Cassian’s POV
I had seen her before she was thrown out But now? Her scream only justified how right i was about her She would always screw up She didn’t have it in her to remain put. I had seen her Didn’t mean that I knew where she was hiding Until it was too late For her I mean One minute I was watching Selena and sisi near the refreshment table We were both smiling at something one of the servers whispers. The next? She was there Standing in the crowd with her silver dress that screamed “I wanted to belong badly” Did she bever pay attention to how her eyeshadow palette never matched her skin tone? “I belong here!” she yelled. “I was invited!” My entire body went still. I was sure that a few could recognize her I mean…our relationship has been quite public And even when she switched up and clinged to Zevran after I was stripped of my rights People heard It was the hottest news at the time Years after and she was here Looking like a banshee who lost her way from the forest. People turned—some shocked, others amused in that predatory, courtly way only wolves could be. Whispers slithered from one end of the room to the other. That did it. The murmurs started. Soft and slow at first, but growing like a rising wind. “She wasn’t invited?” “Isn’t she Cassian’s ex?” “Thought she was exiled.” “Didn’t Selena come with him?” The words curled around her like smoke, choking her attempt at dignity. I had expected it Selena, to her credit, didn’t flinch. She simply bent down and whispered something in Sisi’s ear, handing her to one of the maids before rising slowly, spine straight, chin high. The hosts Alpha Marek and his Luna, stood from their seats at the front of the hall. Their security detail, already on alert I took a step forward, voice calm but clear. “She did not.” That was all I said. That was all I needed to say. The guards moved immediately. “No!” She cried. Her voice was enough to break one of the glass chandeliers that hung from the ceiling. “wait,” she continued “this is a mistake. You can’t just—Cassian, please—!” She continued as they dragged her towards the door and out of the venue But I’d already turned away. Already walking. Already done. It didn’t matter that everyone was still watching. That whispers were multiplying like wildfire. That Julia’s exit was a spectacle fit for the front page of any gossip paper. It was over. Finally. I reached the far hallway, pulled out my phone, and dialed Conrad. He had left the minute the party had begun Someone had to handle things back at the palace. He picked up on the first ring. “Let me guess…you were crowned king of the party” his usual sarcastic voice rang from the other end of the phone. “Quit fooling around. Julia is here,” I announced, peeking around to make sure no kne was eavesdropping on our conversation. “Well…was here,” I corrected. “Tell me that wasn’t what I think it was.” “Oh, it was,” I muttered, one hand braced against the wall. “She showed up. Made a scene. Got tossed out.” Conrad let out a low whistle. “Damn. About time the universe helped us out.” “She’s not coming back to the palace,” I said. “Not even to collect her things. Have her escorted to the city gates. Make sure she’s watched until she’s gone.” His voice sobered. “You serious?” “I’ve never been more serious.” There was a pause. Then, “I’ll handle it.” I exhaled through my nose, tension bleeding out of me like steam. “She’s been poisoning the atmosphere since the day she arrived,” I said. “And now she’s shown the entire region what she’s really made of.” “I always knew she’d overplay her hand,” Conrad muttered. “You just took too damn long to call it.” “I know.” Another pause. A quieter one. “You heading back in?” he asked. “Yeah.” “Good. You’ve got something real in there, Cass. Don’t screw it up.” I didn’t answer. I didn’t have to. Because for once, the path ahead felt clear. Not easy. But clear. And when I stepped back into that ballroom, all I saw was red silk moving through golden light—Selena, holding Sisi’s hand, laughing at something Adeline said. Not looking for me. Not waiting for me. Just… living. And gods help me—I wanted to be part of that life. Even if I had to start from scratch. I looked down at my palm. It was shaking. Not from guilt. But from relief. She was finally gone. And I didn’t realize how long I’d been holding my breath until the silence of her absence felt… peaceful. The moment I stepped back into the grand hall, it felt like I had entered a different world. Gone was the sharp undertone that had clung to the walls like smoke since Julia’s arrival. Her absence left behind something cleaner. Lighter. As if the air itself could breathe again. No silver dress flashing in the corners of my vision. No voice like sugar laced with acid. Just space. And stillness. And quiet.Selena Was standing under the chandelier light
Not directly under it But just enough for me to admire her goddes like beauty and how she effortlessly stole the show Her posture was poised, yet relaxed. Regal, even. One arm was at her side, the other resting protectively around Sisi, who clung to her hip with the kind of ease only children and fated bonds could create. Red. She was still in that damn red dress. And it was still undoing me. I don’t know if it was the way the fabric curved with her spine or how her hair had been pulled back to reveal the delicate lines of her collarbone, but she looked like a vision of everything I’d never dared to want—and now couldn’t stop chasing. She turned at just the right moment just when I needed her to Like the moon goddess had programmed it. and our eyes met across the room. No smirk. No soft smile. Just a stillness. Just a knowing. “Alpha Cassian,” a voice piped beside me, dragging me momentarily from the trance. I turned to find the event coordinator Who was nervous, clearly younger, clearly terrified of addressing an alpha. “Yes?” “We’re ready for the formal family portraits. The hosts would like the honored mates to be first. Right this way…” I didn’t wait for directions. My feet already knew the path. Selena’s gaze didn’t change as I approached. She adjusted Sisi gently on her hip, giving her space to stand on her own. “We’re taking pictures,” I expressed, not asking. Just saying it aloud like it might anchor me. “I figured,” she replied softly, I was beginning to fall for her voice It was soft And I found myself wanting to hear it everyday and every morning I wake up. Sisi looked up with bright eyes. “Do we get to stand on a stage with the sparkly lights, Papa?” I bent slightly to kiss the crown of her head. “Yes. All three of us.” There. I said it. Us.Cassian’s POVThe letter shouldn’t have rattled me.But it did.He managed to take everything away from me and now? I had no idea what to expect What was wrapped beautifully behind the satin envelope.I cracked it open anyway.“I trust this reaches you well, dear brother. I intend to visit within the month. I believe it’s time we cleared the air…officially. I’ll await your reply. But I suggest you begin preparations.”Arrogant bastard.No date. No reason. No apology.No signature.He didn’t need one.“Want me to piss on it before we burn it?”I jerked at the sound of his voiceZevran had that power…to make me anxious even in his absence.I didn’t look up. “He’s coming.”“Unfortunately.”I tossed the letter toward the desk. It landed like a loaded weapon.“He wants to ‘clear the air,’” Even I didn’t understand what he meant by that, but it didn’t change that a part of me was curious.“Yeah? So did the last wildfire.” Conrad strode in and picked up the letter. “No signature. Classy.”
