~Chapter 25~
Emy pov:
I walk away from Starbucks with quick steps, trying not to give off any suspicion.
My hands are shaking, and my heart is pounding like it’s going to burst out of my chest. Cass knows I’m lying.
She’s felt it.
I bite my lip and take a deep breath.
I can’t hide it all anymore, not when the signs are piling up so quickly.
“Ash?” I say to myself, trying to make the connection.
Nothing.
“Niko, please answer me, it’s urgent.”
After a few seconds, I hear a familiar vibration in my mind, like a faint echo that slowly clears.
Niko: “I hear you. What happened?”
“Cass… saw something today. The wolf. He says he felt it, that it stood on his feet. And his eyes… he describes them exactly as they were. Golden.”
A heavy, sharp silence.
Ash: “He shouldn’t have remembered. The seal is active, Elara clearly said.
..”
“I know what Elara said,” I cut him off, feeling my eyes burn.
“But something’s wrong. He… starts hearing.
He starts feeling things he shouldn’t. I don’t even know if I’m dreaming or if it’s real. ”
I stop by a building, my hand on the wall.
My breath hitches for a moment.
Niko: “Maybe it’s just a reaction to your proximity.
If the bond reactivates...”
“No. It’s more than that.
There’s something in the air, it’s like a…
a sign. I’ve had strange visions myself the last few nights, and today, when I saw him…
it was different. His gaze wasn’t just confused.
It was recognition.”
A silence. Then Ash’s cold voice:
Ash: “If it’s recognition, it means the seal is breaking.
Either his wolf is waking up, or someone has been messing with his mind.
Emy, you need to keep him away from—”
I stop abruptly.
I feel a prick in my temples, then a strange warmth engulfing my mind.
It’s not just me anymore.
There’s someone else there.
.
I freeze. Her tone is calm, but I know what this means—hidden panic.
Elara: “I know. And it’s not good. It’s too soon.
”
“What does too soon mean?” I ask, almost crying.
Elara: “Cassian’s wolf wasn’t lost. It was just put to sleep.
And if he wakes up now… someone called him.
Or… his soul can’t accept the imposed bonds anymore.
”
I feel the shivers run through me.
“And what if it’s the second option?
”
Elara is silent for a moment.
“Then Cassian isn’t just my son anymore.
He’s becoming what we tried to stop him from being. ”
---
The air around me grows heavy, as if every fiber in the forest knows what’s coming.
Ash and Niko stand close, but I can feel my thoughts racing back and forth, trying to organize themselves.
“It’s too much,” I hear Ash’s voice only in my head.
“Too many signs. And too much chaos for Cassian.”
I swallow hard.
I didn’t even know I could hear him. Something is wrong.
“What do you mean?” I think, panicking slightly, but controlling myself from making any sounds.
“We have to help him,” Niko says. “And not just us. His family. Elara, his parents, his brother need to be prepared. Any wrong step could wake the wolf before he’s ready.
”
My stomach clenches. “But what do we call them? How do we keep him from getting even more scared?”
Elara answers me suddenly, calmly but authoritatively:
"I've prepared everything.
Without forcing. They will come from a distance, they will feel the connection, they will guide, but they will not come into direct contact.
Everything is for him, not for anything else. "
I realize it’s not just about Cassian’s wolf, it’s about Cassian himself, about getting him to accept who he is without scaring him.
Ash adds slowly, “We can’t force him. If he wakes up completely now, it’ll be chaos. But if we guide him, step by step, he can control everything.”
And then I hear a signal, a subtle, almost imperceptible vibration.
It’s their sign. His family is beginning to connect to Cassian’s connection, without his knowledge.
The names Kael and Valerius flash through my mind, and shivers run down my spine.
But it’s stillness, not threat. It’s preparation.
“Be careful, Emy,” Elara says. “Any change in his state must be noted. We’re here to guide his wolf, not control it.
”
I swallow hard, knowing that everything is in motion.
And for the first time, I feel like he’s not alone.
It’s not just Cassian. His pack, his family, they’re all ready to help him, to keep him from losing control of his own shadow.
I suddenly realize how lucky we are that the wolves didn’t manifest at the same time.
