Cass's Perspective

Cass had never expected to care about someone so deeply after experiencing such a crushing failure in love. For most of his life, emotions and devotion had been distant, intangible concepts—luxuries that had no place in the brutal reality of his upbringing. He had spent his childhood not dreaming, but surviving. The orphanage had been a battleground where the weak were preyed upon, and for a scrawny boy like him, every day had been a struggle. The moment he turned eight, he ran. Life on the streets was not kinder, but at least he was free.

It was in those cold alleyways and shadowed corners that he learned the true nature of the world. He met monsters draped in human skin, people who saw an orphan as nothing more than disposable. But amidst the cruelty, luck found him in the form of Nataro Belgrov.

Nataro was no saint. A third-class alpha and a thug with a reputation that made seasoned criminals tread carefully, he ruled the streets of Isennaya with a ruthless efficiency. Yet, he had a code. He had been an orphan once, just like Cass, and he had made it his mission to look out for those whom society had thrown away. For reasons Cass never fully understood, Nataro took him in, treated him like a son, and molded him into something more than just another street rat.

Under Nataro's wing, Cass grew strong. When a growth spurt hit at fifteen, most expected him to manifest as an alpha. He had the makings of one—broad shoulders, a commanding presence, and a survivalist's instincts honed to perfection. But fate had other plans. His body never underwent the transformation, leaving him a beta, though not an ordinary one. He possessed a rare ability—he could sense pheromones in a way that few betas could.

By the time Cass reached adulthood, Nataro had built an empire in the underworld, one that ran parallel to the lawful order of the capital. He had every intention of passing it on to Cass, his most trusted protégé. But Cass had other plans. At twenty-one, he met a girl—a third-class alpha from a humble family. For the first time, he imagined a life beyond the shadows. He tried to change, to leave behind the only world he had ever known. Yet, love alone wasn't enough. A year later, she was gone. The reason? Cass had nothing to offer her. He lacked a formal education, the patience for academic pursuits, or the kind of wealth that could provide comfort and stability. He was neither rich nor destitute, but his modest earnings as a truck driver and security guard couldn't buy the life she wanted.

After that, he stopped trying. Romance became an afterthought. Instead, he turned to something more pragmatic—private security. It was a suggestion from an old friend, and it paid better than anything he had done before. It provided him a structured life, financial stability, and most importantly, an escape from the past. But while his professional life improved, his personal life remained an empty shell. He didn't date. Instead, he indulged in fleeting encounters—one-night stands, meaningless hookups, no strings attached. He had no preference, no inclinations toward one gender or secondary sex over another. Alphas, betas, omegas, men, women—it was all the same to him. Whether he was the one in control or the one surrendering, it made no difference. It was just a momentary pleasure, devoid of attachment, free from the messiness of emotions.

The idea of love, of starting a life with someone, had long since been buried. And he had been content with that—until Darrien.

Cass didn't know when it happened, when the guarded distance between them blurred into something more. At first, it was just duty. Then, a quiet concern. And somewhere along the way, that concern deepened into something dangerous. He found himself watching Darrien too closely, his thoughts lingering long after their interactions ended. Caring became longing. And longing became desire.

A desire he had no right to feel.

Darrien was untouchable—someone of status, of privilege, of a world Cass could never belong to. He should have known better than to let his guard slip. So when Darrien fired him, disgust clear in his voice as he accused Cass of looking at him too wantonly, Cass didn't fight it. He didn't even feel anger.

What surprised him wasn't the dismissal, but the fact that he had allowed himself to be seen. That his feelings had betrayed him so completely that Darrien had noticed.

Surprise. And shame.

Darrien was right. A man like Cass had no business looking at someone like him that way. He should have stepped back long ago. 

But no matter how hard he tried, Cass couldn't ignore the sight of Darrien and Rex together. Something about Rex's behavior had been off for weeks—subtle at first, but unmistakable to someone like Cass. He recognized that expression, had seen it too many times in the underbelly of the city. It was the look of a man teetering on the edge of violence, harboring dark intentions just beneath the surface.

And Cass had been right.

The moment he saw Rex attack, time seemed to slow. His body moved on instinct, but his feet felt sluggish, too heavy, too late. His stomach plummeted when he caught sight of Darrien, his face streaked with blood, the stark contrast against his pale skin sending a sharp bolt of terror through Cass's veins.

"Please, don't be dead! Please don't be dead!"

The silent prayer echoed in his mind, a desperate plea that he could do nothing to stop.

But Darrien, resilient as ever, defied the worst. Despite everything, he was still breathing, still standing, still managing to surprise Cass in ways he hadn't expected.

Cass had thrown out that insane idea—a new identity, faking his death—half-expecting Darrien to scoff, to call him insane, to flat-out refuse. But when Darrien agreed without hesitation, Cass could hardly believe it. More than that, he couldn't believe the trust in Darrien's eyes when he followed him without question.

How could someone like Darrien place so much blind faith in someone like Cass?

It made no sense. Did he have no self-preservation instincts at all? He was a beta so Darrien was unable to use pheromones to manipulate or subdue him. Just a fragile wisp of a boy who kept getting hurt, again and again, how would he be able to protect himself against a beta like Cass? Had he learned nothing from the past? From the constant threats that surrounded him?

