Chapter Eighteen

Jeremiah

I let my eyes subtly roam over the apartment that now belongs to Ares.

The walls are coated with warm, earthy brown paint, casting a cozy atmosphere throughout the room.

Wooden furniture, including a sturdy oak coffee table and a rustic bookshelf, complement the theme.

Sunlight filters through the blinds, casting gentle patterns on the floor.

The dimmed bulbs emit a soft, golden light, enhancing the natural tones of the room.

A mahogany armchair sits in the corner, right beside the side table.

My feet make a squeaky sound against the wooden floor, my gaze falling on the plant sitting under the window.

Ares takes a sharp turn to the left, revealing a wooden spiral staircase. We pass it by, going into the living room.

It's obviously been renovated. Eric and I exchange furtive glances, wondering when this happened.

The past couple of days have been really rough between taking care of Cassie and popping multiple blockers to prevent me from going into rut because of her pheromones.

I wish I didn't have to avoid seeing her, but I had to. Her heightened pheromones permeated the entire apartment, it was driving me insane.

Eric tried convincing me to see her at least once. He said she was always asking after me.

It hurt me to hear that, but there was nothing I could do about it. Cassie wasn't in her right mind, and I wasn't sure I would have been able to hold back from taking her if we saw each other.

So, I kept my distance, using every ounce of my self-control.

I guess that's why I didn't notice the absence of the other occupants of the building. I furrow my eyebrows at that. It's unlike me to be so distracted.

Eric and I take a seat on the comfy couch at the center of Ares's living room.

Ares takes a seat on the couch across the room, stroking Cassie's white fur while her tail wags gently.

A White Wolf.

I furrow my brow, my mind racing with questions and uncertainties. How did Cassie become the legendary White Wolf? And what does it mean for her future—for our future?

It's been a thousand years since the existence of the previous White Wolf, and now Cassie is the next one? That explains why her pheromones are so damn powerful and almost irresistible.

Now it all makes sense. It's the reason why Cassie's mother gave her those blockers. Cassie wouldn't have been just any normal illegitimate daughter if she had been allowed to grow up normally, because she'd have gained a lot of attention just for being the White Wolf.

Miss Munt would have been able to escape from under Mrs. Kaye's thumb and would have told Mr. Kaye the truth about Cassie being his daughter.

This explains why Mrs. Kaye went so far. She knew the blockers would suppress both Cassie's wolf and her powers, even turning her white hair brown so that she would look normal.

Maybe Mrs. Kaye never had these intentions and just wanted to keep Cassie's true identity a secret, or perhaps this was all meant as a punishment all along.

I can't help but be worried, though. Now that Cassie has fully shifted, I wonder if Mrs. Kaye will make a move on her life. We need to be careful.

My jaw clenches as Cassie's wolf climbs up onto the sofa and curls into Ares's lap. In her wolf form, Cassie is hooked to Ares, rubbing herself all over him.

Why is she being this cozy with him?

The rational part of my brain is aware of the situation we're in, though. Cassie is in danger and the only person who can keep her safe is Ares . Not me, not anybody else.

As a recessive Alpha, I can't even protect her against other Alphas, but Ares can. The thought leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Also, who knows what Mrs. Kaye is planning right now? Cassie needs all the protection that she can get.

The only upside to this situation is the fact that Cassie still wants us. Eric and I. Relief spreads through my chest when I remember how her wolf whined and howled when Ares was leading her into this apartment, urging us to follow her and therefore putting us in this situation where we are all staring at each other awkwardly.

Her wolf might have chosen Ares, but Cassie still wants us.

I rub my hands on my thighs, examining the interaction between Ares and Cassie. He strokes her fur with a gentleness that I know isn't typical for him.

I wonder what people will say when they see him being this soft to her. Ares Linds. The name that always leaves chaos in its wake.

I've heard of him and how ruthless he can be. He has made a name for himself as the most powerful Alpha and as someone who should not be messed with. However, seeing him like this? Out of his usual element, gently rubbing her fur, petting her, and being so gentle with her, it's very clear that she's his mate. It's an action that he can't control.

Because when someone is your perfect pair, you can't help the way you react to them. So, Ares's actions are completely understandable.

I also can't deny how good they are together. The blend of their pheromones is perfect. In fact, thinking about it now, Ares is the only one who could have commanded Cassie to shift because only his pheromones are strong enough to dominate her as an Alpha should because of how powerful her Omega is.

Eric breaks the silence.

"You said we would talk."

My brother is right. Ares had asked us here because he said we had a lot to discuss.

"I did," Ares starts, stroking Cassie's fur. "I know your history together—the three of you. I know how she feels toward you, and the look in both your eyes right now gives away your feelings for her. I'm not blind, nor am I insensitive."

