Chapter 167: Nothing left to Desire

"You knew, didn’t you?" She asked.

"Knew what?"

"The truth powder in the torches. The reason why Malachi had summoned us nights ago. You knew,"

"Yes," His eyes reflected the stars in them, but they weren’t twinkling like they were doing in the sky.

"So you let me walk in there, knowing that Malachi would discover everything. Knowing that he would declare war on Nightveil," She hissed

"No, Selene," Cassian straightened on the chair, his eyes falling on the dead insect that had once soared around the garden, "I let you walk in there knowing it was time for you to understand that your actions had gone too far, and the consequences would not be light,"

Selene laughed, "Wow,"

"I warned you not to touch Della again. You thought I was joking. You thought I would always put the Pack first,"

"Duty over desire," She spat, lines appearing between her forehead, "That’s the unspoken rule in every pack out there. Nightveil would have been so much more powerful today if not for your interference. I would have been married to Malachi and our Packs would be unstoppable. The marriage would have benefited everyone!! But you ruined it all. Because of a rotblood. A Rotblood!!"

"Yes, yes I did,"

Selene was now pacing back and forth. She was trying to fathom what was going on in his head, how her brother’s brain worked when it came to this matters. Because it should be impossible for a wolf to give up so much power, so much authority he would have gained... because of one woman.

A rotblood for that fucking matter.

And he sounded genuinely happy about what he did. There was no remorse in his voice.

"You’re incorrigible," She sighed exasperatedly. Frustrated.

"At least, you succeeded, right?" Cassian continued, "After torturing her through every means you could think of, you eventually killed her. You might not have won Malachi’s affection at the end, but you can be rest assured that you’ve ruined him for anything else."

She was still fuming.

Then, he stood up and started to leave. He walked through the path between the row of flowers, stopping briefly to stare at the dead insect that was next to her.

"I don’t want Malachi anymore!"

Those were words he never thought he would hear coming out of her mouth, but he still didn’t take his eyes off the ground, "So Eclipse Crown is out of the picture for you?" His tone was oddly silent.

"For ruin, no!"

"It’s gonna take more than a pissed she-Wolf to take down the most powerful pack there is,"

"Then, help me,"

He didn’t say anything.

"Help me ruin Eclipse Crown. After all, they are coming for us sooner or later. Malachi might have let me go, but I don’t believe he’s just gonna sit back down and take everything we’ve done with an open heart. He loves Della. He loved Katherine. He will find a reason to declare war, sooner or later,"

"Why do you think I would help you?"

Selene’s eyes narrowed a bit. Why wouldn’t he help? He’s the Alpha of the Pack that could go under attack anytime from now.

"You’re the enemy. You’re the only one Malachi would come after if he decides so. Not me. Not my pack. Just you,"

Selene stared at Cassian.

Like she really stared at him.

Cassian and Malachi hated each other — she knew that much. Maybe she didn’t know enough. What if they didn’t? Because Cassian sounded very sure of what he’d just said now. He truly believed Eclipse Crown Pack would not declare war on Nightveil.

And she could NOT fight alone.

"And would you let him?" Her eyes were trembling, "Would you let him kill me if he decides so?"

"Duty over desire, right?" Cassian smirked, but it didn’t meet his eyes. He still hadn’t taken his eyes off the insect.

"T...that’s not right!" She stepped closer to him, her hands shaking inside the long sleeves of her dress, "I’m your sister. I’m your family. You can’t abandon me! If someone threatens me, you have the right to go to war because of that!"

"Unless you’ve crossed the line," He finally looked up at her, and all the humour he’s been using to speak to her died instantly.

Selene stumbled back.

The look in his eyes was brutal. They weren’t just filled with rage. They stared at her with the same kind of hateful look Malachi had given her.

"Ten years, Selene." He began, and suddenly, shadows fell over his eyes again. His wolf was shifting. Snarling, "That is how long I have loved you. How long I told myself I didn’t. I watched you obsess over Malachi, and I let it, why? Because it let me keep you at a distance mentally. It helped me focus on something else. It constantly reminded me that you had your heart set on him, and that helped me look another direction,"

He was confessing, but Selene stumbled back again. She’d never felt so frightened while someone was confessing before, because no word held any feeling in them again. They came out empty, but dark.

"Twice, I had crossed that line with you. Malachi looked away from you, and you starved and tried to cling to me. We both got what we wanted. I adored you because your mind was boundless and you would stop at nothing to get what you want. But even your mother never killed innocent people to marry our father. She didn’t torture. What you did to Della, made me realise that you weren’t just obsessed and cruel, you were...you were rotten."

Selene’s lips parted.

Cassian stepped closer, his expression the same, "Not because you wanted Malachi. Not because you were willing to manipulate people to get him. Hell, I loved that about you." A bitter smile briefly touched his lips. "I loved the way you could walk into a room and find ten different ways to get exactly what you wanted...but there’s a difference between destroying obstacles and destroying innocent people."

His eyes dropped to the crushed butterfly lying between them, "You crushed that thing without even thinking about it."

Selene glanced down.

"It was harmless. It wasn’t hurting you. But you killed it simply because you didn’t like it being there." His gaze returned to hers, "That’s what you’ve become."

"This is a world of predators! The strong trample on the weak. That is what—"

"Then the strong needs to get their brain checked. I’m an Alpha. I don’t trample on the weak. I guide them. I protect them."

Her facial muscles worked, and she swallowed angrily.

"And the worst part?" His voice dropped. "I used to think that darkness in you was beautiful."

Selene’s face changed.

"I thought your ruthlessness was strength. Your obsession was determination. Your willingness to burn through anything standing between you and what you wanted..." He shook his head slowly. "I mistook sickness for ambition."

She took another step toward him, her voice suddenly softer. "But you still love me, right?"

Cassian stared at her.

Selene reached up and gently touched his chest, her fingers sliding over the fabric, "You always have."

For a moment, he didn’t move. Then his hand closed around her wrist and removed her fingers from him, "No."

Her eyes widened as he let go of her hand, and it fell back to her side.

"I loved the woman I thought you were." His voice was almost a whisper. "And I loved the woman you became when you were hungry for something. But after Della..." He gave her the meanest once over, from head to toe, like he was staring at shit sitting by the side of the road, "...there’s nothing left for me to desire."

Selene stood frozen, and then Cassian walked past her.

"And if you ever make me choose between you and my Pack again..." He stopped without looking back, "I will kill you myself, Selene."