HIDDEN TRUTHS

The cabin felt too small to hold my thoughts. Every minute that passed, the silence between Cassian and me grew heavier. He sat in a chair near the unlit fireplace, his gaze distant. It was as if he were physically present, but his mind was wandering to some dark, faraway place. I didn’t know what to expect from him, but I was certain of one thing: he knew far more than he was willing to share.

“You’re a rogue Alpha,” I said, breaking the silence. My words came out sharper than I intended, but I didn’t care. “Why? What did you do to be hunted like this?”

He didn’t answer immediately, but the tension in his shoulders grew. For a moment, I thought he might ignore me, but then he sighed, running a hand through his disheveled hair.

“Does it matter?” he finally replied, his deep voice carrying a hint of frustration. “What I am or what I did doesn’t change the fact that you’re in danger now.”

“It does matter,” I shot back, crossing my arms. “If I’m supposed to trust you to protect me, I need to know who you really are. And why the Council wants you dead so badly.”

Cassian stood slowly, as though every movement carried a heavy weight. He crossed the cabin to the table in the center. When he finally turned to face me, his glowing red eyes were a mix of frustration and exhaustion.

“I used to be the Alpha of one of the most powerful packs,” he began, his voice low and controlled. “We had everything—territory, strength, freedom. But the Council never liked Alphas who didn’t play by their rules.”

“You challenged them?” I asked, trying to piece the puzzle together.

He let out a short, bitter laugh. “Challenged? I confronted them head-on. When they tried to use my pack as pawns in their political games, I said no. That was enough to put me on their blacklist.”

“That’s it?” I asked skeptically. “They’re hunting you just because you refused to follow orders?”

The silence that followed was heavier than any answer. He looked away, his jaw clenched, but he said nothing.

“Cassian,” I pressed, taking a step forward. “What aren’t you telling me?”

He turned abruptly, his eyes burning with intensity. “Enough, Sienna. I don’t need to relive all of it just to satisfy your curiosity.”

I took a step back, startled by the sharpness of his tone. But instead of backing off, my own frustration flared. “This isn’t about curiosity. It’s about knowing if I can trust you.”

“You don’t have a choice but to trust me,” he countered, his voice low and weighted. “But don’t ask me to reopen old wounds. It won’t change anything.”

I wanted to yell at him, to force him to talk, but there was something in his voice that stopped me. He wasn’t just pushing me away—he was protecting himself.

“Fine,” I murmured, though I wasn’t satisfied. “But if we’re going to survive this, you’ll have to be honest with me at some point.”

Cassian looked at me for a long moment, his eyes scanning my face. “I’m already being honest. I’m keeping you alive, no matter what it takes.”

Before I could respond, the sound of branches snapping outside broke the tension. Cassian turned immediately, his body tense, every muscle on alert.

“Stay here,” he said, his voice heavy with authority.

“Cassian, you can’t just—”

“Stay. Here.” He cut me off, his tone firm and unyielding. Before I could protest again, he was already out the door, slamming it shut behind him.

I stood there, my heart pounding as I stared at the closed door. Part of me wanted to obey, but another, more stubborn part of me wanted to ignore him and follow. Before I could decide, I heard footsteps from the opposite side of the cabin.

The door creaked open slowly, and for a moment, I thought it was Cassian. But the figure that stepped inside was completely different.

“Theo?” I whispered, my body freezing at the sight of him.

His golden eyes locked onto mine, glowing faintly with an intensity I couldn’t read. He shut the door behind him and walked slowly to the center of the cabin.

“I warned you, Sienna,” he said, his voice low but laced with something I couldn’t quite place. “I told you you’d regret this.”

I stood up, my body tense as my mind raced to understand how he’d found us. “What are you doing here? How did you even get here?”

“I never stopped following you,” he replied simply, as if that explained everything. “But I’m not here to fight him. I’m here for you.”

“For me?” I laughed, but it was a hollow sound. “After everything, you think you can just show up and take me?”

Theo shook his head, his eyes pleading. “I know I messed up. I know I let you down. But you don’t understand what’s at stake. He’s not who you think he is, Sienna.”

“And you are?” I shot back, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

Theo took a step closer but stopped when he saw the look on my face. “I’m not here to argue. I’m here to protect you.”

“You already had your chance to protect me,” I said, crossing my arms. “And you left me behind.”

He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the door burst open again. Cassian stepped inside, his glowing red eyes blazing with fury as he took in Theo’s presence.

“I knew you’d show up,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.

Theo raised his hands, as if to show he wasn’t a threat. “I didn’t come to fight you, Cassian.”

“Then why are you here?” Cassian stepped forward, his movements heavy and deliberate. “Because, believe me, no matter what you say, she’s not going anywhere with you.”

Theo turned to me, his expression pleading. “Sienna, you know I’m right. You know he’s going to drag you straight into chaos.”

“And you already left me in the middle of it,” I shot back, though my voice wavered.

The tension between the two was suffocating, and I knew if I didn’t intervene, it would end in blood.

“Enough!” I yelled, my voice cutting through the silence.

They both turned to me, their eyes filled with expectation. “I’m not going to be dragged around by either of you. This is my choice, and I’ll decide.”

Cassian took a small step back, nodding slightly. “Then decide quickly. The Council isn’t far.”