Chapter 3

CASSIAN

I scoffed, shaking my head. "I'm not doing that. I'm not binding myself to a fox."

Arlena’s voice cut through the tension like a whip. "You would defy the moon goddess?"

"Don't mistake my refusal for defiance," I said coolly. "But I won’t be forced into something I don't want, especially when—"

I stopped myself, feeling the weight of my own words. I could feel the tension building in my shoulders, even if I wasn’t saying it aloud.

"Especially when what?" Arlena pressed, her voice sharper now.

I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose. "I have someone. Someone I love. Someone I want to marry. I can't be involved with her. Are you sure you're reading the signs right? Why should I have to marry this complete stranger just to break the curse?!"

I turned quickly, my eyes narrowing as I blurted out, "I don't want to marry you either! I don't even know what's going on!"

Cassian ignored me, his eyes locked on Arlena as he continued, "I can't just throw all of that away."

Arlena was cold. "The moon goddess doesn’t care about your mortal entanglements."

Cassian's frustration grew, but he kept his voice steady. "I didn't ask for any of this."

Arlena's words hit harder than I'd expected. "You came to me, begging for a way to break the curse and save your people. Now there is a way. If you do not complete the ritual, you risk not only your life but the survival of the entire pack."

"I’ll take my chances," Cassian said firmly. "The curse—"

"The curse means nothing without her," Arlena interrupted, gesturing toward me. "Think about it. You’ve been searching for a nine-tailed fox for years. Now you reject her because you didn’t think you’d have to mate with her to break the curse. But she is the key. And if you let your pride blind you, the consequences will be severe."

Cassian’s fists clenched at his sides. He hated being cornered. I could see that clearly.

"I need time to think," he said finally, his voice low, like he was trying to hide the defeat in his tone.

"Time is not on your side, Alpha," Arlena warned. "Every moment you spend waiting, you know what will happen. The next full moon is in two weeks. Don’t lose this chance."

"Is there another way?" Cassian asked, his voice laced with desperation.

"Are you absolutely sure there’s no other way?" He was begging now, and I couldn’t help but feel my heart ache.

Arlena didn’t flinch. "No. There is no other way. This is the only way. You either marry the fox and break the curse, or you don't."

———

I sat on the edge of the massive bed, my fingers tracing the embroidery on the thick quilt. The room they’d placed me in was more beautiful than anything I had ever seen, but it felt like a prison. The locks clicked into place the moment the door closed behind me, and the faint smell of wolves lingered in the air—sharp and unmistakable. I couldn’t stop thinking about Cassian’s cold eyes or the way the men in his pack had stared at me when we’d arrived from the Priestess’s place. I could hear them, arguing over my presence.

I stood up and walked to the window. The moon hung high in the sky, casting silver light over the dense forest below. It felt far away—unreachable. Just like my freedom.

Downstairs, I could feel the tension thick in the air. Cassian sat at the head of a long wooden table, his expression hard, unyielding. His younger brother, Locke, leaned back in his chair, a sly grin on his lips as he watched the others argue. Reed, the pack’s beta, stood near the fireplace, his arms crossed tightly over his chest.

"Reject the treaty," one of the older wolves growled, slamming his fist on the table. "It’s clearly a trap. You can’t trust Lucky, and you sure as hell can’t trust a fox."

"She’s not just any fox," Cassian said, his voice low but firm. "She’s a nine-tailed fox shifter. A rare one that we’ve been looking for for years. And the Priestess said she’s the key to breaking the curse."

"The Priestess has been wrong before," another wolf snapped. "Why should we risk everything on her word? Marrying a fox will make us the laughingstock of every pack in the region. You’ll lose respect—"

Cassian stood abruptly, the chair scraping loudly against the floor. "Respect won’t matter if we’re all dead!"

The room fell silent. Cassian’s gaze swept over the gathered wolves, daring anyone to challenge him.

"The curse has taken every firstborn in this pack for generations," he said, his tone colder than ice. "It’s not just a legend—it’s fact. It has happened to every single one of you in this room. My mother lost her firstborn. My father buried his siblings before they had names. And now..." His jaw clenched. "Now Aida is pregnant."

A murmur rippled through the group. Reed’s eyes softened, and even Locke sat up straighter.

"If we don’t stop this curse, my child—our heir—will die," Cassian’s voice cracked slightly, but he quickly masked it. "The Priestess said marrying the fox shifter is the only way to stop it."

