LOGINThird Person's POV"He's twenty-seven years old, not a toddler who just finished weaning!"Alaina's voice was low, but it carried a vibration that sent a chill down the spine. "Everything he just said came from his own conscious mind. And your first instinct is still to blame someone else? Is Cassian not the exact product of that cold, Ironthorn dogma you raised him with?"Wilmot roared back, doubling down on his self-righteousness. "Did you see how he treated me? His fangs were practically at my throat!""Respect is earned," Alaina snapped, refusing to yield an inch. A fierce, protective aura began to radiate from her. "Even if you're his father, you have no right to monitor his every move like he's a piece of prey.""I'm doing this for him!" Wilmot bellowed."If I didn't see him as my son, why would I leave the Ironthorn inheritance to him?"Cassian let out a hollow laugh that tasted like blood. "You keep saying you gave me everything, but are you sure that power is actually in my h
Third Person's POVCassian stared at her, his dark eyes searching hers, until the strength in his grip finally withered away.With Trista, it felt like their relationship could only move in one direction: backward.He didn't dare push any further; he swallowed the confession on the tip of his tongue and forced it down.But her words had left a jagged mark.Even though he ran the show at Ironthorn now, he was still standing in the long, cold shadows of the two men who came before him.If he lost his power, what would he have left to protect her with?A flicker of complex emotion crossed his face. "I have some urgent business to handle," he muttered. "I'm heading out."Trista watched him leave."Cassian is actually losing it," she thought.For a top-tier Alpha who worshipped profit and power to talk about throwing it all away to be "ordinary" was a total pipe dream.She took a breath and went back to her room.According to the timeline, Samantha was still living a desperate, broke exist
Third Person's POVTrista suppressed a surge of excitement, pointing toward a crate of snow crabs. "Cassian, my mom loves these. Let's get a few.Cassian didn't even look at the price. He turned to George and said flatly, "Pack up the whole crate."Trista pointed to the other side. "And the scarlet shrimp."Cassian added, "Take them all.""It's too much; we can't eat all that," Trista said, shaking her head on purpose."If we can't finish them, give them to the neighbors or send some to the Silverlight old-timers." Cassian's tone was incredibly indulgent, his voice thick with doting affection.Trista hummed in response, then pointed at the glass counter. "That king crab looks good too."Cassian frowned slightly. "That one's too small. We saw a better-looking one near the entrance; we'll grab that on the way out."Trista let out a long, airy sigh. "I can't believe this place doesn't even have starspotted grouper."Cassian pulled out a silk handkerchief and meticulously wiped a stray dr
Third Person's POVWhen Trista asked about his birthday plans, Cassian locked his gaze onto hers. His voice carried a trace of obsessive entitlement. "Same as always. I'm spending it with you."Trista stopped what she was doing.She tilted her head slightly, meeting his bottomless gaze in the heavy silence of the room. "Cassian," she said calmly, "I thought I made myself clear at the restaurant last night. We—""Whatever Howard and Wilmot said, they don't speak for me!"Cassian cut her off, his face hardening as his Alpha aura instinctively leaked into the room. "We grew up together in this territory. No one can erase that connection. I am your Cassian. Always."They stood in a silent standoff by the bedroom door, the air thick with invisible sparks.Trista took a deep breath, forcing a look of weary compromise onto her face. "Even if we were close growing up, we're adults now. We aren't married, we aren't dating, and we aren't even blood relatives. Being this close is just 'crossing
Third Person's POVTrista couldn't tell her parents about the blood and despair of her past life; she had to use cold, hard logic to convince them.Too many epic romances were eventually crushed under the weight of prejudice and real-world pressure.Randolph spoke up, his voice heavy. "Whatever you decide, we're behind you. If they're going to look down on us, there's no reason for us to go looking for trouble."Seeing her family's support warmed Trista's heart, but she remained practical."Cassian's grandfather and father aren't simple men. Now that the gloves are off, we need to avoid Cassian as much as possible. It'll save us a lot of grief."After they reached an agreement, Trista retreated to her room.Since the day she woke up in this life, she had been living in a blur—busy dodging Cassian, busy with her internship, busy paying off debt.Only now did she start to dissect Cassian's bizarre behavior over the last few weeks.She had jilted him at the altar. Given Cassian's dominan
Third Person's POVTrista let out a fearless, mocking laugh. "This Alpha superiority complex is honestly nauseating. Strip away that self-important bloodline you're so proud of, and you people have absolutely nothing."Wilmot bolted upright, his muscles coiling with a tension that signaled he was seconds away from snapping. "You dare insult the Alpha bloodline of Ironthorn?""I'm not the one planning to bond with your son," Trista said, staring directly into his bloodshot eyes. "Why shouldn't I call out a megalomaniac when I see one?"Before she could even finish the sentence, Wilmot let out a feral roar. With the explosive speed of a werewolf, he swiped a heavy water glass off the table. It turned into a blur, whistling through the air like a lethal projectile aimed straight at Trista's head.In the split second it took for Ulva and Alaina to scream, Cassian moved. He lunged sideways, shielding Trista with his own body.The glass slammed into his back with a dull, sickening thud. It
Third Person's POVTrista let out a sharp laugh and looked him dead in the eye. "A cheater has zero room to lecture me on professional ethics."Cassian's pupils needle-pointed instantly."Since you're so worked up over your 'mate's' mother," Trista shot back, "why aren't you rushing her to the hosp
Cassian's POVThe last trace of Trista's scent vanished around the corner of the mall like she'd fallen off a cliff.In that exact moment, a sharp, agonizing cramp hit me right in the chest.Inside my head, my wolf let out a mournful howl that quickly turned into a furious snarl, "You arrogant, bon
Trista's POVWhen I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I smelled was the damp stone and bitter herbs of the healing cavern."Trista?" Wynn was leaning over the bed, her eyes bloodshot. "Don't move. The pack doctor just put you on an IV to stabilize your pheromones."She pressed a glass of wate
Trista's POVI didn't even remember the drive back to the pack.The whole way, I was waiting.I was waiting for that familiar, overbearing scent to catch up to me, waiting for Cassian to offer even a single sentence of explanation.But when I pushed open the front doors of our empty house, there wa







