Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 442

Third Person’s POV

Flushed

Cassian closed his eyes in agony. A single tear tracked silently down his face, disappearing into his hairline.

Fred was right–they were never going back.

But seeing her so close yet completely out of reach–watching her climb into another man’s car and drive away–felt like a dull blade carving him out inch by inch.

He wanted to roar, to lose his mind, but all he could do was whisper in the dark. “I want to fix it… but she won’t even give me the chance to make amends.”

“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” Fred’s voice hit him like a bucket of ice water. “Trista doesn’t want your compensation.”

Fred decided to tear the wound wide open. The truth was bloody, but it was necessary. “Cassian, the damage is done. You’re desperate to make it up to her now, but let’s be real: you’re not doing it for her. You’re doing it for yourself. You can’t handle the guilt eating you alive, so you want to buy your way out of this hellish conscience of yours.”

“Choosing to hurt her was your call back then,” Fred continued. “But choosing not to accept your remorse is her call now. That’s her freedom.”

Fred looked at his best friend’s pathetic state and sighed.

He had warned them both. Scorpios are all or nothing–they’re either soulmates or they’re a suicide pact.

Cassian had taken Trista’s pure, unfiltered love and trashed it. Now, Trista was hitting back with the ultimate weapon: total indifference.

She was standing on the outside, coolly watching Cassian get swallowed by his own toxic regrets.

She had blocked every path to his self–redemption, leaving him to drown in the mud.

If Cassian could snap out of it and move on, he might have a fighting chance at a life.

But if he couldn’t…

Fred didn’t want to think about the alternative.

In the dog–eat–dog world of Los Angeles werewolves, a broken Alpha usually met an end far worse than

death.

The Next Morning. Simmons Group.

Cassian sat behind his desk, staring at a file. His fingers were trembling slightly, his mind miles away.

Humphrey had called his name three times before Cassian finally snapped out of it, looking up with raw irritation. “Take off the mask and speak up!” Cassian barked.

192

!:59 pm

0:0

Finished

Humphrey hesitated, then slowly peeled off his surgical mask. His face was a disaster zone–covered in fresh scratches and swelling that stood out vividly against his pale skin.

Cassian’s brow furrowed. “Why does that look worse than yesterday?”

Humphrey looked miserable. “I went home last night. My mate smelled another she–wolf on me, saw the claw marks, and decided I was cheating. She went into full–blown berserker mode before I could even explain. She didn’t want to hear it.”

Cassian stared at the mess of scratches for a long beat. He didn’t offer sympathy; he just gave a hollow grunt and went back to his papers.

Humphrey stood there awkwardly for a minute before clearing his throat. “Alpha… about Luna Trista. Do you want the security detail to keep following her?”

Cassian’s pen stopped so abruptly it tore a deep jagged line through the paper.

His voice turned sub–zero, dripping with lethal intent. “Notify every department. Cut all project ties with the Blackthorns immediately. Effective now. Not one contract remains.”

Humphrey turned pale. “Alpha Cassian, the scale of those projects is massive. Should we talk to Wilmot first? We’ve been partners with them for years. If we pull out now, the financial loss is one thing, but the Council and our other partners are going to bury you in pressure.”

Cassian shut the file, his gaze as sharp as a razor. “Execute the order. If anyone has a problem, tell them to

come see me.”

The news hit the L.A. werewolf community like a category–five hurricane. It reached Edwin within

minutes.

By the time Edwin hung up the phone, his face was the color of a bruised plum.

In the hospital room, Thomasina was idly rubbing her baby bump, her voice whiny and entitled. “Alpha Edwin, can you stop looking at your phone for once and pay attention to me?”

Edwin spun around, his eyes flashing with a cold fury she had never seen before. “Thomasina, I’ve put up with your tantrums because I wanted an heir. But you messed up, big time. You should never, ever have gone after Trista.”

Thomasina flinched, her heart skipping a beat. She tried to play it off. “You’re overreacting. She’s just some discarded ex–Luna. Am I, the Luna of Blackthorn, supposed to be scared of her?”

“Discarded?” Edwin shook his head, his voice shaking with suppressed rage. “To get revenge for your worthless niece, you poked the bear. Cassian just killed every single one of our joint ventures. Do you have any idea what we lost this morning? Ten billion dollars! You just flushed our entire expansion plan for next year down the toilet!”

Thomasina went ghost–white, frantically grabbing at Edwin’s sleeve. “I… I’m sorry! I promise I’ll stay away from her! I won’t give him another excuse!”

“You better stay in this hospital and protect that baby,” Edwin snapped, shoving her hand away as he stormed toward the door. “I have to go to Ironthorn and try to put out the fire you started.”

212

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.