Cassidy
The moment Kieran left, I let out a shaky breath, my legs giving way beneath me. I collapsed onto the massive bed, gripping the sheets as if they could ground me, as if they could make any of this feel real.
Mate.
The word felt like poison in my veins.
This wasn't happening. This couldn't be happening.
I was just a human girl from the kitchens. I wasn't supposed to be anything, let alone the mate of the most feared werewolf in the continent.
My fingers trembled as I clutched the soft fabric of my dress.
I had to get out of here.
But how?
The doors were locked, and even if they weren't, what would I do? Run into the halls filled with Kieran's wolves? There was no escape. Not yet.
A cold realization settled over me.
For now, I had to survive.
And to do that, I had to understand him.
---------------------------
I leaned against the closed door, exhaling slowly.
Cassidy.
Even her name felt dangerous on my tongue.
I had never met someone so small, so fragile—so afraid of me. It twisted something in my chest, something that shouldn't exist.
I had expected anger. Defiance.
But her fear was worse.
It made me want to—
I clenched my fists. No.
This was a mistake.
She was human. This bond was unnatural. I had spent my whole life fighting for my place in this world, proving my strength, commanding power.
And now the Moon Goddess had bound me to someone who could never stand by my side.
I should have been furious.
Instead, I was restless.
Damon was waiting for me down the hall, his arms crossed. He raised an eyebrow. "What was that about?"
I sighed. "We're in deep shit."
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We both sat in Damon's quarters in thought after the revelation I just gave him.
Cassidy.
She had flinched at my voice. Trembled under my gaze. She was terrified of me, and she had every right to be.
But that didn't change what she was to me.
Mate.
The word repeated like a mantra in my head, my wolf restless beneath my skin, snarling at me to go after her, to protect her, to claim her.
"This is a problem," Damon muttered from beside me, his arms crossed. His keen golden eyes watched me with something close to concern.
I exhaled sharply, dragging a hand through my hair. "You're telling me."
Damon leaned back against the wall, studying me. "A human, Kieran? The Moon Goddess has a twisted sense of humor."
I clenched my jaw. "I don't need reminding."
"What are you going to do with her?"
That was the question, wasn't it? What the hell was I supposed to do with a human mate? If she had been a wolf, things would have been simple. But a human…
She was fragile. She would not survive in my world.
Garrick had to know. He might not have realized she was my mate, but he had been testing me, watching for my reaction. If he had even the slightest suspicion, he would use her against me.
I couldn't allow that.
I pushed back my chair, the legs scraping against the stone floor. "Taking her back to Canada "
Damon's brows shot up. "You're keeping her?"
"What do you expect me to do, leave her at Garrick's mercy? She stays with me until I figure this out."
Damon let out a low whistle but didn't argue. He knew better than anyone how ruthless Garrick was. If I left Cassidy here, she wouldn't survive the night.
I stalked toward the door. "I want two guards outside my room at all times. No one is to touch her. If anyone so much as looks at her the wrong way, I want their head."
Damon smirked. "Possessive already? This is going to be fun."
I shot him a glare before shoving open the doors.
I needed to see her.
I needed to understand what the hell I was supposed to do with her.
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The room was too big.
I had never been anywhere this extravagant before—tiled floors, a massive king sized bed with silk sheets, and a fireplace that cast flickering golden light across the walls. But no matter how beautiful it was, it wasn't home. It wasn't safe.
I was a prisoner.
I sat stiffly on the edge of the bed, my fingers tangled together in my lap. My wrists still ached from the ropes, and my head swam with everything that had happened in the council chamber.
I had seen power before—cruel, overwhelming power—but nothing like this.
Nothing like him.
Kieran Duskbane.
I was nothing.
The heavy door creaked open, and I shot to my feet, my breath catching as he stepped inside.
He didn't say anything at first, just studied me. His presence filled the entire space, making the massive room feel too small, too stifling.
"Sit," he finally said, his voice like gravel and smoke.
I hesitated, then slowly sank back onto the bed, my hands curling into fists.
He exhaled, running a hand through his long dark hair before stepping closer. He moved like a predator—slow, deliberate, like he was holding himself back.
"You're afraid." It wasn't a question.
I swallowed hard. "Shouldn't I be?"
Something flickered in his eyes. "Yes but not of me, i won't hurt you."
I wanted to believe him.
I didn't.
He sat in a chair across from me, elbows resting on his knees. For a long moment, he was silent.
Then— "Tell me everything you know about Jonas."
My stomach twisted.
I shook my head. "I already told you—I don't know anything."
A muscle in his jaw ticked. "Cassidy—"
"I don't!" My voice cracked. I didn't know what was worse—the fact that no one believed me or the fact that no one cared if I was innocent.
He studied me, his dark eyes scanning my face like he was searching for something.
"Garrick won't let this go," he said finally. "If he thinks you know something, he'll tear you apart to get it."
I shivered. I already knew that.
"I can protect you."
My breath hitched.
His gaze was unreadable, but there was something in it—something intense, almost desperate.
"I don't want your protection" I whispered.
He hesitated. "You need it, you're mine."
I shook my head, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. "No. No, I'm not."
His expression darkened. "You are."
I lurched to my feet. "I don't belong to anyone."
I was shaking, my pulse racing. I had spent my whole life being nothing, being powerless, and now this—whatever this was—was too much.
He stood, his presence overwhelming. "You don't understand—"
"You're right. I don't." I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to breathe past the panic clawing at my chest. "You don't know me. You don't get to decide what happens to me."
Something flashed in his eyes, something dangerous and possessive. "You don't get to decide either, Cassidy. The Moon Goddess did that for both of us."
I wanted to run.
But there was nowhere to go.
And deep down, I knew—
I would never escape him.