"Mother, you're going way too far," Casian warned, his voice low and clipped, a storm barely contained beneath his calm exterior. He refused to raise his voice against her out of respect, yes, but more so because angering Seraphina only added fuel to her already burning fire.
But Seraphina...she was unmoved.
"Don't you see anything, Casian? Or are you so blinded by her innocence that you choose to ignore everything?" she snapped, her eyes blazing with cold fury.
His jaw clenched, the muscle ticking as he met her gaze head-on.
"First, your father brought that orphan boy into our home, and now you—" she scoffed, disgust tightening her features, "you go a step further and take a wolfless girl as your mate?" Her voice dripped with venom. "You think this is noble? Righteous? No, Casian. It's foolish. Dangerous."
Casian stood straighter, his posture a wall of resistance. His silence was not agreement but restraint. He wouldn't let her drag Lyra's name through the mud. Not again.
