The Heartbroken Luna's Choice Banish Love novel Chapter 195

Chapter 195

Third Person’s POV

His wolf was whimpering. It could feel the bone–deep loathing radiating from its other half This visceral rejection, coming from the very source of the bond, left the powerful Alpha feeling a frantic, unfamiliar sense of dread.

Years ago, Samantha had been systematically destroyed by Howard just to clear Cassian’s path to the throne.

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pay back that debt of guilt, he felt he had to keep Samantha and her son under his wing. He had even gone so far as to claim the child as his own blood, even if it meant carving a jagged. lethal crack into his bond with Trista.

He had stubbornly convinced himself that because Trista had followed him and loved him for over twenty years, their foundation was strong enough to survive this storm.

But reality was proving to be a wild beast, dragging them both toward a bottomless canyon.

To stabilize the crumbling relationship, he began to rely on the only thing he knew: Alpha force.

He truly believed that even a broken mating could be whipped into a new kind of order through sheer will.

His parents‘ mating had been nothing more than a cold transaction between two massive packs -they’d lived without a shred of emotional harmony, yet they were still standing.

If they could do it, the current Alpha of Ironthorn could certainly rebuild this mating bond.

In his mind, Trista’s current hatred was just a temporary phase. Eventually, under his control, it would fade.

“Alpha Cassian, dinner is ready. If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be heading back.”

Paisley’s timid voice yanked him out of his dark thoughts.

He wordlessly crushed his cigarette in the tray and walked into the bedroom, still smelling of heavy smoke.

He sat on the edge of the bed and reached for her. His touch looked gentle, but the underlying force was non–negotiable as he turned her to face him. “Get up and eat something before you go back to sleep. You need the energy.”

Trista’s reaction was purely visceral. She jerked her arm back, her hands coming up to shield

Chapter 195

herself. The eyes that used to be full of starlight now held nothing but raw repulsion.

+5 Pearls

Cassian’s dark, complicated gaze locked onto her. His voice was so level it was chilling. “Trista, do you really need me to recite every single disciplinary clause in that agreement right now?” Trista took a sharp breath, forcing her internal wolf to stop snarling, and sat up stiffly.

Cassian leaned in to help her out of bed, his voice dropping. “You’re still shaking. Can you walk?”

He didn’t wait for an answer. He simply scooped her up in a bridal carry and walked her to the dining room.

After making sure she finished her dinner, he personally carried her back to the bathroom to clean up, eventually tucking her back into the center of the bed.

Trista remained numb throughout the whole process, moving like a doll with its strings cut.

She saw right through him–this “gentle” care was just maintenance. He needed her functional enough to wear the Luna skin for the Shadowfang gala the next day.

The next evening, as the sun began to dip below the horizon, Trista changed into a dark, high- necked gown designed to hide the marks on her body.

She sat silently at her vanity.

Cassian brought out an emerald and diamond necklace. He personally fastened the clasp, the cold gems biting into her skin.

In the mirror, Trista looked like a masterpiece. Cassian stared at her reflection, a flash of genuine, unreadable awe crossing his dark eyes.

It was the first time he’d seen her in something this elegant, and for a second, he wanted to lock the doors and keep her hidden from every other male on the planet.

Trista let him drape the priceless heirlooms over her, feeling nothing but a cold void.

She knew that every “gift” from Cassian came with a hidden price tag–a debt he’d expect her to pay back ten times over.

He was a power broker down to his marrow; he never made a deal that didn’t favor him.

The only person he gave to without counting the cost was Samantha.

She looked at the mirror and gave a flat, “Thank you.”

When she was ready, Cassian handed her a dark tie.

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10:18 Thu Jan B

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