Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 480

Third Person’s POV

“You Ironthorn men have ‘scumbag‘ written into your DNA,” Trista said, ticking points off on her fingers.

“Your grandfather is an old fossil who only cares about the family crest. Your dad is even worse–he’s so stuck–up he actually thinks my family isn’t good enough for you.”

Cassian was speechless.

“I’ve spent my whole life chasing you like a lost puppy. And you? Every time you showed up, you looked like you were being marched to an execution. Your face was longer than a block in Beverly Hills,” Trista ranted, getting more fired up by the second.

“You’ve never said one sincere thing to me. No real proposal, nothing. Honestly, I don’t think you even wanted this bond.”

Cassian’s Adam’s apple bobbed. His voice was a low rasp. “Trista, I-”

“Save it. I’ve made up my mind. I’m not gonna make your life hard, so stop torturing me,” Trista interrupted, cutting him off clean.

“Let’s just call it quits. If you’re that desperate for a mate, take your pick of any pure–blood in L.A. If you’re struggling, I’ll even help you find one.”

By her count, Samantha’s kid overseas was already two years old.

If he was still obsessed with her in this life, Trista figured she’d just be the bigger person and personally fetch his first love from across the ocean.

Cassian’s face darkened until he looked like a thundercloud.

He stared at her, his voice carrying a paranoid, obsessive heat. “I only want you.”

‘Stop! Cut it out!” Trista scrambled backward. “I’ve made myself clear. If you keep hounding me, I’ll go to every social circle we know and tell everyone we’re strictly ‘brother and sister.‘ Go home and talk to your family. Ask them if they want a polite Luna or a lifelong enemy who’s gonna raise hell. I’ll wait for the good

news.”

Before he could even process that, Trista spun around and vanished into the night.

Cassian stood there, watching the girl who used to worship him run away like he was the plague. The dark fire in his eyes slowly began to settle into something colder.

“Be her brother? Not a chance.”

“Something’s definitely off. Usually, Cassian’s the one walking away with a cold face while Trista chases him, right? Why is it backward today?”

“This is the first time I’ve seen her yell at him like that. Did he mess up and let his pheromones slip around another girl?”

Finished

The whispering behind him made Cassian’s face go stone–cold.

The two gossiping shadows nearby immediately shut up.

Cassian pointed to the black sports car parked at the curb, glaring at Wynn. “Get in the car. Now.”

Wynn ducked behind Fred, terrified. “You guys keep talking! I won’t say another word, I swear!”

Fred turned around and smoothly coaxed her. “Go on, babe. Adult talk. Not for kids.”

He tucked Wynn into the passenger seat, slipped some noise–canceling headphones over her ears so she could get lost in her game, and then walked back to Cassian.

“Trista used to be obsessed with you. How’d you piss her off this bad? She’s saying some wild stuff,” Fred asked, genuinely curious.

Cassian shoved his hands into his pockets, his gaze still locked on the spot under the tree where her scent lingered. “She’s mad because I wasn’t ‘sincere. No proposal. And she hates the attitude of the old men in my family.”

Of course, he also heard the subtext: she had a massive, long–standing grudge against him.

Fred let out a breath and patted his shoulder. “Told you. You gotta spoil girls. You walk around with that Alpha stick up your butt all day; who’s gonna put up with that?”

Cassian stayed silent.

In this life, even if he had to crawl, he was going to win her back.

“I want to redo the proposal. You hit the party scene a lot–give me some ideas,” Cassian muttered.

“Easy. Fred cleared his throat. “L.A. girls live for romance. Don’t you have a luxury yacht? Charter it, deck it out in a ‘Silver Moonlight‘ theme. It’s a slam dunk.”

At the word “yacht,” Cassian’s expression froze. His body gave an uncontrollable shudder.

Fred, thinking he just didn’t like the idea, switched gears. “How about a private beach? Cover it in her favorite flowers. The coastline at night is gorgeous. It’ll work for sure.”

Cassian’s gaze began to drift. A familiar, crushing pain–the one that had accompanied his death in the previous life–flared deep in his chest.

Seeing no reaction, Fred sighed. “Look, if you want to keep it simple, at least get a decent cake and some fresh red roses. As soon as she says yes, post it on every social platform to show your loyalty. That’s what an Alpha does.

Cassian’s head was spinning.

Shards of his past life–the yacht, the betrayal–flashed behind his eyes.

Every “romantic” keyword Fred mentioned–the boat, the beach, the social media post–felt like a steel needle being driven into the memory of Trista’s heart.

Finished

The “gifts” he used to think were favors were now just evidence of his own crimes.

Fred saw Cassian turn deathly pale, his pheromones fraying like dry grass. He figured his friend was just reeling from being dumped.

He patted Cassian’s shoulder. “Look, you know how Trista is. She used to fake being sick just to get you to look at her. I’ll set up a hang–out in a few days and trick her into coming. Just drop the ego, play nice, and it’ll blow over.”

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.