Chapter 30:

"This is assault!" Cass's voice rings out, sharp and furious. She's pacing the room, her hands clenched into fists, her face flushed with anger. "Why did she do that? Why would she hurt you?"

I sit on the edge of her bed, my bandaged arm resting in my lap. "She brought a plate of cookies for Caspian," I explain, my voice calm despite the tension in the room. "Hoping to warm his heart, no doubt. She found me in his room and went ballistic. Called me a thief."

She stops pacing, her eyes blazing. "That's it. I'm done." She grabs her coat from the back of her chair and storms toward the door.

"Wait!" I call after her, scrambling to my feet. "Where are you going? What are you going to do?"

She doesn't slow down. "I'm going to the pack house to finally give that bitch a piece of my mind. She needs to learn her fucking place."

I follow her out of the room, my heart racing. She's moving faster than I've ever seen her, her anger propelling her forward. 

We run into her parents in the living room, her dad looking up from his book with a frown.

"What's going on?" he asks, his deep voice cutting through the tension.

"Eden crossed the line," Cass snaps, barely pausing as she heads for the door. "I'm going to teach her that some boundaries shouldn't be crossed."

Her mom glances at the clock. "It's almost past dinner, puppy. Can't this wait?"

"No, it can't," she snaps, her hand on the doorknob. But her dad steps in front of her, blocking her path.

"Hold on," he says, his voice firm but calm. "Let's talk about this first."

She protests, but he doesn't budge. After a moment, she relents, her shoulders slumping as she steps back into the room. 

"She can bully me all she wants—I'm a Lycan. But Lilah is human. She's the only human on the estate. Why would Eden stoop so low?"

Her mom moves to my side, gently taking my arm. She unties the bandage, her frown deepening as she examines the wound. 

It's red and inflamed, some of the cuts bleeding again. It's small, but it looks painful.

"Eden did this?" she asks, her voice tight.

"Yes," I reply, wincing as she prods at the wound.

"Why?" her dad asks, his arms crossed over his chest.

I sigh, repeating the story about the cookies, the accusations, and the confrontation. 

Cass's mom looks angrier by the second, and I pull my arm away, trying to downplay it.

"It's fine," I say quickly. "The prince put her in her place in front of everyone. Ethan was the one who saved me and bandaged the wound."

Her dad sighs, running a hand through his hair. "Is this the first time she's attacked you?"

The three of us—Cass, her mom, and I—exchange a look. Then Cass speaks up. "She slapped Lilah the night the king gave his speech."

Her dad's jaw tightens, and he turns to his wife. "Alma, we need to report this to the council. It's concerning how she's assaulting lower ranks without consequence."

I chuckle dryly. "What would the council do? As far as I'm concerned, she's already above them."

"No one is above the council," Alma says firmly, though her voice lacks conviction.

"That's just a formality," I counter. "Eden mentioned that the king and queen have already decided she'll be Caspian's mate. She feels untouchable, and no one will go against her now that her status is practically royal."

The room falls silent, the weight of my words settling over us. Finally, Cass speaks up, her voice quiet but firm. "He won't have her. Caspian would never choose her."

Her dad shrugs, his expression grim. "It's not about what he wants. It's about his duty."

"His duty?" Cass snaps, her voice rising. "His duty would be to mate with someone who has no regard for pack members? What good does that do for the pack?"

Her mom shakes her head and takes my hand, leading me toward the guest bathroom. The house isn't as big as the pack house, but it's spacious enough that the bathroom feels like a journey. 

She pulls out a first aid kit and begins tending to my wound, her movements gentle but deliberate.

I used to wonder why wolves and now, lycans kept first aid kits until I realised that though they heal fast, some wounds can be deep enough to cause the bearer to bleed to death or to take a while to heal. It's better safe than sorry.

"Caspian won't have her," she says quietly as she cleans my wound. "He's never liked her, not with the way she bullied Cassidy. And now he confronted her for you—an omega."

I'm stunned by her words. The last time we talked about Caspian's mate, she was pro-Eden, not because she liked her, but because she seemed like the best option. 

Now, it's clear she was only saying what she thought she had to. This is how she really feels.

"What about his duty to the pack?" I ask, my voice barely above a whisper as if to remind her her stance before.

She shakes her head. "No one wants her to be queen one day except the king, queen, and her self-centered parents. No one likes her here."

When she's done rebandaging my arm, she gives me a small smile. "You'll scar because you're human, but the scars will look like little cute crescent moons. Nothing to worry about."

"Thank you," I say, my voice soft.

We head back to the living room, where Cass and her dad are still arguing about Eden and Caspian. 

Alma steps in, wrapping her arms around her mate from behind and rubbing his chest. "You don't have to pretend to accept it," she says gently. "I know deep down you don't like it."

He sighs, his shoulders slumping. "I don't. But we can't question the king's wishes. Besides, it hasn't been made public yet."

The argument soon dies down, and I decide to take a walk to clear my head. The gardens are a bit of a hike, but I welcome the distance. 

As I approach, I spot someone by the rose bushes, their voice sharp and angry.

"You don't get it!" he says, his tone rising. "She's your niece for goddess sake!"

It's Theo and he's talking to his dad about me.

I freeze, not wanting to intrude. Something tells me not to let him know I'm here, so I sneak closer, hiding behind an oak tree. He's on the phone, his voice tense.

"It's already enough that you got rid of her parents," he says, his voice low but fierce. "You don't have to get rid of her too. She's done nothing wrong."

My breath catches, and my world spins. I can't process what I've just heard. My body backs away on its own accord. My mind numb.

I don't know how I get back to Cassidy's house, but I do. I can't see what's ahead of me. I can't hear what's around me. I only hear Theo.

I hear him over and over again repeating how his dad got rid of my parents.