Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 478
Third Person’s POV
“I’m the daughter of an Alpha, for God’s sake. Don’t I deserve a real, formal proposal?” she muttered, tossing out the first excuse she could think of.
Cassian’s expression shifted, turning more serious than she had ever seen.
He locked eyes with her, his voice bordering on humble. “I was impatient. I’m sorry. Besides the ceremony… tell me what else I’ve done wrong. I’ll fix it. Just tell me.”
Trista was stunned. The Cassian standing before her tonight was acting completely out of character. The Cassian of her past life was cold, proud, and distant; he would never have lowered himself like this.
She bit her lip. Did he travel back, too?
No, it was impossible. Knowing his personality, if he had come back with his memories, he’d either be on his knees begging for forgiveness or doing something far more obsessive and unhinged. He wouldn’t be playing it this safe, trying so carefully to maintain the status quo.
“I’ve given this a lot of thought,” Trista said, taking a sharp breath to steady her resolve. “I’m going to settle my debt with you as soon as possible and move my parents out of that house. As for the rest…” She looked him dead in the eye. “I’m not going through with the bond.”
The night wind swept across the street corner as the two fell into a graveyard silence.
Cassian’s pupils constricted violently. A wave of pure, raw terror began to radiate through his body.
He reached out, tentatively trying to take her hand, but Trista was faster. She reached up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, perfectly dodging his touch.
His hand hung in the air for a second before dropping awkwardly to his side. His voice carried a distinct tremor. “Trista, you promised to be my mate… Why the sudden change of heart?”
He stared at her, his voice breaking with a heartbreaking vulnerability. “Is it… did I do something unforgivable? Did I hurt you?”
The
way he asked–that probing, uncertain tone–was like a needle pricking through Trista’s mask. Her calm shattered, replaced by a wall of ice. She stared back at him, every word feeling like it was being ground between her teeth.
“And do you feel… like you’ve done something unforgivable?”
They locked eyes, both of them searching for a crack in the other’s armor.
Inside Cassian’s chest, his racing heart finally began to steady.
“Maybe I’m overthinking this. If Trista really had come back with those horrific memories of their past life, she wouldn’t just be acting cold and distant. She would have screamed at him to stay away. She would have told him they were finished forever and cut ties instantly. Her panicked flight from the altar today… maybe it really was just the pressure.”
5:50 pm P
Finished
Cassian stared at her, his eyes flickering in the shadows.
He couldn’t let her know he was a regressor. He couldn’t let her know he remembered everything.
If she asked, he wouldn’t even know where to begin.
If he confessed the truth about what he’d done to her, he’d lose his only chance to fix it.
He had to keep his mouth shut.
“You pushed me away at the altar and ran without saying a word. I figured I must have done something terrible to make you that angry,” Cassian said, lowering his eyes to hide the shiver of fear deep in his soul. His voice was a low, mournful rasp. “That’s why I asked.”
Trista studied him.
He looked cold and composed, his eyes downcast so she couldn’t read his thoughts.
“Maybe I’m just being paranoid,” she thought.
Given Cassian’s ego, if he had the memories of the past life, there was no way he’d be talking to her this calmly.
Trista lifted her chin slightly and let out a cold snort. “I just graduated college. I’m young. Besides, your grandfather and your father have spent the last year acting like I’m not good enough for you. I’m not interested in spending the rest of my life dealing with your family’s attitude.”
Cassian’s rigid shoulders visibly relaxed.
It was just the old guard’s prejudice.
He looked into her eyes, his voice softening into a protective tone he wasn’t even aware.of. “I know my father said some insulting things about the Silverlights at the family meeting last week. Ignore them. Their opinions don’t matter, and their prejudice doesn’t change anything. Once we got mated, you’ll still be free. You can live your life exactly how you want. It’s just a change of address.”
Trista stared at him, feeling a strange sense of the absurd.
This man was famously a man of few words. He gave orders; he didn’t explain himself.
“What is wrong with him today?” she wondered. “Is he just trying to save face because I jilted him in public?”
She tried to untangle her messy thoughts and cut the conversation short. “Look, the bottom line is I’m not mating. You deal with the elders. I’ll get the money Silverlight owes you into your account as soon as I can. We’re done.”
She turned to walk away, but the moment she moved, a hand like a heated iron clamp snapped around her
wrist.
The sudden jerk threw Trista off balance. Her foot, perched on the edge of the curb, slipped into empty
air.
50 pm P p MT
“Ah-!”
Finished
The gasp was cut short. Survival instinct took over, and she grabbed for the only thing nearby.
Cassian stepped forward, his solid chest meeting her like a brick wall.
Trista was reeling, her nose buried in his shirt, which smelled of cold cedar. The shock of it made her struggle to pull away, but Cassian was like a black wolf that had finally caught its prey.
He wrapped his arms around her waist with a dominant, staggering strength, leaving no room for her to
move.
Their breath mingled in the narrow space between them. Cassian buried his face in the crook of her neck, nis voice muffled and thick with a desperate, almost raw sense of grievance. “You promised to be my nate… You were the one who picked the date for the ceremony, Trista. I’m not letting you take it back.”
4.6K
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.