Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 279

Cassian rolled out of bed and picked up the duvet that had slid to the floor.

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He stood over me, looking down with a smug, predatory glint in his eyes. “You didn’t overreact like this the first time we slept together three years ago.”

He sat back on the edge of the bed and tucked the covers around my chest, his gaze locked onto my face. “If I can’t mark you yet, does that mean I’m not even allowed to hold my own mate while I sleep?”

I felt like there was a hidden trap in his words, but I was too overwhelmed to figure out what it

was.

8:30 AM, at the healing center, I locked my office door and pulled a fist–sized Moonstone from the back of my safe.

This stone is hyper–sensitive to a werewolf’s life frequency; high–level healers like me use it to check bloodline purity.

My hands wouldn’t stop shaking. I took a deep breath and pressed my palm against the cold crystal, guiding my energy into it.

The silver stone reacted instantly. A flash of piercing crimson exploded deep inside the crystal.

It was aggressive and violent—the unmistakable signature of the Ironthorn bloodline—and it completely swallowed the silver light.

A dual–bloodline resonance.

I went pale. My strength vanished, and I slumped onto the cold floor.

The red light on the Moonstone pulsed rhythmically. Every beat matched the faint but powerful secondary frequency inside my womb.

Cassian played me.

Just when I wanted to break the bond and cut him out of my life forever, this new bloodline had pinned me to the Ironthorn family tree.

Looking at the blood–red stone, I felt like I was suffocating.

My mind was racing.

17:00 Fri, Jan 30

I had to mask my scent; I couldn’t let any other wolf pick up on this.

Cassian’s plan was obvious: use a pup as a leash to keep me trapped.

This child would be born into a world of power plays–denied love and used as a pawn.

The pup was innocent, but I couldn’t let it happen.

I had to keep this a secret until I could deal with it.

A knock at the door made my heart spike. I forced myself to calm down and opened it.

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Xander studied my face, frowning. “Are you burning out? If the Shadowfang work is too much, take a few days off.”

“Just a bad night’s sleep, Xander. I’m fine.”

Xander set a file on my desk. “There’s a high–level healing seminar in Chicago at the end of the month. We have three slots, and I want you to lead the team. It’ll be good for you to get away from all the drama in LA for a bit.”

Chicago. My heart skipped a beat with hope. “I’ll go.”

I was only about four weeks along. I had time.

If I could get out from under Cassian’s nose for this seminar and stay in Chicago for a few extra days, I could take care of this “problem” in a territory where the Ironthorns had no power.

After Xander left, I paced my office.

Cassian wouldn’t let this go easily.

He’d seen me get sick last night, and his reaction was too weird–he definitely suspected something.

I had to throw him off the scent.

I called my assistant, Zelda.

I whispered a few instructions, and she nodded, heading out immediately.

An hour later, she was back with a falsified blood report and a bag of meds.

The report had my name on it, but the data was cooked–it showed a massive infection with off–the–charts white blood cell counts.

I finished my rounds at Shadowfang and went home early.

17:00 Fri, Jan 30

:

:

Cassian was already there.

He walked over and set a pair of flat slippers at my

I

put

them on without a word.

feet.

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“You’re on your feet all day at the clinic; flats are better for your joints,” Cassian said, his voice testing the waters. “I’ll take you shopping for a few more pairs tomorrow.”

I didn’t answer. I walked straight to the bar.

Cassian followed me like a shadow and handed me a glass of water. His dark eyes face, looking for any crack in my armor.

searched my

“You look terrible. Tomorrow, I’m taking you to the hospital for a full bloodline workup.”

I looked down, hiding my nerves, and shook my head. “I’m fine.”

I didn’t waste time. I pulled the bag of pills out of my purse.

Right in front of him, I started popping the tablets out of the blister pack.

Cassian’s eyes went dark. As I moved to take them, he snatched my wrist. His grip was incredibly strong.

“Don’t just take random pills,” he snapped, his voice tight. “Wait until we get the test results

tomorrow.”

I let out a cold laugh and ripped my arm away.

I looked him dead in the eye. “Cassian, did you forget? I’m the highest–ranking healer in this territory.”

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