Did you change your mind

"Are you really over my sister, Cassian?" Linda asked, her sharp gaze locked onto him.

Her words, though expected given her earlier attempts to intimidate Lyra, still caught him off guard.

Cassian quickly averted his eyes, attempting to brush past the remark, but Linda wasn't one to let things slide so easily.

A smirk played on her lips as she followed him down the stairs.

"Your silence speaks volumes, Cassian. You're still not over Lilith. So how can you accept another mate?" she pressed, demanding an answer.

Cassian had spent the past few hours running through the woods, trying to clear his head, trying to make sense of everything. He had wanted to explain things to Linda, hoping she would understand, but he had been naive.

Linda had already drawn her own conclusions. In her mind, he had not only moved on from Lilith but had accepted Lyra in her place.

"You can avoid talking about it, Cassian," she continued, stopping midway while he kept walking, "but I will never let anyone take my sister's place."

Her voice carried a quiet promise, one that sent a chill through the air.

'Not in this house. Not in your heart. Because soon enough… you'll be mine.'

Her eyes darkened as she turned on her heel and headed toward the guest chamber, her mind already scheming on how to get rid of Lyra—without Cassian ever knowing.

***

Linda's words stirred unwanted emotions within Cassian. Instead of heading to his room, he found himself walking toward the pavilion.

A wave of regret settled over him—not for bringing Lyra, but for the chaos that decision had unleashed. And yet, no matter how much doubt gnawed at him, his concern for her overshadowed it. His decision hadn't been logical; it had been instinctual.

His steps faltered when he noticed another figure lounging in the quiet serenity of the pavilion. Cassian's expression shifted as a thought clicked into place.

"You have a bad habit of defying my orders," he said, his voice edged with irritation.

Rowan smirked and turned to meet Cassian's sharp gaze, utterly unfazed.

"And now that habit has started to bother you?" he countered smoothly, his amusement clear.

Cassian's frown deepened."You scare her, Rowan," he stated flatly, his displeasure evident as he stepped beside him.

"Then she should get used to it," Rowan replied without hesitation. His gaze was steady, unwavering. "Because I won't stop until she fights back. Our pack won't accept a weak Luna—and neither should you."

His words hung heavy in the air, a challenge Cassian wasn't sure how to respond to.

Rowan noticed Cassian's silence and smirked. He knew his words were as obnoxious as his behavior, but knowing the kind of man Cassian was, uncertainty was the only way to handle him.

"I heard you punished Norman and his family," Rowan said, smoothly shifting the topic. Instead of easing the tension, it only thickened the air between them.

Cassian's jaw clenched. He was still unsettled by everything that had happened—not just Norman's betrayal, but Lyra's reaction to it.

She might never be accepted by her family, but she still cared for them despite everything they had done to her. That, more than anything, was what unsettled him. He had built his life on punishing betrayal. Letting them go had never been an option.

Yet for her, he had. And that infuriated him.

"Norman lied to me," Cassian finally said, his tone cold. "His daughter was having an affair, yet they paraded her as a worthy bride. Their motive was simple—climbing the social ladder, grasping at power that comes with our kind."

He scoffed, shaking his head. "But they were bad at hiding it."

"So, did you change your mind because they were bad at hiding it, or does this have something to do with Lyra?" Rowan asked, his tone laced with amusement.

Cassian's sharp gaze shot toward him, but Rowan only shrugged.

"Because you never spare anyone who offends you," Rowan continued, stretching his arms before settling into a chair. He crossed one leg over the other, his playful smirk unwavering. "And trust me, I've been looking for that Cassian for a long time."

Cassian's lips twitched, resisting the urge to rise to the bait. He knew Rowan was deliberately trying to provoke him, but he wasn't about to let him revel in his irritation.

"I can still fulfill your dream," Cassian said coolly. "I haven't forgiven you for laying your hands on Lyra."

Rowan let out an exaggerated sigh. "I thought we already settled that. You almost cracked my perfect jaw, remember? And I graciously chose not to fight back. That makes us even."

Cassian continued to glare at him, unimpressed.

Meanwhile, a certain someone was quietly observing their exchange through the window.

Lyra's eyes fluttered as she watched Rowan chuckle while Cassian, despite his frustration, remained engaged in the conversation. The ease between them unsettled her.

"What are you staring at, my lady?"

Penny's voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Lyra turned to see her attendant peeking through the window with her, eyes twinkling with mischief.

Penny's lips curled into a knowing smile. "Are you stealing glances at the Alpha?" she teased, completely misjudging the situation.