Author’s POV
Raider was standing in the middle of the bedroom which was not very bright as it was night. The light was low, making everything look a bit shadowy. His fists were tightly clenched, showing that he was really upset, and his jaw was tense and set in a firm line.
Anger filled him intensely, almost like a fire spreading quickly. He fixed his intense stare on Cassandra as she came into the room. She walked in with an expression that looked careful and defensive, suggesting she was unsure of what might happen next.
“Where have you been?” Raider demanded with his voice booming with anger and frustration. Each word he spoke was heavy with emotion.
The soft warm glow of the moon struggled to break through the thick heavy atmosphere of tension that surrounded them, making it feel even more intense.
Cassandra held her breath, feeling a cold dread creep around her body. “I… I went to the living room,” she said quietly with her heart pounding. “I just needed a moment to clear my head.”
“Clear your head?” Raider’s eyes were filled with anger. “I woke up next to an empty bed! Do you seriously think I wouldn’t notice you were not in bed?” He moved closer, making her feel small and pushed her back a bit.
Cassandra struggled to keep looking into his eyes even with the heat of his stare. “I’m sorry. I just needed a second-”
Raider interrupted her with his quick breath, showing a different kind of feeling. He moved closer, nearly getting into her space and breathed in deeply, his wolf instincts kicking in. “You smell like smoke, Cassandra. What do you mean by ‘clearing your head’?”
Cassandra’s heart sank. The bits of the torch she had used to see Rax stuck to her skin like a letdown. “It came from the fireplace,” she lied with a shaky smile spreading across her face, trying hard to hide the truth.
“Not true!” Raider said angrily, shaking his head in shock. “You know I hate secrets. How many times have I told you that?”
“I’m not hiding anything,” she said with her voice a bit louder than she meant.
Raider turned quickly and stomped out of the bedroom with his loud steps ringing down the hall. “I need some time alone!” he said without looking back. Cassandra felt a sharp pain at his words but knew better than to chase after him.
By herself, she leaned against the door with her heart pounding and her mind racing. Why had she said that she just wanted to think? When did their relationship get so full of stress?
***
The morning sun came out from behind the clouds shining a warm light through the pack’s house windows, but the warmth did little to reduce the coldness in the air that was present between Raider and Cassandra.
Cassandra stepped carefully into Raider’s room with the door making a soft sound as she opened it. He was at his desk with papers scattered everywhere like a messy storm of work. The feeling between them was heavy as she walked in.
“Good morning,” she said with her voice, calm and smooth.
“Good morning,” he said briefly, looking at the papers in front of him and ignoring her.
Cassandra, feeling a bit anxious, put her arms around his shoulders from behind and rested her chin on his back. “I see you’re upset, but can we talk?”
Raider let out a low growl with his body tight under her hand. “What is there to say, Cassandra? You’ve already said too much.”
“I didn’t plan to-”
“You didn’t mean to what? Sneak out and lie to me?” He spun around in his chair and the quick movement surprised Cassandra. “You know how I feel about losing your trust. I can’t lead a pack if I don’t know where my Luna stands.”
Cassandra felt a sudden pain in her heart. She took a step back while watching his face closely. “Please, Raider, everything I do is for you. You need to trust that.”
Raider’s hard stare changed for a moment. “Is that really true? Because I feel like I don’t know you at all.”
“What do you mean?” she asked while folding her arms to hide her sudden feeling of doubt.
“I mean… before it was us against everyone. Now it seems like you’re keeping secrets. We are a team, we should work together.”
“I helped you become the Alpha Raider. I did it for us!” she said with her voice showing her impatience.
Raider tensed up, and his eyes showed a mix of feelings-fear, anger and something else she didn’t quite understand. “Don’t say that!” he yelled, getting up quickly.
Cassandra felt heavy inside. “Why? Are you embarrassed about what we had?”
“No!” He tightened his fists and paused to breathe. “I just… it reminds me of things that… we shouldn’t go through again.”
She reached out and held his shoulders firmly, her voice soft as she begged him. “Raider, we can’t let the past control us now. We have to be strong together.”
He moved back a bit, not wanting to admit she was right. But inside he knew she was. “How can I trust you if you keep hiding things?”
Cassandra took a step back to calm down. “I’m not hiding anything. I promise to be more honest. Just please… don’t ignore me.”
Raider looked at her for a long time with the tension in the air slowly fading as he took a deep breath. “You can’t just vanish like that again, Cassandra. I can’t let it happen.”
“I won’t,” she said with tears in her eyes. “We’re better together, don’t you forget!”
He let out a breath and nodded slowly. “Yeah, I remember.”
Cassandra stepped a bit closer and looked into his eyes. “You’re my Alpha and I will always be by your side. I would never turn against you.”
“I have to trust you,” he said quietly, with his voice gentler now.
“You need to believe me,” she said while holding him close.
For a moment, they clung to each other with the silence heavy with unshared emotions. But even as they pressed close, deep in the pack’s cells, a soft whimper broke the quiet in the cold dark air, a clear signal of the secrets they still hid.
****
The old man in the dark cell gripped the chains that held him, fighting against the cold metal that dug into his wrists. Shadows moved on the walls as he pulled forward, trying to break free from his cell. “Somebody please!” he shouted with his voice breaking. “Let me out of here!”
But the only reply he got was silence. The old man breathed hard, feeling the heavy burden of his captivity pressing down on him like a solid weight. His mind raced as he tried to recall memories of the life he used to have. The laughter, the joy… all crushed in this harsh darkness.
“Please” he said softly with tears of hopelessness rolling down his tired face. “I want to see the light again!”