LOGINThird 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 POVIn his last life, he failed to protect her wolf.In this one, he was ready to shred every Ironthorn law to pieces before he let her suffer a single second of disrespect.Trista knew there was no talking sense into him. She just tossed back a cold remark, "We'll see how 'unpleasant' things get at the dinner table tonight."A few hours later, Trista arrived at the restaurant with her parents.Cassian met them at the entrance, glancing around before frowning. "Where's Attwater?"Trista countered immediately. "This isn't exactly a friendly family reunion. Why would I bring him? So he can learn how to be humiliated by Alphas?"Cassian winced. He had no comeback for that.At the door of the private suite, Trista noted the three people waiting inside. Wynn was conspicuously absent—clearly barred from attending.Alaina stood up to welcome the Holmes family, while Cassian stepped aside to usher them in.At the head of the table, Howard and Wilmot sat like statues—rigid, arro
Third Person's POVBy mid-October, the L.A. air had finally begun to cool.Trista was finishing up a treatment report when her parents called, sounding ecstatic. They had found the perfect place.During her lunch break, she rushed over to meet them.It was a high-end complex in the heart of the city—a ground-floor duplex with massive front and back yards.But when Trista saw the price tag, her internal alarm bells went off.The quote was significantly lower than the market value for the neighborhood.She pulled her parents aside outside the sales office, her voice a sharp whisper. "Mom, Dad, something's wrong. A price this low means either the foundation is rotting or the title is dirty. We can't take it.""Don't talk nonsense!" Ulva interrupted. "This is a prime location. It's fully furnished and no one's ever lived here. I've sniffed every corner—the scent is clean."Trista stood her ground. "Meat bones don't just fall from the sky. A move-in-ready place this far below market value?
Third Person's POVCassian reached the door, then stopped.The lights inside were dim. Trista stood in the center of the living room, looking brittle and drained, as if her very bones had been hollowed out.She held her scent in a tight, forced grip, but that agonizingly cold restraint still leaked
Trista's POVHis embrace closed around me like a cage. The mating bond in my chest gave a violent yank, and my wolf let out a low, pathetic keening. It fought him harder than ever, the urge to claw surfacing as a burn in my fingertips.He ignored my struggling and pulled me tighter.I could see a f
Trista's POVCassian's brow knitted together.He didn't back down; instead, he took a step inside.As his foot crossed the threshold, the mangled bond in my chest gave a violent yank. My wolf felt cornered, snapping back with a feral resistance.My emotions finally hit the breaking point. I lunged
Trista's POVThe following night, in France, after a long, grueling day at the healing center, I walked back to my apartment alone.The night wind brushed against my neck; I instinctively pulled up my scarf, as if trying to shield myself from a certain hollowness.Today was my birthday.I'd been on







