CHAPTER 94

CHAPTER 94
Erin stands frozen in shock. With Cassian towering over her, she doesn't dare question him anymore. She stumbles backward, throwing me one last murderous glare over her shoulder before storming out the back door like a rabid dog chased from its own yard. I let out a shaky breath and wipe the corner of my mouth.

“Come,” he says.

“Me?” I ask. 

“Is there someone else, Vivienne?” he snaps. 

“Okay.”

We walk in silence through the side entrance, our boots crunching over gravel damp with morning dew. I have no idea what to expect. I assume he wants to talk, but the moment we round the corner and step into the clearing behind the training hall, I come to an abrupt stop. Erin is already there.

“Erin, didn't I tell you to reflect on your mistake?” Cassian says. “As I told you before, you are the future Luna of Crescent Moon. You should be the bigger person.”

“Seriously, Cassian?” she snaps. “Why don't you just throw this maid out of the pack? I'm sure plenty of other maids can do her job.” She folds her arms across her chest. “Or... is she your new toy?”

I feel Cassian stiffen beside me, but he says nothing. Erin's glare lashes across my face.

“This... thing,” she spits, as though the word itself tastes poisonous, “has been nothing but a nuisance since she arrived!” 

A chuckle escapes me. “Am I really the problem here, Erin?” I ask. “Or is it your jealousy?”

“Silence!” she screams. “Alpha, she's trying to ruin everything! I want her gone!”

Cassian furrows his brows. “What do you mean by that?”

“Send her away, Alpha. She has no rank here. No bloodline. She's nothing, and she doesn't belong in this pack. Come on, Cassian! You're the Alpha of this pack. Start acting like one and get rid of this wench!”

Ignoring Erin completely, I tug lightly on Cassian's sleeve. “Did you really bring me here just so she could humiliate me again?”

“She isn't leaving, Erin,” Cassian says at last.

Without another word, he turns and pulls me away from her. Honestly, I don't know what to expect as he drags me through the hallways like I'm a criminal again. One thing I definitely don't expect is for him to shove me inside his room.

“Are you out of your goddamn mind, Vivienne?” he roars.

I flinch before glaring right back at him. “Don't yell at me like that!” I snap. “If you don't want another scene, maybe don't drag me around like some rogue in heat!”

His eyes flash gold.

His chest rises and falls with rapid breaths, as though he's barely keeping something violent under control. “Didn’t I tell you to avoid her at all cost?” 

I fold my arms across my chest. “She started it! What do you expect me to do? Bow while she rips my hair out? You think I deserve that?”

His jaw tightens. One of his hands curls into a fist at his side, but instead of backing away, I step closer. For a heartbeat, neither of us moves. Then he grabs me.

One second I'm glaring up at him. The next, he pulls me against him and kisses me with fierce, frustrated urgency. I gasp, my fingers clutching at the front of his shirt as my back meets the wall. His body crowds mine, radiating heat, anger, and something far more dangerous.

His voice drops into a rough whisper. “Why are you driving me insane, Vivienne?” 

I smirk. “Then you should be the one to stay away from me, Alpha.” 

He rests his forehead briefly against mine, his breathing uneven. “I can't stay away from you,” he admits hoarsely. “I tried my best but I just can’t,” he admits. 

I furrow my brows. What the fuck is wrong with him? Alpha Cassian has always been distant to me and he is usually wary of my presence. Unlike his brothers, he doesn’t lose his control when it comes to me. He leans closer, his lips barely brushing mine before stopping himself.

“Say it,” he murmurs.

“Say what?”

“That you want me too.”

I laugh. “What kind of game are you playing right now, Alpha? Your woman just asked you to banish me from Crescent Moon, and yet, you are being flirty with me now.”

“I’ll deal with Erin later.”

“Why are you being like this? It is because of the matebond, Alpha? Are you having a hard time controlling it? I told you…just reject me and it’s done!”

He clenches his jaw. “Rejection is not an option now, and you know that.”

“Oh really? Then what do you plan to do after the mating ceremony? What’s the purpose of keeping me here?”

“You can be my mistress,” he answers. 

“What the fuck, Alpha?” 

The words fly out of my mouth before I can stop them. I shove him hard in the chest but he barely moves.  

“You want me to become your dirty little secret?” I ask, disbelief rising with every word. “Is that what you think I am?”

His expression hardens, but he doesn't step away. “I didn't say it like that.”

“You didn't have to. So that's your grand solution?” I ask. “You marry Erin in front of the entire pack while I hide in the shadows waiting for whatever scraps of attention you decide to throw my way?”

His jaw flexes. “You don't understand the position I'm in.”

“No,” I snap. “I understand it perfectly. You stand here kissing me, telling me you can't stay away from me... and then you offer me the role of mistress?”

He reaches for my wrist but I pull away before he can touch me. “It’s not a bad arrangement, Vivienne. After all, you also have Nico and Jaxon.” 

I clench my jaw. “Is it my fault that the Goddess gave me three mates? But I deserve better than being someone's mistress.”

“And what about me? You know very well that I will not be the only one in your life, Vivienne.”

I narrow my eyes. “Hold on, Alpha. Are you saying that you want me all by yourself? Why? Are you insecure that your brothers might be better than you in bed?”