Chapter 7 - Cassandra

The full-moon gathering during the peak of Fall isn't what I remembered it to be. I realize that it's been too long since I came back home.

Home .

It's such an unfamiliar word to me since I rejected this place as my home when I couldn't stand Cyrus anymore. Now that I'm back—my decision mostly based around wanting to tick the Alpha's time bomb—I can't help but wonder if I've made the right choice.

The chill in the air sends a shiver down my spine and leaves me regretting my choice of attire tonight, and I'm grateful that we broke away from another one of Cyrus's smear campaigns and made it to the bonfire.

It was a revenge dress of sorts, worn for the sole purpose of letting the Alpha eat his heart out after our little encounter last night.

The effect has been adverse so far. What I thought I glimpsed as attraction only turned out to be another attempt at making my life miserable.

Why shouldn't I be drinking?

Just who does he think he is?

Glancing over my shoulder, I notice the Alpha's eyes wandering around the meadow as if avidly avoiding mine. So I turn my back to the fire and grab the cup of homemade wine out of Dakota's hand.

“What are you doing?” she blurts when I gulp the contents of the cup, sighing when she glances over her shoulder. “Oh…”

I smack my lips together purposely when Cyrus's eyes lock on mine, the potent sweetness of fermented Californian grapes sliding down my throat. I'd become so accustomed to the mild fruitiness of sake that the boldness of the wine Luna Phoebe makes immediately spins my head.

Taking a deep breath to steady myself while the dizzy spell subsides, I push the empty cup into Dakota's hand. Cyrus narrows his darkening eyes at me, and I'm satisfied that I've rebelled enough to slowly turn back to the fire.

“What is going on between you two?”

“What?” I ask when the effects of the wine finally wear off. Being a werewolf means that our heightened body temperatures won't allow for the alcohol to last very long in our systems before burning out.

It only means that Cyrus is insane. Why else shouldn't I drink? It's not like this is a party, so the wine isn't laced with wolfsbane.

He's certifiably crazy.

“You and Cyrus…” Dakota clarifies.

“Oh, I should be asking you what's going on between you and Jarrod…” I raise a brow.

Dakota blushes and turns her eyes away. “Nothing is going on, Cass. Jarrod's always been nice,” she shrugs. “It's just who he is.”

“Yeah, sure.” I roll my eyes. “He was obviously trying to flirt with you back there,” I giggle. “Didn't you see how he blushed when I pointed it out?”

Dakota huffs. “This isn't about me, Cass.” She folds her arms, adamant about changing the subject. “There's still something between you and Cyrus, even after all these years.”

“Pfft!” I blow through puckered lips. Unlike the Beta, there's nothing remotely “nice” about the Alpha. The way the moonlight magnifies his tanned features and adds to the mystery in his eyes is the only thing nice about him.

The way he acts around me is too questionable to be considered more than his outright madness.

“There's never been anything between us, D. That's crazy!”

“What's crazy?” Dante, the wolf from the other night, appears beside me.

“Oh!” I shriek, hoping he only caught the short end of our conversation. “Hi, Dante.”

“Hello, Cassie,” he greets back, his smile lighting up his hazel eyes, which notice my empty hands. “Would you like me to fetch you a drink?”

“No, thanks,” I reply sheepishly.

To my surprise, Dante hangs back, and we begin talking. Whatever homesickness I was feeling earlier seems to disappear as the male Moon Shine werewolf, and I converse about my time away.

He seems genuinely interested to hear about my travels. In the back of my mind, this feels foreign. All the attention I’m getting from the pack members is something I'm not accustomed to.

I spent the first twenty years of my life not fitting in with the crowd. All of a sudden, I'm the novelty of the hour, as one by one, the pack members gather around to speak to me.

Taking their attentions with a pinch of salt again, I hardly let it faze me. The only reason I'm basking in my fifteen minutes of fame is because Cyrus finally joins the circle of wolves around the bonfire. I notice him watching me intently through the lens of flickering flames.

Tossing my hair over one shoulder, I smile seductively at the man beside me.