"What are you trying to say?" I ask, although a part of me already has an idea.

"I am proposing that, given the circumstances, we can care for her together. I know she'd like that, and you would too," he said.

"We were never going to leave her with you anyway," Eric says.

Ares just chuckles and looks at Cassie's wolf. "She needs to run."

I look at her tail, wagging, and nod in agreement. "Yes, she does."

Ares explains. "Since this is her first time shifting, it's understandable that her wolf is desperate to run."

"That explains her trying to escape from the house," Eric murmurs tightly.

"You can take her out on a run, but Eric and I are coming with you. Like my brother said, we have no intention of leaving her alone with you," I state, my tone leaving no place for argument.

Ares nods, patting Cassie's wolf on the head. "I know. You know, when I was looking into her, I was surprised to find her staying here."

I cock my head in confusion.

"The Jacksons," he explains. "Your family used to be one of the most powerful wolf families. That was until your family began to decline because they were giving birth to too many recessive Alphas and Betas."

I feel a frown forming on my face. He's right. We used to be one of the most powerful wolf families, but as soon as we started losing our powers, we lost our standing. Our pheromones determine our strength and power in striking business deals, and since ours were no longer up to par, our finances suffered the consequences.

It's unfair, but that's how the world works. Although my family is no longer powerful, we aren't poor. But we aren't rich enough either to be mentioned alongside other powerful wolf families.

But I couldn't help but feel a pang of anger at his words. Why did he bring it up? Is he trying to insult us? Look down on us? I look sideways and see Eric. His hands are balled into fists, hanging beside him.

Ares leans back, his gaze steady as he continues to stroke Cassie's wolf fur, the movement now almost rhythmic, as though it's become second nature to him.

His voice carries a hint of amusement as he speaks, the words calculated to provoke a reaction. "You are lucky, though," he says, his tone casual yet loaded with implication. "If you marry Cassie, who is a very powerful Omega, and have pups with her, it will save your line."

How dare he?

"Insults are insults no matter how you try to mask them," Eric explodes.

"I'm not masking anything," Ares replied blatantly.

The audacity of his words ignites a fire within Eric, who springs up from his chair, his fists clenched in anger. I react quickly, grabbing his forearm to hold him back, urging him to remain seated.

My own jaw tightens as I struggle to contain my own fury, determined not to let Ares provoke me further.

"I love Cassie," I declare, my voice tight with emotion, "and it's not about her powers. I was going to marry Cassie even when I thought she was a sickly and shiftless woman." Unlike you.

I don't say the last part out loud, but the unspoken accusation hangs heavy in the air. Ares' face remains blank.

"Just like my brother, I love her too. And I know that you can tell," Eric chips in. "Our love for her is genuine."

He chuckles loudly. The sound grates on my nerves, a deep, rumbling sound that seems to echo with condescension. "I don't want to fight, Jeremiah," he says, his tone almost patronizing. "I am just speaking logically. It's a good thing for you that things turned out this way. It's like I said; I don't mind sharing my Omega since I know you two clearly have history."

His Omega. The words sting, but I know that they're true.

Though I resent the implication, I cannot deny the truth of Ares's words. Cassie belongs to him in a way that she will never belong to me, and the realization burns like a bitter pill I have to swallow.

Ares looks up at Eric and I, a thoughtful look on his face. He turns to me and asks, "Do you think your connection to Cassie can't compare to mine?"

I say nothing.

Couples can get together even if their pheromones don't bond naturally, but in some cases, like with Ares and Cassie, their pheromones have clearly bonded.

I can smell the sweet pheromones that come from their harmony. She is truly his Omega now.

In cases where you meet someone that you have a perfect bond with, even if you're already married to someone else, you can also have that person. But this only happens within the agreed family unit.

Bonded pheromones are part of nature's mate selection process. Everything else is secondary. That is why polyamory is a thing. Sometimes, pheromones make two separate couples merge into foursomes because already married partners have met their perfect bonds.

So, Ares being willing to share his Omega isn't something new, but it also isn't something that he has to do. It just shows how reasonable it is, because it's obvious that Cassie loves Eric and I, and it would only make sense for Ares to add us into his family unit.

I clear my throat, addressing Ares. "Thank you for being reasonable, and I hope we can be a good family unit together."

"For Cassie's sake, at least," Eric adds.

"Of course." Ares looks at me, his gaze piercing. "I would love to be friends with the both of you."

I nod wordlessly as the room falls into silence once more.

Cassie's wolf pants heavily, wagging her tail.

Despite the gravity of the situation, a small smile tugs at the corners of my lips. She has finally done the one thing she always wished for—shift.

As the sun begins to set and night approaches, we prepare to go for a run with Cassie.