Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 1 - Chapitre 10

Trista's POVRain tapped against the windowpane. It was a low, mournful sound, like the night sighing, making the quiet evening feel heavy.I sat alone on the spacious balcony. My fingers aimlessly traced patterns on the tablecloth.My gaze kept flicking to the empty chair across from me. Hope and anxiety wrestled inside my chest.Tonight was my three-year anniversary with Cassian, the Alpha of the Ironthorn Pack.He had promised we would bathe in the Blood Moon's glow every year, announcing our bond to the pack.But tonight, he was late. He was still away on his "business trip."The dinner I'd prepared sat on the table: roasted venison, stewed root vegetables, a pitcher of Silverflame wine, and a small cake I'd baked myself. The candle, shaped like the number "3," flickered weakly.My hope, my love, my tenderness—all focused on this meal. Now, the cold night air swallowed it all.Time dragged on. The food went cold. The candle flame was barely a spark.A deep sense of dread crept int

Trista's POVI was afraid I would lose control. I was afraid I'd cause a scene.I worried my parents would see.I also worried I'd go crazy before fixing anything.So, I stayed put. I fought hard to suppress the pain and the rising anger of my wolf.My wolf had never been this wounded.Every time Cassian came close, I should have felt that familiar tug, the yearning from our mating bond. But now, I felt nothing.Our connection, thin as a thread, had frayed the moment Samantha returned.Every encounter with Cassian felt like ants chewing at our bond. The pain got smaller, the connection weaker, more futile.I waited for Cassian to speak, or to just walk away in silence.I was done trying to excuse this broken mating.Cassian finally reached me. He extended his hand, reaching for the billing forms I held.Just then, his comm-stone buzzed a few times. He quickly pulled his hand back, checked the screen, and glanced at the message."Someone needs me. You go on with your business," Cassian

Trista's POV"Cassian has stepped up for this family a lot over the last three years," Randolph said, sliding a box of pastries my way. "So, if you two are having a moment, just go talk to him. Stop being so sensitive."Next to him, Ulva squeezed my hand, her eyes full of that desperate kind of hope. "Trista, you're the Alpha and Luna of Ironthorn. If you just had a pup, that mating bond would be bulletproof."A pup. A bitter laugh bubbled up in my chest.I remembered the time he was out at the border with the guards, hunting rogues. I took every bottle of birth control herbs in my nightstand and flushed them down the toilet.When he finally came home a week later, it was a full moon. The "heat" had him wound tight.He spent the night buried in my neck, scenting my skin. He definitely knew the herbs were out of my system, but he didn't stop.I took that as a "yes."But the next morning, he pressed a vial of Moonshade Suppressant to my lips. He was patient about it—he didn't move an in

Trista's POVWhen I finally opened my eyes, the first thing I smelled was the damp stone and bitter herbs of the healing cavern."Trista?" Wynn was leaning over the bed, her eyes bloodshot. "Don't move. The pack doctor just put you on an IV to stabilize your pheromones."She pressed a glass of water to my lips. As the cool liquid hit my parched throat, I finally started to feel a flicker of life again.Alaina, Cassian's mother, was there too, looking at me with a mix of pity and worry. "The doctor said your wolf is exhausted from the emotional stress. You just need to rest for a few days."I scanned the cold stone walls and let out a dry, hollow laugh. "He just dropped me off and left without a second look, didn't he?"Wynn dodged my gaze, stammering. "It... it was me. I was the one who brought you here."I expected that answer, but it still felt like a jagged blade to the heart."Don't tell my parents," I whispered, closing my eyes. Even now, through that cursed link we call a mating

Cassian's POVThe last trace of Trista's scent vanished around the corner of the mall like she'd fallen off a cliff.In that exact moment, a sharp, agonizing cramp hit me right in the chest.Inside my head, my wolf let out a mournful howl that quickly turned into a furious snarl, "You arrogant, boneheaded Alpha! We're losing her! Go after her! Now!"I didn't budge. I stood there for a full minute, forcing down the sudden, inexplicable wave of panic before I finally unlocked the dressing room door.Samantha stood in the cramped space, looking completely lost. "Why didn't you let me talk to her? Protecting me like that is only going to make her misunderstand more. Cassian, go after her. Explain everything.""She's totally spiraling right now. I didn't want her to snap at you," I said, rubbing the bridge of my nose as a massive wave of exhaustion hit me. "I'll talk to her when she's back on planet Earth. Let's get you back to the healing center."I knew Trista.She was a Silverlight—the