ATASHA’S POV


    <b>79 </b>


    55 vouchers


    I woke to the sound of soft wheels rolling over uneven ground, the faint creak of wood, and the gentle sway of a moving carriage. For a few seconds, I wasn’t sure where I was. Then the warmth of the thick nket around me, the faint scent of herbs and clean linen, and the muted light seeping through the heavy curtains reminded me, I was no longer in the war tent.


    I blinked and slowly sat up.


    Strangely enough, my body didn’t hurt. Not even a little. No stiffness in my neck. No soreness in my back. Honestly, I expected some difort after spending the night sleeping in someone’sp, especially someone built like a wall of muscle and bone. But to my surprise, I felt fine. Rested, even.


    I took a slow breath and looked around.


    It was the samerge northern carriage from before. Spacious, reinforced with iron fittings, lined with soft furs and thick cushioning. One that could double as a mobilemand room if necessary. I hadn’t remembered getting in. Cassian must’ve moved me while I slept.


    I turned and immediately froze.


    Cassian was sitting on the bench opposite me, eyes closed, arms folded, back straight, head tilted slightly against the side panel. He looked perfectly still, almost like he hadn’t moved all night.


    But he was asleep.


    That, in itself, felt strange. I had never seen him asleep before. I didn’t even think he was capable of sleeping in public. Yet here he was, his breathing even, his face finally free from that constant tension and sharpness he always wore like armor.


    He looked… different.


    Younger, somehow. Less like the ruthless warlord I’d watched cut down Demon Fangs, and more like a man. Maybe even the man he used to be before everything hardened him. I remembered someone had said he was nearing thirty. That tracked. He had married his fourth wife when he was twenty–six. That was several years ago.


    I studied his face quietly. Without the frown creasing his forehead or the sharp glint in his eyes, he almost looked gentle. Not soft, exactly–nothing about Cassian could ever be soft- but more… human.


    My eyes drifted to his clothes next.


    55 vouchers


    He had changed. The bandages were gone, reced by a clean, high–cored shirt under a dark travel cloak. There were still faint shadows under his eyes, but nothing <i>too </i>worrying. Not the kind of exhaustion that signaled injury. He looked like someone who had stayed up too long and finally gave in.


    Then it hit me.


    Wait.


    I looked down at myself.


    I was wearing clean clothes, too.


    My cloak was gone. In its ce was a fresh tunic, warm but light, with a sash tied neatly at the waist. It wasn’t something I remembered putting on.


    My eyes widened slightly.


    Who changed me?


    My heart jumped.


    Did he change me?


    I stared down at my chest, then patted it instinctively, more out of shock than anything else. The tunic wasn’t tight, but it fit well enough that I knew someone had taken the time to dress me properly.


    I swallowed hard, suddenly unsure how I felt about it.


    Then again… he had seen me naked before. Not that it made this any less awkward. But at this point, modesty was a lost cause, wasn’t it?


    My gaze shifted back to him.


    And that was when I noticed his eyes were open.


    He was watching me quietly.


    I jumped slightly, my spine straightening in rm. “Oh! You’re awake-”


    Then I froze mid–sentence. My voice hade out too cheery, like I’d just greeted a neighbor instead of the man I was just mentally using of undressing me.


    Cassian didn’t say anything.


    He just looked at me, unreadable as always, like he had been awake far longer than I’d


    realized.


    I forced a smile.


    Then immediately regretted it.


    <b>79 </b>


    55 vouchers


    My lips were still frozen in that awkward half–smile when I realized, I didn’t know if I should be smiling. Was this a casual moment? Was he mad? Was he even in the mood to talk?


    “Did… did I wake you up?” I asked quickly, trying to steer the tension into something less humiliating.


    His expression didn’t change. “How was your rest?” he asked.


    “It was good,” I said, lowering my gaze. “Thank you.”


    “Hmmm… you didn’t wake me up,” he said. Then he turned towards the door. “They did.”


    Before I could say another word, a knock sounded from the door. Did he sense them before they could even knock?


    “My lord, we are about to enter the territory of the Crimson Howlers Pack.” It was Mendez. “It seems that Alpha Jason sent some people to wee us and was inviting us back to his pack house.”


    Crimson Howlers Pack? The name of the pack alone made me frown.


    It was familiar. Then it hit me. The memory came rushing back faster than I could filter it.


    Alpha Jason MacMahon. I have seen the man before. He had visited the pack years ago.


    However, this wasn’t what surprised me. Cassian’s first bride, the one who died the night after their wedding, was Alpha Jason’s eldest daughter.


    Which meant… this pack wasn’t just some ally or old acquaintance.


    Cassian’s first father–inw was waiting outside.


    I blinked, my lips parting slightly as I turned my gaze toward Cassian. He remained still, unmoving as Mendez waited on the other side of the carriage door.


    Wasn’t this a little awkward?


    Maybe more than a little?


    I expected him to respond the way he usually did. Maybe a simple, “We continue,” or “We don’t have time for this.” I just couldn’t imagine him wanting to stop for polite chatter with


    …


    79


    55 vouchers


    the father of the woman who had died after marrying him.


    But Cassian didn’t say anything right away. Instead, he looked at me. Really looked.


    I sat there, still unsure if I should speak or pretend I hadn’t connected the dots. Should I pretend I didn’t know who Alpha Jason was despite the fact that Nightfall are neighbors with the Crimson Howlers pack?


    Then, finally, he turned back to the door.


    “Tell them to prepare a room,” he said, his tone neutral. “My wife needs rest.”


    My eyes widened. I stared at him.


    What?


    I opened my mouth, then closed it again. Did he really just say that?


    Mendez didn’t hesitate. “Understood, my lord.” The footsteps faded.


    I slowly turned to Cassian, trying to make sense of it. “You’re… seriously stopping here?” I asked.


    His eyes flicked back to me. “Yes.”


    “With them?” I rified, just to be sure we were thinking of the same people. “With Alpha Jason?”


    “Is that a problem?” he asked without blinking.


    “I- No- My Lord.”


    “Husband,” he said. “Call me husband.”