Cassidy
The knock at my door came in the late morning.
I hesitated before answering, my body still heavy from lack of sleep.
When I finally pulled it open, I expected to see Kieran.
I didn't.
Instead, a girl stood in the hallway.
She was human.
Petite, with dark brown hair braided neatly over her shoulder and warm hazel eyes that flickered with nervousness.
She bowed slightly. "Miss Cassidy. I've been assigned to you."
I blinked. "What?"
"As your maid," she clarified softly. "By order of the Alpha."
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
Kieran had sent me a servant?
As if giving me a human to talk to would somehow make up for everything he had taken?
Anger simmered beneath my skin.
I turned sharply, marching past her and into the hall, heading straight for his office.
If he thought I would just accept this, he was wrong.
---
Kieran barely looked up when I entered.
"You're upset," he murmured, flipping through a stack of papers on his desk.
"No," I said sharply. "I'm furious."
"Of course you are."
That only made my frustration burn hotter.
"What is this, Kieran?" I snapped. "You steal me from my life and then just—hand me a maid like some kind of apology gift?"
He finally set his papers aside, meeting my glare with his usual calm intensity.
"You said you were alone," he said simply. "Now you're not."
I clenched my fists. "That's not the point."
"Isn't it?"
I opened my mouth—then shut it.
Because I did feel alone.
And he knew it.
I exhaled sharply, crossing my arms. "You can't just fix things like this."
"I know."
The honesty in his voice made me pause.
He hadn't expected this to fix things.
He had just… wanted to give me something.
Something that was mine.
I swallowed hard. "I don't need her."
"Maybe not. But you deserve the choice."
Choice.
The very thing I had fought him over.
I hated that he was giving it to me now.
Hated that, once again, he was being patient when I didn't want him to be.
I inhaled slowly, willing my voice to be steady. "What's her name?"
Kieran watched me for a long moment.
Then—"Mara."
---
I avoided Mara at first.
She was polite but not overly formal, speaking to me like I was just another person instead of someone tied to the most powerful wolf in the country.
And maybe that was what finally made me stop resisting her presence.
Because she didn't try to force conversation.
She just existed beside me, quietly, patiently.
She was 22 years, a year younger than me but more matured.
The first time we sat together in my room, she told me about her family.
She had three younger siblings who still lived in the human district.
She had worked in the estate for two years.
She dreamed of being a painter, she's working to save up money to pay for her university.
And for the first time in so long, I didn't feel like I was speaking to someone who only saw me as a title.
She just saw me.
And I didn't realize how much I had missed that.
I felt jealousy at first, of her. I never had the opportunity to even go to school. Everything I learnt was taught to me by my mother. She taught me to read and write.
Then I felt hatred, for my parents. If I had been born in another country I would have the opportunities mara had. I don't know anything about my father, mama never spoke about him. I have been working in different household and estates as a maid since I was 5.
But then I'm sure they also hated their parents and so on.
---
It was small.
A slow, delicate shift.
But in the days that followed, I felt it.
The change.
Not just with Mara.
With Kieran.
He was still firm. Still unrelenting.
But he didn't push.
Didn't demand that I speak to him.
Didn't hover over me like he expected me to run.
And maybe that was why I found myself not avoiding him as much.
Because for the first time, I didn't feel like I had to fight him at every turn.
For the first time—
I felt like maybe I could breathe.
The estate felt smaller than usual.
Or maybe it was just me.
It had been days since the argument. Since I threw the words at Kieran like knives, meant to cut deep.
And they had.
I had seen it—the way his expression hardened, the way he shut himself off.
He hadn't spoken to me since, he avoided me.
Not because he was angry.
Because he was keeping his distance.
I should have been relieved.
But instead, I just felt restless.
And worse—
Guilty.
I didn't know why it was bothering me so much.
Maybe because, for the first time, I had hurt him first.
And I wasn't sure if I had meant to.
I exhaled sharply, clenching my fists.
I wasn't going to fix this.
But maybe…
Maybe I could ease the weight of it.
---
I stood outside Kieran's office for longer than I wanted to admit.
I should walk away.
He probably didn't want to see me anyway.
But my feet didn't move.
Before I could second-guess myself, I knocked twice.
Silence.
Then—
"Come in."
I inhaled and pushed open the door.
Kieran was at his desk, writing something, but his shoulders stiffened slightly when he sensed me.
Like he wasn't sure what I was doing here.
Like he wasn't ready for it.
I wasn't either.
I hesitated, shifting on my feet. "Hey."
His eyes flicked up to mine—dark, unreadable. "Cassidy."
Silence.
Thick. Uncomfortable.
I exhaled slowly. "I… about what I said last time…"
His gaze remained steady. "Don't."
"I just—" I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to say it. "I didn't mean all of it."
His fingers twitched slightly against the paper, but he didn't react otherwise.
I swallowed hard. "That's all."
He studied me for a long moment.
Then—"Noted."
I blinked. "That's it?"
"What do you expect?"
I huffed. "I don't know. Maybe some proof that you're a living being and not a walking block of ice."
A flicker of something amused crossed his face.
But it was gone just as quickly.
"Why are you here, Cassidy?"
I hesitated. "I'm bored."
His brows lifted slightly, as if surprised. "And you came to me?"
"You're the only one who can do something about it."
He leaned back slightly, arms crossing over his chest. "You must be really bored to seek me out."
I frowned. "Forget it." I turned toward the door. "I'll find something else to do."
"Wait."
I froze, glancing back.
Kieran sighed, rubbing his temple. "What do you want?"
I hesitated. "Something. Anything. I've spent my entire life working, and now I'm just stuck here."
He was quiet for a long moment.
Then—"Fine."
I narrowed my eyes. "That was too easy."
A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Come with me, little human."
And despite myself—
I followed.
I should have been happy.
Kieran had given me exactly what I asked for—something to do.
And yet—
I wasn't.
Because instead of taking me himself, instead of spending even a second of his time on me—
He had sent me off with Mara and some guards for security.
Like I was a child he needed to entertain.
Like I was someone to be managed, not someone to be around.
And I had no reason to care.
No reason for the slight twist in my chest as Mara and I walked through the bustling shopping district, the city full of life around us.
But I did.
And I hated it.
---
"The markets are busiest around this time," Mara was saying, her voice light as she led me past a row of vibrant shops. "There's a little café at the end of the street that makes the best honey cakes. I thought we could stop there later."
I nodded absently.
I didn't know what she had been talking about before that.
I had barely heard her since we left the estate.
Because my mind was elsewhere.
Circling back to him.
Why did it bother me so much?
Wasn't this what I wanted?
Space? Distance?
So why did it feel like a rejection?
"Cassidy?"
I blinked, realizing Mara had stopped walking.
She gave me a curious look. "Are you alright?"
I forced a small smile. "Yeah. Just… thinking."
She tilted her head slightly, as if she wasn't sure she believed me.
But she didn't push.
"Let's stop here," she said, nodding toward a shop selling silk scarves, embroidered shawls, coats and jackets. "It's cold. You should have something warmer."
I exhaled slowly and followed her.
But before I could take more than a few steps—
I bumped into someone.
Strong. Solid.
A firm grip caught my arms before I could stumble back.
"Whoa—"
The voice was familiar.
I froze.
Slowly, I looked up—
And met Jonathan's gaze.
His brows lifted in surprise. "Cassidy?"
My breath caught.
I hadn't expected to see him again.
Not after what happened.
Not after he had bowed his head like everyone else.
But now—
Here he was.
And I had no idea what to say.