Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 482
The Heartbroken Luna’s Choice: Banish Love
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Third Person’s POV
As the sacred full moon of the mating month drew closer and the ceremonial mark remained missing from their records, Alaina’s internal anxiety finally hit a breaking point.
Early that morning, she cornered Cassian at the foot of the stairs as he was heading out. “How long do you plan on dragging out this ceremony with Trista? Every pack in Los Angeles is laughing at us!”
Cassian lowered his gaze, masking the dark shadows swirling in his eyes. “There’s no rush.”
“No rush?” Alaina’s eyes narrowed with suspicion. She stepped closer, her sharp senses picking up Cassian’s pheromones.
Her face hardened. “Is it because that woman, Samantha, is back?”
At the mention of that name, Cassian had a visceral, almost physical reaction. His brow furrowed into a deep, jagged scowl.
His voice went stone–cold as he bit out each word, “Trista and I are about to get mated. Don’t mention that person again. She has nothing to do with this.”
“You think I want to mention her? For years, Trista was the one chasing you while you acted like a block of ice. If you didn’t have that woman tucked away in your heart, how could you be this indifferent to Trista?”
“Mom, stop guessing. It’s not like that.” Cassian’s tone was exhausted, carrying a rare hint of a plea.
Alaina let out a cold snort, her gaze cutting like a blade. “I think you used some shady tactic to push Trista into backing out at the temple. That way, you can conveniently wait until the end of the month for that woman to return!”
“If I am to have a mate in this life,” Cassian said, his voice echoing through the hallway as looked his mother dead in the eye, “it will only be Trista.”
With that, he bolted out of the Ironthorn estate as if he were being hunted by a predator.
Alaina stood there, watching her son’s frantic retreat, a flicker of worry in her
eyes.
She had seen how much Trista loved Cassian; she also knew exactly how cold her son had been in return.
When Cassian first announced he wanted to mate with the Silverlight Alpha’s daughter, she’d
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been shocked. Now that Trista had suddenly jilted him, Alaina felt like something catastrophic must have happened behind the scenes.
She ordered her beta to prepare the highest–tier visitation gifts. She was going to see the Silverlight pack herself.
9:00 AM. Silverlight Estate. When Alaina appeared at the door, Randolph and Ulva were floored, ushering her into the living room with frantic politeness.
Alaina wasn’t one for small talk. She cut straight to the point. “I’m not here for formalities,” she said. “I just want to know what’s going on between those two. Why haven’t they gone back to the temple to finish the ritual?”
Randolph and Ulva shared an uneasy look. Ulva went upstairs to get Trista while Randolph tried to smooth things over.
“Trista just graduated. Spending a couple of years focusing on her work at the medical center to build her character isn’t a bad thing.”
“Randolph, we’ve been friends for decades,” Alaina said, seeing right through him.
“Career and family don’t clash. If she wants a career, Ironthorn will back her 100%. That is not why she ran from the altar. Did Cassian do something to upset you or Trista?”
Just then, Trista walked into the room behind her mother.
She sat down next to Alaina with perfect poise, breaking the silence with a calm smile. “Alaina, don’t blame Cassian. This is on me.”
Only Trista knew she was a ghost carrying the blood and tears of a past life. To everyone else, they were still living in a peaceful, sunlit illusion.
Trista took Alaina’s hand, her gaze holding a level of patience and peace that only someone who had lived through two lifetimes could possess.
“Alaina, I was just too young. I hadn’t learned to tell the difference between biological instinct and real love,” she explained, her voice so sincere it was impossible to find fault.
“At the altar, I suddenly realized the truth. All these years I spent chasing Cassian… I was just looking at him as a big brother I could lean on. That feeling was pure dependency, not the soul- deep attraction of a mate. I couldn’t marry him–it would be an insult to the Moon Goddess.”
Seeing Alaina’s stunned expression, Trista pushed further. “I’m sorry, Alaina. In my heart, Cassian is like a brother, a family. I realized it late, but luckily we hadn’t finished the bond yet. There’s still time to turn back.”
Trista leaned in closer, her tone almost a playful, affectionate plea. “You’ve always treated me
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like your own daughter. If you’ll have me, just let me be your daughter for real. When you and Wilmot get old, Wynn and I can take turns looking after you. Isn’t that better?”
If Trista had demanded money, shares, or territory, Alaina would have known how to negotiate.
But by downgrading that burning passion into “sibling affection,” Trista had effectively cut the ground out from under her.
Alaina couldn’t reject a “daughter’s” devotion, and she certainly couldn’t force a girl who saw Cassian as a brother to fulfill “mating duties.”
When Alaina left the Silverlight territory, her face was pale. She immediately dialed Cassian, her voice an absolute, non–negotiable command. “Get your ass back to the estate tonight. Immediately!”
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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.