“... I absolutely loved the country,” I reply to Dante's question about what Japan was like. “But I must say, I'm glad to be back.”

“Of course you are,” he smirks, taking a small sip of his drink. “So, are you gonna tell me what is the crazy thing you were referring to earlier?”

Dakota perches her chin on my shoulder and blurts, “Cassie thinks that it's crazy that I think that there's still something between her and the Alpha.”

I gasp in utter disbelief. “Whose side are you on?” I whisper irritably.

When I turn a glare of contempt on her, all she does is shrug with a sly smirk on her face.

“That's not crazy,” Dante chuckles. “We all thought it.”

I make the slow, dreaded turn to the man, wincing and praying that Cyrus hasn't heard a thing. I can't even look his way right now.

“Why would you think that?” I ask with a nervous, light giggle.

“Oh, come on, Cassie…” Dante chuckles. “There's always been tension between you two. We always found you alone, speaking about Goddess-knows-what.”

All I can do to stifle heat from coloring my cheeks is bite my bottom lip hard enough to surpass the threshold of pain. It's treading that fine line of pain that allows me to stop myself from thinking about nights like these when I'd be watching the bonfire, and Cyrus would drift my way. We'd end up speaking about all the elements, the stars, the planets…

Until someone from the pack came by and Cyrus turned into a ruthless brute again.

“I can assure you…” I lift my hands up in a show of surrender. “... There's never been anything between us. I would never dream of being mated to the Alpha…” I echo the words I'd heard Cyrus tell Jarrod the day I decided to leave for good.

It was the last straw, the last nail in the coffin of my confusion, that did it for me. After years of his constant hot and cold behavior, the only thing that remained consistent throughout it all was how he always bad-mouthed me in front of the others.

I was done then. Just as decided as I am now, that I have no reason to believe that he's interested in me. Cyrus hasn't changed.

His hot and cold behavior thrives. Every time he's friendly to me, he flips a switch and utters words of scorn at me. The only difference is that I'm not a naive young girl anymore.

I won't be drawn in by his antics.

“Good…” he hums with a smug smile, nodding at the Alpha across the bonfire. “If nothing is going on between you two, that gives the rest of us a fighting chance. It gives Em a chance at being this pack's Luna, too.”

Startled by Dante's parting statement, I reluctantly drag my gaze toward the Alpha. To my horror, the she-wolf, Emily, whispers in his ear.

As if emerging from the dark recesses of my being, ghastly claws of envy rear their ugly presence and wrap their clutches over my heart. Anger, disappointment, jealousy… all the shadow facets that are too shameful to feel come crashing into me like poison creeping up my throat.

I'm fuming even after Dante turns to his friend. When Dakota touches my arm, she gasps.

“Jeez, Cass…” she whispers, touching different spots on my arm. “... You're burning up.”

That heat flashes past my eyes in red, hot flickers of the poisonous envy of the way Emily, the stunning redhead, skims manicured fingers over Cyrus's arm. The act is diabolical, filling my being with rising heat.

Groaning, I turn to my friend, who appears stunned when she catches the look in my eye.

“I think we should go,” I grate under my breath. “I don't wan—”

“Hi, Cassie…” Emily's nauseatingly sweet voice is like a toothache in my ear, forcing me to turn around slowly as I swish her presence in my mouth, wanting to spit it out.

“Hi, Emily,” I greet back with a sickening sweetness that's so forced that I almost choke.

“It's lovely to have you back in Mysthaven. It's so sad what happened to your mom.” She clicks her tongue, but the sympathy doesn't reach her eyes.

I know it's as forced as my smile.

The rest of our conversation is only for the sake of formalities, and I only reply because I don't want to cause an unwanted scene. I have to control myself, keeping my breathing steady while I'm fuming internally. Grinding my teeth, I plaster a polite smile on my face and pretend as if watching her flirt with Cyrus isn't gnawing at my consciousness.

“... It's a pity you were gone for so long, Cass,” Emily leers as she flicks her hair across her shoulder and glances at Cyrus. “One would argue that you're not really a member of this pack anymore.”

