Chapter 4 – The Male Lead
1404 Words
Elara’s POV
I placed my hand on Cassian's arm.
“Alright.”
He glanced down at my hand before looking at me again.
Then we walked.
My mother remained at the entrance, watching us with an approving expression.
I tried not to think about it.
I had read enough about Cassian Draven to know what kind of man he was supposed to be.
The future Alpha.
The pride of the Draven family.
Powerful, disciplined, arrogant, and apparently incapable of noticing anyone who wasn't his mate.
But standing beside him now, he didn't look anything like a character from a book.
He was real.
And annoyingly handsome.
“You're quiet today.”
I looked at him.
There it was.
Not You seem different.
Not Who are you?
Just a simple observation.
“I suppose I don't have much to say.”
His eyebrow lifted.
“That is unusual.”
I almost laughed.
“Do you know me that well?”
“We've known each other for years.”
Right.
Elara had known him for years.
I hadn't.
I quickly looked ahead.
“I suppose you know me better than I know you.”
Cassian gave me a strange look.
“What does that mean?”
“Nothing.”
We continued walking through the garden.
I noticed how quiet the estate became once we moved farther from the house.
Birds sang from the trees, and somewhere in the distance, I could hear the faint sounds of wolves.
Cassian glanced toward the forest.
“Your pack still trains beyond the eastern grounds?”
“Yes.”
“You should stay away from there.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Rogues have been spotted near the border.”
That caught my attention.
“Rogues?”
He nodded.
“Three attacks this month.”
“That wasn't in the book.”
I stopped myself.
Cassian looked at me.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
His eyes narrowed slightly.
“You were saying something?”
“I was asking if anyone was hurt.”
“A few.”
His voice became colder.
“That's why the Alpha Council is taking it seriously.”
I nodded.
I hadn't remembered anything about rogue attacks happening this early.
Another thing that wasn't in the story.
Wonderful.
“So why are you here?” I asked.
He looked at me.
“Your mother invited me.”
“I know that.”
“Then why ask?”
I shrugged.
“I wanted to hear you say it.”
For a moment, he said nothing.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted.
“You're strange today.”
I smiled politely.
“Maybe you're just noticing things.”
He gave a quiet laugh.
That surprised me.
I hadn't expected him to laugh.
The book had described Cassian as cold and difficult, but there was clearly more to him than that.
We reached a stone bench beneath a large tree.
Cassian sat.
I remained standing.
He looked up at me.
“Aren't you sitting?”
“I can stand.”
“I didn't say you couldn't.”
I looked at him.
He gestured toward the empty space beside him.
“Sit.”
I sat.
There was a comfortable silence between us.
For the first time, I had a chance to look at him properly.
He had dark hair, sharp features, and pale gray eyes.
His expression was calm, but there was something intimidating about him.
“So,” he said.
“So?”
“You haven't asked me a single question.”
I looked at him.
“Was I supposed to?”
“You usually do.”
I nearly groaned.
Of course Elara did.
“What would you like me to ask?”
He leaned back.
“Anything.”
I thought for a moment.
“How was your journey?”
“Long.”
“Did you eat?”
“Yes.”
“Are you tired?”
“No.”
I nodded.
“There.”
“There?”
“I asked questions.”
Cassian stared at me.
Then he laughed.
I couldn't help smiling.
“You're enjoying this.”
“A little.”
His smile disappeared slowly.
“Are you angry with me?”
The question caught me off guard.
“No.”
“Then why are you acting as though you don't care that I'm here?”
I looked at him.
Because I didn't.
But saying that would probably cause problems.
“I didn't realize I was supposed to care.”
His expression changed.
Only slightly.
But I noticed.
Cassian looked away.
“You used to care.”
I didn't answer.
He stood.
“Come.”
“Where?”
“The stables.”
“Why?”
“I want to show you something.”
I followed him.
The stables were at the far end of the estate.
Several horses stood inside, restless at the sound of our footsteps.
Cassian walked toward a massive black stallion.
The horse immediately lifted its head.
“That's yours?”
“Yes.”
“He's beautiful.”
“His name is Shadow.”
I reached toward the horse.
Shadow stepped forward.
Cassian caught my wrist.
“Don't.”
I looked at him.
“He doesn't like strangers.”
I slowly lowered my hand.
“Then why bring me here?”
“Because he knows me.”
“That doesn't answer my question.”
Cassian stared at me for a moment.
Then he released my wrist.
“I thought you might like him.”
I blinked.
That wasn't something the Cassian from the book would have done for Elara.
At least, I didn't remember it.
“Thank you.”
He looked away.
“You're welcome.”
A loud howl suddenly echoed from beyond the estate.
Shadow became restless.
Cassian's expression immediately hardened.
He turned toward the forest.
“What is it?”
“Nothing.”
“That doesn't sound like nothing.”
He looked at one of the guards.
“Check the eastern border.”
The guard bowed.
“Yes, Alpha.”
I watched him leave.
“You're an Alpha?”
Cassian looked at me.
“Of course.”
Right.
I had forgotten.
He wasn't just the heir.
He was already an Alpha.
Before I could say anything, another voice came from behind us.
“You're giving orders on someone else's territory again.”
Cassian's entire expression changed.
He turned.
I followed his gaze.
A man stood at the entrance of the stables.
Tall.
Broad.
Dressed entirely in black.
His dark hair was slightly longer than Cassian's, falling over his forehead.
His face was harder.
Older.
More intimidating.
And his eyes—
For one strange second, my breath caught.
Golden.
The exact same golden eyes from my vision.
I froze.
The man looked directly at me.
Cassian sighed.
“Uncle.”
My heart stopped.
Uncle?
The man stepped closer.
“Cassian.”
His voice was deep and controlled.
Then his eyes returned to me.
Neither of us spoke.
Cassian looked between us.
“Lady Elara, this is my uncle.”
The man didn't look away from me.
“Darius Veyne.”
The name hit me like a blow.
Darius.
The second male lead.
The man I remembered from the novel.
The man who had barely received enough attention in the original story despite being one of the most powerful Alphas in the kingdom.
And those eyes—
I had seen them before.
In my vision.
Darius's gaze narrowed slightly.
“Have we met?”
My heart pounded.
“No.”
The answer came too quickly.
His eyes remained on me.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
It wasn't warm.
It wasn't friendly.
It was something quieter.
Something I couldn't understand.
“Interesting.”
Cassian frowned.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Darius stepped past us.
As he did, his shoulder brushed mine.
A strange shiver ran down my spine.
I turned.
He was already walking away.
I stared after him.
Cassian noticed.
“You seem interested.”
I quickly looked at him.
“I was just surprised.”
“By my uncle?”
“Yes.”
Cassian's expression became unreadable.
“Darius has that effect on people.”
I looked toward the direction Darius had disappeared.
The man from my vision.
The second male lead.
Cassian's uncle.
And somehow, he was already standing in front of me.
Maybe the story wasn't simply changing.
Maybe I had changed the story the moment I arrived.
- Writer
- chap_listContents
- likeADD