BOOKNERD'S CAFÉ

UPON THEIR arrival in Ezrione Mall; Liam, Sky, Cloud, and Cassandra got out of the car and gradually took notches inward. While at the mall's parking lot and waiting for the elevator to open, Cassandra couldn’t help herself but feel nervous. 

He will be seeing Anton again.

"Hey, sis, slow down a little. You see, I could almost hear your heartbeat." Sky flashed a smile as he leaned against the wall of the elevator. 

A frown drew to Cassandra's forehead but chose to ignore him. She shifted her attention to Cloud who was standing next to Liam when the latter suddenly spoke. 

"Uncle Anton is coming however, I am sure as hell that he is with his new flavor of the month," he seriously expressed while intently looking at his sister. 

Cassandra glanced at her older brother in surprise. Does he infer how she feels for their Aunt Iris' friend? Why does she perceive like his words have a deeper meaning? Or perhaps, even Liam and Sky know too? Hell, no! She hopes not.

"He's too old for you, Cassandra and you are likely not his ideal girl. You're too young for him," Liam remarked in a stiffed manner. His voice was somehow scary that made her spine shiver in fear. 

Cassandra involuntarily swallowed as her eyes widened when she looked at her siblings who were intensely eyeing her. Sky, who was usually smiling had a serious expression and his mouth was also tightly closed. And, Cloud also. He was observing her as if he was trying to examine the depths of her being, while Liam was giving her a threatening gapes like he was telling her to quell her delusions. 

Cassandra stepped aside trying to conceal the nervousness rising to her chest which leveled up as she felt her siblings glaring at her back. She looked at them once again before sauntering to the opened elevator ignoring the tension wrapping the atmosphere. “C’mon big bros, you all look so creepy. Gah!" she mugged with a forced smile on her lips. 

When she got no answer from them, Cassandra decided to keep her silence and it was like the time slowed down as she discerned the messages behind the gazes of his three brothers who were merely standing behind her. She released a deep breath when the elevator slid open. Perks of having an overprotective brothers. 

She was about to trudge out when Sky spoke again. 

"Stop that bullshit, Cassandra. Don't get hurt even more. You're only fifteen." he uttered while his eyes stared straight at her face as if trying to figure out what her reaction would be. 

"There's a lot of fish in the sea, little sis,"  Cloud seconded, agreeing to what his twin brother said. 

She wanted to say that what he was spouting was not nonsense. Yes, she's only fifteen nevertheless, she knew in herself that she loves Anton. 

She peered at Liam and waited for him to say something but she frowned in an instance and looked away when she noticed that his eyes were already pure black. 

Cassandra forced a smile and held Liam's hand. "I will be alright, big brother. I promise," she whispered, doing her utmost to comfort her brother. 

She was extremely nervous. They all knew what their brother is capable of when angry. It was no easy training for Liam to control the dark blood raging in his veins that he inherited from their mother which was ironically complicated due to the blood-wolf lingering in his vessels. 

Liam released a deep sigh before his eyes returned to their normal color. Ocean blue is the color of his eyes and is turning to pure black whenever the dark blood dominates him. When they were sure that Liam was all right, they finally got out of the elevator. 

A little later, they arrived at BookNerds Café and Cassandra noticed that their cousins; ​​Paris and Lee were already there. They instantly stood up when they saw them entering the Café. 

"Hey!" Lee greeted as he patted Liam's shoulder. Liam responded to Paris with a lazy nod. 

"Oh, you, guys, are already here too. Sit there first. Your Aunt Cross is just doing something."

It was their Uncle Finn, their father's Beta. 

"Where is Aunt Cross, Uncle Finn?" Cassandra inquired as soon as she kissed him on the cheek. 

"She's in the baking room, getting the cookies that she just made." Uncle Finn responded. 

With that, she quickly stepped into the baking room to help her Aunt Cross. She found her gripping a cookie jar against her body and she hurriedly grabbed the tray placed on one side before approaching her. 

"Aunt!" She greeted her with a kiss on the cheek. 

Aunt Cross flash her with a smile when she saw her. "Thank you, dear," she softly mumbled. 

"You're welcome, Aunt Cross," Cassandra responded with a sweet smile on her lips. "Where's Akie?" she asked, referring to Aunt Cross' thirteen-year-old daughter, Vangeline. She promptly looked around for the her. 

"She went out for a moment with Eowyn." Aunt Cross replied while occupied in putting pastries on the tray she was cradling.

Cassandra beamed when she confirmed that Eowyn was also here. She is Paris and Lee's sister. The three are the children of her father’s sister; Aunt Cristina and Umbra Shade Sage, the Alpha of Shadowstone.

After making sure that Aunt Cross is done setting the pastries she prepared for everyone on the tray, they went out of the baking room concurrently. 

Cassandra soon noticed that Travis, Aidan, and Azul were already there as well as Zee who briskly talking to Liam and Lee. She immediately roamed her eyes around to search for a familiar face. She knew that he would surely be there too. Aside from being the private pilot of the Godfreys, Anton is also Azul's personal bodyguard since the day of the failed kidnapping of the youngest Godfrey when she was only ten years old. 

She turned her eyes to the other side of the café when he heard a familiar voice. Her heart was filled with a strange thrill in a haste pace when she saw him staring at her. Her eyes narrowed as she gazed at him. There was a hint of disgust in his eyes so even before he could open his mouth to speak, she quickly handed Sky the tray in her arms. She had completely forgotten their instructions when they were still in the elevator. All she thought of that moment was Anton. 

She hurriedly ran into him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Uncle Anton!" she exclaimed. There was a hint of excitement in her voice. 

She closed her eyes for a moment when she felt the familiar warmth of his embrace. She only released him when she squealed again. 

"How are you?" he asked. His eyes were fixed, staring at her, straight into her eyes. 

She was about to answer him when she noticed the woman next to him. She's beautiful. Sophisticated and classy. 

Anton's type of girl.

She gazed at the woman, scanning her soul and a faint smirk went out of Cassandra's lips. 

'A hag!' She secretly exclaimed at the back of her mind. 

Her smile grew dim when the woman clung to Anton's arm. 

It hurts.

She should be the one to cling in his arm. Why was she born late? 

When she looked at Anton's face, she observed that he was stunned while staring at her. Cassandra instantly stood up straight when she heard the faint growls of Cloud and Sky behind.

"Sky, Cloud!" she heard Liam, rebuking the two. 

She forced a fake smile, nodded, and turned to the woman who was only silently watching her. 

"Congratulations!" she whispered before turning around and heading to where her brothers were. 

Zee smiled at her and held her hand. "You look so beautiful, Cassandra," she murmured and swiped off a few strands of her bangs covering the top of her eyes. "And, your birthday is almost near, right? Any plan for your birthday?" 

Cassandra attempted to draw a smile on her face. Even if she wanted to look back at Anton and his girlfriend, she restrained herself. She did not want to trigger her brothers who were on the edge of losing control. 

She smiled with force and nodded before turning to Zee who was just silently watching her. 

Maybe she should learn to forget her feelings for Anton. Liam is right. She's too young for him. Too young for the so-called love.