April’s POV
The moment the rogue turned to flee, Cassius was on him like a force of nature-swift, relentless, and utterly lethal. His movements were a blur of power and precision, every strike calculated, every motion fluid. I had seen strong fighters before and had even faced off against my fair share, but nothing compared to this. He moved like he was born for battle, his body a weapon honed through years of discipline and experience.
And the way his muscles flexed with every move? Damn. If I wasn’t so focused on the threat at hand, I’d be openly staring and drooling.
The rogue barely had time to react before Cassius slammed him into the nearest wall with a force that cracked the plaster. He grunted in pain, but Cassius didn’t let up. He caught the rogue by the collar and drove his knee into his gut, sending him gasping to the floor.
I should’ve been afraid. I should’ve felt some lingering unease watching him unleash such raw violence. But all I could feel was an overwhelming sense of security.
He wasn’t just fighting. He was fighting for me.
Cassius’s wolf was on edge-I could see it in the way his muscles tensed, the barely restrained urge to shift flickering behind his eyes. He was holding back, but only barely.
“Who sent you?” Cassius growled, his voice dripping with deadly intent.
The rogue coughed, wiping blood from his mouth as he sneered. “You think I’d tell you anything?” His gaze flicked to me, dark amusement dancing in his eyes. “She’s not worth all this trouble, Alpha.”
A dangerous growl rumbled deep in Cassius’s chest.
Before he could react, I was already moving. The rogue had seriously chosen the wrong words.
In an instant, I was in front of him, my boot slamming into his ribs so hard he choked on his next breath. He hadn’t even seen me move. He barely had time to register the pain before I grabbed him by the collar and yanked him to his knees, my blade pressing against his throat.
His eyes widened in surprise. Maybe he thought I’d let Cassius handle everything. Maybe he thought I was weak. Big mistake.
I leaned in close, my voice steady, lethal. “Try that again. Call me worthless one more time, and I swear, I’ll make sure you choke on your own damn blood.”
The rogue swallowed hard, but the arrogance in his gaze didn’t waver. “You have no idea what’s coming,” he rasped out, a smirk tugging at his split lip. “You think you’re safe with him?” His eyes flicked to Cassius. “They’ll find you. They always do.”
I didn’t know who they were, but I sure as hell wouldn’t let this bastard get the satisfaction of thinking he’d rattled me.
Cassius must have sensed my next move because his hand was on mine before I could drive my blade deeper, gently pulling me back. “Not yet, sweetheart,” he murmured, voice thick with authority. “We need him alive.”
I exhaled sharply, locking eyes with him. His gaze held steady, dark with something intense-pride, admiration, maybe something more.
Slowly, I withdrew the blade, stepping back as Cassius took over.
The rogue thought he had a fighting chance. He was wrong.
Cassius delivered a final, bone-crushing punch that knocked him out cold.
A heavy silence settled between us as we stood over the unconscious rogue. My pulse was still racing, my body thrumming with adrenaline. And yet, when Cassius turned to me, the first thing I saw in his expression wasn’t just relief-it was something deeper, something raw.
“You’re incredible,” he said, his voice filled with something warm, something dangerous.
I smirked. “I know.”
His low chuckle sent shivers down my spine.
And just like that, the intensity between us shifted into something else entirely.