Chapter 116: One more step or breathe...!!

Cassian’s robes dragged behind him as he strode through the Cassian. He didn’t even bother keeping his steps quiet, moving like a blur around while his boots pounded against the stone.

There was no humour in his eyes.

His silver eyes were a sea of rage, and his dark hair had fallen over his face, giving him an even darker edge, like shadows clinging to his face.

He finally arrived at his destination, his eyes fixed on the large door at the end of the corridor. Two large guards stood on either side of the room, looking powerful and unyielding like the man walking up to them.

But they couldn’t compete with him.

The moment they saw him coming, one could see them straightening up a bit. Their breathing picked up a little more speed, but their composure remained unshaken.

That was until Cassian stood in front of the door. Without looking at them, he said, "Tell your Alpha I’m here to see him. It’s urgent!"

The fire guard glanced at the second, looking slightly mortified before he straightened up again and replied, "Alpha Malachi has given us strict orders not to let—"

"If you allow me to repeat myself, I will have your tail wrapped around your throat and your fur as my new coat!"

He swallowed, "I—"

Cassian couldn’t waste a single second on these fools anymore. She reached for the door handle, knowing for a fact that none of them would dare to stop him, then he pushed the door open and walked into the Alpha’s study.

Malachi sat behind his desk, eyes blank as he went through another pile of scrolls in front of him. He didn’t even look up to acknowledge that someone had just stormed into his territory.

"Please tell me you did not actually withdraw the guards you’d put around Della!" The words crashed out of his mouth before he even made it two steps into the room, sounding like thunder, "Malachi!!"

Still, Malachi didn’t look up. His eyes scanned through another scroll talking about rogue attacks, but not a single expression fell over his face, "Why are you still here? You should be on your way back to Nightveil. Their Alpha has been gone for too long,"

"Don’t try to change the topic!" Cassian boomed, walking up to the desk and slamming his fists down on the already creaking chair.

The whole thing gave out at that second, crashing into the ground with every scroll that had been carefully arranged on it. The scrolls scattered all over the ground, a few of them rolling open till it all finally came to a stop.

Malachi didn’t even flinch.

He simply looked up at the Alpha glaring down at him, something dark now hovering in his own eyes, "Five Alphas before me have sat in that chair,"

"I’m pretty sure none of them has treated their mates as badly as you have!"

Malachi let go of the scroll he was holding, and it fell on his legs.

"I don’t give a fuck about an old chair. I give a fuck about whatever’s happening to Della right now, and it’s all because of you!"

"Cassian," Malachi breathed, trying not to let his emotions explode again, "Go back to Nightveil. You have long overstayed your welcome,"

"Come and throw me out if you can. I dare you," Cassian said, leaning forward slightly, "And haven’t I said this before?! I’m not going anywhere without her,"

That only made Malachi’s jaw tick.

"I’ve given you many chances, Malachi, but your excuses about Katherine had long expired!"

With that, Cassian turned around and walked out of the study. He threw the door open again and slammed it back shut, rattling the walls.

.

.

.

The crowd didn’t back away. If anything, Anne’s defiance seemed to anger them even more.

Someone shoved forward, and Anne immediately pushed back.

Another body slammed into her shoulder, and Anne staggered half a step before planting her feet again.

"She’s barely breathing!" Anne screamed. "Can’t you fucking see that?!"

"She deserves it!"

"She stole!"

"She’s a Rotblood!"

Anne’s eyes burned. She didn’t care if they decided to attack her all at once again. Heaven knows she wasn’t taking one step away from his spot until she found a way to care Della out of here, safely!

"We would trample on you too if you do not step out of the way!" A weathered voice called from behind, making her resolve crack for a second.

The broad merchant from earlier stepped through the crowd.

Orson.

His clothes were rumpled from the chaos, and fury twisted his face as his eyes settled on Della, then back to Annelise.

"Who the hell are you?" Anne snarled at him, forcing him to take a step back.

But he stepped forward again, brave because the crowd stood behind him, "I’m the one this rotblooded Thief stole from! She took my priceless diamond!"

Anne looked at him as though he’d just grown another head, "She didn’t steal anything."

"I watched her take it."

"Then you’re blind."

The crowd erupted again,

"Watch your mouth!"

"That’s enough!"

"She’s defending her!"

Orson’s eyes narrowed as he kept watching Anne, studying her looks as though he knew her from somewhere. He recognised the build of her wolf, and then something seemed to click, "Wait, aren’t you Moira’s daughter?"

The words silenced a small portion of the crowd, and Anne’s heart sank.

"You’re Annelise, aren’t you?"

A murmur rolled through the marketplace.

"The Veinseer’s daughter?"

"That’s Annelise?"

"Wasn’t there a rumour a few days ago that she was the one who disappeared with the Rotblood?"

"Yeah, doesn’t this confirm it?

"She’s protecting her!"

Anne’s hands curled into fists.

"So it’s true." Orson took another step forward, but this time there was so much mischief in his words.

"What’s true?"

"You really did run away with her."

Anne looked down at Della, then back at him, "Yes, I did. Did the world come to an end because of what I did?"

The reaction was immediate as a collective snarl seemed to rise from the crowd.

"You traitor!"

"She’s protecting a Rotblood!"

"Get away from them!"

"No! Beat them up!"

"Kill them both!"

"Come fucking closer." Anne spread her arms wider over Della.

Someone moved, and then another followed.

She watched as the crowd surged toward them once again, fangs and claws and legs extended to cause damage. She knew she could hold them all back at once, and braced her body over Della’s for impact.

"ONE MORE STEP OR BREATHE..." The word thundered across the marketplace, overpowering every other noise there.

Everyone froze, bodies suspended.

Even before turning around, they could feel the pressure in the air that made gravity suddenly feel fifty times stronger.

Anne’s wolf slowly looked up from where she bent atop Della, wondering who it could be.

The crowd slowly began turning toward the source of the voice. And through the parted mass of people came a presence so heavy that even the loudest, most stubborn wolves instinctively lowered their heads.

Cassian.