Cassie's POV
Morning light spilled through my window, warm and unwelcome. I blinked against it, my body aching, my mind still tangled in the remnants of last night, the taste of Asher's mouth on mine, the feel of his hands, the weight of his body, and then… nothing.
He was gone.
His scent lingered faintly in the room, teasing and infuriating, but the chair by the window sat empty, and his jacket was no longer draped across the back. A fresh wave of hollow disappointment settled in my chest.
I pushed myself out of bed, ignoring the dull ache in my ankle and the heavier ache in my heart. After everything, he hadn't even left a note.
I don't know what I expected.
With a sigh, I slipped into something comfortable and made my way to the dining room, stomach knotted with a mix of hunger and nerves.
When I arrived, the long table was empty.
No Mila.
No Alex.
No Asher.
Not a single soul.
Only a single place setting had been prepared for me at the end of the table. The food looked untouched and uninviting, but I forced myself to sit.
A quiet tension settled over the house, something was wrong.
A maid passed by, carrying a tray of clean dishes, and I called out softly.
"Excuse me."
She turned, blinking. "Yes, Lady Cassie?"
"Do you know where Mila is? Or Alex?"
The maid frowned, shaking her head. "I haven't
seen either of them since last night, miss."
My stomach twisted. "And Asher?"
She hesitated. "He left early, before dawn. Didn't say where he was going."
Panic flared inside me. I forced a tight smile, waving her off. "Thank you."
The moment she was out of sight, I abandoned my untouched breakfast and hurried down the hall toward Mila's quarters.
The room was empty.
Not a trace of her.
I scanned the space quickly, rifling through her vanity and the drawers of her desk. The place reeked of her sharp perfume and false sweetness. It took a while, but eventually, my eyes landed on a folded piece of parchment shoved carelessly beneath a ledger.
I snatched it up.
The handwriting was unmistakably hers.
"Meet me outside the pack. Usual place. We will finalize everything tonight."
Below it, a location was scribbled. A small, barely known restaurant on the outskirts of our borders. One often used for discreet, off-record meetings. My pulse pounded in my ears.
I didn't hesitate.
I grabbed the small bag I kept hidden in my closet, my disguise.
A long, hooded cloak, a scarf to mask my face, and a simple, worn dress that made me look like any other lowly pack merchant's daughter.
Minutes later, I was on my way.
A Few Miles Outside the Pack
The town near the border was quiet, a sleepy little stretch of buildings most pack members ignored. The restaurant sat at the far end, nestled between a decaying inn and an abandoned smithy. Its cracked sign hung lazily in the wind.
I ducked into an alley nearby and quickly swapped into my disguise.
With my hood drawn low and my scarf covering half my face, no one gave me a second glance as I slipped through the restaurant's side door.
A quick glance around told me Mila wasn't in the main room.
I crept quietly to the side, noticing a private room toward the back. Voices murmured behind it.
Perfect.
I slipped into the room next door, pressing my ear to the thin wall. My heart pounded.
"…you have nothing to worry about," Mila's voice slithered through the crack in the wall. "I control forty percent of the pack's wealth and power. The council will fold when the time comes."
There was a low, rough chuckle. A man's voice. One I didn't recognize. "You've done well, Mila. But we need confirmation before the next move."
"I told you, with my husband out of the way and Cassie's position unstable, there's no one left. Soon the council seat will be vacant… and ours."
A sick, hollow feeling gnawed at my stomach.
I needed to see who she was speaking to.
Carefully, I stepped back, intending to circle around for a better vantage point, but my focus was so fixed on Mila's voice that I didn't see the waiter coming out of the kitchen.
I walked right into him.
The tray in his hands clattered to the floor.
"Hey!" he shouted.
I froze.
From the next room, I heard Mila's sharp intake of breath.
"Who's there?" she snapped.
Panic surged through me.
I spun, intending to bolt, but before I could take a step, a hand shot out of the shadows and grabbed my wrist, yanking me into a dark adjoining room.
The door slammed shut behind us, muffling Mila's raised, alarmed voice as she and her companions spilled into the hall.
I struggled against the grip, my pulse racing.
"Shh," a low, familiar voice whispered against my ear. "Don't make a sound."
My eyes widened as my gaze adjusted to the dim light.
It was a face I didn't find familiar.
"Who the hell is he? Is he one of Mila's?" I thought, my heart racing from fear.
Before I could speak, his hand gently but firmly covered my mouth.
"Stay quiet," he whispered.
"I'm getting you out of here."