Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 419

Third Person’s POV

“Cassian, my life has nothing to do with you anymore. Stop trying to control me!”

Trista didn’t give him an inch. She fought him with everything she had, kicking and clawing to get away. Her defiance finally pushed him over the edge. His Alpha instincts snapped, and he slammed her back against the steering wheel.

The SUV was suddenly flooded with his aggressive, sub–zero scent–the heavy, suffocating pressure of an Alpha in a total rage.

He locked his eyes onto her lips, his voice sounding like a growl from a cornered beast. “In this pack, Trista, you are mine. Period!”

He lunged forward to kiss her, but mid–move, he caught a sharp, acrid scent–the bitter pheromones a she–wolf only releases when she is in total, visceral revolt.

The “protective” side of his Alpha brain instantly short–circuited his aggression. He froze. Shifting his grip, he pulled her legs over his, holding her in his lap like a child.

His voice was strained as he dialed back his crushing aura. “Did I hit your back? Are you okay?”

Trista tried to wrench herself free, but his arms were like steel bars.

Her eyes were rimmed with red as she screamed at him. “Cassian, we grew up together! We’ve known each other our whole lives! You never loved me, you never cherished me, and now you won’t even let me go- but God forbid anyone else treats me well!”

She stared into his eyes–now glowing with a faint, feral red–and her words cut like a knife. “How can you be so selfish? I regret ever meeting you. I regret mating with you!”

Her voice cracked with fury. “You’re cold and you’re self–absorbed. You only know how to take from people. You don’t deserve the Moon Goddess’s blessing, you don’t deserve a family, and you deserve to die alone!”

Cassian sat there, holding her, but he didn’t move. Even his fingertips were shaking.

He was holding back the beast in his soul with everything he had, letting her vent.

Only when she had finally exhausted herself–when her breathing leveled out–did his chaotic energy start to settle.

He reached out, his movements stiff and awkward, to brush a stray hair from her forehead.

“Trista, there’s no need for the dramatics,” he said softly. “I just want to re–mate with you. I want the pack to see us together again. I just want a chance to make it up to you. I’m not the monster you’re making me out to be.”

Trista slapped his hand away. “Cassian, answer me one thing. Why are you so obsessed with re–mating with me?”

172

11:19 am

+5 Pearis

Cassian’s expression was dead serious. He even released a wave of submissive pheromones, trying to soothe her. “A wolf’s bond is a sacred vow. We stood before the pack and promised to spend our lives together!”

Trista looked at him with pure disgust. “I bet you said the exact same thing to Samantha.”

Cassian shook his head. A flash of shame–fueled violence crossed his face, making his aura flicker and spark. “I made promises to Samantha, but it’s not what you think.”

He leaned in. “What I have with you is different. I don’t love Samantha. I don’t even… want her that way.”

Before he could finish his “explanation,” Trista cut him off. “Cassian, do you love me?”

The question hung in the air. Cassian froze. A massive, hollow silence filled his mind, and his wolf went dead quiet.

Trista had been in his life for as long as he could remember.

They’d grown up together for over twenty years, and she had never hidden her heart from him.

But in three years of mating, through all her silent sacrifices and one–sided devotion, she had never asked him that.

This was the first time she’d ever pierced through his Alpha armor to ask the one question that mattered.

And he realized then that he’d always assumed having her was the same thing as loving her. He’d never actually sat down and thought about the word.

Trista watched his reaction–the flash of panic in his eyes as he failed to find an answer. Her lips curled

into a smirk.

“You’re a businessman, Cassian. You’re all about the bottom line. You don’t love anyone; you only care about what you need.”

Her words snapped him back to reality.

He tried to argue, but the shame of being seen through made his energy turn muddy and anxious.

“All you ever wanted from our mating was sex and status,” she continued, her voice gaining momentum. “I know how your perfectionism works. You wanted to break the rules and give Samantha a future, but your body couldn’t handle a she–wolf who’d been with another man. You knew I loved you, so you figured you could keep me around for cheap. I was the perfect asset.”

“Stop it!” Cassian roared, his eyes flashing fully into his feral state. His violent aura exploded inside the car. “Don’t you dare think of me like that!”

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Sara Lili

Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.