Chapter 13 - Cassandra
Focusing on the task at hand, it takes a lot of effort to keep my mind on the computer screen without letting it drift off to thoughts of last night.
Or this morning, for that matter. I was shocked when I opened my eyes and found Cyrus in my bed. But he's been surprising me a lot ever since we found ourselves on the mountaintop last night.
As tingles of remembrance flow to my core, I press my thighs together, simultaneously pressing my tongue against my inner cheek as I bypass the last firewall and successfully gain access to the satellite governing the bottom half of North America.
“Phew…” I breathe in relief, double-checking that the codes I've entered won't lead back to Rudolph Inc. I take another precautionary measure by encrypting the next set of codes. I glance over the screen quickly, hearing Cyrus and Jarrod's hushed voices just outside the office door, before going back to the last leg of the task.
A quick scan of the nearby states does the trick. Thanks to the advanced technology of the government surveillance satellite, I'm able to locate the building from the sketch provided by the Alpha and Luna of Blood Moon.
“Any luck?” Cyrus asks when he comes in, shutting the door behind him.
I lift my head over the screen and grin. “Already got it.”
“That was quick,” he sounds surprised as he comes over. “You really are her.”
“Did you have any doubt?” I chuckle, reaching for a pen and blank paper on the desk. I write down the coordinates along with the physical address, then hold it out to Cyrus. “It's an old, abandoned warehouse in Texas. There are guards posted all around, but this is definitely the place.”
Cyrus rounds the desk and leans over toward the screen.
“I have to get out before they discover that their system's been hacked,” I tell him regretfully. “I've already checked inside. Dorian is being held in a lab of some kind. The warehouse is being used as a research facility of some kind.”
When a beep rings out, I quickly begin tapping keys to get out of the system, all while telling Cyrus everything I know. Once out, I breathe a sigh of relief and turn to Cyrus.
His brows worry as he stares at the coordinates on the paper, his face gripped with intense thought.
“I need to meet the others.” He lifts his head, eyes glossed over with firmness. “The rogues left our borders last night and attacked another pack in Tulsa.”
“The Blackmaw Pack?” I ask, the town name familiar.
“Yes. Alpha Theodore's pack.”
I nod slowly. My parents had a friend in that pack. That's why I'm familiar with the name. With the attack on our pack last night, I know that the situation is highly intense right now.
That would explain Cyrus's sudden shift, from hot to bitterly cold, as he turns to the window overlooking the city and grunts.
“Let's go,” he instructs, turning back only to grab his car keys off the desk before making a beeline for his office door. “I'm gonna take you home and go to meet the others.”
Slightly taken aback by his shift, I assure myself that this is nothing personal and that he has more important things to take care of right now.
It doesn't help ease my concerns when the ride back to Mysthaven is done in complete silence. His jaw stays clenched throughout the drive, his knuckles pale on the gears where he clutches the knob tightly. Imaginary, strong fingers seize my heart and squeeze them, anxiety plaguing my thoughts and corrupting my mind.
When we pull up to the main house in the small town that houses the Moon Shine Pack, Cyrus leans over me and opens my door.
“I'll see you later,” he says as he leans back in his seat. He nods toward his house, brows firmly knitted into a tight frown. “Stay here with my mother. I'm sure she could use the company,” he chuckles, breaking the ice of my intrusive thoughts.
For a hot moment, I thought he'd gotten what he needed and saw no use for me anymore.
Thank Goddess, it's just my mind playing tricks on me!
“I'll see you later, then,” I smile, hopping out of the Jeep and waving at him when he reverses and drives off.
“Was that my son?” Luna Phoebe calls out, prompting me to turn and find her standing on the porch.
“Yes, Luna Phoebe,” I reply, bashfully stepping forward.
“Come, child,” she waves me over with a cheerful smile. “How have you been?”
***
Munching on a delicious strawberry, my eyes light up with cheer as Luna Phoebe fusses over me the way a mother would.
The way my mother would, if she'd still been alive, spreading homemade fig jam on a slice of rye-bread toast hot out of the oven.
The sweet aroma of warmed figs brings memories of my mother hosting Luna Phoebe in our home. The subtle walk down memory lane is something I didn't know I needed until now. I'd been trying to keep myself busy so that I wouldn't wallow in grief.
After all, a Moon Shine werewolf isn't supposed to grieve.
“It must be tough now that you're back,” Luna Phoebe says, watching me through soft eyes as if she can read my mind.
