Aprils POV
The warmth was gone.
I woke up slowly, blinking against the morning light, and for the first time in days, I was alone in bed.
The sheets beside me were cold. Cassius had been gone for hours.
I sighed, rolling onto my back and staring at the ceiling. I knew this would happen eventually. Cassius was an Alpha after all, and the pack would always need him.
But I still hated it.
For months, I had told myself that I didn’t need anyone, that I was better off alone, and that letting someone in would only end in disappointment.
And yet, in just a few days, Cassius had become my comfort.
His presence had made me feel safe in a way I hadn’t felt since… well, maybe ever. And now that he was gone, I realized just how much I had started to rely on that feeling.
I didn’t like that realization.
Because that kind of attachment? It led to heartbreak.
I swallowed hard, pushing the thought away.
I wasn’t some fragile little girl.
I had survived worse.
I had survived Jake.
The rejection. The loss. The pain.
And now… I was here.
With Cassius.
And unlike Jake, he had chosen me.
Not because I was his fated mate. Not because of some cosmic bond.
But because he wanted to. He wanted me.
That thought settled deep in my chest, replacing the unease with something warmer.
I deserve this.
For so long, I had thought I didn’t. That I wasn’t good enough. That I wasn’t worthy of love, of care, of someone putting me first.
But Cassius did.
He had made that clear.
And maybe-just maybe-I was finally ready to believe it.
I exhaled slowly, pushing back the covers.
As much as I wanted to curl up and let myself get lost in the lingering scent of Cassius on the sheets, I had a job to do.
The bar wouldn’t run itself.
Dragging myself out of bed, I grabbed some clothes, took a quick shower, and threw my hair up before heading downstairs.
The place was quiet, just the way I liked it in the morning. I went through the familiar motions-wiping down the counter, restocking the shelves, and making sure everything was ready for the night shift.
But my mind kept drifting.
To him.
To the way, he had held me before leaving. To the warmth in his eyes when I said yes.
To the way my heart still raced just thinking about him.
A small smile tugged at my lips.
Damn it.
I was smitten.
And that should have terrified me.
But for once… it didn’t.