Chapter 20

Cassian’s POV

I closed the door softly

Because I didn’t want to wake sisi

Not because I felt moved by whatever had happened

That wasn’t me

A part of me wanted to remain there

Infact I should have

But maybe I was scared that she would get to see another oart of me

The part me that was cinserved solely for sisi

But I did make sure sisi seemed okay befire I left.

Her breathing had evened out, her tiny body finally at peace in Selena’s arms.

But mine wasn’t.

Not even close.

My chest felt tight, like something was caught in between my ribs,

I couldn’t stop replaying it.

Couldn’t stop replaying the image of Selena, holding my daughter like she was something precious. Fragile. Worth saving.

She hadn’t looked scared.

She hadn’t even looked uncertain.

She looked like someone who’d stared death in the face before—and decided it had no place near my child.

My daughter could’ve died tonight.

And the person who saved her wasn’t a healer. Wasn’t a trained medic or a certified caretaker. She was a woman with secrets. A woman I barely understood. A woman I’d written off too quickly.

Who the hell is Selena?

I walked the hallway,

Tye carpet drowned my footsteps but my thoughts? They were loud

Too loud

My house felt strange to me

Like I was a stranger navigating my way through the house i had expect every single place in it.

But I didn’t stop walking.

By the time I reached the study, my fists were clenched tight, knuckles white.

The fire that was burning from earlier had begun to reduce.

There was no other stick to swerve as fuel and I didn’t want to add more again.

I could still see

And maybe I needed the darkness to help me think

To help give clarity to my wolf.

My nose had picked up her scent

It was more alluring than the other days.

Maybe it was because of the herbs.

Wildflowers, dark bark amd honey

And now it was burned to the back of my memory

.

I didn’t sit.

I couldn’t.

I stood there, unmoving, staring at the fire like it held answers. Like the light could somehow tell me what I needed to know.

She’d handled the seizure like it was routine.

No panic. No delay. Just calm, calculated movements.

She moved with purpose. Spoke with certainty. Administered that remedy like it was engraved into her bones.

That wasn’t instinct.

That was muscle memory.

Experience.

And experience always came from somewhere.

From something.

From history.

I yanked my phone from my pocket and typed fast.

You still up?

Conrad replied almost immediately.

“Of course i am”

I exhaled sharply through my nose. Typical.

Get to the study.

Less than three minutes later, he strolled in…..

barefoot, in a worn shirt that looked like it had seen better days, his blond hair sticking up in uneven tufts.

Still grinning like he owned the world.

If I hadn’t known enter, I could have sworn he was sticking around waiting for my text.

“You rang, oh tortured Alpha?” he teased , jumped over the sofa and making himself comfortable

And now I wondered if calling him was really the best option.

“What’s the emergency? A broken heart? A sudden urge to confess your feelings?”

I didn’t answer.

He smirked harder. “Lemme guess. You’ve been pacing this whole time, shirt half-unbuttoned, tormented by the memory of her whispering to your daughter. And now you’re wondering—is this what love feels like?”

I gave him a sharp look. “Don’t start.”

“Oh, come on,” he laughed. “You’ve got that glazed look in your eyes. That ‘someone just cracked my armor open with a teaspoon’ expression.”

“I said don’t.”

He raised his hands. “Fine, fine. She’s not your mate. She’s just the woman who risked her life for your daughter, moved into your home, and is now haunting your every breath. Totally casual.”

I stared at the fire again, jaw tight.

“She saved Sisi,” I said finally.

His smirk vanished.

“Wait. What?”

“She had a seizure. A bad one. I got there too late….” My voice gave out. I didn’t want to think of what could have happened if Selena wasn’t close by.

I swallowed, meeting Conrad’s pitying eyes,

“Selena was already in control of the room,” I continued . ”She asked for herbs—specific ones. Ground them with her bare hands, sweetened the mix, made Sisi drink it. She didn’t pause. Not once.”

Conrad straightened. “And it worked?”

“She stabilized within minutes,” Iexpressed. “Stopped convulsing. And then… she fell asleep. In Selena’s arms.”

