EVELLESSA

Cassain insists on taking me to school.

Of course he does after it's taken me roughly thirty minutes of continous persuasion before my brothers and dad finally agreed to me taking the bus but here I am with Cass getting another choke holder.

Even though I told him five times that I can walk. Or bus. Or teleport via sheer frustration. But no. The man is glued to me like a husband on a mission.

"I said I can portal you," he says as he opens a shimmering blue doorway in front of us.

"I didn't agree to that."

"You slept in my bed, I made you cum, you're my mate." he says. "We're past disagreements."

I make a strangled noise and step through before he can see my blush.

We arrive behind the gym building.

I stumble a bit. He steadies me with one hand on my waist.

"Stop doing that," I mutter.

"No."

I want to punch him. Affectionately. Maybe.

"Good luck today," he murmurs as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Ares says your wolf is in a good mood."

"She is not."

Inside, Aretha is humming like she drank battery acid.

Aretha: Let him touch us again. Let him-

"Shut UP," I hiss.

Cassain smirks knowingly. "I'll pick you up after the game."

"You don't have to."

"I'm going to."

I swear I hate him.

And also... don't.

Our school is loud, chaotic and unbelievably packed.

The college team with Cass as quarterback are early and of course they look incredible.

They have no business looking that good in jerseys.

Especially Cassain.

"Focus," I whisper to myself as I slide into my seat in the front row, the one accidentally reserved for "VIP supporters."

Meaning: Cassain forcefully put my name there.

The game starts. They demolish the other team. They don't even break a sweat. Magic isn't allowed in school games, but supernatural stamina? Untouchable.

Cassain looks up at me twice mid-play.

I ignore him.

Aretha doesn't.

Aretha: Mate looks good when he's sweaty.

"I'm going home."

"You're staying," she says.

The cheerleaders arrive behind us after halftime, shaking pompoms and self-esteem.

Their captain, Marissa-long legs, long hair, long history of being annoying-spots me instantly.

"Oh," she says loudly, "why is she here?"

Her squad laughs.

I smile politely. "Duh I'm a student, this is a school it's just logic."

She sneers. "Cassain looked at you twice."

"Criminal behavior," I say flatly.

Her eyes widen at my sarcasm. "You think you're funny?"

"I know I am."

The squad gasps.

Marissa steps closer. "You think he likes you?"

"Are you auditioning for an insecurity Olympics, or...?"

Her jaw drops.

Aretha is cackling inside me.

Aretha: Push her.

"No."

"Trip her."

"No."

"Throw her."

"NO."

Marissa's eyes flash with jealousy. "I mean... look at you."

I blink. "I am literally looking at me every day. What are you on about?"

"You're... plain."

"You're wearing five pounds of makeup for a school game."

Her squad gasps again.

This time louder.

Marissa smiles sweetly but her eyes scream homicide.

"Come with me," she says. "Coach needs you to help fold uniforms."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because she said so."

I sigh, annoyed but fine. "Fine. Quick."

Two of her girls-Kayla and Megan-lead me to the changing room.

Coach is nowhere.

Doors slam.

Locked.

I stare at them.

"Seriously?" I ask.

Kayla smirks. "Since Cassain's paying attention to you, we figured we'd humble you-"

I grab her by her ponytail so fast she doesn't see it coming.

She SCREAMS.

Then I grab Megan by hers.

She SCREAMS harder.

Aretha takes over with joy.

Aretha: YES. VIOLENCE.

I slam them together like two badly-behaved Barbie dolls.

They slide down the lockers whining.

Kayla tries to stand.

I drag her back by her hair.

Megan tries to bite me.

I slap her lightly.

She cries.

"You two," I say calmly while adjusting my uniform, "picked the wrong girl to mess with."

Kayla whimpers, "Let go!"

"No. Apologize first."

"We're sorry!"

"Say it like you mean it."

"WE'RE REALLY SORRY!"

I release them.

They crawl away, fixing their hair dramatically like I scalped them.

I roll my eyes. "Drama queens."

The door unlocks.

A teacher stands there.

Her mouth drops at the sight.

"Miss Evelessa... admin's office. NOW."

I sigh. "Of course."

I walk into the admin's office calmly.

Kayla and Megan are already seated, both acting like I put them in a hospital.

Their parents are there too.

I haven't even sat when Kayla's mom shoots up.

"SHE ATTACKED MY DAUGHTER!"

Megan's dad points at me. "Arrest her!"

I blink. "Arrest-? This is a SCHOOL."

Kayla sniffles. "She grabbed my hair."

"You locked me in a room," I say.

"No we didn't!" Megan cries.

"She STOLE the key," her mom says dramatically. "She has a criminal look."

