Cassy fidgeted in the line. She couldn’t help it. How was she supposed to look normal when she was still flushed from the touch of her mates and still hurting from Jace’s words? They rung in her mind, folding over themselves, keeping her nerves at the surface and making her unsettled. It was probably the worst moment that she could be shuffling on the spot and anxiously looking around. “Could you stay still?” Katie hissed beside her. “You’re going to draw attention to yourself.” “I’m trying.” “Try harder.” A warm hand smoothed down her back, sending a flush of heat through her body. Logan leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Relax, Princess. I’m here if you need me.” Cassy shivered. “You’re not helping.” Katie grumbled. “Sorry, mate.” Logan clipped. He was stood behind Katie, the pair at the end of the line of Trial contestants who had made the top 10. Those who hadn’t passed the Strategy Trial had their newly chosen High Guard mates behind them while the Top 5, including Ca
Cassy was wrapped in a concoction of pheromones from her two mates, the scent leaving her mind foggy and instincts pressed to the surface. Arms were around her, hand touching her, but she didn’t know which mate they belonged to. She didn’t care. She leaned back, caught by Logan’s chest, his lips smothering her neck and her collarbone. Jace was pressed against her front, caressing her face and coaxing her head back so their lips could meet. She didn’t know when they began kissing, but her body reacted to his on instinct. Her arms were around his shoulders, fingers twisted into his shirt pulling at him as if desperate to get closer, even as they pressed tight enough that their bodies moulded together. Their lips moved as if starved, though they had only had their last taste of each other the night before. This kiss felt different to then. There was no fear or secrets holding them back now, just the raw desire of their newly formed mate bond and the passion they had tried to dampen now
Cassy froze, her eyes peeling open with a reluctance to see what they know she would. Jace stood across the room from her, in the entrance of the tunnels that led back up to the packhouse. His face was a storm of emotion, hard and tight with a fire burning behind his eyes that made her breath hitch. She had never seen him so angry before but then, she couldn’t imagine what she looked like to him. Flushed and breathless, pressed against the wall by another man, a rival Alpha at that. “Jace...” “Handle me how, Logan?” Jace cut her off, his voice a dangerous growl that made the hairs on her arms prickle. “Because all I can see is how you’re endangering our alliance by sneaking around with my... Luna Trial contestant.” The pause made Cassy’s stomach churn. Was that all she was to him? Just a contestant in the games, maybe favoured by him but if she didn't win, he wouldn’t accept her? Her grip on Logan tightened as her knees suddenly felt a little weak. The Shadow Forest Alpha had pulle
“You’re mistaken.” Cassy’s breaths were light and hurried, her voice shaky. “Katie is your mate.” “Katie is a strong woman, but she’s not my mate.” Logan’s voice was low, barely a rumble in his chest, his words brushing against her cheek as he dipped his head to hold her gaze. “She’s stronger than me.” “No. She’s not.” He tucked a finger under her chin keeping her from escaping his gaze. “Do you know how many times you challenged me in this conversation? Few wolves try that with me outside of my strongest warriors. But you, you bear my gaze, you stand tall in my presence. I can feel it, Cassy. Our bond, our compatibility.” Logan leaned in, his words a whisper. “Every part of you carries strength, a strength that should be Luna at my side. It’s not something you can hide behind a quiet mask and a few lies. No wonder Jason likes you; your strength calls to him.” At the mention of Jace, Cassy flinched, and pulled away from Logan’s touch. It was only a simple finger under her chin, b
Cassy sat at the water’s edge of the hot springs, hitching her dress around her thighs so she could let her feet play in the water. The hazy steam pressed into her, its warm comfort easing her tension-riddled body and giving her a moment of peace before the inevitable storm to come. She hadn’t thought of the hot springs as her and Jace’s place before, but she supposed it was the only place they had been able to spend time with each other without the eyes of the pack on them. They could be themselves there, well... Almost. Her stomach turned as she thought over what she was going to say to Jace. She knew the choosing ceremony would take some time and used it to be prepared for the conversation ahead. Unlike when she told Alex the truth, she wouldn’t have Katie around to butt in and spill her secrets, but she also didn't want to use her pheromones instead of her words. She wanted to be the one to tell him about her heritage and see how he reacted to it. Would he accept her and still wan
The stuffiness of the party gave Cassy flash backs to the surprise second trial where her place in the contest was saved by Jace and his token. The same esteemed families had been invited to the packhouse hall, the same music played, the same table of food was set up at the side of the hall, and the same twisting sensation in her gut kept her company. Back then it had been because of Zac flirting with Katie in front of her, but now it was dual toned and clawing at her deeply. Katie stood near Alpha Logan, wearing a gorgeous green dress that made her look stunning. Unlike Zac, who had welcomed her touches, the Alpha kept his hands on his drink and kept a respectable distance between them as they spoke. Cassy supposed it was because their mate bond hadn’t been announced yet and almost every eye on the room was on him. At first, she thought it was because he was the fabled Shadow Forest Alpha, more myth than man in their pack, but Cassy quickly noticed most of the attention on him were