If they had, it would have been chaos. Their energy, even if they weren’t aggressive, would have interfered, created confusion and panic.
But now… every subtle pulse, every signal is controlled, even if it’s complicated.
Sergio is there, almost invisible, but his presence brings a stability that can’t be ignored.
Cassian’s wolf still flickers, but it doesn’t explode, and we can feel its every vibration, gradually guide its energy.
“It’s strange how everything aligns,” Ash murmurs, I can tell he sensed me if he realized what I was thinking.
“Their energy… balances out without directly intervening. It wouldn’t have worked if they were all there at once.
”
Niko continued. "Yes, and the signals are subtle, but sufficient.
Every gesture, every pulse from Sergio, even if at a distance, keeps Cassian's wolf within bounds. "
In my mind I feel a mixture of tension and relief.
Sergio’s presence is like an anchor, but reality is fragile.
Any little interference, any wrong thought, any intense emotion on Cassian’s part could destabilize everything.
“We have to be careful,” I think. “But at the same time, it’s fascinating.
There’s an invisible connection between all of us, but so real.
If their wolves had been there at the same time…
I don’t know if we could have controlled them. ”
I feel a thrill, but also an unexpected clarity.
Everything is in order now, albeit fragile.
Sergio’s presence, Cassian’s family, the pack they all act together, each in their own way, and yet it all converges towards the same goal: to keep Cassian safe and to make him understand that he’s not alone.
---
As things begin to settle down, the rest of the pack slowly begin to drift away, feeling that their immediate presence is no longer needed.
It’s just me, Ash, and Niko left. The air feels lighter, but the tension remains subtle.
“It’s quiet… too quiet,” Niko says,
“It’s like everyone’s waiting for something to happen.
”
“Or like everything’s paused for a moment,” I reply, trying to calm my thoughts.
“But I know this isn’t the end. It’s just a pause.
”
. “We can’t control everything, you know?
Sometimes we just have to feel what’s around us and react to the moment.
” Ash says
“I know,” I murmur, but I can feel Niko’s words echoing in my mind.
“And yet… I feel like there’s too much on Cassian’s mind.
These signs… too many clues, too much pressure.
I didn’t know he could hear everything we said.
”
“So what do we do now?” Ash asks, I feel him looking at me seriously.
“We can’t push him too hard, but we have to guide him.
”
“We have to be subtle,” I answer, feeling our every move amplified by the unseen connection between us all.
“Sergio is close to him… I can feel him. It’s strange…
he’s distant, but close at the same time.
I think that helps him keep his composure.
”
Niko nods. “It’s a good thing the wolves didn’t all come at once.
If they had, it would have been chaos. And not just for Cassian.
It would have been chaos for the whole pack.
”
“Yes,” I say, taking a deep breath.
“But that means everything can be controlled… if we stay calm and focused.”
“What if we don’t?
” Ash asks with a raised eyebrow. “What if something scares him or destabilizes him?”
I run my hand through my hair and try to think of all the scenarios.
“Then we intervene subtly. Not directly, but we guide him. And the pack already knows what to do. They all feel what he feels.”
Niko looks at me and then around.
“It’s an incredible bond… and yet so fragile.
We have to be careful with every signal.
”
“Exactly,” I answer. “But for the first time since we started this, I feel like we’re not alone.
We’re together, even if we can’t see each other, even if we can’t talk.
”
Ash says and I feel him smile “And if we make him feel that, without him knowing about us… maybe he’ll be able to feel his wolf without fear. ”
We sit there, three people connected in a meaningful silence, knowing that what we do now can make a difference for Cassian. And the still air around us is a sign that for now, the plan is working.
---
After a few minutes had already passed. I remembered what Cassian said, about the wolf, about Ash, and the air seemed thicker, more oppressive.
I instantly felt something… different.
“Emy…” Ash’s thought came like a direct hit to my mind.
It wasn’t just a simple connection. it was longing for him, an almost visceral need for him.
“I missed him… so much. I can’t bear to leave him alone.
”
I felt a part of that desire radiate towards me, like an intense, heavy heat, as if pressing me to do something.
Ash’s wolf, his instinctual form, was visibly obsessive, agitated, almost trembling with impatience.
“I’m looking for him…” he continues mentally.
