I clenched my teeth.
"I didn’t realize you were so familiar with every single piece of clothing I own," I calmly replied. "Every girl should have a dress for formal events, should they not?"
"Yes, but you’re an oga," Violet casually reminded. Gone were the tears from her eyes. Her tone was light and even a little jovial, as though she was talking about the fine weather rather than insulting to my face. "What use does a servant have for such a nice dress?"
"You have a point..." Cassian said, his frown deepening.
He examined the outfit I was wearing, his expression turning darker and darker the longer he looked at . I started to feel uneasy under his intense scrutiny, and I took one small step backwards. However, there wasn’t much room for to move when Violet’s hands were still latched onto my wrists.
"There isn’t a need for you to own a dress like this," Cassian continued, the corners of his mouth tilting into a snarl. "And I sowhat recall recently purchasing a similar dress."
"I didn’t steal anything," I imdiately said.
"I didn’t say you did," Cassian rebutted. "Why are you so defensive? Unless..." his eyes narrowed, "you’re guilty."
He ant it as a statent, not as a question. Cassian didn’t imdiately brand a thief out loud, but he had already done so in his heart.
"I was given this dress," I said.
My eyes imdiately darted over to Soren, waiting for him to say sothing, anything. After all, he was the one who had gifted this outfit. It fit so well that I found it hard to believe he gave sothing that was originally ant for another woman.
It was a delusional thought, I know. To think that one of the Hadeon triplets would care to buy a present that wasn’t a gag gift. However, Soren was different. He was kind. He saved . He wasn’t as cruel as his brothers were.
My lips were pinched as I continued to look in Soren’s way. However, he refused to et my eyes. Just about anything and everything else in the vicinity seed more interesting than I was right now. He glanced up at the ceiling, looked out of the windows, and even at the floor beneath our feet. But no matter where he looked, he refused to look at .
I felt my heart collapse into the pits of my stomach.
Soren was different... right?
Each ticking second made more and more unsure of that statent. I felt my heart wavering, and my fingertips and toes started to turn cold and clammy. Realization struck ― I wasn’t going to be saved. I was a damsel in distress, but there would not be a knight in shining armor. Even if there was one, it wouldn’t be one of my fated mates, the people the Moon Goddess herself had assigned to love and protect for life.
This was once again a reminder of sothing I had known all my life but forgotten for a split second― I was all alone.
"Please," Cassian said with a scoff. "Who would gift you anything? Much more an expensive dress such as this one. Stop lying."
"I am not..." I said, but my argunt ca out weak and soft, barely even audible.
"You are," Cassian seethed.
He ca forward, his fingers wrapping around my neck. The mont he got close, Violet let go of , finally releasing from her manicured claws. Once my hands were free, they shot up to my neck, trying to pry Cassian’s fingers away, but to no avail. Cassian quickly backed against a pillar.
Bits of my mories began to overlap with reality.
"I told you," Cassian growled lowly, his face dangerously close. With such a short distance between us, all I could focus on was the brilliant gold of his eyes. "Don’t think that our opinions of you have changed or will ever change just because of one small mistake. You are just an oga servant who murdered our would-be Luna. Once we have decided what to do with you, you will instantly be disposed of."
Mistake.
My eyes darted past Cassian one last ti to glance at Soren. Finally, he snuck a look at . But the mont he realized I was looking at him, he looked away. My throat felt dry.
That’s right. It was a mistake to believe that the Hadeon brothers had any semblance of a heart.
I took a deep breath, calming myself down. No one was coming to save . Not Soren, and definitely not Rowan.
"Don’t worry," I said, returning my gaze to Cassian. This ti, it was filled with a lot more resolve. "I didn’t forget."
Cassian’s hands loosened around my neck for a second, seeming shocked when he noticed my countenance had changed completely. I took the opportunity to pry his hand off my neck. Surprisingly, it was much easier to do so than I thought.
"Good, then," Cassian said once he collected himself from the temporary shock. "In that case, aren’t you supposed to return what doesn’t belong to you?"
"And what will that be?" I asked.
With a gust of wind blowing across my face, I winced as Cassian’s fist landed on the concrete right next to my head. A bit of dust flew into the air, along with small chips that fell to the floor.
"Don’t play dumb with , Briar," Cassian growled. "Take off the fucking dress."
"That’s not a good thing to say right in front of your bride, Alpha Cassian, especially on your wedding day," I quipped, mockingly smiling at him.
I ignored the shiver in my bones and the fear that crept through my skull. Every nerve in my body was trying to get to abort the idea of talking back to my Alpha. However, after everything that had just happened, if I didn’t, I felt that I would go insane.
"What would other people say?"
"Don’t think that I wouldn’t dare kill you," Cassian threatened, his eyes red with fury.
His fingers found my throat once more, and this ti, he squeezed it hard. I imdiately gasped for air, my hands trying to pull his fingers off of . However, this ti, I didn’t manage to gather the strength to do so. Cassian was fueled by his rage, and his eyes began to glow as his wolf started to surface.
"Cassian, you’re going to kill her," Soren worriedly said.
"Cassian, that’s enough," Rowan said from behind, but even then, Cassian didn’t budge.
"Cassian..." Violet said, coming forward. Her eyes were watery. "Please let Briar go. I don’t want her blood on my hands, especially not for sothing as simple as a dress."
She sniffled.
"Briar is just a girl, too. If she wants to wear it so badly, she may... I... I am alright with wearing this simple one for the wedding ceremony, if need be."
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