48 His Wife
–
Rolan came toward me, his arm raised in a potential assault. My blood ran cold as the tension in the room escalated instantly. Cassian’s eyes darkened, his posture shifting from relaxed to aggressive in less than a second. He took a step forward, placing himself between me and Rolan.
“Rolan,” Cassian’s voice was low, a warning growl underlying his words, “I suggest you choose your next actions very carefully,”
Rolan’s face twisted with anger, yet I could see the doubt in his eyes. He looked down at Cassian’s hand but didn’t back down completely, “You think you can stop me, Cassian? That bitch will have to be punished for touching my woman.”
Cassian’s hand twitched, a barely restrained impulse to attack. “You will first have to tell your wife to behave herself around the Luna,” he said, his voice dangerously calm.
Rolan scoffed, his face contorting into a bitter expression. “That imposter is not our true Luna, and just because those traitors we call servants want to kiss her feet now does not change anything. She is a maggot and nothing else.”
Cassian clenched his hand into a fist, the veins along his arms pulsing. He was holding himself back so hard. “You will watch your fucking mouth when you speak about my wife.” Cassian’s voice was measured, but he was pulled taut by rage.
With a single touch, Rolan would be dead. I understood that Cassian was infuriated now, but I was dubious if he would be pleased if he accidentally sent his only brother to an early grave.
Rolan looked taken aback for a second, fear flickering in his eyes. He looked aghast. “You are even calling her your wife,” Rolan looked disappointed and shocked. Like a parent who caught their child stealing. “She is nothing but a dignified breeder, Cassian,” there was no malice in his voice when he said it. He sounded like he was genuinely trying to convince his brother.
Cassian took a deadly step toward Rolan. His eyes glowed red. Vorax…
Alarm bells rang in my head. “Cassian…” I called him.
He halted, his expression softening a fraction when my voice reached his ears. It was a reaction that even Rolan was not oblivious to. He saw it, and he turned pale instantly.
“What the hell is going on with you? She can control you now?” He asked. He looked between me and Cassian.
Cassian said nothing, but I quickly noted the confusion on his face, which told me that he was not completely immune to what his brother was saying to him.
“She should have been dead by now. Have you forgotten that she tried to kill you? You had her stripped, you planned to kill her. Have you forgotten what she is? She is alive simply to serve a purpose to you and nothing else. Your marriage vows are void. She was spared for a singular purpose.” He continued.
Then his expression changed from desperation to something more speculative. “Have you even fucked her yet?” he asked.
“That has nothing to do with you,” Cassian replied. “Mind your own wife.”
“You haven’t, have you?” Rolan asked. “Don’t tell me you are trying to make her ease into it, like some sort of ethical person. It should not work like that. If she refuses, you hold her down and do what you have to do.”
My stomach dropped, and bile rushed up my throat. I bit my tongue to hold it back. But I doubled over from the shock of Rolan’s words. The implication made my blood run cold.
When I raised my head, Cassian was looking right at me. Coupled with the horrible thing that his brother had implied, he had seen my reaction to the heinous suggestion, and that was the straw that broke the camel’s back.
Cassian proceeded toward his brother, his hand clenched into a tight fist to punch him. But it would not be an ordinary assault, it was going to be
murder.
Rolan tried to shrink away, but he was not fast enough.
The door suddenly slammed open, making Cassian halt in his assault. His mother and Zahila entered the room, their faces contorting into shock and horror as they quickly realized what they had interceded in.
“Cassian! Stop!” his mother cried, her voice filled with urgency,
Cassian froze, his fist inches from Rolan’s face, the tension in his body palpable. Rolan looked between his brother and their mother, the fear and anger in his eyes slowly giving way to a smug satisfaction.
Zahila stepped forward, immediately pulling Rolan away from Cassian’s still hanging fist aimed at his face. “First, you subject me to getting whipped, then you attempt to kill my husband. Your brother!”
“Save your theatrics for someone who cares, Zahila,” Cassian returned. His eyes, still glowing with the remnants of Vorax’s influence, slowly returned to normal as he took a deep breath, trying to regain control. He lowered his fist, but the anger in his eyes did not diminish.
“Rolan,” Cassian’s mother said sternly, “Leave, before your brother loses it and dooms us all.”
Rolan hesitated for a moment, his eyes flickering with resentment, then a slow grin made its way to his mouth. “He has not fucked her yet, mother,” Rolan revealed. “He is drawing this arrangement longer than he should.”
Cassian’s mother’s complexion turned ghostly. “That cannot be true. Don’t tell me you have not bedded her?”
Cassian turned cold eyes on his mother. “I will fuck my wife when I please. Your input is unnecessary in my affairs.” He spoke like he was talking to
Setting
21.03
–
48 His Wife
an acquaintance and not his mother.
Cassian’s mother reacted like she had been slapped. She stared at him like she could not recognize her son. Part of me wanted to feel bad for her but remembering how she had left her son to suffer on his own while he struggled, all my sympathy drained out of my body.
Then she turned her eyes on me, her shock morphing to hatred. “It is you!” She yelled at me. “You are turning him against his own family. What type of vile creature are you? Who gave you the right?” She demanded.
I only looked at her, not having the strength to speak.
“We have to call the Zeta, there must be a meeting concerning this…” Cassian twisted her face in disgust. Then proceeded towards the door, but before she stepped out, she turned to Cassian once more. “You are really siding with an imposter over the person who had been on your side all your life?”
Cassian stared back unflinchingly at his mother. “You were never on my side,” he answered.
Cassian’s mother’s eyes widened as Jules let out a surprised gasp. Without any more words, she stomped out with Zahila on her tail.
“Mother! Mother!” She yelled after her, leaving Rolan alone with us.
“This is not over, Cassian,” Rolan said, proceeding towards the exit. “No
“I would hope so,” Cassian replied coolly.
by a long run.”
7 6 0 0 9 9 9 9 77
Y Y Y Y q 67
Z v w z wy w w w
Rolan’s eyes narrowed at Cassian’s dismissive tone, but he didn’t respond. Instead, he turned corridor. The door closed with a definitive click, leaving an oppressive silence in its wake.
I and left the room, his footsteps echoing down the
Cassian let out a long, controlled breath, his fists unclenching as he tried to release the tension that had built up in his body. He turned to me, his expression filled with concern and regret. “I’m sorry you had to witness that,” he said quietly.”
“It’s fine,” I answered. I had always noticed the tension and friction between Cassian and the rest of his family, especially with Rolan. There was history there, a dark, ugly one.
It was the first time that I was seeing all the tension blow up like it did. And I had a horrible inkling that if it escalated even further, one of the brothers would wind up dead.
49 Severed Bonds
49 Severed Bonds
