowy highway, flanked by four armored SUVs. Behind us, tires screeched as Jaxon's three pack cars skidded to a halt and eighteen Silver Moon warriors spilled out, brandishing silver-tipped spears.

Jaxon marched to the front, his jacket soaked, his face twisted in rage.

"Sienna!" Jaxon bellowed over the howling wind. "Get out of that car right now! You belong to Silver Moon! You don't have the right to run off with a foreign King!"

The door clicked open. Cassian stepped out into the night, extending a hand to guide me down onto the snow.

Jaxon’s eyes flared with fury. "Sienna... how dare you take his hand?! My father fed you! You owe everything to our pack!"

"I owe you nothing, Jaxon," I called out, my voice slicing through the storm. "Your father tricked mine into signing over his land rights on his deathbed. Your mother made me sleep in an unheated attic. And you discarded me for a liar."

"I was going to give you a place in the pack!" Jaxon yelled, stepping forward as dark fur began to sprout along his jawline. "You're my mate! The Goddess gave you to me!"

"And I rejected you back," I countered smoothly. "Look at you, Jaxon. You're barking at a King like a lost dog."

"Get her!" Jaxon snapped, completely losing control. "Disable the King's guards if you must, but bring Sienna back!"

The eighteen warriors charged across the ice, spears raised.

Cassian didn't even draw a blade. He simply snapped his fingers.

Eight Lycan guards stepped out from the side SUVs. They didn't shout. They didn't posture. In a split second, their form shifted, muscles swelling, eyes glowing like silver lamps.

The fight lasted less than thirty seconds. Silver Moon spears snapped like dry twigs against Lycan armor. Scared screams and the crunch of breaking bones filled the night air as Jaxon's top fighters were tossed into the snowbanks like ragdolls.

Jaxon stood completely alone in the middle of the road, trembling as his entire strike team lay groaning in the mud.

Cassian strolled forward, grabbing Jaxon by the front of his torn shirt and lifting him off the ground with a single hand.

"Listen to me carefully, little Alpha," Cassian whispered, his voice vibrating with absolute terror. "If I see your face near her again, I won't just break your guards. I will erase your pack from the map. Understood?"

He dropped Jaxon hard onto the icy tarmac.

I walked up, standing over Jaxon as he curled into a ball, clutching his ribs. "Goodbye, Ja

xon," I said softly. "Enjoy your new Luna. I hope she is worth losing everything for."