Page 108 of The Reign of Blood

I find Cassian blinking at me in confusion, a hand outstretched toward me, but I’m so overcome with the emotions weighing heavy on my chest that I can’t form a response.

Swiping at my cheeks, I’m not surprised to feel them wet, but it doesn’t stop the embarrassment from consuming me.

“Alpha?” Cassian pushes, taking a step toward me, but I quickly move away from him, rushing to the window. There, I plant my hands on the ledge, my chin dropping to my chest as I try to calm the swell of pain and allow the sense of happiness to take over.

I take a deep breath, then another, and another, but they’re short, sharp pants that do nothing to settle the storm inside of me.

“Addi, breathe,” Cassian murmurs, stroking small circles at the base of my spine, and I shake my head.

“Can’t,” I croak, making the panic rise even more.

“You can,” he insists, spinning me to face him. I’m helpless in his grasp as he reaches for my hands. Silently, he places one against his chest, right above his heart, while he circles the other around his throat.

I frown at him in confusion, unable to form a question, but I don’t need to. I can feel the rhythm of his heart beating beneath my palm. My hand at his throat feels the rhythm of his breathing as his pulse pitter patters against my skin.

“Let’s get you out of here,” he murmurs after a while, and I nod in agreement. “Do you want to walk, or do you want me to make it quick?”

“Quick,” I rasp, unable to fix my eyes on a single thing in the room now.

At my request, he rushes us outside. Glancing around at the open space, I take a more clearing deep breath as his hands remain at my waist.

“I used the back door to avoid the gathering crowd,” he murmurs, spiking my heart rate as I take a look at where we are—where wereallyare.

The tree line in the distance garners my attention immediately as my throat bobs and a pained cry parts my lips.

“What’s wrong?” Cassian asks, grabbing my chin to force my face to his, and my eyes widen in panic.

“It was here. It was here,” I chant, barely louder than a whisper, as terror floods my veins.

“What was?”

I shake my head, covering my ears, unable to answer, but the moment his eyes flick to my ears, I know he knows.

“Fuck,” he grunts, pressing me to his chest again before he takes off. We don’t go far. He stops by the front doors of the castle, pressing his forehead to mine as he sighs. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know.”

“I know,” I murmur, my breath becoming jagged again, and he strokes a hand down my back.

“Just breathe, Addi,” he says soothingly, just as he did upstairs, but the overwhelming bubble of emotion subsides.

“I’m okay,” I breathe, and he leans back to peer into my eyes.

“Are you sure?”

I nod, my mind in a state of chaos with everything, but I know one thing to be certain more than anything. Turning my attention to Cassian, I exhale slowly as I try to find the words. “I want to see my mother.”

“You want me to call my father?” he asks, brows furrowing in a mixture of surprise and confusion.

“No,” I breathe, shaking my head, and understanding flickers in his eyes.

“Incognito?”

“Yes.”

He stares at me. Likereallystares at me before he nods. “I can make it happen.”

“When?”

“Tonight.”

---