Chapter 20 Bloom

Fiona.

The promise I'd made to myself echoed through my mind every time I crossed paths with Cassian in the school hallways. He has a girlfriend.

I had stepped into a world I barely understood, and I'd spent my entire life respecting other people's boundaries.

That meant I had to respect this one too. I had to. But every time his scent reached me... Or those blue eyes locked onto mine...

The instinct inside me begged me to shatter every ounce of common sense I had. One afternoon after school, I was playing with the pack's youngest pups in the yard when I spotted Cassian walking toward us.

The gray T-shirt he wore stretched across his broad shoulders, and the quiet authority surrounding him seemed to make the air itself heavier. As soon as he reached us, one of the little girls ran over and wrapped herself around his leg.

His usual cold expression melted away in an instant. He crouched, gently ruffled her hair, then lifted his eyes to me. The intensity in his gaze stole my breath. It wasn't just Cassian looking at me.

Axel was watching too.

"Bloom."

His voice was lower than usual.

"Come with me."

"We're doing something different today."

Curiosity—and an excitement I refused to acknowledge—pushed me to my feet. After saying goodbye to the children, I followed him behind the pack house toward a wide clearing shaded by towering pine trees. I'd seen the younger wolves training here before.

Today...

We were alone.

"Ivy told me about the training all of you go through after your first shift," I said, trying to break the silence between us.

"So why bring me here?"

I smiled awkwardly.

"I can't even transform, remember?"

Cassian stopped walking. Then he turned to face me. One long stride erased the distance between us. His familiar scent surrounded me instantly, making it far harder to think clearly than I'd like to admit.

"Ivy was talking about full wolves."

His eyes never left mine.

"That doesn't mean you're defenseless."

His voice was calm.

"You can't fully shift."

"But I can see your strength."

"So can you."

"You've already tested your senses while you're in human form."

"You told me yourself they're comparable to ours."

"And your father trained you to fight."

He folded his arms.

"Now it's time to learn how to control the wild instincts living inside you."

"What do you mean?"

His closeness made me instinctively take a step backward.

"You're going to train me?"

A small smile tugged at his lips.

"I'm going to teach you how to awaken the power that's already inside you."

Then he nodded once.

"Close your eyes."

I hesitated.

But eventually I drew a slow breath and obeyed.

"Just listen."

His voice became quieter.

"Focus on the sounds."

"The scents."

"Let the noise inside your head disappear."

I felt him move behind me.

His breath brushed the back of my neck, sending a shiver racing down my spine.

"Stop fighting your instincts."

"Let your fox out."

"What do you hear?"

I inhaled slowly. The scent of blueberries and juniper filled my lungs. Strangely... The chaos in my mind faded.

"I hear the wind," I whispered.

"The leaves rubbing together..."

I concentrated harder.

"And..."

I smiled faintly.

"Your heartbeat."

"It's beating really fast."

"Good."

There was unmistakable satisfaction in his voice. A second later, I felt him step away.

"Now turn around."

"Attack me."

"Trust your instincts."

My eyes flew open. I spun toward him and lunged without hesitation. Cassian slipped effortlessly to the side. No human should have been able to move that fast. I lost my balance. Before I could stumble forward, his hand caught my wrist. One sharp pull sent me crashing against his chest.

My breath caught. His other hand found my waist instantly, steadying me.

"Too slow, Little Fox."

His voice dropped to a rough whisper. I looked up. His icy blue eyes had turned completely black. Axel. He'd stepped forward.

"Forget the techniques today."

"Fight with your instincts."

The moment he released me, frustration surged through me. This time I moved without thinking. I dropped low, sweeping my leg toward his. He avoided it. I pivoted instantly and drove my fist into his chest. This time...

I connected. The impact forced him back half a step. Instead of annoyance...

A dangerous smile spread across his face. He came at me immediately. Not to overpower me. To push me. To force me beyond my limits. For several minutes, we moved across the clearing like dancers.

Attack.

Counter.

Dodge.

Strike.

Each movement flowed into the next. Eventually, I stumbled backward. Before I could recover, Cassian caught me around the waist. We fell together onto the soft grass. He landed above me.

Both of us were breathing hard. His chest rose and fell against mine. He pinned my wrists gently above my head. His weight hovered over me, careful not to crush me. The space between us vanished.

Every place his skin touched mine sparked with electricity. For the first time in my life... Being trapped beneath a man this powerful didn't make me afraid. It made me feel... Safe.

Dangerously safe. His lips hovered only inches from mine. Every point where our bodies touched seemed to wake something inside me.

Then—

Like lightning—

A single name flashed through my mind.

Fiona.

Guilt hit me so suddenly it stole my breath. What am I doing? What happened to the promise I made myself? I tried to look away. I shifted beneath him, trying to free myself. But Cassian's eyes had already fallen to my lips. I watched his jaw tighten. He was fighting something inside himself.

Deep in his throat...

A possessive growl rumbled.

"If you keep moving..."

His voice was rough.

"...I'm not taking responsibility for what Axel does once I lose control."

I froze.

"You..."

His breathing grew uneven.

"...you're so much stronger than you realize, Bloom."

His eyes searched mine.

"And while I'm figuring out how to protect you from this world..."

A faint, conflicted smile crossed his face.

"...I have no idea how I'm supposed to protect myself from you."

"Cassian..."

My voice barely existed.

"Let me go..."

The helplessness I heard wasn't because I feared him. It was because I was angry at myself. Slowly... He lifted the back of his fingers and brushed them against my cheek. The gentle touch sent warmth rushing through my entire body.

"Ahem."

The deep, commanding voice shattered the moment between us like glass. Cassian released me immediately and was on his feet in a heartbeat. He offered me his hand and helped me up. As I brushed the grass from my clothes and turned around, I found Alpha Ronan standing a short distance away.

His arms were folded across his chest. His expression was serious... But calm. He approached us with slow, measured steps.

"If your training is finished," he said, "we have something important to discuss."

His eyes settled on me.

"Our patrol just returned."

"They found four rogues near the border."

His expression darkened.

"Far too close to your cabin."

"We dealt with them."

"But this proves the threat is growing faster than we expected."

My shoulder throbbed with phantom pain. Four rogues. If the pack hadn't been here... If they'd reached my cabin while I was alone... I didn't want to imagine how that story would have ended. Alpha Ronan stepped closer, his voice gentler now.

"You've become part of this pack, Bloom."

"The children adore you."

"The women have welcomed you."

"You're learning to protect yourself."

"But leaving you alone in that cabin..."

He shook his head.

"...has become too great a risk."

"I want you to reconsider moving into the pack house."

"It's the safest choice."

"For you."

"And for all of us."

I hesitated. My thoughts drifted toward the quiet little cabin I'd shared with Ivy. Toward the independence I'd clung to my entire life. The idea of living at the center of a community still frightened me. I searched for a reason to refuse.

Then I looked at Cassian. The concern in his eyes... The desperate determination... The hope he couldn't hide... Broke down the last stubborn wall inside me. They were right. I couldn't keep fighting this alone.

I drew a slow breath. Then I met Alpha Ronan's gaze. "All right."

My voice was steady. "I accept."

"I'll move in this weekend."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Cassian's shoulders relax with a quiet breath of relief. The turning point had arrived. This weekend...

I would move into the pack house. And somehow... I already knew that once I crossed that threshold for good... There would be no separating my life from the world of wolves ever again.