“The only one arguing that is you, Emily,” Dakota chimes from beside me.

I stifle the urge to laugh, noticing the way Emily rolls her eyes and shoulders as if Dakota just struck a nerve.

I'm suddenly feeling gutsy, wanting to put the she-wolf in her place for no reason other than the jealousy I refuse to accept.

“No, D. I think Emily has a valid point,” I begin with a mock agreement, compelling me to touch the redhead's arm. “I was gone for a long time. That's why I'm making up for it by joining in on border patrols.”

“What?” Emily frowns. “Border patrols are only reserved for the males in the pack.”

As if on cue, Cyrus and Jarrod appear behind her. As the Alpha comes along, brooding green eyes darkened by anti-humor, I'm spurred on to stick with what I've just decided.

I know Cyrus is not going to like this.

I grin eagerly. “It's the only way I can truly prove myself as a Moon Shine, don't you think?” I wink at Emily.

Cyrus steps forward and crosses his arms, raising a suspicious brow. “What is?”

“Oh, I'm gonna join the border patrol.”

A moment of intense silence falls around us as Cyrus glares at me suspiciously.

“You will do no such thing, Cassandra. ” There he goes again, enunciating my name as if his tongue is a silkworm spinning the smoothest silk.

I can't let him get to me. I won't let him get to me.

So, I turned my attention to his Beta, Jarrod, who'd been dismally attempting to flirt with Dakota all night. Clearing my throat, I wiggle my brows suggestively at the Beta.

“Your Beta said I could join, didn't you, Jarrod?”

Jarrod chokes on the sip of his drink, his brows furrowing. “I—I did…?”

I narrow my eyes and nod swiftly toward Dakota. He finally gets the message since I'd already pointed out that I know he's only being nice to me to get to my friend.

He laughed it off earlier, but he takes it seriously when he sees me nod bluntly.

I'd mastered the art of manipulation in the human world. It works to my advantage now, and I'm able to get what I want.

“Y-yeah, I did,” Jarrod concedes, straightening up and nodding. Emily scoffs and purposefully spins on her heel, storming off toward the den.

I notice how Cyrus remains rooted to the spot, and it gives me great pleasure that he didn't run after Emily. He's more fixated on my decision to join patrols.

“Who gave you the author—” Cyrus abruptly stops, pressing a finger to his temple. He probably just realized that he's the one who'd given his Beta the authority to make decisions like this one. “Never mind.” He lifts grueling eyes on me. “You…” he points in my face. “... You can't do this.”

“Of course I can,” I smirk, taking a bold step forward. “You can't tell me what to do, Alpha.”

Cyrus flicks a glance at Jarrod, then back at me. “Suit yourself.” He throws his hands into the air as if in defeat. “Just don't get yourself killed out there,” he warns bluntly.

I turn back to the fire, my chest swelling with self-satisfaction.

“What was that all about?” Dakota whispers discreetly.

I lean in and whisper, “I was ruffling the Alpha's feathers.”

“And Emily's,” Dakota snickers. “Did you see the way she stormed off?”

I giggle along with Dakota while picking up indistinct whispers behind us. Cyrus and Jarrod haven't left, so I focus my hearing on them.

“... With the rogue sightings, it's too dangerous, Jay.”

My laughter dies down as I realize that the threat is a real thing. Every time Cyrus has warned me about something out there that can kill me, it wasn't an empty threat.

Rogues?

“There's nothing we can do to stop her. I'll keep an eye on her, I promise.”

“No, Beta. I will keep an eye on her. Put her on my rotation.”

“Yes, Alpha,” Jarrod concedes. “I'll find out—”

The drumming that begins around the fire drowns their hushed voices. I'm left to wonder if these rogues are the reason why Cyrus needs Asuka's help—my help.

I'm not sure if I can trust him just yet, especially since I resent him for all the mistreatment. Perhaps it's selfish to let personal feelings get in the way of the pack's safety. But there's no other way when Cyrus Rudolph remains the bane of my existence.