Cassian's POV
The stone walls of the pack house felt like they were closing in on me as I moved through the shadows.
My brother, Caleb, was already back in our father's office, playing the part of the perfect, loyal son.
But my heart was still thundering against my ribs like a trapped animal. The scent of vanilla and rain was stuck in my lungs, making it impossible to breathe anything else. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her. Helen.
I reached the basement level where the air was colder. It smelled like damp earth and cheap soap. This was where the servants lived. This was where our mate, the woman the moon had given to us, was forced to sleep. The thought made me want to roar until the ceiling collapsed.
I found the door marked with a small, faded number. It was a pathetic wooden door that wouldn't stop a child, let alone a predator.
I slipped inside and closed the door behind me. I didn't want any interruptions. I leaned my back against the wood and pushed my Alpha aura out. I focused it on the lock, feeling the tumblers click into place with the sheer force of my will. No one would be able to open this door from the outside now. Not even our father.
For the first time in hours, we were truly alone.
Helen was sitting on the edge of a narrow, uncomfortable bed.
She jumped when she saw me, her eyes wide and wet with fresh tears. She looked so small, despite the soft curves of her body. She was clutching a thin blanket to her chest as if it could protect her from me.
"Please," she whispered, her voice cracking. "I didn't do anything wrong. I'll leave, I promise. I won't tell anyone about the woods."
My heart shattered. She thought I was there to punish her. She thought I was like Kevin or those other monsters who had bruised her.
I stepped into the dim light of the single bulb hanging from the ceiling. I moved slowly, keeping my hands visible, trying to make myself look less like a killer and more like a man who was hurting for her.
"I'm not going to hurt you, Helen," I said. I kept my voice low and soft, a tone I hadn't used in years of war. "I'm here to help."
I sat on a wooden stool near the bed. I had brought a small bag of supplies from the infirmary. I took out a clean cloth and a bottle of soothing ointment. The scent of the medicine was strong, but it couldn't hide the smell of her pain.
"Come here," I murmured.
She hesitated, looking at me with a mix of fear and that strange, magnetic pull of the mate bond.
Slowly, she shifted closer.
I reached out and gently took her hand. Her skin was soft, but her knuckles were scraped and red. I dipped the cloth into the cool water and began to wipe away the dirt from her skin.
She flinched when I touched a particularly deep cut on her arm. I stopped immediately, looking into her eyes.
"I'm sorry," I whispered.
I leaned down and pressed a soft, lingering kiss to her wrist, right over her pulse point. I felt her heart skip a beat, and a soft flush crept up her neck.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice barely a breath. "You're an Alpha. I'm just... I'm nothing. Kevin said I was a mistake."
I felt a surge of rage at the mention of that name, but I forced it down. I didn't want to scare her.
I moved the cloth to her cheek, carefully cleaning a smudge of dried blood near her lip. I was an Alpha who had spent years tearing enemies apart, yet here I was, my hands trembling because I was afraid of pressing too hard against her skin.
"Kevin is a fool who doesn't deserve the air he breathes," I said, my voice growing a bit darker. "The moon doesn't make mistakes, Helen. You are ours. You are mine and Caleb's. And we don't let anyone touch what belongs to us."
I opened the jar of ointment. It was made from rare herbs meant to heal bruises overnight. I began to rub it into her shoulders and arms. My touch was light, almost like a caress. I watched as her tension slowly melted away under the heat of my hands.
She let out a long, shaky sigh, and for a moment, the fear in her eyes was replaced by something else. It was longing. It was the same fire that was burning me alive from the inside out.
"It feels warm," she murmured, looking down at my hands on her skin.
"It's the bond," I explained. "Our touch will always heal you, Helen. We are meant to protect you."
I spent the next hour tending to every mark on her body that I could reach. I worked in silence, the only sound in the room being our breathing. I felt a deep, protective instinct settle into my bones. I wanted to pick her up and carry her away to a mountain where no one could ever find us. I wanted to feed her the finest food and wrap her in the softest silks.
But then, the sound of heavy boots echoed in the hallway outside. Someone was patrolling the servant quarters. The reality of our situation came crashing back down on me like a cold wave. The laboratory sensors, the pack laws, and our father's iron rule were still there, waiting for us.
I stopped my movements and looked at the door. The footsteps faded away, but the danger remained. I turned back to Helen, my expression turning serious. The tenderness was still there, but it was now clouded by the shadows of our world. I took her face in both of my hands, forcing her to look at me.
"Listen to me very carefully, Helen," I said, my voice tight with urgency. "The bond between us is the most powerful thing I have ever felt, but it is also a death sentence right now."
Her eyes widened again, the fear returning. "What do you mean?"
"Our father, Alpha Marcus, believes in purity above all else. He believes that an Alpha must mate with a high-ranking female to keep the pack strong. If he finds out that his heirs have been claimed by an Omega who hasn't shifted, he won't just be angry. He will see you as a threat to the entire bloodline."
I leaned closer, my forehead resting against hers. I could smell her terror, and it killed me that I was the one causing it. But I couldn't hide the truth from her.
"If he sees us together, if he even suspects that we have claimed you, he will execute you before the sun rises," I whispered. "He will call it an act of mercy for the pack."
Helen's breath hitched, and she began to tremble again. I gripped her face a little tighter, not to hurt her, but to keep her grounded.
"You have to stay in the shadows, Helen. In the light, we have to pretend you are nothing to us. We have to let the others think we don't care. It's the only way to keep you alive while Caleb and I find a way to break this cage."
I kissed her forehead, a promise of protection that I wasn't sure I could keep.
"Do you understand? You must never speak of us. You must never look at us with the bond in your eyes when others are watching. If you want to live, you have to agree to a life in the dark."