Cassian's wolf thrashed against the chains, the metallic clang echoing through the cave. His muscles rippled beneath thick black fur as he slammed into the bar doors, again and again, snarling with primal fury. The scent—the voice—called to him. He couldn't reach it, but he wouldn't stop trying.
Up in the main house, Elara jolted awake, her heart pounding. A low growl echoed faintly in her ears, sending a shiver down her spine. She glanced around her dimly lit room—empty. Still unsettled, she walked over to the window and stared up at the full moon hanging in the sky. Its glow washed over her skin, and with it came another wave of growls, clearer this time.
Her breath caught.
"Cassian…" she whispered.
Without hesitation, she slipped down the marble staircase and through the sliding doors that led to the backyard. The night was still, almost too still, as if it held its breath.
Then her feet began to move on their own, drawn by something unseen—something deep and instinctual.
In the cave, Cassian's wolf paced like a caged predator. Another growl rumbled in his throat before he lunged at the bars once more, golden eyes gleaming beneath the moonlight. He froze, nostrils flaring, and turned towards the entrance.
Elara emerged from the trees and stopped at the mouth of the cave. Her gaze met the glowing gold of his eyes, his black fur stark as midnight. A chill crawled up her spine.
Cassian growled low, feral, consumed by the curse. The wolf surged forward, slamming against the bars with raw power. Elara stumbled back, fear coursing through her veins. The reinforced bars creaked.
"Cassian…" she called, her voice trembling.
But he didn't hear her. Or if he did, it only angered him more. Again she stepped closer, trying to reach him.
"Cassian!"
With a deafening crash, the bars gave way. The beast was free.
Elara gasped and stumbled backward as the monstrous wolf stalked toward her, growling deep in his throat. Panic flared within her. The elders had told her she was the key to breaking his curse, but they'd never explained how. Now, face-to-face with a cursed and out-of-control Alpha, she realized just how woefully unprepared she was.
Cassian circled her, rage clouding his gaze. Then, for a split second, his golden eyes flickered—black peeking through.
Elara's eyes widened.
"There could be… a chance," she murmured.
She didn't move. The wolf snarled again, but something in her stillness caught his attention. He hesitated, sniffing the air. Then, with a snarl, he lunged forward.
Elara cried out and flinched, raising her arms instinctively.
A loud thud rang out.
She slowly opened her eyes, her entire body trembling. The massive wolf lay collapsed before her, unmoving. A faint white aura glowed around his form—an energy flowing from her hands, now glowing faintly themselves. She blinked in shock, her breath catching in her throat.
She stepped closer and knelt beside him. He was still breathing.
Relief swept over her—until a sharp pain stabbed her side. She coughed, and blood stained her lips. Her hand found the wound—deep, slashed by his claws before the aura had subdued him. Darkness closed in around her as her body gave way. She collapsed beside him.
The moon began to fade, and dawn's first light crept across the sky.
Cassian stirred.
A dull ache pulsed in his skull as he sat up. The cave's entrance had been torn open, but the perimeter fence remained intact—he was still within the estate.
He groaned softly, then froze.
Elara lay beside him, unconscious… and bleeding.
His breath caught. His pulse thundered.
"Elara…"
He touched her gently, panic setting in. She didn't respond.
Fear unlike anything he'd ever known consumed him. He scooped her into his arms and pressed his hand to her side, trying to stem the bleeding.
Then he ran.
Bursting through the front doors, he found Leticia, Luke, and the healer sitting in the parlor. Time seemed to slow as their faces turned toward him—and paled.
"Save her!" he bellowed.
They jolted and rushed to him.
Whether it was the raw desperation in his voice or the sheer impossibility of him being lucid this early, they didn't question. The healer took Elara and laid her gently on the ground. His hands glowed with a healing light as he worked over her wounds.
Cassian hovered beside her, his claws still slightly extended, breath uneven. He watched as Elara's face slowly relaxed and her breathing evened out. Her wounds knitted together as if they'd never existed.
He exhaled, his heart still pounding.
He had struck her. Of that, he was certain. But how had she ended up beside him when he woke? Why had she come to him?
And how had she survived?
Cassian sat in silence, watching over her.
For the first time in his life, he had truly been afraid.
Just who is this woman?