Cassian's POV
I had never wanted to shift in the middle of my own receiving hall before. Watching Seraphine tear into Lyra came closer to breaking that streak than anything in the past decade.
My wolf surged hard against my control the moment her voice rose, sharp and cruel, tearing at every insecurity Lyra had only just begun to heal from. I forced myself still, jaw locked tight, hands curled into fists at my sides, reminding myself with every ounce of discipline I possessed that intervening now would only humiliate Lyra further, strip away the small, hard-won dignity she was fighting so visibly to maintain.
It cost me more than I expected, standing silent while another woman tore into my mate with words clearly meant to wound as deeply as possible. Every year I'd spent learning restra
