ATASHA’S POV
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A sigh of relief slipped from my lips the moment I recognized Rio’s silhouette pushing through the smoke with his blade drawn. He wasn’t alone. Reinforcements spilled in from all sides, Lieutenant Rio at the lead, followed by soldiers in northern armor, their weapons raised.
They were here chasing the enemy.
Almost immediately, the Demon Fangs faltered, confusion breaking through their frenzy as they realized they were no longer the hunters. They turned too late. Within moments, steel clashed against bone and claws. The chaos that had overwhelmed us shifted, swallowed by the discipline and numbers of the new arrivals.
I exhaled, legs trembling beneath me. The dagger slipped slightly in my grip. My knees buckled, but before I could hit the ground, a strong hand caught me, again.
Cassian.
Blood smeared his cheek and jaw, his chest still heaving with exertion. But the rage in his eyes had dimmed, replaced by something unreadable as he turned toward the remaining enemies with a final, sharp gesture.
“Secure the area. Check the children. Bring them with us.”
The command snapped through the air like a whip, and his men responded instantly. I turned to glance at the children. Rio was already kneeling beside Aries and Rico, quickly assessing their condition, murmuring reassurances in a tone too gentle for someone usually so cold.
And then I felt it.
Cassian’s arms wrapped around me and without warning, he lifted me off the ground. My feet left the earth in one smooth motion, and before I could protest, I found myself cradled in his
arms.
Like a princess.
“What- ? Cassian–I- I am fine. Put me down!” I hissed in a panic, trying to struggle, but it was useless. My entire face burned as I realized every pair of eyes was on us.
Cassian didn’t flinch. “Behave,” he muttered.
My mouth opened, ready to argue, but no words came out. So instead, I turned my head and buried my face into the crook of his neck. My heartbeat thundered in my ears as he carried
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Chapter 39
me through the carnage like it was the most natural thing in the world.
He didn’t say another word, and I didn’t ask any more questions.
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By the time we returned to camp, dusk had already swallowed the sky in a hazy gray. The journey had been slower than expected, carrying the children and the wounded had taken its toll. But we made it. All of us.
Fires crackled as they were stoked back to life. Tents shifted in the wind. Soldiers moved in quiet, methodical lines–some limping, others helping their comrades–but for one brief moment, everything paused. All eyes turned as Cassian strode through the heart of camp, still carrying me in his arms like I weighed nothing at all.
I thought he would set me down, maybe turn to assist the others or check on the wounded like he usually did. But he didn’t.
He carried me straight into one of the carriages, placing me down gently onto the cushioned bench. The door shut behind us. Outside, I heard Mendez’s voice barking orders, checking the children, organizing medics. But inside, it was quiet.
I expected him to sit, maybe ask me to heal him again. He looked like he needed it, his hands. still trembled slightly, and I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. But he didn’t speak.
Not at first.
He stood in the cramped space, gaze fixed on me like I’d done something offensive.
And then he asked–coldly, carefully, without emotion- “Why didn’t you leave?”
I blinked, confused. “What?”
“I told you to run. When we were still inside that cave, I told you to leave me.” His jaw clenched. “You disobeyed.”
His voice wasn’t angry. Not exactly. It was strained. It sounded as if he was trying to stop himself from doing something stupid. Which was somehow worse.
“You were unconscious,” I replied, swallowing hard. “There was no way I was going to leave you there to die-”
“You disobeyed an order.”
I sat up straighter. “Were you expecting me to just leave you to die?” I didn’t know where I got the courage to speak up and met his steely gaze. “Then ran away like a damn coward?”
Cassian took a step forward, and for a second, the space between us seemed to vanish.
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Chapter 39
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“You risked your life,” he said through gritted teeth. “You dragged me out of a collapsing cave, exposed yourself to the miasma, and nearly passed out doing it. Why would you do that? You had a chance to get out. Why didn’t you take it?”
I stared at him. His eyes weren’t glowing anymore, but they burned just the same.
A part of me questioned whether his anger was really about disobedience. Was it something else. Fear, maybe? Fear that I’d get myself killed? The thought felt absurd… too far–fetched to be true.
“I didn’t leave,” I said, quietly. “Because I know you wouldn’t have left me either.”
His brow twitched, the only sign that my words landed. But I didn’t stop there.
“Maybe you think it was foolish. Maybe it was. But I’m not heartless. I couldn’t walk away while you were still breathing. Not after everything that’s happened.” I saw the way his expression hardened, unreadable, so I added quickly, “And besides… if you died, what would happen to me? We had a deal. I’m supposed to be your only wife and you… my husband. Do you really think I’d let myself become a widow just days after the marriage?”
The second the words left my mouth, I knew I’d gone too far. They were blunt and reckless and careless in a way that made my stomach twist. The silence that followed felt deafening, like even the air had paused to judge me. I could practically hear the echo of my own stupidity bouncing off the walls. For a brief second, I seriously considered slapping myself just to break the tension.
He looked away, exhaling slowly, like he couldn’t decide whether to shout or break something.
“And what if you had died?” he asked, quieter this time. “What if you hadn’t woken up? What
then?”
I shrugged faintly. “Then at least I would’ve died doing something that mattered.”
That made him freeze.
My eyes widened instantly. What was I saying again? Why was I panicking around him? “I- I didn’t mean- I meant the children. Yes. Dying after saving them was worth it.”
The silence in the carriage grew heavier, settling over us like a second skin.
Finally, he sat across from me, eyes locked on mine.
“You’re reckless,” he muttered.
“You’re welcome,” I replied, a smile blooming on my face. “Now… remove your clothes.”
C
