Chapter 10
1572 Words
_Raven’s POV_
I did not sleep well that night.
Even after the howling faded into the distance, my mind refused to rest. Every time I closed my eyes, the same terrible image returned. I could still see Cassian standing in the garden under the pale moonlight. His body had twisted in a way that no human body should ever twist. I had heard the awful sound of bones shifting under his skin and then, his clothes had torn as white fur spread across his body. Before I could even process what I was seeing, claws had replaced his hands and a wolf had stood where Cassian had been.
I turned onto my side and pulled the blanket closer around my shoulders.
“This is impossible,” I whispered softly.
Maybe I had imagined it. Maybe the shadows in the garden had tricked my eyes. The wedding had been long and I had been exhausted. My mind might have simply created something that was not real.
But no matter how many times I tried to convince myself, the memory remained too clear. Eventually my exhaustion won, and I fell into a restless sleep filled with strange dreams.
When morning came, it felt like I had barely rested at all.
A gentle knock sounded on my door.
“Raven?” my mom’s voice called softly. “Are you awake?”
I slowly opened my eyes and sat up in bed. “Yes,” I answered.
The door opened and my mom stepped inside with a warm smile on her face. “Good morning, sweetheart."
“Morning,” I replied quietly.
She walked closer and looked at me carefully. “You look tired.”
“I didn’t sleep very well,” I admitted.
She laughed softly. “That’s understandable after such a long day. Come on, Lucas asked the staff to prepare breakfast for us.”
I nodded and got out of bed. A few minutes later, we walked into the dining room together.
The room was large and bright, with sunlight pouring in through the tall windows. A long wooden table stood in the center and several plates of food had already been arranged neatly across it. Fresh bread, eggs, fruit and a glass jar filled with orange juice sat near the middle of the table.
Lucas was already seated. He was reading something on his phone.
When he saw us enter, he smiled warmly. “Good morning,” he said.
“Good morning,” my mom replied happily.
I sat down beside her while Lucas poured himself a cup of coffee.
“Did you sleep comfortably in your new room?” he asked.
“Yes,” I said politely. “The room is beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
For a moment everything felt calm and normal. Then the dining room door opened.
My entire body stiffened when Cassian walked in.
The moment I saw him, the memory of the garden rushed back into my mind. My stomach tightened as I watched him approach the table.
He looked completely normal.
His blond hair was slightly messy and he wore a dark shirt and jeans. There was no sign of the terrifying creature I had seen the night before.
His eyes met mine.
Then he smiled.
I quickly looked away.
Cassian pulled out the chair beside me and sat down. Instinctively, I moved my own chair a little farther away from him. It was a small movement but he noticed. A slow smirk appeared on his face.
“Good morning,” he said casually.
My mom smiled warmly. “Good morning, Cassian.”
Lucas glanced up from his coffee. “How are you feeling now?” he asked.
“Much better,” Cassian replied calmly. “The stomach pain is gone.”
Lucas nodded. “Good. I thought the food last night might have upset your stomach.”
Cassian shrugged slightly. “Probably.”
Lucas then reached toward the center of the table. “Raven, could you pass me the orange juice?”
“Of course,” I said.
I grabbed the glass jar and lifted it carefully. However, the jar was heavier than I expected and my fingers slipped slightly against the smooth surface.
The jar tilted forward.
For a brief moment, it looked like it was about to fall straight onto the floor. Before I could react, Cassian’s hand shot forward. He caught the jar in midair with effortless speed. The movement happened so quickly that I barely saw it. One moment the jar was falling, and the next moment it was safely in his hand.
Cassian calmly placed it in front of Lucas as if nothing unusual had happened.
My mom laughed softly. “Wow, those are some impressive reflexes.”
Lucas shrugged casually. “He plays football. You need quick reactions on the field. If you hesitate even for a second, the other team will steal the ball.”
“That makes sense,” my mom replied.
I said nothing. Because what I had just seen did not feel normal. No one moved that fast. I glanced at Cassian again.
He was eating his breakfast calmly but I caught him watching me from the corner of his eye. When our gazes briefly met, he smiled in that same knowing way.
Something about him was definitely strange. And I needed to find out what it was.
Later that morning, Cassian and I went to school together. The ride was quiet. I spent most of the time looking out the window while the city passed by outside.
Suddenly Cassian spoke. “Did you sleep well?” he asked.
I turned toward him. “Why do you care?”
He chuckled softly. “Just making conversation.”
“That’s new.”
He leaned back in his seat. “People can change.”
I frowned slightly but did not answer.
When we arrived at school, something else strange happened.
Cassian grabbed my bag before I could stop him.
“I’ll carry it,” he said.
“You don’t have to,” I replied.
“I know.”
He slung my bag over one shoulder while still carrying his own bag. Both bags looked heavy but he carried them easily as if they weighed nothing.
I stared at him suspiciously. Maybe he trained a lot. Maybe he spent hours at the gym. Or maybe something else was going on.
As we walked through the school gates, Cassian continued acting strangely sweet. He smiled, laughed and even opened the classroom door for me.
I finally stopped walking.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
He raised an eyebrow.
“What do you mean?”
“You’re acting weird.”
“Weird how?”
“You’re being nice.”
He smiled again.
“And that bothers you?”
“Yes.”
He laughed softly.
“That’s cold.”
“Drop the act,” I said quietly.
His eyes flickered for a moment before the smile returned. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
I turned away.
I was tired of his fake concern.
During lunch break, Cassian approached me again.
“So,” he said casually, “do you want to have lunch with me and my friends?”
I stared at him.
“No.”
His eyebrows lifted slightly.
“No?”
“No,” I repeated.
Then I walked away.
I spotted Raphael sitting near the courtyard tables and immediately felt relieved.
He smiled when he saw me.
“Hey,” he said.
“Hi.”
“Lunch together?”
“Yes,” I replied.
We sat down and opened our lunch boxes. Raphael began talking about math again.
“You should come by my house later,” he said. “I can help you study.”
“That would be great,” I admitted. “But I should ask my mom first.”
“Of course.”
Just then a shadow fell across our table. I looked up. Cassian was standing there. His expression was calm but his eyes were cold.
Raphael leaned back in his chair. “Do you need something?” he asked.
Cassian ignored him and looked at me instead. “You seem busy.”
“Yes,” I replied.
Raphael spoke again. “Then why are you here?”
Cassian slowly turned his head toward him. “I was talking to Raven and she’s talking to me.”
Cassian’s jaw tightened. Then he laughed softly. “You really enjoy playing the hero, don’t you?”
Raphael frowned. “What are you talking about?”
Cassian leaned slightly closer. “Helping the weak girl. Carrying her books. Offering to tutor her.”
Raphael’s expression darkened. “What’s your problem?”
Cassian smirked. “No problem.”
Then he looked back at me. “You should be careful, Raven.”
“Careful of what?” I asked.
“People who pretend to care.”
I stood up. “That’s enough.”
Cassian looked at me in surprise.
“Leave us alone.”
For a moment he said nothing. Then he laughed quietly and turned away.
But as he walked off, I could still feel the tension he left behind.
Raphael sighed. “What was that about?”
I shook my head slowly. “I don’t know.”
But one thing was certain.
Cassian was hiding something.
And I was going to find out what it was.
- Writer
