Cassie POVI stood in front of the mirror and tugged at my cocktail dress, wishing it were just a little bit longer. Formal dinners had never been my thing - having to make smalltalk and pretend to like people who would willingly stab you in the back at the first opportunity. But there I was, preparing in the same way I imagined warriors preparing for war. “You ready?” I heard Vasilios ask from behind me, and I spun around in fright. “Yeah, I guess so,” I scrunched up my nose as I looked Vasilios up and down. “Although I look like an escort girl next to you.”Dressed in a navy suit, the top two buttons of his crisp white shirt left undone, and his shoes shiny enough to see your reflection in, he looked delectable. In contrast, my little black number seemed a bit too revealing and lacked the suave sense of class that he portrayed. “You look fine, babe. Just keep your head held high and tell the critics that your bag with your formal attire was accidentally left at the airport,” Vas

Cassie POV The voice and accent were unmistakable, and so I was not surprised when Jurgen pulled out the seat beside me and sat down. He didn’t pay attention to the keen interest of the rest of the pack members present, his focus purely on Vasilios and myself. “I thought you had decided to avoid the inevitable drama that this tournament will bring,” Vasilios chuckled as one of the omegas brought Jurgen a plate of food. Jurgen smiled slightly before he thanked the omega, something none of the other guests in attendance had even thought of doing. “No, my friend. Duty called but I have returned to show you my support,” Jurgen explained. I’m not sure what duty Jurgen referred to, but instantly Vasilios sat up straighter. “Any news?” Jurgen shook his head, and even though his face didn’t betray what he was feeling, I could see sadness in his eyes. The dinner went by uneventfully, Viktor keeping his fans enraptured as Vasilios kept our corner of the table entertained with a stor

Cassie POV I found myself walking in a daze toward the gym, my head struggling to wrap itself around the fact that Viktor and Laryssa were working together. As much as I wanted to run to Vasilios and tell him everything that I had heard, something stopped me. Maybe it was that I was struggling to understand why Laryssa would try and help me while at the same time trying to destroy Vasilios, I’m not sure. “That was quick,” Elle commented as I sunk down on the bench next to her. “Yeah, I couldn’t find my dad and Laryssa,” I replied, lying through my teeth. I smiled at Gia who was spinning around and around, giggling to herself when she fell down onto the padded floor, only to get back up and do it all again. “Come on, Luca!” Elle shouted at her mate, urging him on. Spurred on by her support, Luca launched a fresh attack on Vasilios, his blows raining down on his opponent hard and fast. “Hey! That’s not fair!” I nudged Elle. “You just gave him an advantage.” She grinned and

Cassie POV I sat in my father’s office, paging through one of the books which sat on the bookshelf behind his desk. It had been one of my favourites as a child - of a princess whose prince searches the world for her, sweeping her up in a fairytale romance which reality just can’t compare to. I’d spent hours in that room, reading while my father worked. It had been one of the only ways I actually spent time with him when I was growing up. His office had become my refuge whenever I had a bad day - when the other girls had bullied me about my parentage, or when Vasilios had gone off to one of his alpha training camps and I had no one else to spend my time with. Being a hybrid on Poros was tantamount to being an outsider. “Cassandra,” I heard my father’s surprised voice behind me as he closed his office door. “I didn’t know you were here.” I smiled weakly at him, not bothering to get up from my comfortable chair. “I know. If you had, you wouldn’t have returned.” His face fell and he

Cassie POV I watched Jurgen out of the corner of my eye as alphas and betas from some of the strongest packs in the world arrived en masse at the packhouse. The man’s back was as straight as a lance as he stood guard as the werewolves greeted Alpha Dimitri, some more friendly with the man than others. “Why do you think so many accepted the invitation?” Eliana whispered to me, her head nodding toward the row of cars which were queueing down the driveway. “I don’t know, but I hear that all the hotels and guesthouses on the island have been booked out by dignitaries. For once there is not a single human tourist on Poros,” I whispered back. She pulled a face before she slipped away, probably to find Luca so that they could socialise with the rest of the werewolves out on the terrace. A congregation of so many alphas was rare indeed, and it was a wonderful opportunity for political alliances to be formed. And for enemies to be made. Treading with caution was definitely recommended