Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 488

Third Person’s POV

Cassian knew exactly what this cost. He had to pay a price to blunt the elders‘ rage and act as a human shield for the Silverlight pack against the inevitable backlash.

Alaina let out a sharp cry, rushing forward to intervene. “Can’t we just talk? Is corporal punishment the only way you know how to be a father? Is he even your son to you anymore?”

“Soft mothers make weak sons! You’ve spoiled both these children rotten!” Wilmot shoved his wife aside. “I’m teaching him what it actually means to be a fit heir for Ironthorn!”

At his command, the black–bone whip whistled through the air, striking Cassian’s back with ruthless precision.

After only a few lashes, the white fabric of his shirt was stained with jagged, terrifying streaks of

crimson.

Wilmot signaled a pause, his voice dropping to a cold, clinical demand. “I’m asking you one last time: the mating, or the engagement?”

Cassian tilted his head back slightly. A fine sheen of sweat covered his forehead, but his eyes were colder than before. “No mating. And definitely no engagement.”

As the words left his lips, he used his hands to slowly push himself up from the floor. His gaze flickered between Howard and Wilmot with predatory intensity.

“I’m not the only bloodline heir Ironthorn has.”

Cassian’s words were laced with a hidden edge, each one landing like a timed explosive. The faces in the room paled. “If you think I’m too volatile or ‘unfit,‘ by all means–replace me right now.”

This “abdication as self–destruction” play was the final straw.

Wilmot lunged forward in a blind rage, delivering a brutal backhand to Cassian’s face. “You dare use your inheritance to threaten me? Say that again!”

Cassian’s head snapped to the side. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

He took his time raising his hand, wiping the blood away with the back of his fingers. He met his father’s furious stare without a hint of fear, articulating every syllable, “I’ll say it a hundred more times. It’s a fact. I’m not your only son. If you insist on micromanaging my private life- or worse, taking out your frustration on the Silverlight pack…”

Finished સાં Cassian’s pheromones suddenly detonated, carrying a scorched, “burn–it–all–down” lethality. “I will walk away from the throne and make room for someone with more ambition.”

Without looking back at the wreckage he’d left behind, Cassian calmly put his jacket back on and walked out of the estate.

Inside the house, Howard’s chest was heaving with exertion. He collapsed back onto the sofa, gasping for air.

Wilmot paced the hall in a manic circle, cursing under his breath. “The lunatic! The absolute bastard!”

Alaina watched them with cold detachment.

“There are three days left until the moon,” Wilmot barked, turning to his mate.

“Does he want the whole city to watch Ironthorn become a laughingstock?“Alaina’s tone was flat,

chill she had cultivated over years of endurance. “Since Cassian took over as CEO,

asn’t he han

s him. If

If you chose him as the heir, you should know better than to

g the brakes at the temple, he obviously has a plan to clean up

She knew bett

Everything piece.

How

that she had suffered in silence for too long for this day.

ed belonged to her son and daughter. No one else was getting a

ht his breath, a flicker of cruelty crossing his eyes.

amma and whispered a command. “Find that woman, Samantha. If she so her face to distract Cassian right now… you know what to do.”

odded and vanished into the shadows.

ed to Wilmot. “A she–wolf from a bankrupt pack couldn’t have carried the egacy properly anyway. Maybe calling off the mating isn’t the worst thing. the cancellation of the ceremony to the public.”

ned and headed for her room without a word.

out a silent, mocking laugh. Howard was only compromising because there was ly no “Plan B” heir capable of replacing Cassian.

ext Morning. Silverlight Estate.

a was sitting with her family at the breakfast table, scrolling through new real estate

ngs.

2/33

Suddenly, Cassian’s face appeared on the news.

On screen, Cassian looked impeccable in his suit, handling the barrage of cameras with clinical precision.

He calmly announced that due to a critical phase in a multi–national project in Southeast Asia, the mating ceremony originally scheduled for the end of the month would be postponed.

Faced with a frenzy of questions about his “mystery bride,” Cassian looked directly into the camera. His voice took on a rare, soft quality. “I love my fiancée deeply. Our relationship is incredibly stable. To protect her privacy, I won’t be disclosing her identity until the official bond is sealed.”

Trista picked up the remote and clicked the TV off.

Her family shared snapped.

Ulva looke

than fair

Rand

go

tension that had been strangling the house for days finally

with a hint of reg

not only brilliant, he’s been more ur head.”

‘t know what’s g

warning. “Cas

n elders would

by making this about the ‘greater

n’t be so reckless next time. Think

tiful nod, bu

was just a rely to m

her ph

e Ironthorn PR department Everything Cassian acade of the pack’s dig

ing room–started t

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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.