Cassian
Cassian's thoughts fractured the instant King Valamir spoke.
"Selene will be wedded to the Lycan King as a truce to end the ongoing war."
Selene? His betrothed?
Why was no one objecting? Why did they all seem so willing to accept this?
Cassian had been summoned to the council meeting by King Valamir, assuming it was to announce the date of his wedding to Selene. He had been prepared to take his seat beside her and strategize a way to end the war. But now—this?
Selene stood, defying her father despite his attempts to silence her. Cassian wanted to do the same, to stand with her, but the moment he moved, a force—an unseen, suffocating weight—rooted him in place. His body tensed, his every nerve on edge.
The presence of the Lycan King filled the hall, a suffocating force pressing down on him. The scent of fresh blood clung to him, thick and metallic, as if he had fed just before stepping into the room.
Cassian swallowed hard. The moment the Lycan king spoke, his voice was bold, commanding and laced with threats.
"Cassian."
Selene's voice yanked him from his daze.
"You would sit there and watch me be traded away in the name of peace?"
Her words cut through him. He tried to speak, tried to move—but the weight of the Lycan King's presence still held him down— a fear of his mere presence. His throat felt tight, his body refusing to respond.
All he could do was watch as Selene stormed out, the heavy doors slamming behind her. His heart pounded violently in his chest. Pain. Shame. Weakness. Anger. Hatred. It all came at once, a tangled storm inside him.
Then, the Lycan King spoke again, his voice filling the silence she left behind.
"I will forgive her misconduct once. Caution your daughter, Valamir."
His eyes remained locked on the vampire king.
"The wedding will take place tomorrow. My Lycans will not hesitate to end your lives if necessary. The first ceremony, crowning me King of Vampires, will be held here in Valemir's citadel. The second, at Nightfang's Vale, will consummate your princess as my Luna."
He paused, his words sinking into the room like an unshakable decree.
"That will be all."
Then, he rose from his seat and walked to the door
And with that the council meeting was dismissed.
*******
Cassian had expected King Valamir to speak to him after the meeting—to offer an explanation, a reason, anything for this sudden betrayal.
But he received nothing.
Just like always, he was neglected.
He had spent years proving himself worthy, enduring endless trials to earn Selene's hand. And just when he finally had what he had always wanted, it was ripped from him. Again.
Just like his father.
His father had once been promised the same—a royal union with the heir, Selene's mother. But in the end, he had been cast aside. Betrayed. Rejected. Now, Cassian had fallen for the same lies. The lies of royals.
The thought alone sent him into motion. His feet pounded against the earth as he ran, his breath ragged.
He couldn't breathe.
Hatred clawed at his chest, sharp and unrelenting.
His father had always warned him, always groomed him to lift the name of their house—House Duskmoor. Yet he had died in battle, and King Valamir had promised his death would not be in vain.
Lies.
"Enough with the lies!" Cassian roared, coming to an abrupt stop. His pupils dilated, his fangs lengthening instinctively.
He needed to feed. To reclaim his power.
He had been humiliated, treated like prey before the entire council. And worse, he had been unable to speak for himself.
His father's voice thundered in his mind.
"A commoner will always be a commoner. You are weak, boy!, just as you have always been—just as you always will be!"
"Stop!!!" Cassian screamed, clutching his head. "I am not weak! I am not weak, Father! Believe me! I will take back what is yours! I will raise your name! Duskmoor will reign!"
His voice grew louder, but this time, it was different—raw, monstrous. His knees hit the ground, and in his frenzy, he slammed his head against a jagged rock.
"Failure!" He screamed, his voice cracking. "Failure! You fucking failure!" he continued smashing his head.
A sharp gasp shattered the air.
Cassian stilled.
His bloodshot eyes darted toward the trees. A little girl stood frozen behind a trunk, her wide, terrified eyes locked on him.
Her scream pierced the silence.
In a blur, he was in front of her. She didn't even see him move.
He seized her arm, his grip tight. "Look at me, girl." His voice was low, cold.
He could hear the frantic pounding of her heart.
"I—I'm sorry," she whimpered. "I won't tell anyone, I promise. I'll go back home to Umbrafel. Please, just let me go."
She squeezed her eyes shut, trembling, refusing to look at him.
Cassian growled, tightening his grip. "Look at me, girl!" He roared, lifting her off the ground with one hand.
"Please… please," she sobbed, her voice barely above a whisper.
He didn't care.
His father's voice echoed in his mind.
"Show me power boy."
Cassian's lips curled into a snarl. "I'll show you power, Father."
His fangs plunged deep into the girl's neck.
She let out a horrific scream, her small body writhing in pain.
Her blood burned as it touched his tongue. Unnatural. He felt an urgent pull.
He pinned her to the ground, savoring her struggle. "Scream, you little bitch!" he growled, his voice laced with twisted satisfaction as he drained her.
his breath grew heavy, the rush of hunger clouded his mind as he dug his fingers deeper into her flesh.
But something was… off.
Her blood tasted different. Warmer.
For a moment, it exhilarated him—until it didn't.
The moment her heart gave its final beat, something changed.
The blood in his throat thickened, clogging his airway. The pleasure morphed into something else—something terrifying.
His heart clenched.
Burned.
"What the hell is going on?" he rasped, his voice strangled as he tried gasping for air.
He coughed violently, spitting out blood, but it was too late. He had already taken in too much.
His vision blurred. His body collapsed beside the girl's lifeless form as his heart came to a stop.