Chapter 56 Cassian

The heavy thud of the front door echoed through the mold-scented walls of the old house before fading into silence. As the lock clicked into place, it felt like we'd severed our last connection to the outside world right there on the threshold.

The performance. The school. Ending things with Fiona in front of everyone. The spectacle we'd put on for the entire pack. The weight of it all settled onto my shoulders at once.

But I didn't have the luxury of thinking about any of that. Standing in front of me, her back pressed against the door beneath the dim light of the hallway, was a little fox whose chest was rising and falling just a little too quickly.

This wasn't the same woman who had wrapped her arms around me in front of the pack only minutes ago. The same woman who had smiled so sweetly and said, "I was wondering how much longer you planned to make me wait."

That mask disappeared the second we stepped inside. The green fire blazing in her eyes melted the cold air filling the hallway. The tempting flush still lingering across her cheeks only made Axel's possessive instincts burn hotter.

"You..." Her voice cracked through the silence like a whip. "What the hell was that, Cassian?"

She took one furious step toward me. "What was that speech in front of the entire pack?"

She threw her hands into the air. "What do you mean wolves are wild and impatient at the beginning of a relationship?"

"And what was that about needing privacy?"

Her eyes narrowed.

"Did you really have to be that specific?"

I started walking toward her. Slowly. Calmly. Every step I took made the pressure between us heavier. The closer I got, the tighter the bond stretched. It ached...

As if reminding both of us of the moments our skin had touched in her bedroom. Every time she instinctively tried to retreat... The bond only pulled us together harder.

"I was playing my role, little fox."

I made no effort to hide the smug grin tugging at my lips. "We have to be convincing."

"You didn't forget that already, did you? The entire pack had to believe we're completely crazy about each other."

I stopped only inches away. "Think about it."

"The future Alpha suddenly moves out of the pack house and into an old property in the middle of nowhere."

I shrugged. "There was only one believable explanation. My desire for you was too overwhelming to ignore. If I'd acted like this was some casual decision, no one would've believed we'd leave the pack that quickly."

"This isn't desire." She jabbed a finger into my chest. "It's pure shamelessness!"

Another angry step. "You made it sound like I couldn't wait to get into your bed."

"Everyone was laughing at us."

"No."

I closed the remaining distance between us. "They weren't laughing at you."

I leaned down slightly. The fresh scent of vanilla and caramel wrapped itself around me. Axel lost what little self-control he still had.

"Pin her against the wall. Claim her. We're alone now."

I ignored him. Mostly.

"They saw you under my protection. My territory. My responsibility."

"And believe me..." I held her gaze.

"After that announcement, not a single male in this pack will even consider crossing onto this property or looking at you the wrong way. There wasn't a better excuse."

Her eyes narrowed. But she refused to give up even an inch of ground. "So what now?" She folded her arms.

"Do we keep acting inside this house too?" Her voice dripped with sarcasm. "Or is the show finally over?"

"We don't have to pretend in here." For one brief moment, my eyes drifted to her lips. "There's no audience. Only the truth. And sooner or later..."

I met her eyes again. "You're going to have to face it."

Before she could answer, I turned away and walked deeper into the house. Just as Ronan had warned us, the place was old. It smelled of dust... Neglect... And years of loneliness.

When we climbed the wooden staircase and reached the second floor, we ran headfirst into the one part of the plan neither of us could avoid. Out of the entire house... Only one bedroom was actually usable. The furniture was intact. The bed was sturdy.

Every other room was either falling apart or so structurally unstable that sleeping there would be a security risk. Bloom stopped cold in the doorway. Her eyes landed on the massive dark wooden bed in the center of the room.

She looked at me like I'd completely lost my mind.

"You've got to be kidding."

Her voice was flat with disbelief.

"Tell me we're not sharing a room, Cassian."

She gestured toward the hallway.

"There are plenty of other rooms."

"This isn't about comfort."

I slipped my jacket off and tossed it over the back of a chair.

"It's about security."

Even while I sounded completely relaxed, Axel remained on high alert.

"This house sits just outside pack territory."

"The enemy could attack at any time."

"They're waiting for us like starving wolves."

"I can't leave you alone in another room."

"Did you forget?"

"They're not coming just to kill you anymore."

"They're coming to erase you."

"I can take care of myself."

She crossed her arms tighter.

"I'll sleep on the floor in one of the other rooms before I share a bed with you."

She glared at me.

"You're taking this fake relationship way too far."

I turned toward her. Fast. My footsteps echoed sharply across the wooden floor. Instinctively, she stepped backward.

Only to stop when her back hit the doorframe. I closed the remaining distance until she was trapped between me and the wall. Her breath brushed against my chest. I planted both hands against the wood on either side of her head, surrounding her completely with my shadow.

"Listen to me, little fox." My voice dropped lower. Every word carried the quiet authority of my wolf.

"If someone's watching us and I'm convinced someone is..."

"They need to believe we're actually living together. Sharing the same room. The same bed. If lights come on in different bedrooms..."

"If they notice even one inconsistency..."

"The entire plan falls apart. We have to convince them completely."

My eyes softened just enough. "And if we're attacked..."

"I need you within arm's reach. I won't waste a single second looking for you."

The closeness finally caught up with her. Our chests were barely inches apart. Her eyes shimmered with equal parts anger and uncertainty. Through the bond, I felt every frantic vibration racing through her mind.

Her wounded pride pushed back against the possessive instincts radiating from Axel.

She swallowed hard. Still refusing to surrender. "The opposite side of the bed."

Her voice was barely above a whisper. "That's it, Cassian." Her eyes never left mine. "If you cross that line..."

A faint smile touched her lips. "I'll show you exactly how dangerous hybrids can be."

"Deal."

I slowly stepped back, easing the pressure surrounding her.

"I won't cross your boundaries."

***

Near midnight...

The only sound left inside the house was the soft crackling of the fireplace. Bloom lay on the far left side of the bed with her back facing me. She'd positioned herself exactly at the edge of the mattress. As though an invisible wall stretched between us.

But that wall meant absolutely nothing. Sleep refused to come. When Bloom slept...

She radiated the purest, most defenseless energy I'd ever felt. I couldn't stop watching her. Her peaceful breathing. The way a loose strand of black hair rested against her cheek. The complete trust hidden inside unconsciousness.

Every second made the beast inside me stronger. Axel had completely lost his mind.

He wanted me to cross the bed... Pull her into my arms... Hold her against my chest... Hide her from the entire world. That savage need to protect her... To claim her...

Set every drop of blood in my body on fire. We were hiding behind the lie of a fake relationship. But as her vanilla-and-caramel scent filled the room...

My wolf had already accepted something far more dangerous than any act. She carried the blood of the First Line. The greatest mystery these lands had ever known. But tonight...

She was simply the fierce little female sleeping in my bed... Under my protection.

And as I memorized every quiet breath she took in the darkness... Only I knew how close the wolf inside me was to breaking every chain I'd managed to keep wrapped around him.