Reed finally spoke, his deep voice steady but uncertain. "But Cassian, what if it’s not enough? What if the curse isn’t broken, and you’ve sacrificed everything for nothing?"

"I don’t see another choice. Do any of you have a better idea on how to get rid of a century-old curse?!"

Locke chuckled under his breath, earning a sharp glare from his brother. "It’s funny, isn’t it? Alpha Lucky brings you a fox, drops her on your doorstep, and suddenly you’re supposed to marry her? Sounds convenient to me."

"You think he planned this? Because how would he have known that? He doesn’t know about the curse." Reed’s brow furrowed.

"We can’t say! Everyone who is anyone in this region knows that we lose our firstborn pup in this pack. And Lucky’s always had his eye on our territory," Locke replied. "What better way to weaken us than by tying us to a treaty we can’t enforce and saddling our alpha with a fox for a wife?"

"I don’t trust Lucky," Cassian admitted. "But I do trust the Priestess. She’s never been wrong about the curse before."

"And what does Aida think about all this?" one of the younger wolves asked, his voice hesitant.

Cassian’s shoulders tensed. "She understands what’s at stake. She is terrified at the thought of us losing our child."

"That’s not an answer. How does she feel about you marrying the fox?" the older wolf sneered.

"Aida’s feelings don’t change the reality of the situation," Cassian snapped. "This isn’t just about me or her—it’s about the entire pack. Do you think I want this? Do you think I want to marry a stranger—a fox shifter—when I already have someone I love? No. But I’ll do it if it means saving my child. Saving all of you and the future of this pack."

Reed sighed heavily, rubbing a hand over his face. "This is a mess."

"Then help me fix it," Cassian said, his tone softening slightly. "We can’t afford to fight each other right now. The curse is real, and it’s getting worse. If there’s even a chance that she can help us, I have to take it."

Silence settled over the room. The wolves exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of Cassian’s words sinking in.

Finally, Locke leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. "Fine," he said, a hint of amusement still in his voice. "Marry the fox. But don’t expect everyone to welcome her with open arms."

Cassian’s lips thinned. "I’m not asking for that. I just need you to trust me."

Reed nodded reluctantly. "We will stand by you, Alpha. But if this goes wrong..."

"It won’t," Cassian said firmly. "It can’t."

———

WREN

Upstairs, I pressed my forehead against the cool glass of the window. I didn’t know what Cassian was discussing with his pack, but I could feel the weight of their judgment pressing down on me, even through the thick walls.

I wrapped my arms around myself, wishing I could disappear. I hadn’t asked for this—for any of it. But now, it seemed, my fate was tied to the wolves in ways I couldn’t yet understand.

And I had a sinking feeling that things were only going to get worse.

Cassian entered the room quietly, his presence filling the space like a shadow. I turned to face him, my heart pounding in my chest. His sharp eyes scanned the room, but his expression was unreadable. He closed the door behind him, the heavy thud making my stomach twist.

"Sit," he said, his voice firm but calm.

I hesitated for a moment before lowering myself into the chair by the window. Cassian remained standing, his hands clasped behind his back, as if trying to keep himself in control.

"You deserve to know the truth," he began, his tone matter-of-fact. "There is a curse on my family. It’s been passed down for generations, ever since my ancestor wiped out hundreds of your kind during war. He was cursed by a powerful fox shifter before her death. A powerful curse we’ve been trying to break ever since. Every firstborn child in my family—especially the sons—dies before their first breath."

I blinked, unsure if I had heard him correctly. "Every firstborn?" I whispered.

"Yes." Cassian’s jaw tightened. "My mother lost her firstborn. My father buried siblings before they even had names. And now..." His voice broke slightly, but he quickly steadied himself. "Aida, my... my partner, is pregnant. The child she’s carrying—my son—will die unless we stop the curse."

I felt a chill run down my spine. "What does that have to do with me?"

"The curse can only be broken by a fox shifter of the one who made the curse bloodline," Cassian said, meeting my gaze. "She said that marrying you—a direct descendant of the fox shifter who made the curse—will protect my son and end the curse for good."

I stared at him, my mind racing. "You want to marry me to save your son?"

"Yes."

I blinked, trying to make sense of it all. This wasn’t about love or loyalty—it was about survival. I knew his pack hated me, and I had no place in their world. But if what he said was true, my life was now tied to theirs in a way I couldn’t escape.

"I know this isn’t fair to you," Cassian continued, his voice softer now. "You didn’t ask for this, and I don’t expect you to be happy about it. That’s why I’m offering you a deal."