Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 479
Third Person’s POV
Finished
Trista fought him until she was breaking a sweat, but the guy was way stronger than she remembered.
She pressed her palms against his chest, feeling his heart thumping like crazy through his shirt. Realizing she couldn’t overpower him, she decided to play it cool. “If you want the truth, let go of me first.”
Like a kid afraid of losing a toy, Cassian loosened his grip just a bit. But his arms stayed locked around her waist, ready to shut down another escape attempt.
Late night in L.A., the neon lights were a blurred mess on the wet asphalt.
Trista took a breath and went for the kill. “Cassian, I’m backing out because I realized I don’t feel about you the way I thought I did.”
The cedar scent around Cassian turned ice–cold. A heavy wave of pressure rolled off him. “And how’s that?”
“I followed you around and leaned on you because I saw you as a big brother. I was a kid; I didn’t know the difference between a crush and real love,” Trista said, keeping her voice level.
“When Silverlight went under and everyone started kicking us while we were down, I just grabbed onto you like a lifeline. That’s all it was.”
“Bullshit!” Cassian snapped, his voice jagged with offense.
Trista took the opening to twist out of his arms, stepping back to the edge of the sidewalk to put some distance between them. “I confused family for love. I swear, I really just see you as an older brother. Besides, we don’t even have a mating bond. Your true mate–the woman the Moon Goddess literally carved out for you–hasn’t shown up yet. You should be looking for her among the pure–bloods, not wasting your time on me.”
The air around them solidified.
Cassian stared at her, a look of pure, bitter irony crossing his face.
“True mate?” he repeated, making the words sound like a curse.
The next second, a mountain of pressure exploded from him.
Cassian fully let loose his Alpha pheromones–a violent mix of cold cedar and the electric scent of rain before a storm. It pinned Trista against the tree trunk instantly.
He grabbed the back of her neck and kissed her, hard.
It was an aggressive, invasive kiss, like he was trying to physically drown out her lies.
The more she struggled, the deeper he went, until she was breathless and shaking.
When he finally pulled back, Trista was leaning against the bark, her eyes flushed red.
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She didn’t hesitate; she swung her hand and slapped him right across the face.
The sound echoed in the quiet street.
Trista pulled back her stinging palm, forcing herself to stay calm.
Finished
“The Cassian in this timeline doesn’t have the memories yet,” she reminded herself. “He’s still the cold- blooded heir. Nobody’s ever touched him like that.”
But instead of blowing up, Cassian took her numbed hand and pressed a soft kiss into her palm. His voice was a hoarse rasp. “Does your hand hurt?”
You’re a psycho,” Trista whispered, her heart racing.
Cassian’s rough thumb traced her swollen lower lip, the fire in his eyes looking ready to eat her alive. “The girl who confessed to me, who touched me, who kissed me and told me she wanted to mate with me… that was just a brother‘ to you?”
Trista’s mind was a mess. She put on her best innocent face. “Those were just childhood habits, okay? I just haven’t grown out of them. And that kiss… I felt nothing.”
n this life, she was going to force this relationship into the “sibling” box even if it killed her.
She knew exactly what kind of intense, dominant soul lived under that gentleman act.
A dangerous light flared in Cassian’s eyes.
He grabbed her waist and spun her into the shadows behind the tree.
Trista’s back hit the rough bark, and before she could blink, he’d lifted her leg, pinning it against his hip.
Cassian! Stop… I’m actually getting pissed off now!” she warned, her voice trembling.
That tremor snapped a shred of sanity back into him.
He fought to suppress the primal urge for his mate and buried his face in her neck.
As a healer, Trista could feel their wolves starting to vibrate under the weight of his Alpha aura. It was a errifying, biological pull.
He felt her waist go soft under the influence of his pheromones.
Now…” he whispered against her skin, his breath hitching. “Do you feel anything now?”
Trista shoved him away with a burst of panicked strength. Before his pheromones could lock her down again, she smoothed out her dress and scrambled back into the “safety zone” of the open sidewalk.
One more second under that tree and her wolf would’ve been completely owned by that black wolf.
She turned around, pointed a finger at him, and yelled, “Cassian, I treat you like a brother and all you can think about is getting me into bed? Believe me, I will have you publicly shamed by every pack in this city!”
The blunt, feral comeback left the usually composed Cassian totally speechless.
6:50 pm
Finished
This was the real Trista.
Not the ghost from the end of his last life, but a vibrant, reckless Silverlight wolf–full of fire and defiance.
Cassian realized right then: if he didn’t drop the arrogant act and change his strategy, this second chance was going to go up in flames.
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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.