Cassius’s POV
The day had been a whirlwind of emotions, but now, as the sun began to set and the sky shifted to deep hues of orange and pink, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of calm settle over me. It was just me and her now-April-and tonight, everything was going to change. I had planned this carefully, precisely. A quiet dinner in a small town a few hours away, away from the pack house, away from the ever-present responsibilities of being Alpha. Just the two of us, no distractions, no interruptions. The world outside felt distant, almost unreal. I had told her I would be picking her up at 7:00 sharp but I was standing outside the bar/ her apartment by 6:45, I was too anxious and nervous.
As I stood near my car, waiting for April to arrive, I couldn’t shake the anticipation that buzzed in the air. I knew this wasn’t just any date. Tonight, I was going to tell her everything. My truth. The truth about who I am, what I am, and what I’ve been hiding for so long. My wolf had been pulling me in this direction for a while now, and I couldn’t keep running from it. From her.
The door opened behind me, and I turned to see April stepping out of the bar. My breath caught in my chest, as it always did when I saw her. She was dressed simply but in a way that made her seem even more beautiful than usual. The soft fabric of her dress moved gently with the breeze, and the moonlight bathed her in a silver glow. It made my heart ache in the best way possible. She was perfect-my perfect.
“Hey,” she said softly, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips. She didn’t seem to notice the way my heart thudded harder in my chest every time I looked at her, but I felt it.
“Hey,” I managed to say, trying to push back the rush of emotions threatening to consume me. “You look beautiful.”
She blushed, ducking her head slightly. “Thanks. So, where are we headed?”
I reached out, offering her my hand. “Come with me. It’s a surprise.”
Her eyes glinted with curiosity, and I could see the softening of her guard, the trust she was placing in me. I led her to the car, and as we drove, the quiet was comfortable. There was no need for forced conversation, no need to fill the silence. The air between us hummed with unspoken words, both of us carrying secrets we hadn’t shared. But tonight, that would change.
As the small town came into view, I could feel the tension in my shoulders ease. I had chosen this town because it was small and peaceful-a place where we could escape from the chaos of our lives, even if just for a little while. It was the kind of place where the world seemed to slow down, and nothing else mattered except the person standing next to you.
We arrived at a quaint little restaurant that overlooked a sparkling lake, the water reflecting the soft glow of the evening sky. I led April inside, the warmth of the place enveloping us. Candles flickered on every table, casting dancing shadows on the walls. The scent of fresh flowers mingled with the soft notes of a live violin playing in the background.
We sat by the window, the lake stretching out before us like an endless mirror. I watched April as she looked out at the water, her expression soft and peaceful. She was beautiful in a way that had nothing to do with her looks-though those certainly didn’t hurt. No, it was the way she carried herself, the way she moved, the way she made the world feel a little less heavy whenever she was around. I couldn’t stop thinking about her. I couldn’t stop wanting her.
The waiter brought us our drinks, and we sat in a comfortable silence, the hum of the restaurant blending with the distant sounds of the lake. My mind kept going back to the same thought: I needed to tell her. I needed to open up to her, or this would never work.
I cleared my throat, trying to find the right words, but my voice betrayed me. “April, there’s something I need to say.”
She turned to face me, her brow furrowing slightly, sensing the shift in my tone. “What is it?” she asked, her voice gentle, but there was a softness in it that made my heart ache.
I took a deep breath, pushing aside the doubts and fears that had been swirling in my mind since I first met her. “It’s about who I am. About what I am.”
April’s eyes softened, and I could tell she was waiting for me to continue, but for a moment, I hesitated. The weight of the truth pressed down on me, but I knew it was time. Time to take the leap. Time to trust her with this.
“I’m not just any man, April,” I said, my voice low. “I’m the Alpha of a pack. A werewolf pack.”
The words hung in the air like a heavy cloud, and I watched her face closely for any sign of surprise, fear, or judgment. But there was none. She looked at me, her expression unreadable, but her gaze never wavered. “A werewolf?” she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper.
I nodded, swallowing hard. “Yeah. I’ve been keeping this from you because… I didn’t know how you’d react. I didn’t want to scare you. I didn’t want you to… run away from me.”
April leaned back in her chair, her fingers nervously twisting the edge of her napkin. “Why would I run away?” she asked softly, though there was an edge of uncertainty in her voice. “You’ve never hurt me. You’ve never made me feel unsafe.”
Her words hit me like a wave. She didn’t fear me. She didn’t fear us. That realization made my heart race, and I couldn’t help the rush of affection that surged through me.
“Because what I am… it’s dangerous,” I said, my voice thick with the weight of everything I was hiding. “My pack, the world I come from-it’s not a safe one. And I didn’t want to pull you into it. I don’t want to drag you into a life you don’t want.”
April was quiet for a moment, and for a split second, I thought she might retreat from me. But then she looked up, her eyes locking with mine, her expression thoughtful.
“Cassius, I’m not afraid of you,” she said slowly. “I’m not afraid of what you are. I’ve seen the way you care about the people around you. I’ve seen the way you protect them. And… I see how much you care about me.”
My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I couldn’t speak. But then, a smile tugged at the corner of my lips. “I do care about you. More than I’ve ever cared about anything or anyone.”
Her eyes softened, and she looked down at her hands, her fingers still nervously twisting the napkin. The silence stretched out between us, but this time, it wasn’t awkward. It was just… waiting. Waiting for the next step. Waiting for the truth.
And then, just when I thought I might burst from the tension building inside me, she looked up at me with a glint in her eyes.
“Remember when you asked me what I am?” she said, her voice low, almost teasing, but there was a deep undertone of seriousness beneath it.
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest, and my breath caught in my throat. “Yeah. I remember.”
“Well,” she said, leaning forward slightly, her gaze steady on mine, “I think it’s time I tell you.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I felt the world slow around us. She wasn’t just talking about the future. She was talking about herself. She was going to tell me something. Something that, at this moment, felt like it would shatter everything and yet, somehow, make everything make sense.
April took a deep breath, the moonlight shining down on her like a halo, and she said it.
“I’m a werewolf.”
The words hit me like a thunderclap. My breath caught in my chest, and for a moment, I couldn’t process what she’d said. A werewolf?
She was one of us.
And in that moment, with the truth hanging between us, everything shifted. The world felt different, as though some invisible thread had been pulled taut between us. I didn’t know what this meant or what would happen next. But one thing was clear-this was just the beginning of a story that neither of us could walk away from.