46. Cassian

46

CASSIAN

T he familiar scent of Janie's hits my nose the second I slip through the back door and hide in the dark corridor that leads straight into the kitchen. I take a moment, listening to my surroundings, but all I can hear is the sound of the steak grill sizzling. It's talking directly to my stomach.

Remembering why I'm actually here, I run my tongue over my bottom lip and push through the doors.

"It's been too long," I state, locking eyes with Jake, Janie's husband, and he leaps out of his skin as he whirls around to face me. His spatula is raised and aimed in my direction. I cock a brow at him and he waves me off.

"Warn a man, Cass," he gripes, and I scoff.

"I don't know what you're talking about. You like it when I keep you on your toes," I insist, stepping farther into the room as he works through the order on the ticket in front of him.

"If you say so," he grumbles, a hint of a smile on his lips.

I take another tentative step toward him. The quiet that surrounds him isn't laced with calm. I can feel the tension rippling from him.

Clearing my throat, I cut the remaining distance between us so I'm standing by the grill with him. "How have things been?"

He pauses but doesn't lift his stare from the steak that has his full attention. "You want the everyday bullshit or the truth?"

"The truth, always the truth," I breathe, stealing a breath as I brace for his words, but he keeps them clipped.

"It's fucked, man."

I sigh. "I had a feeling it would be. What can I do to?—"

"You will do nothing, Cass," he interjects, turning his spatula in my direction again.

"But—"

"The way you care, the way you think, it's the way of a leader. Not like…" His words trail off, refusing to admit that my father, his alpha, is not fit for the job. He doesn't have the best interests of the pack at the heart of his actions. Just himself and his fully inflated ego that seeks more and more power.

"I can't keep leaving you all to this," I admit, scrubbing the back of my neck, and a second later, he pats me on the back, spatula forgotten.

"You're not, man. You're preparing us for a better future. We'll feel the benefits of it eventually," he insists, his words taking root in my bones.

"But what if I don't?—"

"What if you don't what?" he interrupts again, eyebrows raised as he waits for me to spit it out, acutely aware that I have his undivided attention.

My gut twists as I think about my pack and the innocent people I left behind. "What if I'm not the new heir?"

Thoughts of Adrianna shoot to the forefront of my mind. My gut knows who the true heir is, who it should have been all along, but what does that mean for my people?

"You thinking about that fae girl Janie keeps rambling on about?" he asks, eyes searching mine as the door to the main dining area swings open.

"I do not ramble," the lady herself says, wagging a finger at her husband before her concerned eyes flit my way. "What are you doing here? It's not safe," she rushes out, cutting the distance between us to wrap me in her arms.

I bask in her familiar warm embrace as she rocks me from side to side.

"Raiden is struggling," I mutter, refusing to let go just yet.

"The vampire?" Jake clarifies, and I nod in his wife's embrace before she leans back, holding me at arm's length.

"What does he need?"

"He needs blood, but he's refusing to ask for it. So I need something to tide him over," I state. Janie nods, but it's Jake who speaks.

"Give me two minutes," he insists, plating the steak from the grill before disappearing into the walk-in fridge.

After a beat, Janie turns her attention to me again. "I could sense you were here. I could hear your conversation with Jake. If I did…" Her muttered words trail off as I nod.

"Then others did, too."

"Yeah, and Dalton is out there," she mouths, pointing over her shoulder to the main dining area, and I curse under my breath.

"We haven't got much, but hopefully, this will help," Jake states, bustling back into the room with a bag in his hand.

"Thanks for this," I murmur, unsure what it is I'm even grateful for, but I am nonetheless.

"Always," Janie states, patting me on the arm.

"Thank you," I repeat, unable to show my gratitude enough. "I'm sorry I'm not doing anything, or not enough, at least," I add, earning a deathly glare from Janie.

"You are. I swear it. You are, but you need to go," she insists, nudging me toward the back door, and I nod.

Jake waves as Janie guides me to the door, but before I step outside, her hand tightens around my arm.

"How's Addi?" she asks, and I immediately smile. A knowing look washes over her features as she peers into my eyes. "You love her."

"I do not," I say with a scoff, and she cocks a brow at me, daring me to deny it again. Fuck that. "I came for some bloody meat, not a therapy session," I add with a grumble, and Jake snickers from across the room.

"Oh, I'm far from qualified to deal with your fucked up shit," Janie adds with a grin, and I huff, highly aware of the truth in her words.

"Thanks." I reach for the door handle again and she pats my back.

"You're welcome."

"When you want to talk about losing your balls to a woman, I'm here, man," Jake hollers. I mutter my thanks at the same time Janie calls out her protest.

"Thanks."

"Hey!"

Janie pulls me in for a final hug, cursing her husband out as he chuckles in the background.

"I miss you. Stay safe," I whisper, squeezing her extra tight, and she hums.

"I miss you too. You be safe," she retorts.

She releases me all too soon, it feels. I give myself a beat. Just one before I nod and slink out into the night.

I take a deep breath, exhaling slowly before I move, but I don't make it a whole step before movement in the shadows halts me.

"Surely you know I'm going to be aware of my disgraceful son's arrival on my compound."

I look up to meet eyes so similar to mine, it hurts. "I didn't assume otherwise," I state, my tone bored while my body tries to uncoil from the surprise of his sudden arrival.

My father assesses me, breaking me down without a word like he always does, and my gut twists when he finally speaks. "I have a job for you."

I shake my head. "I'm not a part of this pack. I don't take any jobs from you."

He knows that, he just doesn't care.

"Listen here—" he starts, and I raise my free hand, refusing to deal with any more of his shit, especially after his recent attack on Addi. Again.

"I think you've made your presence in my life known already. The answer is no. It's always going to be no," I bite, unable to hide the emotion from my voice. Even if it is anger, I don't want him to see that he can get to me, but he already knows he can.

My hands ball into fists, desperate to unleash the fury that threatens to creep higher to the surface as he tilts his head at me.

"Ah, how is the little fae anyway?" he asks, knowing exactly what I was referring to, and that only seems to piss me off further.

"I don't know who you're talking about," I grind out, trying to act unfazed, but he scoffs.

"Your skill at playing dumb is poor, son," he states, rolling his shoulders back as if working off the aches and pains I know Kryll caused.

"So is your ability to be a good alpha, but here we are," I snap back, unable to stop myself. Instead of raging at the comment, he smirks, taking a step back.

"Don't worry about my job," he advises, making my brows furrow as I shake my head.

"I wasn't."

"I'll be seeing you at the ball either way," he declares, the corner of his mouth turning into a wicked smile as his eyes roam wildly before he snatches the bag from my grasp.

Then he's gone.

His ability to get under my skin will be my downfall, especially when he knows my Achilles' heel is Addi. He's not done with us. He's not done with me. It's going to bite me in the ass soon enough, I just need to hope and pray I can keep Addi out of his line of sight as best as I can.

I owe her that.