Chapter 3 Make Her My Mistress?
Cassain’s Point of View
My footsteps barely make a sound as I move down the hallway, hoping to slip past unnoticed. The silence is comforting, until it’s broken.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
I freeze mid-step, jaw tightening. Of course. I turn slowly to face her. My mother stands in the doorway of her office, arms folded, eyebrows raised like she already knows the answer.
We look so much alike it’s almost eerie. Same sharp cheekbones, same piercing eyes. But it’s not just our faces that mirror each other, it’s the stubbornness too. That, unfortunately, runs deep.
“I was just coming to talk to you,” I say, lying through my teeth. I’d spent the entire day dodging her, and I was doing a pretty decent job until now.
“Mmm,” she hums, clearly unconvinced. Her fingers tap rhythmically against her arms. “Did you review those profiles Nova was supposed to bring you?”
I flash a grin, trying to lighten the mood. “Funny story, Nova tripped coming into my room and every single profile went up in flames. Total accident.”
She rolls her eyes and brushes past my shoulder. “Cassain.”
I sigh. She and Nova act like the Pack is on the verge of collapse if I don’t tie myself to someone soon.
“I read them,” I admit. “But none of them caught my interest.”
Her expression doesn’t change. She’s not surprised. “Why not?”
“They’re just not what I’m looking for.”
“They’re all from noble families. Or they’re loaded. What more could you possibly want?” She steps closer, her head barely reaching my chin.
She flicks at some imaginary lint on my shirt like she’s trying to tidy up my entire life.
“I don’t know,” I say honestly.
And I mean it. I’m not trying to be difficult, I genuinely don’t know what I’m searching for. I just know it’s not them.
Most wolves find their mates before twenty-five. I keep telling myself I’m fine with the silence of my mate, but sometimes, when Nova’s near, I wonder if fate’s just waiting to make a fool of me.
Her face softens, and she cups my cheek with a gentleness that catches me off guard.
“I think I do,” she whispers. “You want love.”
I shake my head, brushing her hand away. “Love isn’t important.”
She gives me a look that says she doesn’t believe a word of that.
Alphas don’t marry for love. That’s what I was taught. My father, before he passed, warned me never to trust love outside of blood. He said it was a distraction, a weakness. And I believed him.
Until Nova.
“This Pack needs a Luna,” my mother says, her voice tight with concern. “Other Packs are watching us. They sense vulnerability.”
“I’m the strongest Alpha in the region,” I argue.
“Maybe so,” she replies. “But without a Luna, people start to wonder. They want an heir. They want stability. The last thing you need is for them to think something’s wrong with you.”
I rub my eyes, exhausted. I’ve given everything to this Pack. My time, my strength, my loyalty. But this part—the personal part, is the hardest.
“Maybe something is wrong,” I mutter.
She studies me carefully. “If you won’t choose someone, I’ll bring the candidates here myself. You’ll pick one.”
“You can’t just parade them in front of me,” I say calmly.
“Why not?”
“Because proximity doesn’t equal affection,” I reply, trying to keep my voice steady. “Just because they’re here doesn’t mean I’ll fall for one of them.”
I never let her see me angry. Irritated, sure. Frustrated, sometimes. But never angry. I keep that part locked away.
Her smile is sly. “It worked with Nova.”
I run a hand through my hair, trying to shake off the weight of her words. “Nova is different. They’re not like her.”
“And you’re not in love with Nova?” she asks, her tone unreadable.
“No,” I say firmly. “She’s my best friend. That’s all.”
It’s true. I’m not lying. But the rumors have been relentless. People assume she’s just a distraction, a fling. That’s easy to ignore. But when they say I love her… that’s harder to shake.
My mother steps forward again, reaching up to button the top of my shirt, the ones I usually leave undone. Her red nails stand out against the dark fabric.
I let her.
“Alphas don’t have friends,” she says quietly. “Everyone in an Alpha’s circle must hold a title.”
Her voice is calm, but the words land like stones. I glance down at the buttons she’s fastening on my shirt, then back at her steely grey eyes.
There’s something else she’s saying, something she’s not saying.
“Are you implying Nova isn’t worthy of being my friend?” My voice tightens, and I feel the first flickers of anger rise in my chest. “I don’t get it. I thought you cared about her.”
“I do care about her,” she says softly. “Nova has worked loyally beside me for years. She’s smart, capable, and I’ve grown fond of her. This isn’t about her worth. But let’s be honest, everyone who looks at this household sees her here because of you, not me.”
“So what?” I ask, my tone clipped.
She clasps her hands behind her back, her posture straight and regal. “So, it’s time you gave her a title. Make her your mistress.”
My heart skips a beat.
Mistress?
The word echoes in my head, and suddenly, images I didn’t ask for flash across my mind.
Nova in my bed, her body curled against mine, her skin soft beneath my hands. I shake the thoughts away, disgusted with myself. That’s not who she is. That’s not who we are.
“She’s not just someone to warm my bed,” I say, voice low and firm.
“She needs a role,” my mother insists. “She needs a defined place in your life, or you need to let her go.”
Her tone is sharp now, edged with finality. She doesn’t make suggestions lightly. And though I’m the Alpha, she knows I value her counsel more than I care to admit.
“Why are you pushing this?” I ask, trying to keep my voice steady.
“You already know why,” she replies. “The Packs around us are watching. They’re waiting for a crack in your armor. A friend is a vulnerability. A friend can be used.”
I swallow hard. She’s not wrong. Alphas don’t keep friends. It’s tradition. It’s strategy. But I’ve always hoped I could be the exception—just this once.
“This is absurd,” I snap.
“People don’t believe Nova is just an employee,” she says, her voice dropping. “You’ve killed men over her, Cassain.”
“So?” I challenge.
“They know you care. If you name her your mistress, you give her protection. You give her status. You make her untouchable.”
I shake my head, trying to make sense of it all. Nova won’t take this well. The title of mistress carries weight, expectations. It implies intimacy, possession.
Giving her that title would change everything. It would shape how others see her. It would limit her future, her choices. She deserves more than that.
“It won’t stop the other Alphas from targeting her,” I say bitterly.
“It will,” my mother replies, her voice calm and certain. “There’s an unspoken rule. Mistresses are off-limits. Every Alpha has one.”
“That’s ridiculous.”
I know what she’s really saying. If I make Nova mine—officially—she can’t leave. She’ll be tied to me, bound by a role she didn’t choose. And selfishly, that idea tempts me. The thought of her always being here, always by my side, is intoxicating.
But it’s wrong.
Nova isn’t mine. She belongs to herself. She deserves to build her own life, make her own choices. Not be defined by mine.
“I love her like a daughter,” my mother continues. “I helped raise her. I don’t want her dead because you insist on dragging her into every dangerous situation just because you can’t bear to be apart.”
“I’m not married,” I argue. “I don’t need a mistress.”
“You will be soon,” she says, raising an eyebrow. “Better to appoint Nova now, so your future wife knows where she stands.”
I cross my arms, frustration bubbling beneath my skin. “And how am I supposed to find a wife when I already have a mistress?”
“This is the reality for Alpha wives,” she says quietly. “And she’ll have to accept that you’re in love with Nova anyway.”
A chill creeps down my spine.
I hate when people say that. I hate when they assume. Even my mother.
“I’m not—”
“Hush,” she says, her smile knowing and infuriating. “Sleep with her or don’t. That’s your choice. But she needs a title.”
“But—”
“End of discussion.”
She turns and walks away.
I rake my hands through my hair, muttering a curse under my breath.
How am I going to ask Nova to be my mistress?