Cassian moved like a lightning, the pipe held up to deliver the final blow, but Liya was quicker. She flung herself in front of her mate, shielding him with her body while she pleaded, her voice trembling with desperation. “Alpha, please! Please, I-I beg you to spare my mate!”
Cassian let out a low and menacing growl, his eyes darkening as he snarled, “Move, omega. Move, or I'll make you!” The pipe in his hands hovered inches from Liya's face, his arm trembling with restraint while he warned the girl.
I took a step forward, worry taking over my mind. He looked seconds away from attacking her and I didn't want my mate to lay his hands on an omega even if she's a betrayer. It wouldn't set a good example for the pack.
Enemy is an enemy but still, she doesn't have the strength to fight him back. That'll be an unfair combat.
“Cassian, if you kill him, she'll also die,” I warned, trying to reason with him. But Cassian's anger was unyielding.
“I don't fucking care,” he snarled, his eyes blazing with fury. “She should've thought about that before pressing a gun to my head and putting my Luna and the future heir of the pack in danger.” He let out a scoff.
The rogue let out a low growl and tried to shove Liya away from him, but she refused to budge, her body shielding his as she continued to plead for his life. Her eyes locked on my mate's as she begged through broken sobs, “Please, Alpha, spare him!”
The sight made me uncomfortable. Flashbacks of my mother begging for my father to be spared is all I could see in my mind. It made me want to puke.
“Alpha, I-I'm so sorry,” Liya sobbed, her voice trembling with fear. “I didn't know things would escalate to this. I didn't mean for all this to happen. Please believe me. We'll take any punishment you give us, any consequence, but please, spare my mate's life. You know the pain of living without a mate, the agony of losing someone you love. Please don't put me through that!” Her words were laced with desperation, her eyes streaming with tears as she begged for mercy.
“Cassian, please,” I urged and placed my hand on his biceps, trying to calm him down a bit. “I know it might sound crazy to you, but I see you in him.” Cassian's frown deepened hearing my words, his eyes narrowing in confusion. “He lost the people he held dear, just like you did,” I explained, my voice gentle but firm. “And that's what drove him to this point. You know the pain of loss, the feeling of being alone. You went through it when Avery died, and now you're feeling the rage and desire for revenge because he put us in danger.” I took a deep breath before glancing at the rogue on the floor. “What he did is wrong, I know, but it's also the desperation of a person who's been left with nothing, just like you were once. Can't you see it, Cassian? Can't you see the same pain and anger in him that you felt once?”
“Ivy, I understand what you're saying...but I can't let go of a rogue who's a threat to my mate and pup,” Cassian said, his voice firm but laced with a hint of conflict. “My wolf won't allow it.”
I placed my hand on his cheek, my touch gentle but persuasive. “I'm sure you can, Cassian. You're the alpha of this pack, a leader, a wolf with a heart and soul. What's a leader without empathy, without compassion? I believe my mate is the best leader this pack will ever have, and I know that quality is in you too. I just need you to prove me right.” I looked into his eyes, my gaze deep and searching. “Everyone deserves a second chance, Cassian. You know that better than anyone. You were given a second chance when you found me, when you became my mate. Rogue or not, he's also a wolf like us, longing to be surrounded by people he loves. He can't be with his family anymore, but we can at least give him a chance to be with his mate,”
Cassian's gaze lingered on mine, his frown deepening as he weighed his options. The silence between us grew thick and heavy while the crowd around us held their collective breath, waiting for him to say something. And then, Cassian spoke after a few moments of silence, his voice firm and decisive. “Fine,” he said, the single word hanging in the air like a pronouncement of fate. Gasps and murmurs erupted from the crowd, a collective shockwave that rippled through them. “I'll spare his life,” Cassian continued, his eyes never leaving mine, “but I'll take his two legs, so that I'm sure he won't be able to pull this stunt ever again.” he added, causing everyone to fall silent once again from shock. My eyes widened as I stared at him.
A wolf surviving in the wild without legs? Impossible. That's not mercy. That's a curse.
Liya's eyes widened in horror, her gasp echoing through the silence. “B-But alpha, he's a rogue! He won't be able to survive out there without his legs. Please, don't do this. Ivy, please say something!” she begged frantically.
Cassian's expression remained stoic, his jaw clenched in resolve. “I spared his life. Isn't that enough?” he retorted, his tone firm but laced with a hint of annoyance.
I shook my head with a heavy sigh. “Cassian, choose another punishment,” I urged him with a calm voice. “Taking his legs won't solve anything. It will only leave him vulnerable and helpless in the wild. Show mercy, Cassian. Show that our pack is better than this.”
“Okay, then five years of imprisonment, but he won't be able to see or scent his mate,” Cassian sneered, his voice dripping with malice. “If both of you survive after that, you'll be banished to the woods. How about that?” He taunted the rogue and his mate, his eyes glinting with a cruel light.
I stared at him, my mind racing with disbelief. How could he be so heartless? Five years of not seeing or scenting your mate will only result in a slow and cruel death.
But I knew better than to try reasoning with him now. He was too far gone, consumed by his own anger and vengeance. At least he won't take that man's life now.
Liya looked like she had seen a ghost, her face pale and drained of all color. She opened her mouth to beg again, but Cassian cut her off with a ruthless gesture. “Enough, omega. You've begged enough. If you're unsatisfied again, we can go back to the original plan of killing him,” Cassian sneered. He took a step forward, his gaze fixed on the rogue with a mocking smile. “Take them both to the dungeons,” he barked, his voice loud and thunderous. A group of warriors rushed to obey, but Cassian halted them with a raised hand before they could drag the rogue away. “I forgot something,” he said before walking closer.
The man let out a weak grunt, his bloody eyes struggling to stay open as he fixed his gaze on Cassian with a mixture of hatred and despair. For a moment, the two locked eyes, the air thick with tension. My mate's grip on the metal pipe tightened, and with a swift motion, he delivered another brutal strike, knocking the rogue out cold.
I winced at the sickening crack of bone, pretty sure I'd just heard the rogue's arm snap. “That was for putting your filthy hands on my omega,” Cassian growled, his eyes blazing with possessiveness.
He let out a satisfied whistle, his chest heaving with exertion before turning to me with a triumphant smirk. “Take him away, boys,” he ordered and his warriors moved swiftly to drag the rogue away.
Then, his gaze locked on mine as he walked towards me, eating up the distance with his long strides before he pulled me into his arms while being mindful of our pup in my hands. Cassian gave me a languid kiss that left me breathless for a moment.
I took in a deep breath before pushing my face into the crook of his sweaty neck.
Finally, a moment of calmness.