I stare.

A criminal look?

What does that even look like?

The chancellor rubs his forehead. "Let's all calm down-"

The door opens.

And in walks...

My father.

He looks furious.

Not at me.

At everyone else.

He sits beside me, pats my hand, and says loudly:

"My daughter does not pick fights. Whoever got hurt provoked her."

Kayla's mom gasps. "Are you calling our daughters liars?!"

"Yes," he says calmly. "I am."

I choke back laughter.

Megan's dad yells, "Your child assaulted ours!"

Dad looks at me.

"Evelessa," he says, "did they touch you first?"

"Yes."

"Then she defended herself," my dad says. "Case closed."

Kayla's mom jumps up again. "THIS ISN'T A COURT!"

Richard shrugs. "Sure feels like one with all the shouting."

The chancellor raises his hands. "Everyone, please. We must hear all parties-"

Kayla sniffles loudly. "She dragged us like- like-"

Her mom sobs. "MY BABY!"

Megan fake-faints onto her father.

He doesn't catch her.

She hits the floor.

Hard.

I try not to laugh.

My father does not try.

He laughs.

Out loud.

The room explodes again.

Everyone talking over everyone.

The chancellor presses a button. "SECURITY-"

Before he finishes, his phone rings.

He freezes.

Looks at the caller ID.

Then straightens.

"Everyone quiet."

He answers.

"Yes sir... yes... yes I did... the incident... no- no, she's not at fault- yes- oh- OH. I see. Yes. Immediately."

He hangs up.

Stands.

Adjusts his tie.

Looks at us.

Then points at Kayla and Megan.

"You two are suspended."

The whole room freezes.

"What?!" Megan squeaks.

"No! No! NO!" Kayla cries.

Their parents stand. "THIS IS UNFAIR-"

"Sit down," the chancellor snaps. "Your daughters locked another student in a room with the intent to intimidate her."

Kayla sputters. "Who said that?!"

The chancellor folds his arms. "Doesn't matter I've just received a footage of what really happened ".

He glances at me.

Then my father.

Then back at me.

"Miss Evelessa," he says, clearing his throat, "on behalf of the school, we apologize."

My dad tilts his head. "As you should."

The parents sputter like broken sprinklers.

"This isn't over!" Kayla's mom screams.

The chancellor gestures toward the door. "It actually is. Please escort your daughters home."

Security shows up.

The parents are pushed out.

They scream dramatically like they're being exiled from a kingdom.

When they're gone, the chancellor turns to us.

"Miss Evelessa," he says, a little pale, "please... keep being... uh... yourself."

"I plan to."

He nods nervously.

Dad stands. "Come on, baby girl."

We exit the office.

As soon as the door closes behind us-

"Evelessa," my father whispers, "tell me the truth. Who was the person that resolved this?"

I blink. "I don't know."

He narrows his eyes.

"Your wolf is suspiciously calm."

Aretha purrs.

I grab my dad's hand. "Can we go home?"

"Not before someone tells me what-"

A portal opens beside us.

My father jumps back and reaches for his concealed dagger.

Cassain steps out.

Black coat. Hands in pockets. Expression dark.

Dad bristles. "YOU."

Cassain nods politely. "Sir."

"What do you want?"

Cassain's eyes shift to me.

"Your daughter."

Richard growls. "For what?"

Cassain steps closer.

"Evelessa," he says quietly, "someone is coming."

My stomach drops.

"Who?"

He shakes his head once.

"I need you to come with me. Now."

Richard moves in front of me instantly.

"My daughter is NOT going anywhere with you."

Cassain looks him dead in the eye.

"This isn't a request."

I gasp.

"Cassain-"

He reaches out his hand to me.

A portal cracks open behind him, glowing violently, unstable.

My dad pushes me back.

"What's going on?!"

Cassain's voice drops.

Low.

Urgent.

"Your daughter's life is in danger."

The hallway lights flicker.

The floor trembles.

Someone screams down the corridor.

Cassain's eyes flash wolf-gold.

"Evelessa, you are free to come with me sir but she's coming with me now." he growls, "TAKE MY HAND."

I stare at him.

At my dad.

At the shaking hallway.

At the shadows forming at the end of the building.

And I discover I'm frozen to the sane spot in fear.

EVELESSA

The hallway flickers again.

The shadows crawl up the walls like they're alive.

My heartbeat leaps into my throat and lodges there, refusing to move.

Cassain's voice crashes through the chaos.

"EVELLESSA. NOW."

Something inside me jerks forward-Aretha, terrified but alert.

Aretha: Mate will protect us. MOVE.

My father steps between us again, palms glowing faintly. "Evelessa, don't-"

But then the shadows at the end of the hall peel open like a mouth.

