Alpha of her Heart

CHAPTER 20

CASSIAN WALKED WITH CASSARA to the edge of the forest where the border shimmered faintly with protective wards. The scent of another pack was already lingering in the air. At the border, a young man, probably in his mid-twenties, stood, rigid, and his dark eyes filled with worry and restrained fury. Behind the future Beta of Moonlight Crown Pack were the pack warriors.

“Princess,” Reeve breathed out the moment he saw Cassara. “Thank the Moon Goddess—you’re safe. Let’s go.”

“I don’t want to go back,” Cassara said, and didn’t step outside the border.

Meanwhile, Cassian stepped back, but he didn’t leave.

Reeve sighed. “Cassara, please,” he said in a soft voice. “His Majesty and Her Majesty are worried about you. They’ve sent warriors everywhere. Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

“I don’t care,” Cassara snapped. “I don’t want to go back.”

Cassian tilted his head as he watched what was happening in front of him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and muttered under his breath, “Here we go…”

“Cassara, stop acting like a child,” Reeve said, his voice was gentle and calm. He stepped closer. “Please, let’s go. You know that you are the Alpha King’s only daughter. You don’t get to just disappear. Her Majesty was really worried.”

Cassara clenched her fists. “I said I don’t want to go back!”

“Princess, don’t force me,” said Reeve.

Cassara looked at Reeve. “You always control me!” Her voice rose. “I said I don’t want to go back! Isn’t that word hard to understand?!”

Reeve closed his eyes and took a deep breath. “Princess, I’m not controlling you. I’m protecting you. That’s my duty as your mate.”

Something inside Cassara snapped at the word duty. “Exactly,” she said in a calm voice. “Duty. That’s all I am to you. A responsibility you can’t escape.”

“Cassara—”

“No!” Cassara shook her head with her eyes—tears threatening to spill.

Then, as Reeve reached out for her arm, her instinct, or maybe because of desperation, kicked in. Cassara darted behind the Rogue Alpha. For some reason, or a feeling she didn’t know where it came from, she thought she could get help from Alpha Cassian. She thinks Alpha Cassian was not as ruthless as others say.

The Rogue Alpha froze, his broad frame becoming an unintentional shield between Cassara and her mate.

Cassian glanced over his shoulder. His brow arched, clearly unimpressed. “Really, Princess?”

Cassara clung to the back of his shirt, her small hands trembling. “Don’t let him take me,” she pleaded. She didn’t know, but something was pulling her towards the Rogue Alpha. It’s not about a mate bond, but a bond that she couldn’t explain.

“Alpha Cassian,” Reeve slightly bowed his head, “Please, step aside. This is a private matter of the Royal Family.”

Cassian looked at the future Beta. His gaze was cold as steel. “She hadn’t stepped out from the border yet, so she was still under my roof. That makes it my business.”

The atmosphere was filled with tension as two dominant wolves stared each other down.

Cassian felt the familiar itch of challenge burning in his blood. His wolf growled, wanting to assert dominance, but this wasn’t his fight, unless the man in front of him started it. Of course, he won’t back down.

“Princess,” Cassia said at last, his voice was firm, “you can’t stay here. You know that.”

“I don’t care,” Cassara said. “Even if I leave here, I still run away.” Then she glanced at Reeve. “I don’t want to be controlled again.”

Reeve stilled. Am I controlling her too much?

Cassian couldn’t let out a breath. Damn, stubborn Castellanos. He had known that the Royal Family’s temper was legendary. And now here he was, stuck in the middle of a royal drama, while his own mate was waiting back home.

And he doesn’t know if this was a coincidence or if fate was playing with him.

First, it was the Alpha King.

Now, the princess.

What could be next?

The prince… well, he hopes not.

And before Cassian and Reeve would get into a fight, Cassian smelled his mate’s scent, then a soft but firm voice cut through.

“Don’t fight.”

All eyes shifted to the owner of the voice.

Seris stepped out from behind the tree.

Cassian was stunned by seeing his mate. He didn’t know if his eyes were playing with him or what, but he didn’t care because, right now, he didn’t see the coward Seris, but a Seris with a calm presence yet commanding in a way that drew attention without force.

Cassian smiled. Looks like staying with Elena was good. Seris learned a lot from Elena. But he hopes that Seris won’t learn from Elena how to become fierce.

