Chapter 118
Cassian
I held her against my chest, my arms locked around her as if letting go would make this moment slip through my fingers like smoke. Annalise. My mate. My destruction. My salvation.
Her breathing was uneven, her body trembling slightly, her heartbeat thundering so loudly I could hear it against my ribs. She had her eyes closed, but I knew she was awake. I knew she felt this just as much as I did.
I wanted to believe she was here because she wanted me.
But I had been a fool before.
I had let my heart override my mind, let my love for her blind me, and in the end, she had used it against me. She had used me.
I had trusted her more than anyone. Even when my brothers were hesitant, when they questioned her loyalty, I had believed in her with everything I had.
And she
