Where Soft Light Shines Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane 493

Third Person’s POV

165

Finished

Trista shook her head, her expression calm but firm. “Even if that’s true, I’m not accepting charity. In the law of the pack, there’s no such thing as a free kill.”

She knew better now. Everything he gave her today without a price tag would eventually turn into the very fangs that would tear into her and her family later.

His “sincerity” always came with suffocating fine print.

The two young wolves stood in a silent standoff under the night sky, barely half a step apart.

Cassian raised the long list of assets in his hand. His knuckles were white from the strain, his voice dangerously low. “Then what about this? This asset separation list… what the hell is this supposed to mean, Trista?”

Trista didn’t blink. She met his gaze with a defiant, clinical clarity. “Every luxury item, every piece of real estate you’ve given me over the years–it’s all packed and ready to go. If I stay your “little childhood fri l’I’ll keep the gifts and view them as a brother’s protection.”

ectly into his bloodshot eyes, hitting him with every word. “But if you rol me as a mate? Then I’m sorry, but every single thing goes back to

, and we cut ties. Completely.”

ast sidewalk, the two of them locked eyes under the yellow streetlights.

ment, the scent of cedar in the air was so thick it felt like the world had frozen solid.

Son–like terror began to spread through Cassian’s heart.

ross two lifetimes, the one thing Trista wanted most was to be “even” with him.

Seeing him frozen in silence, Trista delivered her final ultimatum. “I value our twenty years of history. But if you push me, I won’t hesitate to become the person you used to know–a complete stranger.”

With that, she turned on her heel. The sharp clack of her boots on the pavement echoed as she vanished into the darkness without a single backward glance.

Trista had essentially given Cassian two dead ends.

First, give up the mating, and they could maintain a fake, “sibling” peace while she kept the gifts.

15:27 Tue, Apr 7

Second, force the marking and the mamatingriage, and she would liquidate everything, effectively murdering the last shred of affection between them.

Cassian stood alone, his fingertips turning a ghostly white as he gripped the bank card.

In his past life, the last thing Trista wanted before she died was to be “even.”

“Was that crazy hunch actually true?” he wondered.

“Is she… also back from the future?”

Back in his armored car, Cassian dialed Humphrey. His voice was like a shard of ice.

Monday morning, 8:30 AM. Cassian strode into the CEO’s office.

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Finished

Humphrey immediately presented his findings. “Alpha, I’ve sent the address for Miss Holmes’s new apartment to your terminal. Also… we found the buyer for the obsidian cane. It’s someone from the West Side underground auction house. They’re playing hardball; they aren’t willing to let go of the merchandise yet.”

ssian yanked at

ardin

Trista

sitting behind his desk with a dark, volatile fire in his eyes. y. Get the car ready. I’m meeting the buyer myself.”

“Cancel

a tracked the address to a new rental apartment on the West Side.

d conflicted as they invited him into their living room.

alloy briefcase across the coffee table toward them. “Randolph, Ulva. I bought cepter back from the auction house. It’s back where it belongs.”

e shared a look.

pped forward and clicked the case open to verify the contents.

ver, she didn’t look happy. She snapped the case shut and pushed it back toward Cassian. sian, that was a clean sale,” Ulva said. “Since you paid for it, it’s your private property now. can’t take it.”

assian sat on the small folding sofa, hesitating before finally asking the question that was ating him alive. “Uncle, Auntie… can you tell me why? Why was Trista so desperate to back out at the temple?”

Seeing their hesitation, he let out a sliver of soft but undeniable Alpha aura. “I need the real

reason.”

Randolph sighed, patting his knees. “Cassian, you’re brilliant, you’re powerful. We always saw you as her mate. But Trista has a fierce streak. If she’s set on not mating, we aren’t going to use

15:27 Tue, Apr 7

our aura to force her.”

Ulva added with a sigh, “She didn’t lie to you. Her explanation to us was exactly what she told you. She actually left this morning to start her new job at the Blade Pack’s healing center.

Cassian lowered his lashes, hiding the dark storm in his eyes.

She’d actually gone to the Blade Pack–the only territory in L.A. that could rival Ironthorn, a dangerous group with a lineage of apex predators.

“To be honest,” Ulva continued, “Randolph and I have our own selfish reasons. She just turned eighteen; we’d like to keep her home for a couple more years before she’s marked.”

Cassian immediately offered the biggest compromise of his life, his voice bordering on humble. “If you don’t want her to leave, I’ll move in with the Silverlights after our mating. I’ll support her career 100%. I would never let her wolf suffer a single slight.”

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.