Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 459
Third Person’s POV
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Randolph and Ulva exchanged a heavy look. Randolph broke the silence, his voice deep and gravelly. “Keep your apology. My daughter has made her stance clear. You should leave; this isn’t a place for you Ironthorns to linger.”
Wilmot didn’t move.
He stepped directly in front of Trista. This man, who controlled the lifeblood of Ironthorn and moved the levers of power in Los Angeles, sounded like he’d been swallowing glass. “If you can get him to pull himself together, I’ll give you half of Ironthorn’s assets as compensation. Just name it, and it’s yours.”
Trista looked at him with zero emotion, her eyes as flat as if she were reviewing a business deal that didn’t interest her. “Wilmot, I know Ironthorn is powerful. But I don’t want your money, and I can’t help you.”
Wilmot’s eyes were a roadmap of broken red veins. Then, amidst a chorus of gasps, the man who had spent his entire life looking down on the world–the Alpha who never bowed to anyone–dropped to his
knees.
Trista reacted instantly, stepping back to stand by her parents.
Alaina watched her husband–the man who valued pride above life itself–kneeling before the Silverlight family for the sake of their son. She rose from the sofa, her strength failing, her face a mask of disbelief.
Trista’s parents were just as stunned.
In the rigid hierarchy of werewolf society, a High Alpha kneeling to members of another pack was a total surrender of dignity.
The old Wilmot had been arrogant and condescending, always treating people like they were beneath him.
But now, he was just a desperate father.
This was a literal sacrifice of his soul.
Wilmot turned toward Trista, his eyes full of raw panic. “Everything that happened was my fault. I’m kneeling here to pay that debt. Trista, for the sake of the twenty years you spent growing up together, go talk to him. He is the future of Ironthorn. He’s our only heir. If he breaks, the whole pack goes down with him!”
Trista looked at her parents. Randolph and Ulva finally snapped out of their shock and moved to help Wilmot back to his feet.
“Whether he lives or dies stopped being my business the day we broke the bond” Trista said, her voice sounding clinically cold. “I truly have nothing left to give.”
She turned and walked to her room, locking the door behind her.
In her mind, Cassian was a master strategist, a profit–driven businessman who was as selfish as he was cold-
12:10 pm
blooded.
A man like that didn’t just “self–destruct” over a broken heart. It wasn’t in his DNA.
Two days later, Fred showed up at Trista’s office.
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She poured him a glass of sparkling water with ice and shut him down before he could even start. “Fred, if you’re here to play peacemaker, don’t bother.”
Fred sat on the sofa, his long fingers slowly spinning the glass.
He studied her for a long time before letting out a helpless, bitter laugh.
“If Wynn hadn’t caught him, we’d all still be fooled. As a leader, he’s a pro at faking it. But he hasn’t let go. He’s not even trying to suppress the bloodline rejection.”
Fred leaned in, testing the waters. “Trista, for Alaina and Wynn’s sake… can you just talk to him? Give the guy a reason to keep breathing.”
Trista sat across from him, her expression guarded. “Fred, when I first brought up breaking the bond, you were the loudest person in L.A. supporting me.”
Fred set the glass down and moved to sit beside her, his face turning deadly serious. “I want you to be happy, but I also want him to stay alive. Cassian gets back to L.A. tonight. I know you don’t want to see him privately. I’ll go with you. I’ll do the talking; you just listen. Even if you just say a few harsh words to trigger his survival instinct, that’s enough. Please?”
When she didn’t answer, Fred sighed and stood up. “It’s okay. If you say no, I won’t push it.”
Trista walked him to the door.
Fred stopped, looked at her with a mix of frustration and affection, and suddenly reached out to flick her forehead.
Trista winced, clutching her head and glaring at him. For a second, the girl who had grown up in the pack peeked through the professional doctor’s mask.
“You and Cassian are exactly the same when it comes to being stubborn,” Fred grumbled. “I honestly want to lock you both in a room and knock your heads together.”
Watching Fred leave, Trista felt a complicated knot in her chest.
Xander walked up and followed her gaze. His Alpha instincts picked up on the lingering tension. “LA is a small pond,” he noted. “You’re bound to run into him. Talking to him isn’t a crime. As long as you remember why you left, he can’t pull any tricks on you.”
Trista shook her head. “Alpha Xander, nobody knows him better than I do.”
“He’s a wildly successful businessman–cold, calculating, and deep. His whole life is a cost–benefit analysis. Even if his bloodline is acting up because of the broken bond, it’s not as bad as everyone says.”
In her eyes, a man as cold–blooded as Cassian could lose the entire world and still find a way to thrive better than anyone else.
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The Heartbroken Luna’s Choice: Banish Love
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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.