He whistled softly, shaking his head. “Damn.”

“I didn’t have to give her permission,” I muttered. “She didn’t look to me. She just acted.”

“Like someone who’s done it before,” Conrad finished.

I nodded.

He leaned forward, no longer joking. “You think she has healer training?”

“No. Not formal, at least. I think she’s been on the field. Maybe in combat. Maybe underground care. Or…” I hesitated, throat dry. “Maybe something darker.”

“Like?”

“Survival work. Rogue pack skirmishes. Maybe even underground trading routes. I don’t know.”

“She told you she was just a palace worker.”

I scoffed. “She also said she’s seen death. Not like a metaphor. She meant it.”

Conrad’s brow furrowed. “You want me to run a full dig?”

“I want everything,” I corrected. “I want her records. Camp files. Disciplinary logs. Family data. If she has siblings. Who she trained with. Who she left behind. And especially—what the hell she’s running from.”

“You think she’s dangerous?”

I hesitated. “No.”

He raised a brow.

“I think she’s hurt,”

I spoke more to myself now.

Because a part of me doesn’t want completely wrote her off as bad

But I still can’t place a finger on what exactly she is.

. “But that doesn’t mean she can’t be dangerous. People who’ve been burned tend to carry matches.”

Conrad got up and paced. “Alright. I’ll start with the orphan registries after the rebellion purge. Check the names listed for abandoned camps. The underground shelters too. Could be she slipped through the system.”

“She didn’t slip,” I said. “She vanished. On purpose.”

He paused. “You think she wiped her records?”

“If she didn’t, someone did it for her.”

Conrad gave a low whistle. “You know this is sounding less like curiosity and more like obsession.”

I turned to him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

He shrugged. “It means you’re not acting like an Alpha vetting a pack member. You’re acting like a man trying not to fall off a cliff.”

“Don’t push it.”

“I’m serious,” he said. “You’ve been different. Ever since she walked in. Like you’re constantly trying to balance yourself.”

I looked back at the fire.

“You know what I realized tonight?” I said.

He looked at me.

“I trust her,” I muttered. “More than I should.”

There was a long pause before he replied, “Then maybe you’re not losing your mind. Maybe you’re just starting to use your heart.”

if he wasn’t my right man man, I could have killed him a long long time ago. “If you finish that sentence with another poetic line, I’m kicking you out.”

He laughed. “You used to be more fun when you were angry.”

“I’m still angry. I’m just… confused underneath it.”

“Sounds like progress.”

I shook my head and gestured to the laptop. “Just start digging.”

He saluted. “Yes, Alpha Brooding.”

We didn’t say any other thing to each other

There was lots of work to do anyways

Well for him

I mostly just paced then I sat, then I stood again and trying paving.

The fire was completely off now and our only source of lighting was the led lights I barely ever used

I barely took note of my environment until Conrad called to me again

“Cass,” he muttered, eyes narrowed at the screen.

“What?”

“There’s no full record of her after age eleven.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“I mean she disappears. No school logs. No Luna camp history. No legal guardians listed. Just a gap—like someone erased her.”

“Or she erased herself,” I pointed out.

He nodded slowly. “She knew what she was doing. This wasn’t sloppiness. It was strategy.”

Outside was beginning to look bright through the curtains and only had me thought

The thought followed me as I stood up and cracked my neck

“You heading back?”

“Yeah,” I nodded . “Need to check on Sisi.”

I might have been tired but I could never miss the stupid grin that sat on his face each time he was teasing me

Like this one right here,

. “Right. Sisi.”

I ignored him and made for the door.

But before I turned the knob, his voice stopped me again.

“Cass?”

I paused.

“She might not be what you expected,” he said quietly. “But sometimes the ones worth trusting are the ones who’ve already been to hell but somehow manage to come back with their teeth intact.”

I didn’t say anything.

Actually, I couldn’t

But I could still hear his words minutes after I’ve left

It repeated itself in my mind.

And somewhere deep inside me… I knew he was right.