Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 475
Third Person’s POV
The moment that searing, signature Alpha heat touched her skin, Trista’s wolf sensed a mortal threat. It let out a primal, silent snarl from deep within her soul.
The trauma of her past life–the imprisonment, the slow erosion of her identity, and the agonizing loss of her unborn pup–exploded in her mind like a flash grenade.
The high priest, impatient and ritualistic, gripped the silver needle. “The ceremony begins. Exchange the finger–blood. By the Moon Goddess, the clan elders are waiting to witness this bond. Move it.”
Before the needle could pierce her skin, Trista didn’t just pull away–she shoved Cassian back with every ounce of strength she had.
With a clang, the silver basin holding the sacred water hit the floor, spilling across the stone.
Under the shocked collective gaze of the Ironthorn elite, Trista didn’t even look at Cassian. She gathered her silk skirts and bolted out of the temple as if her life depended on it.
Behind her, Cassian remained in that staggered position, his hand frozen in mid–air.
He stared at her retreating figure, his eyes–usually so cold and impenetrable–slowly clouding with a faint, raw red.
Trista sprinted all the way home.
Her parents were in the kitchen, the steady rhythm of a knife hitting a cutting board echoing through the quiet afternoon.
Her heart was hammering against her ribs so hard it felt like it might burst.
She remembered this timeline perfectly. The date for the mating ceremony had been set, and to ensure a “perfect union,” Cassian had already paid off every cent of the Silverlight pack’s massive debt.
Even the $11 million downtown mansion her parents were currently living in was a “gift” from him.
In her last life, she saw this as salvation. In this one, she saw the chains.
Since the Moon Goddess had given her a do–over, she had to run.
In her previous life, Cassian had acted like a brilliant hunter, calculating every dollar spent on the Silverlights as the price of her soul.
He had kept track of every penny, and during their final fallout, he had carved it back out of her with interest.
Fortunately, in this timeline, Attwater was still in middle school and hadn’t been sent to the elite academy by Cassian yet.
She had to throw all that Alpha–branded money back in Cassian’s face before the trap snapped shut.
10:08 pm
OP
Finished
She needed to settle the debt and vanish from his sight forever.
“Trista? Why are you back alone? Where’s Cassian?”
“Is the ceremony over?”
Her parents‘ voices drifted from the living room, pulling her out of her grim trance.
Seeing them five years younger made her eyes sting.
Her mother’s wolf soul was still intact; her father’s back was still straight, not yet broken by the crushing weight of the debt that was to come.
She was back before the tragedy.
She could protect this tiny piece of her world. She wouldn’t sacrifice her family for a man again.
Trista sat her parents down, the warmth on her face fading into a seriousness that took Randolph by surprise.
“Dad, Mom. I’m not mating with Cassian. It’s over.”
Ulva and Randolph froze, exchanging a look of pure shock.
“Trista?” Ulva reached for her daughter’s hand, her voice full of worry. “Did you two have a fight?”
“With Cassian’s icy personality? Who could he even manage to fight with?”
Randolph frowned, his tone turning stern. “Trista, ever since Silverlight went bankrupt and our territory was absorbed, you should have realized you aren’t the pampered daughter of an Alpha anymore. Drop the attitude.”
Randolph paused, his voice sharpening. “We watched that boy grow up. He’s from a prestigious family, he’s steady, and he’s already the Alpha of Ironthorn. He wiped out our debts and he genuinely wants to bond with you. Don’t go looking for trouble when you have it this good. You’re being reckless.”
Ulva sighed as well. “You’ve been chasing him since you were a little girl, telling everyone you’d only ever marry him. Why are you backing out at the finish line?”
Trista felt a wave of bitterness.
If she told them she’d spent her last life as the Ironthorn Luna only to be met with coldness, betrayal, and a miscarriage, they’d think she was under a dark curse and talking crazy.
“Dad, Mom… back then I was a kid. I didn’t know the difference between a crush and real love,” Trista said, taking a breath and choosing her words carefully.
“I’m an adult now. Silverlight is gone; I’m not a match for Cassian anymore. You know Howard and Wilmot–they only care about status and assets. I have no territory and no leverage. If I become the Ironthorn Luna, I’ll spend the rest of my life living on my knees.”
The words hit home. It targeted Randolph’s own insecurities as a fallen Alpha.
པལ པ་་་
Finished
Ulva hesitated. “But… Alaina treats you like her own daughter. Wynn loves you. And Cassian promised he’d shield you from the elders. Are you just overthinking this?”
Trista let out a cold laugh.
The despair Cassian was capable of giving her was something her parents–who hadn’t lived through his betrayal yet–couldn’t even imagine in their worst nightmares.
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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.