Chapter 244 — His Father’s Warning

Chapter 244: Chapter 244 — His Father’s Warning

~ Raven ~

The patriarch’s accusation came so easily that Raven almost laughed.

Wonderful.

She’d spent years being told she wasn’t good enough for the Blackthorns, and now Cassian’s father had decided she wasn’t good enough for his son either.

At least the powerful Houses were remarkably consistent.

"With respect, Lord Blade, whatever plans you’ve made for Cassian are between the two of you. I haven’t asked him to abandon anything."

"No," he agreed, studying her with unsettling calm. "You haven’t needed to."

Raven’s frown deepened as the man took another step closer.

"Influence rarely begins with demands, Miss Rivers. Sometimes it begins with someone convincing a young man that the things he has always understood to be important no longer matter."

Raven stared at him.

Was he seriously accusing her of manipulating Cassian?

After everything she’d endured today, that was almost impressive.

"I think you’re giving me far too much credit," she replied, making no effort to conceal her irritation. "Cassian isn’t exactly someone who does things simply because another person tells him to."

For a moment, the patriarch said nothing, his expression becoming considerably colder as he regarded her.

"And that," he murmured, "is precisely the problem."

A strange pressure settled over Raven.

It wasn’t anything like the overwhelming aura she’d experienced from the Vampire King earlier. There was no visible surge of essence or supernatural display powerful enough to draw attention from the surrounding grounds, yet something about the man’s gaze made her instincts recoil.

Her breathing caught as she felt the unmistakable hostility directed toward her.

Killing intent.

Raven had experienced enough danger since arriving at Valerius to recognize it, but coming from Cassian’s father, it was so unexpected that her body reacted before she could properly understand what was happening.

Her shoulders stiffened, and a faint tremor passed through her hands as the man continued watching her with an expression that barely changed.

Holy Goddess.

This wasn’t an ordinary warning.

For one terrible moment, Raven understood that the man standing before her was capable of killing her without the slightest hesitation if he decided she had become sufficiently troublesome.

The realization sent a chill down her spine, but beneath the fear, something else stirred.

Her wolf.

The familiar presence rose sharply inside her, responding to the threat with an anger that made Raven’s chest tighten.

She felt her wolf pushing against the pressure, refusing to lower its head even as the killing intent continued bearing down on her.

Raven drew in a slow breath and forced herself to remain upright.

She wasn’t going to let this man see her cower.

"I don’t know what you think I’ve done to your son," she said, her voice steadier than she’d expected, "but whatever problem you have with his decisions, you should take it up with him."

The patriarch’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Raven could feel the pressure increasing, although she refused to look away.

For several seconds, neither spoke, and when the man finally leaned closer, his voice had become almost dangerously quiet.

"You have no idea what you’re interfering with, Miss Rivers."

Raven swallowed against the uncomfortable tightness in her throat.

"Then perhaps you should explain it instead of threatening me."

Something flickered across his expression, although Raven couldn’t tell whether it was surprise or irritation.

Unfortunately, the cold pressure bearing down on her had begun making it difficult to breathe properly, and she could feel her wolf growing increasingly restless beneath her skin.

Then a furious growl cut through the garden.

"Father!"

The pressure vanished so abruptly that Raven almost stumbled.

She turned toward the sound and found Cassian standing at the entrance to the garden, his pale silver blue eyes fixed on the man before her.

Raven had seen him angry plenty of times.

She’d watched him threaten powerful students, challenge other Cardinals and nearly lose his temper with Sevrin barely an hour earlier, but the expression on his face now was different.

There was no amusement hiding beneath it, no quiet confidence or calculated irritation.

Only cold, unmistakable fury.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded, already approaching them.

The patriarch slowly turned toward him, his expression returning to its earlier composure.

"Cassian."

Cassian ignored the greeting, his attention moving briefly toward Raven before settling on his father again.

"Step away from her."

The words were quiet, but Raven felt the air around them begin to stir.

His father regarded him for a moment.

"We were having a conversation."

"Then it’s over."

Raven swallowed as the tension between them deepened.

She’d thought Cassian and Sevrin had been difficult to deal with earlier, but something about the way Cassian was looking at his own father made this confrontation considerably more unsettling.

Before either man could continue, a delighted squeal interrupted them.

"Cass!"

Sylvia abandoned the flower bed and hurried toward her brother, seemingly oblivious to the hostility between the two men.

Cassian’s expression changed the moment he saw her, his anger giving way to something considerably softer as he bent down and caught the little girl when she threw herself into his arms.

"Sylvia," he murmured, one hand settling against her back as he straightened.

