Chapter 134
ATASHA’S POV
15 be vouch
[60 J
I always thought the north was a cold, dark place where beasts lingered and werewolves feared for their lives. But for some reason, Cassian had shown me time and time again that… I was wrong.
The north, as cold as it was, was not the place I imagined. It was dangerous, yes, but it was also beautiful.
I stood at the edge of the cliff, snow crunching under my boots and swirling in the wind like drifting ash. The cold bit through my cloak, sharp enough to sting, but I couldn’t look away from the view below.
From up here, the world seemed endless. The mountains buried under white, rivers glinting like frozen glass, and forests dusted with snow so thick they looked almost silver. The air smelled of pine and ice, crisp enough to burn my lungs. It was breathtaking in a way that almost made me forget how deadly it was.
And that was exactly why I reminded myself not to be distracted. The north was beautiful, but it could still kill me if I made one wrong step. A loose rock, a gust of wind, or worse, a beast that thought I looked easy to chew
- on.
I turned to Cassian, who was standing a few steps ahead, his gaze sweeping across the landscape like he’d seen it all before, and maybe he had.
“What are we doing here?” I asked, though part of me already knew I wouldn’t get a straight answer.
He didn’t look at me when he spoke. “I’ve explored most of the north… alone. During the red moon, I hide in caves and fight the monsters that come out. But this place was something that my grandmother found…
My eyebrows rose. Mendez told me that he had fought the beast outside of the gates, he never mentioned Cassian exploring the north.
Then he started walking toward a dark opening carved into the side of the cliff. I followed, because of course I did.
After what had happened between us back in that room, I couldn’t bring myself to stay behind. My heart was still hammering from it, my lips tingling like they remembered his touch, and yet my head was a mess of questions and warnings.
If he told me to jump, I’d probably do it, maybe after asking how high, but I’d still do it. That scared me almost as much as the North itself. Whatever line I’d been holding onto before, it had already been crossed. Fear wasn’t an option anymore. Not with him. Not after that moment.
I knew, standing there with snow biting my cheeks and his back moving steadily ahead of me, that I was already too far gone to turn back.
When we reached the mouth of the cave, Cassian stopped and glanced back at me. His voice was low, steady. “I am a beast, Atasha. And beasts… need to act like one.”
My eyes went wide. My mind immediately jumped to every possible terrifying scenario. Act like one? What does that mean? Eat raw meat? Growl at the moon? Oh goddess, does he plan to eat me? Or worse… turn into a beast while kissing me?
11:37 Wed, Oct 8
Chapter 134
60
56 vouchers,
I must’ve made a face because Cassian looked vaguely amused before adding, “It’s something my grandmother taught me. A beast must mark its bride or groom. It’s the way of nature.”
I blinked. Hard, so hard I thought my eyes might actually roll out of their sockets. “Mark? What do you mean,
mark?”
I knew what marking meant. Every werewolf did. It was something only mates did, something sacred, instinctive, and nearly extinct in our time, Mates were rare now, so rare that most considered them myths. And even if someone did find theirs, marking was no longer encouraged. It bound two wolves together for life, in body and mind.
Killing one would also destroy their mate’s wolf.
Was that what he meant? That kind of marking? The thought made my chest tighten. But how could that be possible when I had no wolf to begin with?
He met my gaze evenly. “In the eyes of the King and the kingdom, we are wed. But not in the eyes of the beastmen.”
“Beastmen?” I echoed, still trying to process the part where I might be getting marked.
Cassian stepped inside the cave, his voice echoing softly. “People like me. Those cursed by nature, creatures that shouldn’t exist. When the moon turns red, we lose ourselves. Our consciousness fades, and the beast takes over.”
I followed him deeper inside. The air was cooler, the walls damp and streaked with silver veins that caught the light. “Does that mean you’re not the only one?”
He shook his head. “No. There are others like me all over this world. People who carry a curse, whose existence is a taboo even to nature itself.”
‘We stopped in front of what looked like an altar carved from stone. There was nothing on it except two goblets, both made of gold, the rims etched with strange markings. A beam of sunlight filtered through a small hole in the cave ceiling, landing perfectly on the cups.
Before I could ask what this was, Cassian drew a dagger from his belt. Without hesitation, he sliced his palm open and let the blood drip into both goblets. The moment the light touched the liquid, it sizzled and hissed like hot metal. The sharp smell of sulfur filled the air, burning my nose.
My stomach twisted. “What–what’s happening?”
He looked at me calmly. “Your turn. Add your blood.”
He didn’t move closer or pressure me. He just waited, the dagger resting loosely in his hand.
I didn’t let him finish whatever warning he was about to give. Snatching the dagger from his grasp, I drew in a breath and pressed the blade against my palm. The metal was cold at first, but then came the sting, a sharp, biting pain that spread to my fingertips. Warm blood welled up and trickled down my hand. I let a few drops fall into the cup.
Almost immediately, the hissing stopped. The bubbling surface went still, the air losing its bitter, sulfur smell. Then I watched as the liquid inside slowly turned… colorless… like water.
11:37 Wed, Oct 8
Chapter 134
Cassian watched the reaction with an unreadable expression. “The only way to stabilize the curse,” he said quietly. “Is to find our mates. It’s the only bond strong enough to hold the beast back.”
I looked down at the golden goblets, the faint glow of our blood reflecting in my eyes. The thought hit me like a hammer. “Mates?”
“My grandmother and mother never found theirs,” he said, his voice low, his eyes never leaving mine. The way he looked at me made the air between us feel heavier, as if the cold itself had stopped to listen. “But I found mine.”