Selena’s POVI was ashamed. My heart drummed rapidly against my ribcages each time the memory resurfaced on the top of my mind No I didn’t want to dwell on it…i had already talked way too much about the kiss and I wasn’t going to let it define my life My fingers moved on muscle memory, stroking sisi’s back for the semblance of comfort she offered. Controlling a lot of things was something I was used to, except when it came to my mind. She just had a way of spiraling beyond what I could tame. So my feet moved before I could protest. It followed the path Cassian had left through..hoping I could find him. I owed him that…the health status of his daughter. And just as though my mind had found what she was all so desperately searching for, my legs came to an instant halt. I recognized that voice. Heck, it’s the voice that shakes the very bane of my existence I could recognize it even in the darkest part of the hallway. It always carried the same tinge. Low. Rough. Familiar. “Dr
Cassian’s POV “I trust you.”The words left my mouth before I could think. Before I could weigh them, fold them into something guarded or vague. But I didn’t take them back.Because I meant them.I wasn’t lying. I trusted her—with Sisi. Maybe more than I trusted myself.That was the terrifying part.I wasn’t used to trust. Not like this. Not the quiet kind that crept in unnoticed and settled in your chest like a fire you couldn’t put out. Not the kind that whispered she’ll take care of what you love most, and somehow, impossibly, I believed it.Selena hadn’t moved when I said it.she blinked but it wasn’t out of shock. It was not relief.No, it was subtler than that.Maybe even Deeper.Like those three words….I trust you—had landed in a place she hadn’t built walls around yet. A place so raw and unguarded it startled even her.And then, just like that, she looked away.Not out of disrespect. Not to ignore me. She turned back to Sisi with the same fluid grace she always carriedI l
Selena’s POVHis mouth on mine had been heat and hunger.Fevered. Desperate. Devastating.The kind of kiss that peeled back layers. That tore me down to something raw and wanting.And I let it.Gods, I let it.I let his hands trace invisible lines on my skinI let my fingers curl into his hair like I’d always known the shape of him.I had wrapped my legs around him without thought, without hesitation, like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like he belonged there….pressed against me, between my thighs, muttering half-broken sounds into my mouth like I was the answer to some ache he’d carried too long.I had wanted to believe it. That I was wanted. Desired. Chosen.And I did believe it. For one stupid, breathless heartbeat, I believed it.Then—“Miss Selena!”The sound of the door The way it flew open like it was going to separate from the framesThe wound was enough to pull my out of the trance.I froze.Cassian stilled too, his fingers flexing where they’d gripped my waist
Cassian’s povI wanted her to speak. I wanted her to yell, to scold, to roll her eyes and say I was impossible.But she didn’t.And that silence was louder than any storm I’d ever survived.My fingers brushed the key’s cold edge. I should’ve stayed in my room. Should’ve let it go. Should’ve waited for her to come to me.But I couldn’t.The ache in my chest wasn’t the kind that time healed. It was the kind that demanded answers. Or maybejust maybe….a repeat of what I still couldn’t get out of my head: the feel of her lips on mine, soft and fiery all at once. The way she melted into the kiss like it was the only thing anchoring her to this world.She didn’t speak.She handed the key to a maid.She closed her door.And now?Now I was pacing my own room like a goddamn lunatic, my wolf restless beneath my skin, every step fueled by the memory of her lips on mine.She’d kissed me back.Gods, she’d kissed me like she meant it.Her hands in my hair, her breath tangled with mine, the way she
Selena’s POVI was still frozen.And I meant in every sense of the wordMy fingers remained on my dress as I clutched the hem tightly My lips? They still tingled frkm where his mouth had claimed them. It wasn’t gentlyIt wasn’t even possessivelyI couldn’t even olace a finger on itBut it was as though he was staking his life on it.Like he had been been waiting to kiss me for years..And I—Gods, I let him.Worse… I kissed him back.I had let my body take control and melted into himIn pubicAnd now, he would feel I wanted him as muchEverything that happened after was barely registered in my head.Everyone were clappingAnd sisi? Well she was jumping up and down like she had seen a fairytale come true..The crowd had parted just enough for me to catch my breath. But I couldn’t look at Cassian again….not yet. Not when my cheeks were still bright red and my thoughts were running everywhere in wild, dizzy circles.“You!” a voice called out, and before I could brace myself, a grou