She wrapped both arms around his neck, smiling brightly as she pulled back to look at him.

"I found you!"

Cassian gave a quiet laugh.

"So I see."

"You weren’t where I thought you’d be," Sylvia complained. "And Daddy was busy, so I went looking."

Cassian glanced toward his father, and Raven noticed the way his expression hardened again before he returned his attention to his sister.

"You shouldn’t have wandered off."

"I didn’t go far."

"That isn’t the point."

Sylvia pouted, clearly unimpressed by the warning, and Raven almost smiled at how easily Cassian had slipped into the role of an older brother.

He adjusted Sylvia in his arms before turning toward his father again, the warmth that had briefly appeared on his face disappearing.

"Don’t approach Raven again without speaking to me first."

The patriarch’s expression remained unreadable.

"You seem to be forgetting who you’re speaking to."

"No," Cassian replied coldly. "I know exactly who I’m speaking to."

Raven felt the tension gathering between them again, and judging by the way Cassian’s fingers tightened slightly against Sylvia’s back, he was making a considerable effort to control himself.

His father studied him for several seconds before glancing toward Raven, and something unpleasant passed through his eyes before he looked away.

"We have obligations to attend to, Cassian. I expect you to remember that."

Cassian offered no response.

The patriarch’s jaw tightened, but with Sylvia watching them curiously, he seemed unwilling to continue the confrontation.

He adjusted the cuffs of his coat before turning toward the garden entrance.

"We will speak later."

Raven watched him leave, her breathing gradually becoming easier as the last remnants of his threatening presence disappeared.

Only then did she realize how tense she’d been throughout the encounter.

Goddess.

What the hell was wrong with that family?

Cassian remained where he was, watching his father disappear down the path before finally turning toward Raven.

"Are you alright?"

She considered lying, but the expression on his face suggested he wouldn’t believe her.

"I’ve been better," she admitted.

His jaw tightened, and for a moment, Raven thought he was going to ask exactly what his father had said.

But Sylvia shifted impatiently in his arms before either of them could speak again.

"Cass, put me down."

Cassian blinked, looking toward her.

"Why?"

"Because I want to show you something."

He sighed but lowered her carefully onto her feet.

The little girl immediately caught his hand before turning toward Raven with a bright smile.

"Oh, Cass! This is the nice lady I met earlier!"

Raven stared at her.

Cassian followed Sylvia’s gesture, and something softened in his expression when he realized she meant Raven.

"You’ve met?"

Sylvia nodded enthusiastically.

"She knows you, and she’s really nice. She laughed when I told her you always mess up my hair."

Cassian slowly looked toward Raven, one eyebrow rising.

Raven pressed her lips together.

"You do mess up her hair," she pointed out.

The corner of Cassian’s mouth curved slightly, although his expression remained more subdued than usual.

"Is that so?"

"Yes," Sylvia answered before Raven could say anything else. "And you have to stop doing it."

"I’ll take that under consideration."

"You always say that!"

Raven couldn’t help laughing, and for a moment Cassian looked almost like an entirely different person as he watched his little sister with quiet affection.

It was strange seeing this side of him, especially after what had just happened with his father, but Raven found herself understanding something she hadn’t properly considered before.

Whatever else Cassian might be, he was clearly someone Sylvia felt completely safe around.

The little girl tugged insistently at his hand.

"Come on, Cass. You have to show me around before Daddy makes us leave."

Cassian hesitated, glancing toward Raven with an expression that still carried traces of his earlier concern.

She could tell there were questions he wanted to ask, particularly about what had happened between her and his father, but he seemed unwilling to bring them up with Sylvia standing beside him.

Raven gave him a small nod, silently assuring him that she was alright.

Or at least that she would be.

Sylvia pulled at his hand again, growing increasingly impatient.

"Cassian!"

He sighed, finally allowing his little sister to lead him toward the garden path.

"Alright, Sylvia. I’m coming."

Raven watched them go, unable to stop herself from smiling faintly as the little girl continued talking about everything she wanted to see at Valerius.

But just before they disappeared around the corner, Cassian looked back.

Their eyes met briefly, and something about his expression made Raven’s earlier encounter with his father considerably more unsettling.

She’d seen the anger in Cassian’s eyes when he confronted the man, but beneath it had been something she hadn’t recognized immediately.

Concern.

Not for himself.

For her.

And as Raven watched Cassian disappear around the corner with Sylvia, she couldn’t stop thinking about the warning his father had given her.

Whatever plans the man had made for Cassian, he’d made it painfully clear that Raven wasn’t part of them.

And judging by Cassian’s reaction, she had a terrible feeling this was far from over.