Chapter 2

Aurelia POV

“He gave us until sundown, Cassian! Sundown!”

The harsh, panicked voice cut through the heavy fog in my head. I opened my eyes to a brightly lit room—white walls, the sharp smell of antiseptic, and the steady, rhythmic beep of a heart monitor tethered to my wrist.

“If we don’t hand her back, Draven brings his full vanguard across the river,” the voice continued outside the cracked door. “We aren’t ready for a full-scale border war over one runaway female!”

“Shut up and think, Ronan,” a deeper, steady baritone replied. Cassian. “If I hand her over just because Draven showed force at my riverbed, every Alpha on this council knows I bow to him. My authority in this territory would be dead by tomorrow.”

“It’s not just about your pride, Alpha!” an older voice interjected, heavy with strain. “Why risk our hunters and our families for a stranger?”

“Because handing her over doesn’t buy us peace, Aiden,” Cassian snapped quietly, his tone dripping with cold, unyielding logic. “Look at what Draven did. He marched three war parties to my border within an hour of her crossing. He isn’t doing that because he’s heartbroken over a runaway mate. He’s doing it because she represents leverage he can’t afford to lose. If Draven locks her back in a cage and forces her compliance, he won’t stop at the riverbank. He’ll swallow our lands next. Handing her back is suicide on a slightly longer timeline.”

Inside the room, my heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

War. Handing me back. Leverage.

Panic exploded in my chest. Draven was right outside the territory. They were standing in the hallway, debating trading me like a piece of disputed land to buy themselves temporary safety.

I sat up too fast, my head spinning as my eyes frantically scanned the room for an exit—a window, a back door, anything. I grabbed the IV line hooked into my arm, but before I could yank it free, a soft, firm hand gently caught my wrist.

“Woah, slow down,” a calm, feminine voice said softly.

I flinched back against the pillows, my breathing coming in ragged hitches. Standing beside the bed was a woman with kind, amber eyes and dark hair pulled back into a practical braid. She wore a simple knitted sweater and held a clean glass of water. Beside her stood a tall, broad-shouldered man in a dark grey henley with a medical tablet tucked under his arm.

“I’m Talia,” the woman said, giving me a reassuring, gentle smile as she stepped back to give me space. “And this is my husband, Rowan. He’s the pack physician. You’re safe here, I promise. Nobody is going to hurt you.”

“Stay back,” I rasped, my voice raw and cracking as I pressed my back against the headboard. “I need to leave. I have to get out of here.”

“You’re in no condition to run, Aurelia,” Rowan said smoothly, his voice grounded and professional. “Your body is severely dehydrated, and your vitals are barely stabilizing. If you pull that line out, you’ll collapse before you reach the tree line.”

Before I could reply, the heavy wooden door pushed open.

The room fell dead silent as Cassian stepped inside, followed by Aiden and Ronan. Cassian towered over the rest of the men, his presence heavy, cold, and commanding. His dark-blue eyes swept over the room, settling directly on me.

“Out,” Cassian said, his voice a low, vibrating register meant for his officers. “All of you. Talia, Rowan, give us the room.”

Talia hesitated, giving my shoulder a gentle, protective pat before slipping out the door. Rowan nodded to Cassian, pulling the door shut behind them, leaving me alone with the Alpha.

Cassian walked slowly toward the end of the bed, his posture rigid and his expression unreadable. He didn’t approach me like a threat, nor did he look at me with pity. He looked at me like a commander assessing a dangerous variable.

“Who are you?” Cassian asked plainly, crossing his broad arms over his chest. “And why is an Alpha marching three war parties to my border for you?”

I swallowed hard, my hands trembling under the heavy wool blanket. I couldn’t tell him the full truth. I couldn’t say that I’m Draven mate or reveal that I carried Royal Bloodline. If he knew who I truly was, he might decide I was too dangerous to keep.

“My name is Aurelia,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “The man chasing me... he’s a ruthless, abusive tyrant. I was his captive. I fled because if I stayed another day, he would have broken me completely.”

Cassian’s icy eyes narrowed slightly, searching my face for any sign of lie or deceit. “He calls you his mate. He claims you belong to his pack.”

“He lied!” I pleaded, leaning forward despite the agonizing ache in my muscles, my eyes wide with desperate entreaty. “He doesn’t care about a mate bond. He only cares about control and power. Please... I am begging you. Do not send me back to him. If he takes me back, he will lock me in a cell and I will never see the light of day again.”

Silence stretched between us, thick and suffocating. Cassian stared at me, calculating the risks, weighing the lives of his soldiers against the terrified woman sitting in front of him.

“I don’t know you, Aurelia,” Cassian finally said, his baritone voice calm, measured, and devoid of false promises. “And I don’t throw my pack into a war for strangers based on tears alone.”

My heart sank into my stomach. “Please...”

“However,” Cassian continued, cutting me off with a raised hand, “I don’t take orders from abusive tyrants on my own land either. Handing you over on his command makes me look weak, and it gives him reason to push further into my territory.”

He straightened his posture, looking down at me with cold, absolute authority.

“You have twenty-four hours,” Cassian stated firmly. “I am granting you temporary asylum on Redmoon land for one day while I investigate these border movements and figure out what he’s really playing at. Nobody touches you while you are on my soil.”

Relief washed over me so fast it made my head swim. “Thank you... thank you.”

“Don’t thank me yet,” Cassian replied quietly. He turned his head toward the door. “Rowan, Talia, step back in.”

The door opened, and Talia quickly walked back to my bedside while Rowan prepared a fresh sedative to stabilize my pulse.

Cassian looked over his shoulder at Ronan, who was waiting anxiously in the hallway. “Ronan, drop the panic and give me an operational update. What’s happening at the eastern post?”

Ronan pulled himself together, snapping back into soldier mode. “Draven’s emissary just left the perimeter. The ultimatum stands—hand her over by sunset, or their heavy vanguard pushes across the shallow ford.”

“He won’t cross before nightfall,” Cassian said, his mind already calculating the tactical grid. “He’s using the threat to test our nerves. Pull your forward scouts back from the open riverbed—I don’t want your hunters exposed in the open. Shift the heavy enforcers to Grid Four and double the runic ward anchors along the water line.”

Ronan nodded quickly. “Understood, Alpha. What about the clinic? If Draven sends scouts near the ridge...”

“Move her to Talia’s cottage,” Cassian ordered, turning his gaze back to me one last time. “The ancient runic stone in the foundation will keep her hidden and safe while we lock down the perimeter.”

Rowan immediately stepped forward with clean bandages and a fresh IV bag, working quickly and silently.

“Move, Ronan,” Cassian commanded, stepping out into the hallway to rally his commanders. “If he wants a war over this border, he’ll find out we don’t yield.”