Cassidy
I had never been good at pretending.
Not when I worked in the kitchens, when every forced smile had been a thin veil over exhaustion. Not when I had been dragged in front of the council, when fear had sat like a stone in my throat.
And definitely not now.
Not when I was about to meet his family.
I stood by the fireplace, fingers twisting into the fabric of the dress I had been given—something warmer, softer, far too luxurious for someone like me. A bright yellow sundress that ended just above my knees, it complemented my pale skin and eyes. I wondered if he picked it specifically.
The moment Kieran had left, I had considered locking the door.
Barricading myself inside.
Refusing.
But what good would that do?
I had no leverage.
No power.
And if there was one thing I had learned in the past few days, it was that resisting only made them push harder.
So I forced my breath to steady.
Because I wasn't walking into this meeting as his mate.
I was walking in as me.
And I would hold onto that for as long as I could.
Kieran returned exactly as he said he would.
He barely looked at me as he gestured toward the door. "Let's go."
I swallowed hard, my hands tightening at my sides. I guess chivalry doesn't exists in Canada.
Then, slowly, I followed.
The hallways felt longer than before, the weight of what waited at the end pressing against my chest with every step.
I wanted to turn and run.
But I wouldn't.
Because this wasn't about them.
This was about me.
And I refused to be small.
The hallway was filled with beautiful lights and huge chandeliers dangled from the ceiling, this was the first time I was leaving my room since I was brought here, the walls were filled with paintings and portraits, I tried looking for one of Kieran but failed.
He led me into what seemed like a hall but it was warmer and felt homely. I huge TV was placed on the wall by the left with brown couches surrounding it and a fire place by the right with a small working place. Why didn't I have a TV in my room? I didn't have the opportunity to even touch one back at home. I only saw it in passing when I delivered food to the nobles.
After taking in my fill of the room I turned to Kieran and also notice him staring at the TV before looking back at me, gesturing at me to step in as he closed the door behind me.
The room was full.
But my eyes locked onto three people.
A woman stood at the center, her silver-streaked braid draped over one shoulder, her posture sharp and composed.
Kieran's mother. I could tell from her eyes and the cold calculating look she held. Something Kieran didn't try to suppress, the dark foreboding way her eyes watched my every movement.
To her right, Damon leaned lazily against the armrest of a couch , his expression unreadable.
And to her left—
A woman dressed in something that made me embarrassed for her sake, her breasts looked like they were about to fall out of her really short dress, her lips painted a sharp, poisonous red.
His lover? He has been searching for a mate since he was 18 so I wouldn't be surprised. It wasn't a strange thing to keep company while searching but why did the thought of him with her make my heart sink?
She smiled the moment she saw me.
"Well, well," she purred. "So this is the little human who has our dear Alpha so captivated."
Kieran stiffened beside me. "Celeste."
Celeste ignored him, her sharp gaze sweeping over me, dissecting, analyzing, searching for weakness.
I lifted my chin slightly, refusing to shrink under her scrutiny.
"She's smaller than I expected," Celeste mused, tilting her head. "Fragile. You always did have a thing for delicate things, brother."
Brother? She was his sister?
Kieran growled lowly. "Watch it."
Celeste's grin widened. "Touched a nerve? Interesting."
I looked at Kieran who seemed to be avoiding my eyes at the moment.
"Celeste." Kieran's voice was cold now. A warning.
She didn't push further.
Instead, she shifted her attention back to me, amusement flickering in her red-painted smirk. "Tell me, little human, do you speak?"
I swallowed the sharp response burning on my tongue.
Then, carefully—"Only when I have something worth saying."
Celeste's brows lifted.
Then, to my shock—she laughed.
"Oh, I like her."
Kieran sighed. "That makes one of us."
I glared at him wishing I could tell him how much I hated him too.
His mother finally stepped forward, cutting through the rising tension with her cool, steady presence.
"That's enough," she said. "Let her breathe."
Celeste hummed but obeyed, stepping back slightly.
Kieran's mother turned to me then, her gaze sharp but not unkind. "Cassidy, is it?"
I hesitated. "Yes."
She nodded slightly. "I am Elara, Kieran's mother."
I knew.
I had felt her presence before I even saw her.
Because this was a woman who had been on the council long before Kieran ever did.
And she hadn't lost an ounce of that control.
"You've had a long journey," Elara continued. "You must be exhausted."
I wasn't sure how to respond.
Because exhaustion wasn't the right word.
I was depleted.
Emotionally. Mentally.
But not weak.
Not broken.
And I wouldn't let them think I was.
"I'm fine," I said instead.
Elara's eyes flickered with something unreadable.
Then—"Good."
She turned slightly, nodding toward the long wooden table set along the back of the hall. "Come. You must eat."
My stomach twisted.
Not from hunger.
But from the fact that this felt like something else.
A test.
A show.
And I wasn't sure who it was for.
I hesitated. "I'm not hungry."
Kieran tensed beside me.
But it was Elara who answered.
"That wasn't a request."
Silence.
Then, finally, I moved.
Because whether I wanted to or not—
I was playing this game.
And I would not lose.