《Moon Reaper’s Substitute Bride》全部章節：第 31 章 - 第 39 章

~CASSIAN~I couldn't believe I was stuck out here in the damn training fields of the Varkas palace, drawing a bowstring while surrounded by the very wolves who had my family's blood all over their hands for generations. Every pull of the string felt like a chain tightening around my neck. I was supposed to be beside Aurora, not playing this pathetic game of who was better with these people. But the bloody Varkas men had arranged everything, placing her as far from me as possible.Vincent loosed another arrow. It struck the center of the farthest target with a satisfying sound. He turned to me with that smug half-smile, the one that said he still thought he could win back whatever scraps of pride he'd lost when I humiliated him in the duel. His fans had watched that day with open mouths. Now he was trying to reclaim his glory one arrow at a time."Not bad," I muttered, pulling back my own arrow. I drew back, muscles stretching from the tension, and released. I watched as it hit it's

~SERAPHINA~"What is wrong with you?" I asked, my voice soft but filled with frustration as I lay across Vincent's chest. The steady rise and fall of his breathing had once been comforting, but lately it felt like a wall I couldn't break through. "You've been acting so distant. Cold. Like I'm barely even here. What's the reason, Vincent? Tell me."He stiffened beneath me instantly, every muscle going rigid. I could feel the shift in his body, the way his arms hesitated before settling around me again. He was hiding something. I knew it in my bones."You're reading too much into nothing," he murmured, his tone carefully neutral, almost dismissive.I frowned, pushing myself up slightly so I could look at his face. His eyes avoided mine. "Don't lie to me. I'm not a fool." I paused, gathering the courage I'd been building for days. "What were you and Aurora talking about that day when we visited her at the Moon Reaper's Estate?"It had been bothering me for weeks, a persistent thought I

~AURORA~I nod, biting my lower lip hard enough to sting. "Yes. I do. I've been thinking about it. The maids. . .they talked about it, and I overheard them. I've never done it before—" My voice cracked with embarrassment, but the dark desire won in the end. "I want to learn it from you. Only you. So I can do it right. For my mate."The lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I couldn't stop. Vincent wasn't even on my mind right now. It was Cassian with his scent, his heat, the low rumble of his voice, that had me aching. I was using the lessons as the perfect disguise for what I truly craved: him. All of him. In my mouth. On my tongue. Filling me until I couldn't think straight.His eyes blazed and I could see the raw hunger there. He leaned in until his forehead nearly touched mine, his breath hot against my parted lips. "Fuck me, Aurora," he growled, the words wrecked and needy. "You have no idea what you're asking for." His thumb brushed my lower lip, pressing gently until it opened

~CASSIAN~I made the deliberate choice not to tell Aurora about the council meeting. She didn't need to stand in this sick place and watch her own family defend the woman who harmed her. I wanted her far from the council, safe in the quiet shelter of our chambers where she could breathe without the weight of their stares. It was not nice having to face these people. For some reason, I wanted to keep Aurora safe from them all. "Lord Cassian," Council Lord Darius greeted me, his voice smooth. His sharp eyes scanned my face, searching for any sign of weakness or guilt. "Thank you for meeting with us on such short notice."I offered a lazy nod and dropped into the chair reserved for me, legs stretched out casually.He frowned, glancing at the empty seat to my right. "Where is your wife?"I shrugged one shoulder, chewing slowly on the toothpick I'd brought with me. "At home."Lady Elowen's sharp intake of breath cut through the room. Council Lord Darius narrowed his eyes. "She is suppos