LOGINConnor pushed me behind him. “Get out, Natalia. I won’t allow you to hurt Cassie.”“Hurt me?” The audacity… “I will rip your heart out, you bitch!” I lunged at her, but Connor had his arm around my waist. Anger swirled through my blood, but with it came a feeling of abject terror. Will he leave me for her? Was our bond really broken?Natalia laughed, so sure of herself. Regina appeared behind her. “That’s enough, Natalia!” she shoved her out of the way. “Cassandra, please let us explain. Come in. You’re drawing attention.”Sage glared at the bloodsucker through my eyes and growled. Doors opened in the hallway. I heard urgent whispers wondering if they should call security.Connor forced me into the room, his grip rough enough to leave marks on my arms.“Let me go, Connor! You’re hurting me.” I rubbed my bruised arms and gave him my most accusing stare. It didn’t even hurt that much, but he deserved to feel bad for what he put me through.He released me at once. “Sorry, I didn’t mean t
CassandraWhat the fuck! The entire night I worried about him while he was in there…Did he fuck her? Both of them? oh my God!The images kept flashing through my mind. Him, naked and erect. Regina and Natalia, clothes torn. My heart shattered.I ran, stumbling down the hall. Didn’t bother with the elevator. Took the stairs three at a time, nearly fell. Everything swam before my eyes.Connor shouted my name, but I kept on running until I burst through the fire exit. Outside, the cold air slapped me in the face. I took in deep gasps of the frigid air, holding onto the walls for support. How could he do this to us?“Cassie! There you are,” Ray caught up with me. “Take me home.” Anywhere would do. I thought about Neil. It was just a passing thought.Ray’s hands were on my shoulders, grounding me. “I’m sure there’s a reasonable…”“Don’t you dare cover for him!” I shoved Ray’s hands away. “I have nothing to say to him!” Ray’s face swam before me, and I blinked hard, refusing to cry.Ray’
ConnorThe screams, the intoxicating taste of their blood… I was drunk on all of it. I ripped through them like they were nothing but meat sacks. Felt no remorse, no human emotion except hunger. Insatiable, overpowering hunger.But now, sitting in the dark in the hotel room, sated but full of self-loathing, avoiding the man in the mirror. What would Cassie think of me now? I killed, no, I destroyed those men. I could argue that they were evil men, preying on the weak. But did that make me any better?My hands shook as I reached for my phone. I should call Cassie. Tell her where I am. I almost did. Changed my mind and placed the phone face down on the nightstand. She wouldn’t understand. She’d try to fix me. I don’t know if I could be fixed. Maybe Regina had the answer. What did I have to lose?***I spent a restless night on a bed that held faint scents of earlier occupants. Nightmares made me get up before dawn crept in at the window. Cassie would still be asleep. I pictured her lyin
CassandraNeil. I had almost completely forgotten about him. That one stupid kiss was all it took to make me doubt everything. Well, not exactly everything. I loved Connor. Simple. Wasn’t it? But Neil had been there when I needed Connor. And where was my mate now? Trying his best to avoid me.Neil answered on the second ring.“Mel?” his deep voice droned in my ear, and it shouldn’t sound so good.‘You shouldn’t talk to him!’ Sage bared her teeth at me. I ignored her. It’s not like I’m cheating on Connor.I took a deep breath before I answered. “No, it’s me. Cassie.” Why was my heart beating so fast suddenly?Stunned silence on the other end for a few tense heartbeats.“Hey,” he said at last. “I’ve been trying to get a hold of you.” His breath hitched over the phone. “Did you… did you block my number?” he asked, and the slight hurt in his voice made me feel guilty despite myself.Sage grumbled disapprovingly, ‘It was the right thing to do. He’s not our mate.’I felt Mel’s eyes boring i
ConnorThe city seemed louder, busier, and the smells overwhelming. I went to my office where there was less noise, less temptation.Shelly Rohas was back from maternity leave and back in her post as manager. She was one of my most capable employees and pack members. I was relieved to have her back. My business was running smoothly in her capable hands. We spent some time going over financials and orders before I left to inspect a few sites.Once again, my pack members didn’t disappoint me. They took pride in their work, and it showed. I would like to think my father would have been proud of how committed they were.After the explosion that nearly cost us everything, including injuring my father almost fatally, I had wanted to close the renovation business and venture into another field. But my pack helped rebuild Wolffe Renovations, and it would have been unfair to take it away from them. Satisfied that there were no problems to deal with, I could concentrate on my current dilemma.I
CassandraIt felt like the worst hangover. Throbbing head, dry mouth, nausea. I couldn’t lift my head off the pillow. But it was worth a try. He said something stopped him from draining me. I bet my life it was Miles. If only Connor would just give it another go. Miles was in there, hiding or recovering.‘That was dangerous, what you did, Cassie,’ Sage sounded pissed off. ‘Connor is right. You should be more careful. Don’t you care about our pup?’“Don’t fucking preach to me right now, Sage. I feel like shit.” My head throbbed, and Connor’s teeth left marks on my shoulder that still burned. “I know you’re worried, but I can’t deal with this right now.”‘Yeah, we both do. I should have stopped you.’“I needed him, Sage.” Tears pricked my eyes. I cry so easily these days. Of course I wouldn’t want to hurt my child, and I felt some guilt. But this was Connor, the man I loved more than life. “And he needs us.”Sage retreated to the dark places in my mind and shut me out, but she couldn’t
Agnes knocked on the bedroom door after Connor left.“I assume you’re no longer mad at Connor?” she said, leaning against the wall. “He was smiling when he left.”I lay on the bed, hugging the pillow against my chest. It was a poor substitute for him, but it would have to do. His cologne still ling
CassandraUnbelievable! The hypocrite. I leaned against the door I had slammed shut a second ago, fuming with anger. So I couldn’t look at guys, but he could cuddle a girl right there in the street for anyone to see?Agnes rushed downstairs to see what the noise was all about. “Cassie? What happene
AGNESJoel and I walked to his house in uncomfortable silence. Passersby glanced at us with open curiosity. A human woman at Wolf Creek, unbelievable! I could almost hear their thoughts.It’s not that I expected Joel to welcome me back with open arms, but this—this coldness—it really stung. He had
CASSANDRAWith the alpha guy yakking to Agnes and Joel, I browsed the books to keep myself busy. I saw some of my favorite authors there, much to my pleasant surprise. Seems like we had something in common. I loved reading. Yeah, I was a nerd. But no one had to know, right? A werewolf nerd. I could







