His Silent Luna (Verity and Felicity) novel Chapter 35

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

Cassian’s Perspective

I burst into my office, the door slamming shut behind me with a force that made the shelves tremble. My hands trembled uncontrollably, and a tightness gripped my chest. The image of Verity’s face lingered vividly in my mind—the way she had looked up at me, her expression a mixture of confusion, softness, and trust. It haunted me relentlessly.

Gods, the urge to touch her had been overwhelming. No, it wasn’t just about touching—what I truly craved was to draw her close, to press my lips to hers, to lose myself in the warmth of her embrace. The intensity of that desire was almost unbearable, a fire burning fiercely inside me.

And then, like a cruel shadow, Vanessa’s face flashed before me—sharp and painful as a blade to the heart. Her laughter, her touch, the comfort of her presence—all vanished, yet they still haunted me like ghosts. She was my first mate, my first love, and the memory of her clung to me stubbornly.

I stumbled backward, running a hand through my hair in frustration, feeling the weight of everything pressing down on me. Was I betraying Vanessa by wanting Verity? Or was I betraying Verity by holding onto a ghost from the past when she might be the mate I was meant to have? The conflict tore me apart from the inside.

A low, guttural growl escaped me, and before I could stop myself, I slammed my fist into the wall. Once, twice, again and again, until the stone cracked beneath my blows and blood smeared across the surface. The sharp pain shooting up my arm grounded me—it was something tangible to hold onto amid the chaos raging in my chest.

Leaning heavily against the wall, I drew in ragged breaths, my knuckles raw and burning. A bitter laugh escaped me as I made a mental note: I’d have to get a new painting to cover this damage. Gods knew this wouldn’t be the last time.

Straightening up, I wiped my face with the back of my hand and reached out through the bond to mindlink Caleb and Kin. I needed them here—needed to focus on anything but the storm Verity was stirring inside me. But before I could send the call, a knock came at the door.

I opened it to find both of them standing there. Speak of the devil.

They stepped inside, their eyes immediately drawn to the damaged wall behind me. Caleb said nothing, but Kin’s brow lifted in a knowing smirk.

“You on your period or something?” he muttered with a teasing grin.

I shot him a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Don’t.”

He raised his hands in mock surrender, the grin lingering stubbornly. Caleb cleared his throat, wisely steering the conversation elsewhere.

“Sit,” I commanded.

Once they settled, I crossed my arms and said, “Caleb, I want you to keep working with Verity. Teach her everything you know. And starting now, add combat training to her lessons.”

Kin stiffened instantly, his frown deepening and jaw tightening. “Training?” he repeated, incredulous. “You want us to teach her to fight? Cassian, that’s a mistake.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Explain.”

“She’s still a stranger,” Kin said flatly. “We don’t know what she is, what she’s capable of, or why danger seems to follow her like moths to a flame. And now you want to hand her a weapon? Give her the skills to kill if she chooses? That’s reckless.”

Leaning forward, my voice low and steady, I said, “What’s reckless is leaving her defenseless. If she truly is connected to all this—if she’s my mate, if the Darklands have their eyes on her—the worst thing we can do is let her cower while others bleed for her. She needs to learn. She needs to train. That’s final.”

Kin scowled but didn’t press the issue further. His growing hostility toward her was obvious, and every time he spoke of her like a burden, something ugly flared inside me.

I had never heard her laugh before, and now my brother was the first to witness it.

The sound floated faintly on the breeze, and it stirred something dangerous inside me.

My chest tightened, and a low growl rumbled deep in my throat.

My wolf didn’t like what he was seeing. Not one bit.

Every time Caleb’s hand brushed her waist, her shoulder, her wrist, I wanted to tear him away.

Every time she smiled up at him, something inside me snarled that it should be me.

The glass shattered in my hand before I even realized I’d thrown it against the same battered wall I’d already damaged. The liquid trickled down the stone, dripping over the cracks my fists had left earlier.

I cursed softly under my breath and spun away sharply. I needed to regain control before I did something I’d regret.

A cold bath—that was the only way to douse the fire raging inside me.

With one last glance out the window—where Verity still laughed, still shone in the sunlight—I stormed out of the office, heading straight for the bathing chambers. I stripped off my clothes, stepped into the icy water, and let its biting chill wash over me, desperate to extinguish the blaze threatening to consume me completely.