I shrug nonchalantly, hoping that I don't give too much away. “I'm adapting to life back in this small town,” I admit bashfully, keeping my eyes down. Ever since I arrived at the main house, I've been avoiding eye contact with the older woman.
She has no idea that her son and I have been… well acquainted. She thinks that I'm here just for a casual visit.
“That's not what I meant, Cassandra,” she says as she reaches over the table and takes my hand in hers. The warmth of her dainty fingers gives me the comfort and encouragement to look up and meet her eyes.
“Losing someone is never easy. I would know,” she whispers the last statement, glancing at the picture of her late husband hanging above the fireplace.
“I'm sorry for your loss, Luna Phoebe. Alpha Ambrose was a great man.”
“Indeed,” she agrees as she turns to me with a thoughtful smile on her face. “And he wouldn't want us to keep grieving. But I still find myself mourning, even after five years.”
I know that the luna is extending her condolences, affirming to me that it's okay if I'm still grieving. I bask in my own silence, lamenting over my loss and mentally reminding myself that the tears that cloud my vision now are warranted.
“Goddess knows that getting over the loss of a loved one isn't easy. Not even the Alpha can do it.”
“Al-Alpha Cyrus?” I ask through a sniff.
Luna Phoebe nods wistfully. “My son hasn't gotten over his father's sudden death. That's why he's still without a mate.”
A moment of silence passes, in which we both take sips of herbal tea from our mugs.
“I'm sure he'll take a mate soon,” I comment stealthily, eyeing her discreetly from over the mug.
She sets her cup down and rolls her eyes. “Oh, no, he swore against it,” she clicks her tongue.
“I'm sure he'll change his mind,” I add hopefully, to which the luna shakes her head and sighs.
“I'm afraid not. Ever since his father died, Cyrus has been headstrong about not taking a mate. No one can change his mind, not even me.”
My heart begins to pound in my chest, my eardrums filling with shrill ringing that has me snapping out of the daze I'd been swept in since last night.
How could I be so stupid to think that Cyrus Rudolph could have any good intentions?
Of course, the man wouldn't take a mate. He's too much of a playboy—something I'd witnessed first-hand when I saw him flirting with that human in the restaurant.
The truth comes raining down on me like a thunderstorm meant to drown any hopes I could have had that the Alpha of Moon Shine could possibly want more than just sex.
“... I'm afraid the Rudolph name will die out when he does. He has no intention of taking a mate.”
The more Luna Phoebe speaks regretfully about Alpha Cyrus's stance on the matter, the more I become certain that I'd made a grave mistake. A terrible judgment that led me to give up my virtue to a man who will never honor me.
He couldn't respect me before, always belittling me and turning me against being a member of this pack. How could I forget, in a moment of reckless passion, that he'd been the sole reason for my departure nine years ago?
As my ears drum with panic, the bile that rises in my throat has me choking on the herbal tea.
“Oh, honey!” Luna Phoebe springs from her seat and comes over with a napkin. “Are you alright?”
“I-I'm fine,” I lie, gratefully taking the napkin and dabbing my lips. “I should probably get going now.”
Luna Phoebe nods and smiles at me, but her comfort no longer soothes me. I am too disheartened by the realization that Cyrus only used me for sex.
Not only that, but I'd foolishly revealed my secret identity to him. I helped him.
Only to be reminded that Cyrus Rudolph is a heartless brute who could never care for me the way I'd want him to.
Heart pounding and vision blurring with tears I refuse to shed, I run back to my cottage, to the sanctity provided between the four walls, and finally let the tears roll down.
I can't be here anymore. I made the biggest mistake of my life by coming back, hitting the last nail of the coffin by foolishly giving myself to the Alpha, who will never see me as more than another line to the tally of his many conquests.
He got what he wanted, and now I'm just disposable. It was only sex, and I was stupid enough to go above and beyond by helping him hack into the government systems.
That's why he'd been cold when he came back into the office. He had no intention of taking a mate, and he was only using me.
There's only one thing left to do. With the shattered pieces of my heart lodging in my throat, I rush into my bedroom and grab my suitcase out of the wardrobe.
Shoving my belongings inside, I vigorously wipe at my tears, shame fueling my need to get as far away from Mysthaven as possible.
As far away from the Alpha, who'd only used me for sex, I'd allowed him to use me for so much more, and I only have myself to blame.
I can't be here anymore.