Chapter 95
CASSANDRA
By the time my father called, I already had my answer.
“I told you,” I said, reclining on the silk chaise in my apartment, phone pressed to my ear. “You need to stop worrying. Derek will be mine.”
A pause. Then, his voice–cool, clipped, expectant. “You sound confident.”
“I am confident.” I swirled the wine in my glass, watching the red liquid catch the light. “He’s emotionally frayed, unsure who he can trust. Elena’s presence only makes it worse. She’s chaos, not stability.”
“And you think that’s what he wants now?”
“No,” I said, smiling faintly. “It’s what he needs. I’m going to give him peace. A future.”
Even if I had to manufacture every piece of it.
I hung up before he could reply. I didn’t need his approval. I’d get what I wanted—with or
without it.
By late afternoon, I was standing on the front steps of the Silverclaw packhouse. I wore something simple–strategic. Soft pink blouse. Loose hair. Just a hint of vulnerability in my expression. The picture of a woman offering comfort.
Caroline opened the door, eyebrows lifting in surprise.
“Cassandra,” she said slowly. “Did you have an appointment?”
I smiled, gentle and harmless. “I just wanted to see Derek. I thought he might be here.”
Her mouth tightened. “He’s not.”
“Oh.” I tilted my head. “Do you know when he’ll be back?”
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She hesitated. Something flickered behind her eyes. “I… I’m not permitted to say.”
+25 Bonus
Disappointment bloomed across my face with practiced precision. “Oh. I understand.”
She looked genuinely sorry. “If I could tell you, I would. I know you care about him.”
I reached out and touched her hand briefly. “Thank you, Caroline. I know you’re just trying to protect him.”
I turned and walked back to the car, the image of grace and patience.
I could wait. I’d been waiting a long time already.
MAGGIE
a
The wind had picked up, rustling through the trees like whispers in the dark.
I crouched behind a broken stone fence across the road from the cottage. The windows glowed faintly, warm and golden in the dark. Someone was still awake inside. Probably Erin. Or Carly.
I hadn’t spoken to either of them since I’d seen Carly right after the attack at the Summit.
I’d meant what I said–stay away from me. From this life.
And yet here I was.
Watching.
Not knocking.
From the shadows.
I just needed to know that they were okay.
The crunch of tires on gravel caught my attention. I sank lower, barely breathing, as a sleek black car eased down the narrow path and stopped in front of the small dwelling. The
engine cut off. The driver’s side door opened.
Mason Hart stepped out.
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So the rumors were true.
+25 Bonus
I had suspected something between him and Erin when they were both at Moonstone-
little glances, moments that lingered longer than they should have–but I hadn’t expected
this.
He was risking everything just to see her.
That meant it was more than attraction.
It meant he cared. Maybe he more than cared. Could it be love, I wondered?
I should’ve left. Turned back.
But then I caught another scent.
Faint. Fresh.
Not Mason’s.
Not Erin’s or Carly’s.
Rogue.
I moved quickly, silently, circling the house at a distance until I spotted him crouched behind a cluster of trees. A kid, maybe seventeen or eighteen, with a patchy beard and eyes that gleamed too bright in the dark. He held a pair of binoculars, trained on the cottage.
I stepped out of the trees without a sound.
“You’re going to fog up those lenses if you keep panting like that.”
He spun, startled–but didn’t reach for a weapon. His expression shifted when he caught
my scent.
“Oh,” he said. “Didn’t see you there. You one of us?”
I was obviously a rogue, which put him ease. For better or worse.
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“Something like that.”
+25 Bonus
He grinned, cocky. “Name’s Rafe. I’ve been keeping an eye on this place. I heard Mason Hart comes out here sometimes. Alone. Looks like I was right.”
He was smiling, eager. Pleased with himself.
I said nothing, letting the silence draw him in.
He took the bait, talking faster now. “If I take him out—if I hit the Moonstone Alpha’s heir before the rest of the faction moves–they’ll have to let me in, right? I mean, I’d be doing
them a favor.”
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