“I can’t stay away. The wolf… wants him Next to me and Niko .
He wants his attention, he wants him close.
And I can’t help it, Niko. I just can’t.
”
Niko responds with his usual calm, but his mental tone is firm: “Ash… you have to be careful. We can’t rush him.
If you lose control, you’ll scare him. Cassian doesn’t know anything yet, and he needs to stay that way.
”
But Ash doesn’t calm down. His longing and obsession for Cassian dominates everything he feels.
“I don’t care. I feel every second he’s not around.
I feel how… my wolf wants everything, wants control.
He wants you to be mine alone, but I know I can’t make him know… yet.”
I feel my own palpitations rising, caught between the panic of losing control and their fascination.
It’s as if Ash is pushing me to guide everything, to be the voice that keeps the connection, but with an intensity that’s almost painful.
“It’s… hard…” I murmur mentally, feeling every vibration of Ash’s longing.
“I feel it all… but I have to make him stay calm.”
“You can’t ignore my wolf,” Ash says, in a mental voice that doesn’t allow for argument.
“You can’t make him not feel that I want him.
And no, Niko, I won’t let him get away. I want him almost…
even if I have to ask you, Emy, to keep him balanced.
”
Niko sighs. “I know, but we can’t let obsession take over completely.
We have to be in control. Ash’s wolf may be strong, but if we lose each other…
Cassian will feel it all, and it won’t be good. ”
Ash remains silent for a moment, but I can feel the tension in his mind rising again.
It’s a mixture of longing, obsession, the desire for closeness, and the inability to control his instincts.
His wolf demands Cassian. Ash’s body demands Cassian.
And it’s all transmitted through our connection.
I realize it’s lucky there aren’t more wolves involved now.
If the others had come… it would have been complete chaos.
But even so, between the three of us, the tension is almost palpable.
I have to keep them in check, maintain order, keep Ash’s longing and obsession from exploding before Cassian is ready.
And yet… a smile beyond the pain crosses my thoughts. Ash wants him. With all his might
“You know, Emy…” Ash murmurs in my mind, his tone deeper, more commanding, almost unwavering.
“It’s hard to do this… to keep everything under control, not to explode.
Especially when you’re an Alpha, and Niko and I are both…
.”
I feel a subtle pressure in my mind, but also a protective warmth.
Niko laughs slightly mentally, and his tone is amused: “Yeah, yeah, Alphas… always complicated. But hey, love, it seems like you’re enjoying yourself more than you’re struggling, right?
”
Ash sighs, and as if he can’t help it, we move our focus closer to Niko, feeling his desire and obsession for Cassian.
“Don’t laugh, Niko… it’s intense. It’s impossible not to feel it.
And yes, I love you… obsessively. Just like you love him and you don’t know it.
”
Niko mentally approaches too, but with a calm, almost playful tenderness.
“Oh, I know, Ash… I feel it too. Don’t stress yourself out.
You’re going to keep my balls blue for a long time to come.
”
I can feel the closeness and the tension between them, and it’s strange but fascinating.
Ash, for all his longing and obsession with Cassian, is more loving with Niko now.
In my mind, I can feel his almost physical closeness, as if Ash is saying, “let’s see who’s who.
”
“And you, Emy…” Ash continues, his mental voice softer for a moment, “have you found your destined girlfriend? Or are you too busy managing all this for Cassian?”
"No… not really,” I answer quietly in their minds, surprised that they’re asking me this directly.
“I’m too caught up in everything with Cassian and what’s going on here.
But… maybe someday.”
“Hmph,” Niko says, his tone amused but careful.
Ash lets out a short sigh, but he feels dominant even in the gesture.
“My wolf wants him, he wants you. I want you too. And I can’t control my desire.
But for you… I can try to be calm… but not in bed, love. "
Niko mentally approaches and subtly touches her thoughts. "See?..." He wants to say something but I stop him
"Please stop! I dream at night how you do it" I say loudly and end the conversation.
We remain like this, the mental triad tense, Ash dominating and loving with Niko, both obsessed with Cassian, and me caught between them, trying to keep my balance, to feel everything without losing control. It's hard, it's intense, but it's... fascinating.
A moon goddess!
When is my girlfriend coming too?