Chapter 15: My Mother Doesn't Trust Him

Mom arrived on campus again before noon.

This time, she came alone.

The moment she entered the private conference room and saw Cassian, she slapped him.

Hard.

Nobody moved.

Cassian slowly turned his face back toward her.

"I deserved that."

"You deserved worse."

I stared between them.

"Okay. Clearly there's context."

Mom ignored me.

"Where were you?"

"Alive."

"For eighteen years?"

"Mostly."

"You let me think you were dead."

"You disappeared too."

"To protect my child!"

"So did I."

Her eyes flashed.

"You didn't have a child."

Cassian's jaw tightened.

"No. I had survivors."

That silenced her.

Rowan stood beside the window, watching carefully.

Knox had been told to leave.

He hadn't been happy about it.

I was thrilled.

"Can someone explain?"

Mom finally sat down.

"Cassian was part of the Lunaris guard."

I looked at him.

"You were a guard?"

"Youngest lieutenant."

"When the Pack was attacked?"

"Yes."

Mom's voice sharpened.

"And he was ordered to escort survivors to safe territories."

"Which I did."

"Then you vanished."

"Because somebody was hunting us."

Cassian leaned forward.

"Selene, three safe houses were compromised within six months."

Mom went still.

"What?"

"Every location we were given through official Lycan channels was found."

Rowan's expression darkened.

"You're saying there was a leak."

"I'm saying someone with access to protected relocation records was feeding locations to whoever attacked Lunaris."

The room became silent.

Mom looked shaken.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you were on those records too."

"So?"

"If I contacted you and someone was monitoring communications, I could have exposed Nessa."

Mom's anger wavered.

Cassian continued.

"I broke away from official support networks. Took five survivors underground. Changed names. Never contacted Nightvale or the Council again."

Rowan frowned.

"Five survivors are still alive?"

"Three."

The simplicity of the answer hurt more than explanation would have.

I looked down.

"Who are they?"

"You'll meet them when it's safe."

"That sounds like another secret."

"It is."

"I hate secrets."

"Good. So do I."

He looked at Mom.

"Which is why you need to tell her the rest."

Mom stiffened.

"Cassian."

"She's already exposed."

"Not everything needs to be said now."

"That thinking is exactly how she ended up learning her heritage from strangers."

I raised a hand.

"For once, I agree with the suspicious cousin."

Mom closed her eyes.

"Fine."

She took a slow breath.

"The attack on Lunaris happened when I was seventeen."

"You said rogues were blamed."

"They were."

"But?"

"The attackers knew our defenses too well."

Cassian nodded.

"They bypassed exterior patrols, entered through old tunnels, and went directly toward the Alpha residence."

Rowan asked, "Targeting Aurelius?"

"At first."

Mom's hands tightened.

"Then they started searching for family records."

"Why?" I asked.

"Bloodline registries. Mate predictions. Birth records."

A chill ran through me.

"Someone wanted Lunaris blood."

"Or control of it," Cassian said.

Mom continued.

"My father ordered the archives destroyed before attackers could take them."

"Were they?"

"We believed so."

Cassian's expression darkened.

"Not all of them."

He placed several copied pages on the table.

"I recovered these years later."

Rowan picked up one carefully.

"These are breeding compatibility charts."

I recoiled.

"Breeding?"

Cassian looked disgusted.

"Their word, not ours."

Mom looked away.

"Some powerful families treated Lunaris daughters as tools for strengthening Alpha lines."

Anger spread through me.

"And the Council allowed this?"

"Centuries ago," Rowan said. "Modern law doesn't allow forced mating."

"But it still allows petitions."

"Yes."

"Convenient."

Rowan looked ashamed despite having nothing to do with creating the law.

I touched one of the pages.

Several Pack names appeared.

Nightvale.

Stormridge.

Silvercrest.

Others I didn't recognize.

Each had numbers beside them.

"What are these?"

Cassian answered.

"Compatibility projections."

My finger stopped beside Nightvale.

98.

Stormridge.

91.

Silvercrest.

72.

I looked at Rowan.

"Seriously?"

He frowned.

"I've never seen this document."

Cassian nodded.

"Because it predates your birth."

I continued scanning.

At the bottom was a handwritten note.

Lunaris female heir + Nightvale male heir = highest projected stabilization potential.

My stomach turned.

"This is disgusting."

"Yes," Mom whispered.

"Was this why you hid me?"

"Partly."

"Partly?"

She hesitated again.

Cassian looked at her.

"Tell her."

Mom's face hardened.

"Don't order me."

"Then stop delaying."

I leaned forward.

"Mom."

Her eyes filled with pain.

"When you were born, your wolf scent was unusual."

"Babies don't shift."

"No. But bloodline traits can still be tested."

"And?"

"Your compatibility potential was stronger than mine."

I stared at her.

"With Nightvale?"

"With Alpha bloodlines generally."

Cassian added quietly, "You were the strongest Lunaris heir recorded in generations."

I pushed away from the table.

"So my entire existence came with a target."

Mom reached for me.

"That's why we hid you."

"And never told me anything."

"You were a child."

"I'm not now."

"I know."

Her voice broke.

"And I'm sorry."

For once, I believed she meant it completely.

I sat again.

"What does Rowan being my fated mate change?"

Nobody answered immediately.

"Guys."

Rowan finally spoke.

"Potentially everything."

"Explain."

"Political compatibility is one thing. A true mate bond is another."

"Meaning?"

"If we voluntarily complete the bond, ancient courtship petitions become irrelevant."

I narrowed my eyes.

"So everyone has an incentive to rush us."

"Yes."

"And possibly an incentive to keep us apart."

"Yes."

Cassian leaned back.

"Now you're thinking like an Alpha."

I gave him a flat look.

"Stop enjoying this."

"Sorry."

Mom looked at Rowan.

"And what exactly are your intentions with my daughter?"

Rowan didn't hesitate.

"Whatever she wants."

Mom blinked.

"That's vague."

"Because the choice is hers."

"You don't want to bond with your fated mate?"

"Of course I do."

His eyes moved to mine.

"But wanting something doesn't give me the right to pressure her."

The room went quiet.

My chest warmed despite myself.

Cassian watched Rowan more thoughtfully now.

Mom's expression softened by a fraction.

"Good answer."

Rowan exhaled.

"Thank you."

"Don't get comfortable."

"Wouldn't dream of it."

My phone buzzed.

Tessa.

[You need to see the freshman forum RIGHT NOW.]

I opened it.

A new anonymous post was trending.

[SUPREME ALPHA HEIR'S MATE USED TO BE 200 POUNDS — BEFORE AND AFTER PHOTOS.]

My old school photograph appeared beside a recent picture from the Freshman Ball.

The caption underneath read:

[Amazing what desperation for a rich mate can make someone do.]

My stomach dropped.

Comments were already flooding in.

And beneath the original post was another upload.

A private screenshot.

One I had never shared publicly.

My old messages to Knox.

Messages where I begged him not to leave me.