Cass wasn't sure if he should be angry or… flattered for the unyielding trust Darrien had in him.

And then there was the way Darrien looked at him. Those wide, piercing blue eyes that lingered too long, the way he stood too close, the warmth of his skin—soft and smooth, like velvet beneath Cass's fingertips. It was maddening. 

And when Darrien pulled on Cass's oversized T-shirt, the fabric hanging loose yet somehow clinging in all the right ways, Cass had to leave the room before he lost his grip on the control he fought so hard to maintain.

Then those punks in the bathroom happened.

Cass had been moments away from snapping their necks like dry twigs, especially when he heard the filth spilling from that bastard's mouth about Darrien. His blood boiled, his fists clenched, but the second Darrien reached for his hand, the rage dissipated like mist in the morning sun. He was here. He was safe. That was all that mattered.

In the end, that's what Cass wanted more than anything—for Darrien to be safe. To be happy. And Darrien was right. He hadn't been happy in that gilded cage as a Valmoor. He hadn't been safe either. And Cass would be damned before he let anyone hurt him again.

His friend had already delivered Darrien's new ID, and Cass had intended to hand it over right away. But when he saw Darrien on the porch, his slender frame trembling, his eyes brimming with tears, all he could think about was comforting him.

Cass hadn't imagined the night would progress in such a way, that from that porch they would end up entangled in bed. That Darrien would take things further between them.

Cass had never seen Darrien like that before—so daring, so utterly flirtatious. His every movement was laced with temptation, his voice dripping with seduction. And those pheromones…Cass had felt intoxicated, like he was swimming through a thick, dizzying fog that dulled his thoughts and heightened his instincts. His body had moved on its own, drawn into Darrien's heat, responding to every touch, every sigh, every pleading look.

But it wasn't just Cass who had been overtaken. Darrien had been just as eager, just as lost in the fire between them. His responses had been so raw, so genuine, as though he had been waiting for this, craving it just as much as Cass had.

And still, Cass had hesitated. Darrien was so slight, so delicate compared to his own broad frame. His strength, his size—he had feared he might hurt him. But Darrien had surprised him yet again. His stamina, his resilience—it was staggering. He didn't just accept what Cass gave him; he demanded more, took it all, left Cass reeling with the sheer intensity of it.

Maybe it shouldn't have been so shocking. Since arriving at the cabin, Darrien had been eating better, sleeping better. The dark circles beneath his eyes had faded. His skin was more vibrant, his cheeks rounder, his curves more pronounced. He looked…

Delicious.

Cass groaned inwardly, running a hand down his face.

"Ah, you crazy bastard…" he cursed himself. "You really gobbled up this boy like he was a piece of honey pie."

But how could he have resisted? Darrien's body, slick with sweat and drenched in those intoxicating honey-laced pheromones, had been too much to bear. Those sapphire eyes, glazed with pleasure and trust, those soft moans filling the air, the smooth expanse of his skin beneath Cass's tongue and hands… And those tight, warm walls pulling him in so hungrily—

How could any man keep his sanity?

Cass had experienced all kinds of sex in his life. Casual, reckless, rough, slow. But this? This was something else entirely. It wasn't just lust, it wasn't just bodies colliding in heat. Darrien had given himself to Cass completely, without hesitation, without fear. Like he belonged to him. Like Cass belonged to him.

Could Cass really be that lucky?

Darrien had said the words—he had asked for Cass to stay with him, to be his, not just for now, but for the rest of his life. But did he even understand what he was saying? What if this was just a fleeting fantasy for him? A moment of passion that would eventually fade?

Cass had long abandoned the idea of belonging to someone. But for Darrien, he was willing to reconsider. He was willing to try. Even if, one day, Darrien woke up and realized his feelings weren't as deep as he thought. Even if he saw Cass for what he was—just a plain beta with nothing much to offer.

Cass wouldn't resent him when that day came. And he would let him go easily, even if it shattered him in the process.

Darrien was a dominant omega, after all. And dominant omegas didn't end up with betas like him. No matter how much Darrien claimed he was satisfied, there had to be some part of him that still longed for an alpha's touch, for those pheromones Cass simply couldn't give him.

And let's be honest—Darrien had probably been with far better lovers. He'd probably had stronger, more experienced partners who could give him things Cass never could. Maybe the novelty of being with a beta had made this all the more exciting for him, but eventually, that excitement would wear off.

Still… for as long as this lasted, Cass would make damn sure Darrien never regretted it. He would drown him in pleasure, pull every last gasp and cry of satisfaction from his lips. He'd make his body tremble, his mind reel, until he forgot the world beyond their bed.

Because Cass had noticed something—something strange, something intoxicating.

The more Darrien was turned on, the more Cass felt it, too. The more pleasure Darrien experienced, the more it sent fire coursing through Cass's own veins. He had lost count of how many times he had climaxed, lost in the dizzying high of it all. And the strangest part? It kept happening at the same time on various ocassions. Over and over, their bodies reaching for each other in perfect, unexplainable harmony.

Cass didn't know what it meant. Didn't know if it was just chemistry or something deeper. But for now, he didn't care.

For now, all that mattered was Darrien—and making him his in every way possible.