Marrying a Warhound (Cassian) novel Chapter 174

Brute 174 Summary

Atasha experiences a sudden and intense pain deep in her chest, unlike anything she has felt before. The sensation spreads rapidly through her body, making it difficult for her to breathe and causing her to stagger. She feels something foreign moving beneath her skin, pushing closer to her heart, and despite her desperate attempts to fight it, her strength fades. Cassian rushes to her side, but before she can fully respond, darkness overtakes her.

The next day, Matron Yara observes a restless crowd gathered for an important event, growing increasingly uneasy as the Lord has yet to arrive. The tension among the people is palpable, and Yara senses that their patience is wearing thin. She exchanges sharp words with Halden Morrow, a council member who constantly undermines her, highlighting the political strife within the council. Yara reflects on how Lady Atasha’s growing favor with the public has isolated her, causing even her allies to distance themselves.

Yara’s concern shifts to Lady Kenneth, who waits anxiously for the consort’s arrival. Halden mocks the importance of Lady Kenneth’s position compared to the Lord of the North, but Yara remains focused on the potential consequences of the Lord’s absence. The crowd’s agitation escalates, with some shouting and others cursing, signaling a volatile atmosphere that could erupt if no control is established soon.

Suddenly, the sound of wheels breaks through the tension as a carriage arrives, bringing Lieutenant Rio, Lieutenant Grace, and Physician Mendez. The guards quickly form ranks and push back the crowd, restoring a fragile order. As Lieutenant Grace opens the carriage door, the entire square falls silent, holding their breath in anticipation of who will emerge.

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Chapter 174

ATASHA’S POV – One Day Before the Testing

The pain struck suddenly, with no warning.

It began deep in my chest, a sharp, burning sensation that spread like wildfire beneath my skin. My breath caught in my throat, and before I could even register what was happening, the heat surged violently. It crept up my arms, biting into every nerve until I gasped for air.

The stone I held slipped from my grasp, falling to the floor with a muted thud, but the pain remained, relentless and alive inside me. Something was stirring… moving beneath my skin. I could feel it sliding through my veins, pushing its way closer to my heart.

I staggered backward, clutching my chest as my pulse thundered beneath my palm—too fast, too heavy. It wasn’t my own heartbeat. It was something foreign, something that didn’t belong.

“Cassian—” I tried to call out, but my voice faltered, breaking apart. The air refused to fill my lungs properly. Every breath I took was shallow, strangled, as if something was squeezing the very life from me.

I heard him moving toward me—the scrape of his boots against the stone floor, the sharp intake of his breath—but to me, it sounded distant, like an echo fading down a long tunnel.

“Atasha,” his voice came closer now, rough and urgent. “Stay with me.”

I wanted to respond, to tell him I was alright, that I could fight it, but my body refused to obey. The pain twisted again, sharper this time, like claws raking through the inside of my ribs. My knees buckled beneath me.

Cassian caught me before I hit the ground. His hands gripped my shoulders firmly, his voice calling my name once more, but it was drowned out by the roaring noise inside my head. The hum of the stones grew louder, overwhelming every other sound. The chamber spun wildly, the light bending until it became painfully bright.

Inside me, something screamed—not in agony, but in defiance. My power flared instinctively, a desperate blaze trying to burn away whatever had forced its way inside. I struggled to push back, but my strength slipped away like sand slipping through my fingers.

“Cassian—” I whispered, the name barely escaping my lips before the crushing pressure squeezed the air from my chest. My vision blurred. His face was the last thing I saw—leaning over me, eyes wide with alarm, voice breaking into a shout.

Then darkness swallowed everything.

—

DAY OF THE TESTING – MATRON YARA’S POV

“Has the Lord still not arrived?” Matron Yara’s voice was calm, but her eyes scanned the restless crowd gathered before the stage with growing unease.

Her earlier words had barely held the gathering together, the fragile calm now fraying at the edges. The murmurs grew louder, sharper—like the warning ripples before a storm. Some of the men at the front gripped the wooden rails tightly, muttering beneath their breath. Others craned their necks, straining toward the keep, desperate for any sign of the Lord or his consort.

Stupid, she thought bitterly, watching their anxious faces. Reckless and foolish.

“Matron,” came Halden Morrow’s voice from her right, his familiar drawl grating on her nerves as always. “You seem rather concerned about the Lord’s absence. Don’t trust him to handle his own consort?”

His smirk made it clear he was enjoying himself.

Yara turned her head slowly toward him. “What I don’t trust,” she replied evenly, “is the crowd’s patience.”

Halden’s grin widened. “Ah, so it’s not the people you doubt, but the Lord himself. Interesting.”

Her gaze narrowed sharply. “You twist words as easily as you twist facts, Halden.”

He shrugged, unfazed. “Someone has to. You’ve been twisting enough for both of us lately.”

Yara rolled her eyes and exhaled sharply through her nose. Since Halden’s return to the council, he had made it his personal mission to undermine her at every opportunity. Every suggestion she made, every proposal she put forward, he found a way to counter it. But it wasn’t just him anymore.

Oren Frostgate had quietly ceased supporting her motions last week, claiming “neutrality” as an excuse. Even blunt Ilya Keldar, who despised politics and always insisted he cared more for his mines than council games, had suddenly started siding with Halden.

“Finally,” Halden muttered under his breath.

There was no need for words as the guards took their positions with precision.

The driver brought the team to a halt at the base of the stage. Steam rose from the horses’ backs in pale clouds, drifting in the cold air. For a brief moment, everything held still. Even the wind seemed to pause as the square tightened, as if drawn taut by an invisible string.

Then Lieutenant Grace stepped down from the rear of the carriage, glanced once toward the stage, and reached for the latch.

The carriage door swung open.

Every voice in the square fell silent simultaneously. Thousands held their breath as the figure inside shifted toward the light.

Conclusion

The chapter closes on a moment heavy with tension and uncertainty, capturing the fragile balance between hope and fear. Atasha’s sudden, overwhelming pain reveals the deep internal struggle she faces, a powerful force threatening to consume her from within. Meanwhile, the shifting loyalties and growing unrest among the council and the crowd underscore the mounting pressure surrounding her and Cassian. The emotions swirl—desperation, loyalty, doubt—painting a vivid picture of a world on the brink of change.

As the arrival of the carriage stirs the restless crowd into a hush, the chapter leaves readers suspended in a breathless moment of anticipation. The intertwining of personal vulnerability and political intrigue highlights the chapter’s core themes: the cost of power, the weight of expectation, and the fragile bonds that hold people together in times of crisis. It is a poignant reminder that beneath the surface of grand events lie deeply human struggles, waiting to be faced.

What to Expect in Next Chapter?

The next chapter promises to plunge deeper into the tension that has been steadily mounting, both within Atasha herself and across the wider political landscape. As Atasha grapples with the mysterious and painful force awakening inside her, readers will be drawn into the raw vulnerability and strength she must summon to confront this internal battle. The emotional stakes are high, and the connection between her and Cassian will be tested in ways that could change everything.

Meanwhile, the gathering crowd’s restless energy and Matron Yara’s growing unease hint at a powder keg ready to explode. The arrival of the carriage signals a pivotal moment, but with so many alliances shifting and loyalties fraying, the calm before the storm feels fragile at best. Expect rising conflicts, whispered betrayals, and the simmering threat of chaos that could upend the fragile order. The next chapter will weave together personal struggle and political intrigue, leaving readers eager to see who will stand firm and who will falter when the next wave of challenges crashes down.