And something steps out.

Tall. Pale. Clawed.

Vampire.

Not just any vampire.

A royal envoy.

My stomach drops.

Cassain is beside me in half a second. His fingers close around my wrist-not harsh, but firm, urgent.

"Close your eyes," he orders.

"No-WAIT-"

Too late.

He yanks me forward and the portal swallows us whole.

Light, pressure, the taste of metal.

I gasp and stumble out onto a marble floor.

A massive foyer stretches before me-gold-trimmed pillars, glittering chandeliers, polished black stone, and impossibly high ceilings.

This...

This is not my house.

This is not ANY normal house.

I whirl on him. "WHAT DID YOU-"

The portal behind us spits and seals shut.

My dad's shout echoes faintly through the closing crack.

My chest caves.

"YOU TOOK ME," I breathe. "WITHOUT THEM."

Cassain steps closer, taller than my panic, calmer than my fury.

"I also saved your life."

"You don't even KNOW that!"

He raises a brow. "You saw what came through that hallway, right? Before that a lot has been following you but relax I left word, your family will be here soon."

Aretha whimpers in agreement.

Damn her.

I swallow back a scream. "Cass... where are we?"

He gestures around us.

"My house, also your new house."

I blink at the palace-level decor.

"House?"

He shrugs. "One of them."

Before I can respond, a door swings open.

Two figures step in.

My brothers.

Both alive. Both whole.

Both staring at me like I'm the one who teleported them.

"Eve!" Richard rushes forward and pulls me into a crushing hug.

Emmanuel follows, gripping my shoulder. "We're okay. We're here."

My knees nearly collapse in relief. "How-?"

Cassain answers for them.

"I brought them first."

I gape. "You WHAT?"

Richard rounds on him. "You could have WARNED us-"

"I did," Cassain says. "You didn't listen. So I took you."

Emmanuel snarls. "You abducted us."

Cassain folds his arms. "You're welcome."

Before my brothers can strangle him, another presence crackles behind us.

My father.

He bursts through a second portal, eyes blazing.

"WHERE IS SHE-"

His gaze lands on me.

He exhales shakily, pulling me close.

Then his eyes snap to Cassain.

"You. Explain. NOW."

Cassain doesn't flinch. "Your house was being watched. You were all targets."

My dad stiffens. "By who?"

"The same kingdom that murdered your wife."

The room stills.

My throat tightens.

Dad's hand trembles on my arm.

"You promised," he whispers painfully. "The royals promised to keep them out of our lives."

Cassain's jaw feathers, his eyes glowing faint gold.

"And I intended to. For years. I let you hide. I let you raise her in peace." He steps closer, and his voice hardens. "But she turned nineteen yesterday."

I freeze.

Richard and Emmanuel exchange looks.

Dad's breath catches. "No. Not yet. You can't mean-"

Cassain's eyes lock onto mine.

"You awakened, Evelessa."

My backside hits a sofa.

"I WHAT?"

He kneels in front of me, voice low.

"You're not just a wolf, you've got siren blood, and now you're my mate which makes you..." His eyes flicker as if the word burns. "Hunted."

"And you?" Richard spits. "What are YOU to her?"

Cassain rises slowly.

His presence fills the room, dark, celestial, ancient.

He looks directly at my father.

"I'm her mate."

My father lets out a strangled sound. "NO. Absolutely NOT."

Cassain's expression doesn't change. "It's not your choice."

Richard steps forward. "We don't want that life."

"You don't get to decide," Cassain replies, eyes glowing brighter. "Fate already did."

My father trembles with rage. "I lost my wife to your world. I won't lose my daughter too."

Cassain's voice deepens, power leaking through every word:

"I would die before letting anything touch her."

Silence.

Not peace.

Something heavier.

Crown-heavy.

Power-heavy.

Dad's eyes narrow. "You talk like a king."

Cassain meets his stare without blinking. "Because I am."

Richard swears under his breath.

Emmanuel backs up a step.

My stomach twists.

"Wait," I whisper. "You... you're not just some campus hockey god?"

He smirks slightly. "Did you think skates and muscles were my entire identity?"

I bury my face in my hands. "YES. MAYBE."

He chuckles.

I kick his shin.

He doesn't flinch.

Dad steps closer. "Answer me something, boy."

Cassain turns his head.

Dad's voice shakes with anger.

"Why did you buy the companies my sons worked for?"

I jerk my head up. "You WHAT?!"

Richard and Emmanuel stiffen.

Cassain's voice is maddeningly calm. "To keep them safe."

"You BOUGHT their workplaces?" I shout. "Who even DOES that?"

"A concerned mate," he replies.

