جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 60

Talia’s POV Something was wrong. I could feel it in the air, heavy and sharp. The pack house was never quiet, not really, but today the silence pressed against me, unnatural. Guards moved quickly down the halls, their shoulders tense, their eyes fixed straight ahead as though they carried secrets they didn't dare let slip. Mrs Alanna hadn’t come to find me for my lessons and Kira hadn’t come too. Something was definitely wrong. I sat in the lounge, pretending to read, but my gaze kept snagging on every movement, every hushed voice. My instincts twisted inside me. Then I saw Nicole. He strode past the doorway, his usually calm face drawn tight, shadows pulling at his jaw. He didn't notice me at first, but when I called his name, he faltered — just slightly — before turning back. "Talia," he said, too fast, like he hadn't expected me to catch him. My stomach sank. "What happened?" "Nothing you need to worry about." His answer was smooth, rehearsed, but his eyes betra

The air in the hospital felt thicker when I stepped out of Cassian's room, like the walls themselves wanted to hold me in that moment I had no business having.My legs carried me forward, but my mind was still inside, replaying every detail. The weight of him against me. The way his head had rested on my breast, heavy with exhaustion but strangely... right. Too right.My fingers tingled where I had touched him, brushing his curls back, cradling him like something fragile. It wasn't supposed to be like that. He wasn't supposed to feel like something I wanted to protect.I shook my head, almost violently, as I pushed through the corridor. No. I didn't care for him. I couldn't. Cassian was cruel, stubborn, infuriating. Whatever happened in that room was weakness, nothing more. Nothing I wanted to carry.Then why did my chest ache? Why was I still warm where his body had touched mine?I was still drowning in that conflict when I rounded a corner—and froze. Nicole leaned against the wall,

By the time I made it back to Cassian's suite, the pack house had gone quiet. The hallways were dimly lit and there was nobody in sight. After leaving the council room, I had gone to the library, and somehow, I got lost in a romance book.I rolled my shoulders, trying to ease the tension there when I let out a yelp, bringing my hand up to my chest.Cassian sat in the shadows, broad shoulders bowed, the moonlight catching the sharp line of his jaw. His arms were folded on his chest, his head leaned back on the couch.He caught my scent, or my yelp, and slowly lifted his eyes to mine. He didn't have his usual coldness in them, just wariness."Thank you," he finally spoke, his voice low. "For what you said in the council. For having my back."Heat rushed to my face, and I hated it. "Don't thank me," I scoffed, folding my arms. "I just didn't want to sit through their self-righteous droning any longer. You should be grateful I saved you from dying of boredom."I brushed it off, or tried

I shut the bathroom door behind me, pressing my back against it as though I could lock the whole world out. My hands trembled. My ribs ached. Every bruise felt like proof that Kira had won. And she had. She won.The mirror only confirmed it — a swollen cheekbone, a lip split and raw. I swallowed the lump in my throat and soaked a cloth under the tap, letting the hot water scald my palm before pressing it to my face. The sting forced a hiss past my teeth.I bit down hard, choking back the sound. I would not cry. Not for them.The door creaked open.I spun, startled, clutching the cloth like a weapon.Cassian stood in the doorway. His eyes went straight to my face — lingering, darkening — before moving over the rest of me. Every bruise, every scrape. His jaw tightened until I thought it might crack. I turned back to face the mirror, ignoring him. I wasn’t in the mood for his taunt or mockery.“Go away,”He didn’t respond, just closed the door behind him, softly.He crossed the room with

The afternoon sun beat down on my back as I sparred with... nothing.I jabbed the air, sloppy and desperate, my fists slicing through empty space. My knuckles stung where I'd clipped myself, and the ache in my arms felt more pathetic than powerful. Sweat slid down my temple as I swung again, breath ragged. I wanted to get better, to be able to fight that bitch-ass and not crumble next time.But no one would help. No one dared. They all feared Cassian too much, and to them, I was some fragile ornament, too precious to risk shattering."The Alpha won't like that."Bullshit.With a grunt, I let my fists drop. The silence mocked me, and I collapsed onto the grass with a huff. Fighting air. Goddess, what was I even doing? A bitter laugh slipped past my lips, because the absurdity of it all was too much."Um..."The sound snapped me around. Nicole stood there, towering, broad-shouldered, his expression carved into a mask of blank seriousness. But his eyes betrayed him — uncertain, shadowed