Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 436
Third Person’s POV
Finishwed
Noon. At the hospital parking lot, Rowena was about to step out of her car when Humphrey blocked her path like a brick wall.
She shot him a freezing glare. “What is this? Are we doing business in the parking lot now?”
Humphrey didn’t blink. “Alpha Cassian’s orders. Anyone trying to get near Trista is considered a hostile intruder. No exceptions.”
“You’re actually going to bar my way?” Rowena snapped, her aura flaring up in a challenge.
“I only take orders from Alpha Cassian,” Humphrey said, his voice as flat as a death warrant. “Take another step, and I’ll treat it as a security breach. You will be forcibly removed.”
Rowena glanced over at Trista, who was surrounded by layers of security a short distance away. She gritted her teeth, spun around, and peeled out of the parking lot.
2:00 PM. The CEO’s Office.
Rowena didn’t bother knocking. She walked straight in to find Cassian behind his desk, buried under a mountain of paperwork.
“There’s a snag in the project handover,” she said, leaning over his desk to assert her presence. “And by the way, your beta almost laid hands on me at the hospital. You’re throwing away basic etiquette with a treaty partner just for an ex?”
Cassian didn’t look up from his pen. His voice was a cold blade. “Humphrey was following my orders. If you cross the line again, I won’t just have him stop you. I’ll have him scrub you out.”
Rowena’s temper flared. She walked around the desk, leaning down to get in his face. “Cassian, have you lost your mind? You’re a wreck. Do you honestly think you can protect that woman in the state you’re in?”
Cassian stood up slowly. He was sick, but the sheer weight of his Alpha aura made the temperature in the room drop to sub–zero.
He stepped toward her, looming over her.
“Rowena, you know my rules,” he rasped, his voice low and dangerous. “I am never having a second mate If you want to use my father’s family interests‘ to threaten me, find a better hobby,”
Rowena tried a different angle. “But look at you. You can barely stand. Obsessing over her is going to cost you your inheritance. You’re sabotaging yourself.”
The irritation in Cassian’s eyes finally turned into a lethal threat. He looked at the door, his gaze as cold as if he were looking at a target.
“This is your last warning. Keep your hands out of my territory.”
He pointed at the door, his voice quiet but absolute, “Get out.”
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Finished
Rowena flinched at the intensity. She backed away, but as she reached the door, she looked back at the man who–even at his weakest–still held the Ironthorns in a chokehold.
She gave a playful, mocking smirk. “You know, Alpha… we’re actually a lot alike. Bloodlines, family legacy -they always come first, don’t they?”
Cassian’s eyes went dead. “Don’t ever use your logic to measure me.”
Rowena let out a sharp laugh. “Is that right? Then how did a twenty–year bond with your mate end up in the trash so easily? Face reality, Alpha Cassian.”
The door slammed shut, leaving the room in a graveyard silence.
Cassian stared at the door until the scent of her perfume faded. Then, he roared at the assistants outside: “Close the damn door!”
They scrambled to lock it, terrified.
A sharp cramp tore through Cassian’s chest–his internal organs were failing from the strain of suppressed pheromones and the broken bond.
His hands shook as he pulled open a drawer and grabbed a bottle of high–strength painkillers. He didn’t even look for water; he just tossed a handful back and swallowed them dry.
Alaina walked in just in time to see it.
“Don’t bother hiding it. I saw,” she said, rushing over to snatch the bottle. Her eyes went red when she saw the warning labels on the pills.
She forced him onto the sofa and opened the medicinal soup she’d brought, watching him like a hawk until he took a sip.
“Did you run into Rowena on your way in?” Cassian asked idly, stirring the bowl.
“I have enough fires to put out without dealing with her,” Alaina said. She paused, her maternal intuition kicking in. “Why do you ask?”
“Nothing. Just wondering.”
Alaina studied her son. Something about his vibe felt off. “Did you finally come to your senses? Are you going through with the engagement?”
Cassian set the spoon down. “Not a chance.”
Alaina sighed, pushing the bowl back toward him. “You took Trista away in the middle of the night and brought her back without a scratch. That was your statement. If you’ve truly decided to let her go, then take care of yourself. Stop trying to kill yourself.”
Cassian’s knuckles went white as he gripped the bowl.
His mating was dead. His home was a hollow shell.
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He knew better than anyone that some cracks were permanent.
No matter how much his soul screamed to keep her, he had no right left to hold her.
Finished
Alaina watched her son’s quiet devastation, her heart aching for him. “Cassian, you’re the Ironthorn heir. The stability of the whole pack is on your shoulders. Please… stop gambling with your life. Don’t be so
stubborn.”
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3:54 pm
The Heartbroken Luna’s Choice: Banish Love
Finished
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.