"That's not concern, that's psychotic!"

He looks genuinely puzzled. "I fail to see the problem."

My father practically explodes. "You took their lives-their jobs-their independence-and wrapped it in your control!"

"You're welcome," Cassain repeats again.

Emmanuel lunges.

Richard grabs him. "Dude. Not now."

Dad steps right up to Cassain.

"You listen to me carefully. I left that world behind. My wife died in it. I will NOT let my children be tied to your throne."

Cassain's eyes flash.

"You don't have authority over this bond."

Dad snarls. "She is MY daughter."

Cassain steps closer.

"She is MY mate."

The ground actually vibrates.

My heart lodges somewhere between my lungs.

Dad opens his mouth again, but Cassain lifts one finger and-

The entire atmosphere shifts.

The chandelier trembles.

The lights dim.

Power rolls from him like heat from a wildfire.

"Evelessa is mine," he says softly. "Not as property. Not as power. But by soul. By bond. By fate."

"And what if I refuse?" Dad whispers.

Cassain's eyes lower.

"You can refuse me all you want. I won't force her."

He looks at me-raw, vulnerable, angry at himself for even saying that.

"But I will still protect her."

Dad swallows hard. "I don't want this life for her."

Cassain tilts his head.

"It's not about what you want."

Before Dad can answer, Cassain gestures to the grand staircase.

"Your rooms are upstairs. Left hallway, third door. Everything you owned has been moved here."

I blink. "Wait. What?"

Richard spins. "Our WHAT?!"

Emmanuel looks horrified. "Our stuff- how- why-"

Cassain shrugs. "I bought the moving company."

"What-WHAT-" I sputter. "YOU CAN'T JUST-"

"Of course I can."

I throw a cushion at his head.

It hits him.

Falls to the floor.

He smiles.

Dad rubs his face. "What else did you 'buy,' Cassain?"

Cass leans against a pillar, bored. "A few guards. A medical team. Some protection wards. A security firm. The land around the house."

I choke. "THE LAND-?!"

He lifts his hands defensively. "You needed protection."

"You're INSANE!"

He smiles.

Dad shakes his head in disbelief. "This-THIS is exactly why I didn't want her bound to your world."

Cassain gently lifts my chin, ignoring the growls from my family.

"Your father fears what I'll do to you," he says softly. "He should fear what I'll do for you."

I shiver.

He steps back.

"I won't stay here," he adds. "Not unless you ask me to."

I blink up at him. "You're leaving?"

"My presence draws attention. It's safer for you if I remain at my own estate."

Richard mutters, "Estate. Of course."

"But," Cassain continues, "your security detail stays. Your maids stay. The wardens stay. And your brothers' mates may remain here too."

My brothers freeze.

"Mates?" Richard croaks.

Cassain nods. "Yes. Both of you found yours last night."

Emmanuel nearly dies on the spot. "WHO?!"

Cassain smirks. "Two females from my kingdom stop acting innocent you consumated immediately but I haven't yet you're giving me a tough time."

Richard glares. "You planned this."

"No. Fate did." He tilts his head. "I merely... encouraged it."

I rub my temples. "This is so much. TOO much."

Cassain steps close again.

Not touching me.

Just near enough to breathe the same air.

"You're safe here," he says quietly. "No vampire will cross my wards. No hunter will get near you. No king will take you."

"You ARE a king," I whisper.

His eyes warm. "Yes. Which is why no one will survive if they try to touch you."

Richard and Emmanuel bristle again.

Dad sighs heavily. "Cassain, we are grateful for the protection. But this doesn't mean we agree to anything."

Cass nods respectfully. "I know. I don't expect approval."

He turns to leave.

Then stops beside me.

Leans down.

And his voice brushes my ear like velvet over a blade.

"But I will come back for you, Evelessa."

My skin erupts in chills.

My brothers growl.

Dad glares.

Cassain straightens, completely unbothered.

"Try to sleep tonight," he says simply. "You're safe here."

My heart does a stupid little thing.

"Cass..."

He pauses at the doorway.

"Yes, princess?"

"Don't call me that."

His grin is slow. Wicked. Soft.

"As you wish."

He steps into a shadow-and vanishes.

The house goes silent.

Too silent.

Richard exhales violently. "We're so screwed."

Emmanuel collapses onto a sofa. "We're dead. We're actually dead."

Dad sits, burying his face in his palms. "Your mother would kill me if she saw this."

I stand there, frozen between fury, fear, and something terrifyingly warm.

Because Aretha is purring again.

Aretha: Mate saved us. Mate wants us. Mate claims us.

"Shut up," I whisper.

But my wolf only laughs.

And somewhere, far away in the shadows of his castle...

Cassain laughs too.