As she walked through the woods, the dying light of nightfall cast long shadows on the route, and Cassandra's footsteps were lightweight. The crisp air carried the distant river murmur and the earthy smell of pine. Away from the pack's prying gaze, she had always found comfort in the woods, but today, something felt different—heavier, as though the burden of her own decisions was bearing down on her.
She halted when she rounded a bend in the route. For a second, she believed she had heard something—a stir in the underbrush. She looked about, but the woodland was still and calm. Still, her heart raced as though her instincts were alerting her. She was not by herself.
Aware that someone was watching her, her eyes sharpened, and she moved carefully. Then she spotted Varun. Leaning against a tree with arms folded, his piercing eyes tracked her every movement. He was framing his powerful jawline with his dark hair, somewhat ruffled from the wind; the intensity in his gaze was apparent.
"You have been avoiding me," he remarked quietly yet forcefully.
Cassandra tensed. It didn't surprise her. Varun was watchful, too sharp for her comfort. He could nearly read every thought she had. Hiding the anxiety rising in her back, she made herself breathe steadily.
"I'm not avoiding anyone," she said, maintaining her voice steady, "just getting some air."
Varun moved closer, his gaze fixed on her. "Don't tell me lies. Cassandra, I have been watching you. I know what you have been doing. What is happening between you and him?" he pointed forcefully toward the region of the rogue pack.
Cassandra felt her stomach tighten. She understood just who he meant: Damon's. The thought of him made her heart skip a beat. "What do you mean?" she inquired, attempting to suppress the anxiety in her tone.
Varun's stare grew steely. "I notice how you stare at him—your constant creeping about. You believe no one notices? Think again."
She folded her arms in defence but did not alleviate the nagging sensation. Was it so obvious? "There's nothing to notice," she remarked, her voice more harsh than she meant.
"Oh, I noticed." Varun smiled tightly, his lips curling but not his eyes. "Cassandra, I'm not blind. I have seen you two conversing in the woods, alone, together. You have been seeing him in secret."
Cassandra's throat became parched. Though Varun was already approaching her with a serious look, she stepped aside. He wanted to know, "What is happening between you two? For a rogue, are you ready to risk everything? For someone not even a part of this pack?"
She felt cornered and confined. The actual truth of what was going on between her and Damon was not something she could tell Varun, not like this. The bond was too strong and too complicated.
She murmured gently, shaking her head, "You don't understand. That is not the issue. I'm only trying to make sense of what is happening. These visions, these feelings, they're too much."
Varun's look softened, but then rage returned. "Your visions don't interest me. The pack matters to me. Cassandra, you are playing a dangerous game. If you continue down this road, you will drag us all down with you."
Her breathing became shallow, and her chest constricted. "I'm not out to ruin anything," she said softly.
Varun's voice was icy, his eyes flashing. "Then stop this before it is too late."
Without saying anything more, he turned and left Cassandra in the clearing, the weight of his charge still hanging in the air. Her heart sank as she watched him go, knowing Varun's suspicion was only the beginning. Should he be aware, others would soon follow. And then what happens? What would become of everything she was starting to understand, to Damon, to her?
Varun's words had trailed Cassandra back to the camp like an unseen shackle. Though everything seemed far away, as if she were viewing the world through a fog, she had attempted to ignore it and concentrate on the simple chores that came with life in the pack. Damon occupied her mind; she felt drawn to him, but now she had to think about Varun, too.
Watching the flames dance that night, she again found herself by the fire, hands anxiously on her lap. Gathered about the pack, mumbling in the low murmurs that preceded their nocturnal rituals. But in the back of her mind, she could sense Varun's presence, as though he were continually watching her.
Liora spoke from behind, her voice warm but with a sharpness Cassandra couldn't miss, "You've been avoiding me."
Cassandra spun around, surprised. "I have not been ignoring you."
Liora raised an eyebrow and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Cass, you've been far away. You have been distant, Cass. Even if I don't know what is happening, I am concerned."
A recognizable figure came in the distance—Varun—before Cassandra could answer. Purposeful strides brought him toward them; his countenance was somber and his stance was rigid. Cassandra's heart leapt in her chest. She was aware of what lay ahead.
Varun came closer, his gaze fixed on hers. "I have to speak with you," he muttered.
Cassandra rose, her thoughts racing. "About what?"
Varun was unflinching. "This is related to Damon and your secret meetings." Though his voice was quiet, the power in his words was unmistakable. "Cassandra, what's going on?"
Swallowing, she attempted to speak. "There is nothing between us, as I have said."
Varun's look darkened. "Liar." Though soft, his voice had a harshness that made Cassandra wince. "I have observed you both together. I know you two have been seeing him in the woods. Can you conceal this from me? From the pack?"
"I am not concealing anything!" Cassandra's voice broke as the reality hit her in the chest. Feeling the heat of Varun's stare burn through her, she moved back. "I don't know what you believe you know, but I'm not betraying anyone."
"You are not?" Varun's expression twisted with rage as he stepped closer, his voice quiet and menacing. "Then why are you sneaking around with him, huh? Why do I find you out there, alone with the rogue? Cassandra, you are deceiving yourself. And I will not allow you to drag the rest of us down with you."
Cassandra's pulse pounded in her ears as the tension between them cracked. The pack's eyes were on them now, and the air was heavy with unspoken condemnation. She looked to Liora, standing still, observing the confrontation unfold.
"Varun, please," Cassandra begged, trying to suppress the quaver in her voice. "You don't understand; this isn't only about him. It's about the curse, the visions. It's about everything that is happening."
Varun, though, was no longer paying attention. Pulling her toward him, he seized her arm, and his fingers pierced her skin. His voice was harsh and unrelenting. "Cassandra, if you're not cautious, you will cause the entire pack to fall. You have already begun." He left her there, heart in her throat, standing.
Sitting alone at the camp's edge, Cassandra's mind raced uncontrollably. Varun's words, his rage, had left her reeling. His gaze, the way he had seized her arm as if she were nothing but a danger to everything she held dear, made her feel betrayed, and she couldn't escape it. He didn't understand. How could he? He had no idea what it was like to be burdened with visions, with a connection to someone like Damon she could not reject.
Sitting there with the chilly night air nipping at her skin, she started to grasp something else: she was running out of time. The pack was getting suspicious, and Varun was the first to respond. Soon, the others would follow, and the walls that once seemed so familiar and comforting would press in on her.
Her eyes roamed the camp as she got up suddenly. A voice broke in on her thoughts.
"Cassandra."
She looked to find Liora coming, her face unreadable.
"What is happening?" Liora inquired gently, her eyes darting to Varun's recent storming away. "What did he say to you?"
At first, Cassandra remained silent. The burden of everything pushing on her chest made her throat feel tight. She was aware of what lay ahead. Liora had always been the one person she could rely on, but now there was no turning back.
"Cassandra?" Liora inquired once more, approaching nearer.
Cassandra remarked, her voice almost a whisper, "Liora, I can't keep lying to you. Still, I cannot share everything with you yet."
Liora's eyes narrowed and her lips tightened in annoyance. "Haven't you already picked him?"
Cassandra's heart fell. Liora's words hurt more than she had anticipated. "It's not like that," she objected, but the words seemed empty. How could she tell her closest friend about it when she didn't understand it herself?
Raising voices caught her attention, and she spun around quickly. From across the tent, she spotted Alpha Caelum and Varun engaged in a passionate discussion, their voices quiet but forceful.
Walking closer, she picked up on their word fragments.
"... the rogue... and Cassandra's betrayal..."
Her heart stopped. They were discussing her. Time was running out for her.