Chapter 143 What We Inherit

Chapter 143 What We Inherit
Her face suddenly turns to stone. She plants both palms flat on the wood of the desk, leaning forward with a cold, piercing intensity that makes my chest tighten.

"Don't be naive, Cassian. Your father cared for us in his own way, but what he really loved was the title of heir. He poured everything into molding you, and because of that, you've spent your whole life feeling like you owe him your breath."

I spread my arms wide, gesturing around us, not just to the grand library, but to the entire territory, the fortress, and the formidable armies guarding our borders. "I owe everything I am to his training."

He taught me how to lead, how to fight, and how to hold this pack together. He took complete control of my upbringing, barely leaving room for my mother to intervene.

Sure, he wasn't the type to sit by my bedside reading stories or throw an arm around my shoulders when I won a sparring match. What we had went beyond simple affection.

Even if, deep down as a kid, I used to wish for those soft moments.

"Honestly, it's a miracle you're even capable of loving Nova the way you do," my mother lets out a bitter laugh, shaking her head as her eyes lock back onto mine.

"You certainly didn't pick up that gentleness from your father, and you didn't get it from me, either. But don't fool yourself, there's a dark, violent streak in you that he cultivated. He fed it every single day."

I know the dark edge she's talking about. I feel it pulsing beneath my skin, waiting to snap. It gets overwhelming in moments like this, when my mate has been ripped out of my arms and every instinct in my body is screaming at me to burn the entire world to ashes just to get her back.

It flared up the exact same way after Jax hurt Nova. I promised her I'd spare his life, but the monster inside me took over anyway, and I slaughtered him.

"He might have been harsh, but he loved us," I say, keeping my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "And his life deserves to be avenged."

"When your father died, I swore I'd never let this pack be ruled by reckless pride again," she says, her voice tight.

"I watched his temper and his arrogance destroy him, and I vowed I wouldn't let my only son walk down that exact same path to the grave."

I shake my head, pulling back. "I'm not like him...."

"You are," she cuts in, wrapping her arms around her chest as she looks away toward the dark window.

"I refuse to feed your desire for blood because I know where it leads. It's going to end with you six feet in the ground just like your father, and I can't survive losing you too."

In the quiet light of the study, the raw desperation in her posture hits me. She isn't trying to pull rank or order me around like an Alpha, she's just terrified. It's tearing her apart to see me heading down the same path that destroyed our family.

"I'm fine, Mother. I know what I'm doing," I offer softly, trying to ease the tension in the room. "I just... I still don't get how you could keep all those secrets about Nova and Grace from me for so long."

"When Grace showed up on my doorstep that storm-drenched night, I saw a reflection of myself in her," my mother admits softly, running a weary hand over her face.

"I saw a broken woman who had spent years crushed under the weight of an Alpha's control. And when I looked at Nova, the sweet, fiery little Nova, I saw you. I swore right then that I'd protect both of them, no matter the cost."

I let out a slow, heavy breath. If I had been in her shoes back then, I probably would have made the exact same choice.

"Knowing Nova was tied to Zion wouldn't have changed how I felt about her," I tell her firmly. "It doesn't change a single thing now, either."

"I didn't know you two were destined to be mates back then," she says flatly. "All I saw was a young man stepping up to take his father's throne, and I was terrified you'd throw them both out into the cold to keep the pack safe. That thought broke my heart."

"I would never have done that," I snap, a sharp sting of hurt slicing through my chest. "I loved Grace like family, and I love Nova with everything I have."

I wince, pressing the heels of my hands against my forehead as a throbbing headache takes root behind my eyes. The sheer weight of the night is finally catching up to me.

My mother sighs quietly, her posture softening. "I see that now. Looking back, I made a lot of mistakes, Cassian. And for that, I am truly sorry."

I don't hold a grudge against her for hiding the truth. She genuinely believed she was shielding Nova. What actually terrifies me is the realization that some part of her thought I could be cold enough to discard Nova in the first place.

I drop my head into my hands, the dense text of the treaty swimming in blurred lines beneath me.

"I don't even know who I am without this hunger for payback," I confess, my voice dropping to a quiet whisper. "I've carried it around for so long it feels like part of my skeleton."

"An eight-year-old child should never have been burdened with thoughts of blood and vengeance,"

she says gently, reaching across the table to lay a warm hand over my forearm. "I hate to think how deeply that twisted your upbringing."

I look up at her, every ounce of my strength feeling completely drained. But deep down, beneath the exhaustion and uncertainty, one single truth remains entirely untouched.

"If Zion lays a single finger on Nova..." I say, looking her straight in the eye, "I can't promise you I won't tear his world apart."

She slowly stands up, recognizing the iron finality in my voice. She knows that when it comes to the safety of my mate, the woman I intend to spend the rest of my life with, there is no middle ground.

"Just promise me you'll be careful," she says softly.

I bow my head. "I will."

"Now go get some sleep. You're driving me out of my mind with worry," she adds, casting a sharp, maternal glare my way to make sure I know it's not a suggestion.

"Fine. A few hours," I yield, leaving the heavy parchment spread open across the wood.

I'll be right back in this chair the second the sun comes up. I'll scour every line, every word, every technicality for as long as it takes, until I bring Nova back home where she belongs.