The Silent Luna's Trial (Maple and Finn) novel Chapter 41

Cassian’s Perspective

The entire group had gathered in the forest clearing, their eyes fixed on us, waiting for the moment we would shift. The air was thick with anticipation and tension.

Who does this handsome stranger think he is, just walking in and trying to claim what belongs to me? The thought burned in my mind like a fire I couldn’t extinguish.

Yes, I’d treated Skyla badly before—slept with her sister, no less—but that was before I truly saw her, before I realized how incredibly captivating she was. She haunted my thoughts now, more than ever.

I might not care much about this whole mate business, but I definitely want her beside me when night falls. There’s no chance I’m going to let some other wolf take what’s mine, not even if he’s the King of Wolves.

With a surge of anger, I strode forward and grabbed Skyla’s arm firmly, my voice low and possessive as I growled, “Mine.”

Suddenly, the sharp sound of tearing fabric sliced through the quiet, followed by a deep, guttural roar that shook the ground beneath our feet.

Before I could even wrap my head around what was happening, a searing pain shot down my spine, like a wildfire igniting every nerve ending.

I was shifting.

Time lost all meaning as the transformation overtook me. How long it lasted, I couldn’t say.

That’s when I noticed Selene—the brown wolf—baring her teeth and snarling in our direction, her warning clear.

Clothes were passed around swiftly so we could change back into our human forms away from prying eyes.

As I began moving toward the shelter of the trees, I glanced back one last time. There she was—my mate—shifting effortlessly, already fully clothed again. The sight stoked a bitter hatred inside me.

Yet, despite everything, I wanted her still. Not just for her, but for the power she represented.

She won’t escape me that easily. Not now, not ever.