Chapter 28

Olympia’s POV

Sleep would not come, no matter how tightly I closed my eyes. My body was tired, but my mind was awake, filled with too many thoughts of Cassius.

I told myself over and over that I should not think of him this way. He was the devout one, the son who held himself apart from all the others. He had kept his distance, hiding behind calm words and an expression that never betrayed what he truly felt. But ever since he defended me before his father, I had seen something shift in him. Something I could not ignore.

I rose from my bed, wrapping my cloak around me, and walked the long, quiet halls. My feet moved on their own, carrying me toward the one place in the palace that always seemed different—the chapel.

When I entered, I froze. Cassius was already there.

He sat on one of the benches, his head bowed, his hands clasped in prayer. Candlelight flickered over his face, softening the sharp lines, casting shadows that made him look both holy and broken at once. He did not hear me at first. I stood in the doorway, unsure if I should leave, but something inside me told me to stay.

When he finally lifted his head, his eyes found me, and my breath caught.

“Olympia,” he whispered. My name sounded different from his lips. Gentle. Heavy.

“I… I could not sleep,” I said softly. My voice felt too loud in the stillness of the chapel.

Neither of us moved for a long moment. Then, slowly, I walked closer, my steps echoing against the stone floor. His gaze followed me, dark and unblinking, and I felt the air thicken between us.

“I should not be here,” I murmured, though I did not stop walking.

“And I should not want you here,” he answered, his voice low, strained.

I sank onto the bench beside him, close enough to feel the warmth of his arm, close enough that the faint scent of incense clung to his robes. He stared at the altar, but I saw the tremor in his jaw, the tension in his shoulders.

“You always hide behind your calm face,” I said softly, unable to stop the words. “But I know you feel more than you let anyone see.”

His head turned slowly, his eyes locking on mine. I had never seen him look at me like that before. His control, the careful mask he always wore, had slipped. For the first time, I saw the man beneath it.

“You don’t understand,” he said, his voice hoarse. “I fight every day to keep this hidden. To keep myself from falling into what I cannot have. But you…” He broke off, shaking his head as though even speaking the words hurt him. “You undo me, Olympia.”

My heart thudded painfully in my chest. “Then why keep fighting?”

He let out a harsh breath, almost a laugh, but there was no humor in it. “Because I swore vows. Because my father watches. Because everything in this place is dangerous, and you—” His voice cracked, and he pressed a hand against his chest. “You are the most dangerous of all.”

I should have looked away. I should have kept my distance. But instead, I leaned closer, searching his face. “Then why did you defend me? Why stand against your father for me if you mean to keep me away?”

His hand clenched on the bench. “Because I could not bear to see you treated as nothing. Because every time they speak of you like you are just a pawn, it feels like a blade against my skin. Because no matter how hard I try, I cannot stop myself from—”

He stopped suddenly, his eyes burning into mine. I felt the rest of the words without him saying them.

“From what?” I whispered.

His breath came unsteady, his self-control breaking right before me. Then, as if something inside him finally snapped, he reached for me.

His lips crushed against mine, hard and desperate. The kiss stole my breath, made my head spin. His hand cupped the back of my neck, holding me as though he feared I might vanish if he let go. All the restraint, all the control he had built his life upon, fell away in that single moment.

I melted into him, my body trembling. It was forbidden, dangerous, everything we should have resisted. But the truth was, I did not want to resist. Not anymore.

When he pulled back, his forehead rested against mine, his breath ragged. “This is madness,” he whispered. “We should stop.”

But neither of us moved away. Our hearts beat too fast, our bodies leaning closer still. I knew what was coming next, and for the first time in my life, I chose not to fear it. Slowly without realization we were in Cassius chambers.

Cassius's lips crashed against mine as he pushed my back onto the bed, his hands roaming my curves. I knew this was wrong, that he had taken vows as an exorcist, but the lust between us had already been built for days and could no longer be denied.

I whimpered into his mouth, feeling his hardness press against my thigh through his robes. I reached down and palmed him through the fabric, eliciting a deep groan from Cassius. Emboldened, I pulled at the tie, loosening his robes and pushing them off his broad shoulders.

Cassius pulled back, looking torn. "We shouldn't do this Olympia," he panted. "My vows..."

I silenced him with a finger to his lips. "I need you Cassius. Please, just this once."

His resolve crumbled and he captured my mouth again, more fiercely this time. His hands made quick work of my dress, tugging it off and leaving me bare to his hungry gaze. "You're exquisite," he growled.

Cassius worshipped my body, kissing and licking down my neck and chest until he reached my aching breasts. He sucked one nipple into his hot mouth, making me arch off the bed with a cry. He moved to the other, showing it the same devotion.

"Cassius, please," I begged wantonly, needing more.

With a sinful smirk, Cassius kissed his way down my stomach until he reached my dripping core. He spread my folds with his thumbs, making me blush at the intimate view. "Look how wet you are for me, Olympia," he rumbled.

He dipped his head and ran his tongue up my slit. My hips bucked at the sensation. Cassius pinned me down and began feasting on me in earnest. It was almost too much, his tongue circling my clit before spearing inside me.

A finger joined his tongue, pumping slowly at first, then faster. I was mindless, my head thrashing on the pillow. With a flick of his tongue and curl of his finger, Cassius tipped me over the edge. I came with a silent scream, my body shuddering.

As I came down, Cassius surged up, his thick cock nudging against my entrance. With a muttered apology to God, he thrust inside me, stretching me to the brink. Cassius stilled, allowing me to adjust to his size.

"Move Cassius, I need you," I urged.

He withdrew slowly before slamming back in, making me gasp. Cassius set a punishing pace, each stroke rubbing that perfect spot inside me. His pelvis ground against my clit with every thrust.

I could feel another orgasm building as Cassius swelled even larger inside me. With a pinch to my clit, I exploded around him, my greedy sex milking him for all he had.

Cassius roared his release, his hot seed painting my walls as he thrust wildly. We collapsed together on the bed, chests heaving. I could see the guilt already creeping into his eyes.

I knew this could only be a one time thing. But I'd always have this memory.

When it was over, I lay there beside him in the quiet of the chapel, my chest rising and falling, my mind racing. Candles still flickered, their wax dripping slowly as though time itself had paused to watch what we had done.

Cassius sat up first, his face buried in his hands. His shoulders shook as he fought for control again, but this time it was too late. We had already crossed the line.

“I have broken everything I swore to uphold,” he said, his voice raw. “And yet… I cannot bring myself to regret it.”

I touched his hand gently, and he looked at me with eyes that were no longer calm, no longer hidden. They were full of longing, pain, and something deeper—something I dared not name aloud.

“You think this was a mistake,” I whispered.

He shook his head slowly. “No. It was the only thing that ever felt real. But I've broken my years of vows and if my father learns of this…” His words trailed off, and I felt the fear settle heavy in my stomach.

The danger was real. Alpha Fabian would never forgive this. And yet, at that moment, I could not regret it either.

I reached up, brushing my fingers against Cassius’s cheek. “Then let this be ours alone,” I said softly. “No one else has to know.”

His hand covered mine, his grip tight as though he was afraid I might slip away. “Olympia,” he breathed, my name both a prayer and a curse on his lips.

That night, as I returned to my chambers with trembling legs and a racing heart, I knew nothing would ever be the same again. The palace walls felt closer, the shadows darker, and the danger sharper than ever before. But in my chest, something new burned—something reckless and unstoppable.

Cassius’s control had crumbled. And now, I was no longer just the prize of a rivalry. I was the secret he had broken his vows for, the danger he could not resist.

And I was terrified of how much I wanted him too.