Chapter 5: Just an outsider

Chapter 5: Just an outsider

The night was alive with the crackling of bonfires, the air thick with the rich, primal scents of roasted meat and fresh earth. The pack gathered in celebration, a shimmering mass of movement and laughter, but Cassia felt like she was watching it all through a pane of glass. She stood at the edge, feeling the warmth of the flames on her skin but none of the joy that the others seemed to bask in.

She scanned the crowd until her eyes locked on Rhett, her breath hitching in her throat. There he was, close to the fire, his face lit by the flickering glow, looking almost like the Rhett she once knew. Her heart lurched, twisted in a painful pang of nostalgia. And then she saw Jenna at his side, standing so close her shoulder brushed his, leaning into his whispered words with that perfectly poised smile she wore like armor.

Cassia’s stomach churned, her fists clenching at her sides. There was something painfully intimate in the way Jenna tilted her head toward him, the way her laughter, soft and melodic, drifted over the crackle of the flames as if she had every right to stand at his side. The sight tore at Cassia like a freshly inflicted wound.

Lynx, her wolf, roared within her, jealousy and rage rising, a tide that Cassia struggled to keep down. She dug her nails into her palms until they hurt, focusing on the sting to keep Lynx at bay. She couldn’t let herself lose control, not here—not with Lady Morwenna watching.

Lady Morwenna. She could feel the woman’s gaze, cold and assessing, even from across the clearing. Morwenna stood among the elder wolves, her spine straight as a blade, a serene smile on her face that didn’t reach her eyes. And those eyes, icy and unyielding, settled on Cassia with barely disguised disdain.

Cassia, the outsider, she could almost hear Morwenna’s voice say, the words dripping with condescension. Cassia could read the message in her gaze clearly enough: she was nothing but a distraction, a fleeting nuisance who dared to disturb the pack’s carefully curated balance. It didn’t matter how many times Cassia bowed her head or stayed silent; she would never be enough.

For a split second, Cassia felt the walls around her heart tremble, the emotions she had locked away threatening to spill over. She was angry—no, she was furious. Not just at Jenna, but at Rhett for abandoning her, at Morwenna for seeing her as nothing but a hindrance, at herself for letting them get under her skin.

“Cassia,” a voice murmured close by.

She turned, startled, and found herself looking into Lucian’s steady gaze. He stood a little too close, his presence grounding and reassuring. The tension that had wound tight in her chest loosened just a little, enough for her to take a shaky breath.

“Lucian,” she said softly, feeling the heat of his proximity. His gaze was warm, compassionate, but there was a guardedness there too, something that reminded her he was not just anyone in this pack—he was a Blackwood, the bloodline Morwenna both envied and respected.

“You look like you’re a thousand miles away,” he said, his voice low and careful, as if he could sense the weight of what she was holding back.

She forced a laugh, but it sounded hollow even to her own ears. “It’s… difficult to feel like I belong here.”

His gaze softened, and he shifted slightly, moving a fraction closer as if to shield her from the glances thrown their way. “You don’t need to prove anything to them,” he said, his voice laced with quiet conviction. “Their acceptance isn’t worth your spirit.”

His words were like a balm, softening the anger in her chest, but it didn’t erase the pain. Her gaze drifted back to Rhett and Jenna, who were now laughing over some shared joke, Rhett’s hand resting on Jenna’s shoulder in a way that felt far too intimate. It was as if he’d never known Cassia, never held her close or whispered promises she now realized had been empty.

“It’s not just their acceptance,” she whispered, her voice tinged with a vulnerability she hadn’t meant to show. “It’s him. Rhett.”

Lucian followed her gaze, his expression hardening for a fraction of a second before he turned back to her, his jaw set. “Rhett made his choice, Cassia. And if he was willing to betray you for the likes of Jenna, then he isn’t the man you thought he was.”

Cassia swallowed, hating the truth in his words but unable to deny it. Lucian’s gaze, so steady, held something deeper than sympathy—something that made her heart ache with a longing she didn’t dare to name. She couldn’t tear her eyes away from him, feeling a warmth building between them, like a flame flickering in the dark.

“Cassia,” Lady Morwenna’s voice sliced through the moment like a knife, cold and commanding. Cassia stiffened, turning to face Morwenna, who was now approaching with a graceful but chilling stride. Her eyes flicked over Lucian dismissively before settling on Cassia, her lips curved into a polite smile that held no warmth.

“I believe it would be wise for you to remember your place,” Morwenna said, her tone dripping with condescension. “This pack has tolerated enough... distractions.”

Cassia felt the sting of her words, a fresh wave of humiliation washing over her. She wanted to snap back, to tell Morwenna that she was done bending, but Lucian’s presence beside her was a silent reminder to hold her ground.

“Of course, Lady Morwenna,” Cassia replied, her voice steady but barely masking the bitterness beneath. She bowed her head, but the fire in her eyes didn’t dim, and she could see Morwenna’s lips press into a thin line, displeased by her defiance.

Morwenna gave her one last, withering look before she turned and walked away, her posture perfect, exuding power. Cassia’s shoulders slumped, the weight of Morwenna’s disdain settling on her like a heavy cloak.

“You don’t have to bow to her,” Lucian said, his voice a low murmur.

Cassia turned to him, her gaze fierce. “What choice do I have? Rhett abandoned me. The pack sees me as an outsider. I’m one step away from being cast out, Lucian.”

“Then fight,” he said, his eyes blazing with a fire that matched her own. “Fight for your place here. Show them who you are, Cassia.”

His words ignited something in her—a spark, a flicker of the strength she’d buried beneath her grief and pain. She held his gaze, feeling the weight of his words settle in her chest, like a promise she hadn’t known she needed.

And for the first time, she felt a sliver of hope. Maybe she didn’t have to accept the life they wanted to impose on her. Maybe she could carve out her own place, even if it meant facing them all head-on.

Her hand brushed his, barely a touch, but the warmth of his skin sent a shiver down her spine. She didn’t pull away, and neither did he. The world around them faded, and for a moment, it was just the two of them, standing against the weight of everything they’d both lost.

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With Lucian’s words echoing in her mind, Cassia watched as the bonfire crackled, casting its shadows across the faces of her packmates. She felt a new resolve settle within her, something fierce and unbreakable. Rhett may have cast her aside, but she wasn’t done fighting. For her place. For her worth.

As she looked up at Lucian, his gaze meeting hers with a warmth that soothed her battered heart, she knew she’d found an ally in him—a spark in the dark, a promise of something more.

And maybe, just maybe, she wasn’t as alone as she’d thought.