Kieran
Cassidy had stopped shivering.
Not because she wasn't cold—she was. Her skin was pale from it, her hands curled into fists against her sides. But she refused to acknowledge it. Refused to touch the coat I had given her.
Her silence wasn't just defiance anymore.
It was something sharper.
Something colder than the air around us.
She wasn't just angry.
She was calculating.
The drive to my estate had been long, cutting through the endless stretch of wilderness that made up the heart of my territory. Snow-covered roads, dense forests, rivers frozen in jagged silver.
Cassidy had barely moved the entire time.
I had seen her shift slightly when the first signs of civilization appeared—clusters of homes tucked into the landscape, smoke rising from chimneys, warm lights glowing through the dark.
She hadn't reacted to the supernatural presence around them.
Because she was used to it.
She had grown up in a world where humans and supernaturals lived side by side, where werewolves walked the same streets as humans, where vampires owned businesses and witches ran councils.
She had spent her life surrounded by them.
And yet—
This was different.
Because this was my territory.
And she was walking into it as mine.
---
By the time the SUV pulled through the estate gates, night had fully settled.
Cassidy inhaled sharply beside me.
The main house loomed ahead, a fortress of stone and firelight, tucked against the dense tree line. A town surrounded it, smaller houses and shops nestled within the safety of the estate's reach.
It wasn't like Garrick's estate, where humans were only permitted in the lowest levels of society.
Here, there were human workers, human traders, human lives woven into the fabric of our pack.
And yet—
She was still the only one by my side.
She felt that difference.
I could see it in the way she sat just a little stiffer.
In the way her breath hitched as she caught the eyes watching us.
Because people were watching.
Not in shock.
Not in horror.
But in curiosity.
And something else.
Something she hadn't realized yet.
They weren't looking at her because she was human.
They were looking at her because she was with me.
---
I stepped out of the car first, pulling my coat tighter against the cold.
Cassidy hesitated.
Just for a second.
Then she followed.
Damon stretched beside me, cracking his neck as he took in the waiting crowd. "Well, they're certainly excited to see us."
Cassidy shifted uncomfortably. "Excited?"
Damon smirked. "Intrigued."
Cassidy swallowed hard. She was trying to act unaffected, but I could feel her unease.
She had expected anger. Resistance.
She hadn't expected acceptance.
She hadn't expected curiosity.
She had spent her entire life being told that humans were weak, that they were meant to serve, to obey.
But here?
Here, no one had spoken a word against her.
Because they weren't concerned about her humanity.
They were concerned about me.
They wanted to know why their Alpha had brought her here.
And more than that—
They wanted to know who she was to me.
Cassidy must have felt that shift, because her fingers twitched at her sides.
For the first time, she looked at me.
Like she was starting to understand something she did not want to.
I met her gaze evenly. "Let's go."
She didn't move.
"Cassidy."
Her lips parted, and for a brief second, I thought she might speak.
Then, without a word, she turned on her heel and walked toward the entrance.
On her own.
Smart girl.
---
The estate's great hall was warm, the massive stone fireplace crackling with golden light.
Cassidy barely reacted to the lavish space—the high ceilings, the towering windows, the intricate carvings in the dark wood furniture.
She wasn't impressed.
She wasn't looking.
She was thinking.
I could see it in the way her shoulders remained tight, the way her golden eyes flicked to every doorway, every possible exit.
She was counting the ways out.
I smirked.
Good.
Let her plan.
Let her scheme.
Let her try.
It wouldn't matter.
Because she wasn't going anywhere.
I led her toward the grand staircase, ignoring the few wolves who still lingered, their murmurs hushed beneath the weight of my presence.
Cassidy finally spoke, her voice low and wary. "Where are you taking me?"
"Your room."
She stiffened. "My room?"
I shot her a look. "Did you think I'd throw you in a dungeon?"
Cassidy's throat bobbed as she swallowed. "I don't know what to expect from you."
I arched a brow. "You will."
She hated that answer.
I knew she did.
But she followed me up the stairs anyway.
Because she had no other choice.
---
The room was at the end of the hall, past rows of intricately carved doors and tapestries woven with ancient pack sigils.
I pushed the door open, stepping aside. "Go in."
Cassidy hesitated.
Then, warily, she crossed the threshold.
The room was large, furnished with dark furnitures and thick curtains,a fire already crackling in the stone hearth. I had called ahead and asked for a room to be prepared for her.
Not a cage.
Not a prison.
But a home.
Her breath hitched.
I could feel the battle happening inside her.
Because she wanted to hate this.
She wanted to see it as another prison.
But deep down, I knew she had never had a space like this before.
A space that was hers.
Cassidy turned to me, her golden eyes burning. "I don't want to be here, please."
I leaned against the doorframe, watching her carefully. "But you belong here."
"No, I don't."
I tilted my head slightly. "Then run."
Her breath caught.
Because she knew she couldn't.
But still I wanted to see her try, the feeling of chasing her was beginning to grow in me. I just hoped it didn't become a regular thing.
I exhaled, raking a hand through my hair. "Rest, Cassidy. We'll talk tomorrow."
I didn't wait for her response.
I shut the door behind me and locked it.
Not because I thought she would escape.
But because I wanted her to understand.
That the only way out of this—
Was through me.