As Seris approached, her silver eyes locked on the man in front of Cassian with a quiet intensity. “If she doesn’t want to go back, don’t force her,” she said.

Reeve looked at the woman. His nostrils caught her scent. A wolf, but he couldn’t sense the woman’s inner wolf. “You are…”

“Seris,” Seris introduced herself, not offering a bow or curtsy as most would do in the presence of royalty and their Betas. Elena had told her about the Royal Family, and she didn’t care about any of it. Elena had taught her a lot about werewolves and witches, and she really learned a lot about them, including the story of the Royal Family that a few people knew, and some might not.

Seris folded her arms loosely, her posture relaxed but radiating confidence.

Cassian was proud of his mate because she was not the Seris he had met for the first time.

Seris had changed. And it was for the best.

For the past few days, Seris has been getting better and better. But even so, she doesn’t know anything about the mate thing yet. She was clueless about how it was done and what it was made of, making Ciaran shake his head, because he was being tortured of the inheat.

Seris didn’t flinch even if the man narrowed his eyes as if to threaten her. The Poison Witch’s eyes were more threatening than the man in front of her. “If Cassara didn’t want to go back with you, don’t force her. The more you force her, the more she rebels,” she said. “One more thing—” her gaze sharpened, cutting straight into him. “Don’t control her too much." That’s how you make her hate you.”

Then, Seris looked at Cassara. She had spoken to her earlier. Honestly, Cassara had a temper, but she was not annoying.

Reeve’s jaw tightened. He fisted. His wolf bristled under Seris’s words, but something in her calm certainty made it hard to snap back. And he wouldn’t dare to do that because the Rogue Alpha was staring at him like he had committed a grave sin.

Cassara remained behind Alpha Cassian.

Seris let the silence hang between them before she turned to Cassian. “Cassian, I’m going to Elena.”

Cassian nodded once. And his gaze softened. He looked at her—Reeve saw it all. ‘Is this the ruthless Rogue Alpha feared by all? Why do I feel he was a gentleman now?

“Okay. Be careful.”

Seris nodded, smiled at Cassara, “Just follow your heart,” she said and brushed past, her presence leaving behind an odd mix of serenity and warning. As her figure disappeared into the trees, Cassian looked at the future Beta. “You heard my mate,” he said in a calm voice, but it carried a dangerous warning.

Reeve could only sigh. He took a deep breath and exhaled again. His wolf wanted to fight, to demand, but the look in the Rogue Alpha’s eyes… that kind of predatory, certain, and very much Alpha made him hesitate. And facing the Alpha of Rogue felt like he was facing the Alpha King, which was weird.

“Princess, will you really not go back?” Reeve asked for the last time.

Cassara stepped into view. She nodded her head. “Even if I leave here, I will still run away. It’s useless if you take me back. I don’t want to go back to the palace. I feel suffocated.”

Reeve stared at his mate. He stepped closer to her and pulled her into a hug. “Sorry about raising my voice to you, and I apologize for my actions. I didn’t know that I was already controlling you.” He gave distance between himself and Cassara. “Don’t worry, I won’t force you to go back.” That brought light to Cassara’s face.

Then Reeve took out his wallet and took out his card, and placed it into Cassara’s palm. “Don’t wander outside. Sleep in a nice place and eat your meals properly.”

Cassara smiled. “Thank you.”

Reeve kissed his mate’s forehead.

Cassian, who was watching the two, rolled his eyes. “You two, I’m still here,” he said and tsked. He looked at Reeve. “Tell your Alpha King that the princess is safe here.”

Reeve nodded. “If the princess was unruly, don’t punish her, call the Alpha King.”

“The Alpha King was free to visit his daughter anytime,” he said. He looked at Cassara. “Just please, don’t give me trouble.”

“Then I can only trouble Seris,” Cassara said and ran, running in the direction where Seris walked.

Cassian could only massage his temple. This sister of his… from Cassara’s appearance, he could already smell the trouble. Why did he agree to take her in any way?

Right, it was because of Seris. It will be a good thing if Seris gets to know a lot of people to build her confidence.

He looked at the future Beta. “Don’t let the prince run away, too,” he said, and walked away.

Cassian was hoping Cassara, his sister, would not lead his mate astray.