Chapter 3: Graves and Secrets
1191 Words
Chapter 3: Graves and Secrets
(Cassandra’s POV)
The next morning, I stepped into one of the wider hallways of the Rivers mansion, my soft footsteps barely making a sound against the polished marble floor.
I intended to avoid confrontation, sticking to my Omega act. But, of course, my plans were thwarted mere seconds later when Jane appeared at the other end of the hallway.
She strutted toward me like she owned the place—because, in her mind, she did. Dressed in a pale lavender dress that was clearly tailored to perfection, she was all smiles.
False, sugary-sweet smiles.
“Good morning, Cassandra.” Her honeyed tone grated against my nerves.
I nodded politely, keeping my gaze low and unthreatening. “Good morning, Jane.”
Her perfectly arched brow twitched upward. “You’re awake earlier than I expected,” she remarked, though the words felt more like a veiled jab.
I resisted the urge to smirk. Yes, Jane was beautiful—the Rivers Pack’s golden princess. But standing this close, even she couldn’t deny how my natural features, despite my modest appearance, refused to let me fade entirely into the background.
The jealousy in her scent was almost palpable.
“As you know,” I said in a soft, unassuming voice, “Omega duties require early mornings.”
Her smile tightened, just enough for someone sharp-eyed to notice. “Of course.”
She flicked her honey-blonde hair over her shoulder, her movements graceful and calculated, and took a step closer, invading my personal space.
“There was something I wanted to ask,” she said, her green eyes narrowing slightly. “What is it like... being back here after so long? You must feel... overwhelmed.”
Her tone was all pretense. She didn’t care how I felt. This was Jane asserting her dominance, reminding me of my place beneath her.
I tilted my head, pretending to consider her question. “Overwhelmed? No, not quite. It’s just as I remembered it.”
The subtlest flicker of annoyance crossed her face before she quickly masked it with a smile again.
“Well,” she began, her tone sharper now, “if you need anything, don’t hesitate to ask. This is my home, after all.”
I wanted to laugh. It took every ounce of control to keep my expression neutral.
Instead, I simply nodded and murmured, “Thank you, Jane.”
---
At breakfast, the tension in the dining room was almost stifling.
Alpha Marcus sat at the head of the table, his presence as commanding as ever. Sarah perched elegantly beside him, the picture-perfect Luna. Jane, predictably, was positioned on his other side.
The seat they assigned me was at the far end of the table. Fitting, I supposed, for the unwanted daughter.
“Cassandra,” Alpha Marcus said, breaking the silence with his deep voice. His gaze settled on me, expression unreadable. “I’ve been considering your education.”
I set my teacup down carefully, keeping my movements slow and deliberate. “Yes, Alpha?”
“Given your... situation,” he said, choosing his words with a caution that implied it required effort, “we’ve decided to enroll you in the advanced track at the Royal Werewolf Therapy School.”
Sarah’s lips twitched at the corners. Jane’s face lit up in mock excitement.
“Oh, Father,” Jane interjected quickly, “she’ll have the chance to study alongside me then.” She beamed, the surface-level excitement barely hiding the smug undertones. “I’m currently tenth-ranked in our program, you know.”
I folded my hands in my lap, arranging my features into what I hoped looked like a mixture of awe and gratitude. “That’s an impressive accomplishment,” I said softly, letting my gaze flicker over her briefly before looking away.
Her sharp green eyes gleamed with satisfaction at what she took as genuine praise.
But then, I added, “In healing, as in pack hierarchy, only the apex matters.”
My tone was as quiet as always, but the effect was immediate.
Jane’s flushed cheeks and faltering smile were almost satisfying enough to bring a real grin to my face.
Marcus cleared his throat. “Yes, well. Cassandra, you would do well to learn from Jane’s example while you’re there.”
“Of course, Alpha,” I said, bowing my head slightly in submission. “I’ll do my best.”
---
The rain poured heavily by the time I arrived at the graveyard.
The tombstones were ancient, weather-worn. But out of all of them, Nathan’s grave stood out the most to me.
I knelt slowly, letting the wet earth seep into the folds of my simple dress.
My fingertips traced his engraved name, each curve of the letters sending a pang through my chest.
Nathan Rivers. The mate I’d lost. The man who had saved me when no one else cared to.
I bowed my head, raindrops mingling with the slow, silent tears that slipped down my cheeks.
“You deserved better,” I whispered, my voice trembling with raw emotion.
---
The faint glow of the shadow crystal in my palm broke through the darkness of the storm.
The moment I activated it, familiar voices filled my mind.
“My Alpha,” came the desperate call of one of the many supplicants seeking The Shadow Healer. “We need your help. Please—there’s no one else who can save him!”
My jaw tightened. Normally, I would have responded immediately, setting arrangements in motion, giving instructions.
But not this time.
“I won’t be available for the next year,” I said firmly, the c***k in my voice so small that only someone who truly knew me might have caught it.
The silence that followed was heavy, filled with uncertainty and disbelief. Then, chaos erupted in whispers as my words settled over the underground network of the supernatural.
For the first time, The Shadow Healer wouldn’t answer their calls.
---
“Emma.”
Her voice came through the second crystal connection, steady but urgent.
“Yes, Alpha?”
“What did you find out about Alexander Stone?”
Emma’s intake of breath was sharp, almost as though she’d been dreading my question.
“Yes. It’s... complicated.”
Complicated. It was never anything but.
“Well?” I prompted.
“Alexander Stone underwent a major healing ritual the same night Nathan died,” she revealed. “The curse... the timing of it... it all lines up with the disappearance of Nathan’s heart.”
My grip on the crystal tightened until I thought it might shatter.
“That doesn’t confirm anything,” I said, though my voice was taut with restrained grief and fury.
“No,” Emma admitted reluctantly. “Not yet. But I’ll keep digging.”
---
My fingers trembled as they moved to touch Nathan’s engraved name once more.
“Whoever used your death,” I whispered, my voice carrying a solemn, deadly promise, “to fuel their dark magic will pay.”
A soft violet glow illuminated my eyes, and the rain poured heavier, so fierce it seemed the sky itself was mourning with me.
- Writer
