Eden Grace
The morning was calm and deceptively gentle as Eden stood in front of the marriage bureau office.
She still could not believe this was happening.
Of all the turns her life had taken, this one felt the most unreal. Marrying Cassian Blackthorn out of all people.
She pressed her lips together, hoping this was not another cruel trick of fate. Hoping she was not walking straight into a cage she would never escape.
Inside her, Ishira was sleeping peacefully. Her newly awakened wolf was still small and fragile, too young to even understand what danger meant. That alone left Eden with no real choice.
Cassian offered safety, power, and time, and without him she would lose everything anyway. If she was going to be destroyed, she would at least choose the less painful way.
Also the contract benefitted her in every way. The contract could repair her ruined career, erase the scandal that haunted her.
Also with the money he's offering, she can do unimaginable things she always dreamed of. Three years, she told herself. Just three years. She could endure anything for that.
Just as she was sinking deeper into her thoughts, the low purr of an engine cut through the road making Eden look up.
A black Rolls-Royce Phantom glided to a stop in front of the building, the presence of the car alone making everyone's head turn.
Eden froze.
The rear door opened and there he was. Cassian Virelli Blackthorn. For a moment, Eden forgot how to breathe.
Cassian wore a black suit tailored so perfectly it seemed carved onto him. Dark sunglasses hid his eyes as he straightened, adjusted his cuffs, and closed the door with calm finality.
He looked so handsome and polished that he drew everyone's attention to him naturally.
He could have been a celebrity, a billionaire, or something far more dangerous. At that moment, he was all three.
Cassian lifted his head slightly, as if sensing her before seeing her, then his gaze locked onto her.
The faintest curve touched his lips making her suddenly hyper-aware of herself.
For a moment, Eden wondered if she looked ridiculous, if she had wandered into the wrong scene, the wrong life.
Her dress was simple, almost forgettable… looking like someone who had walked here with her thoughts tangled and her heart racing, not someone about to bind her life to an Alpha like him.
The contrast was almost cruel that it reminded her of school days.
Cassian Blackthorn had always been wealth, confidence and careless power wrapped in a uniform and she had been the easy target he noticed too often.
Cassian was suddenly there in front of her, close enough that Eden had to fight the instinct to step back. He was too close for god sake.
Why does he always invade her space!? Eden looked at him pissed.
Cassian however chuckled, his gaze sweeping over her slowly, deliberately, as if he were committing the sight of her to memory.
Heat crept up her neck despite her effort to stay composed.
"Glad you didn't run…" Cassian said softly. "I kept wondering in the car if I would arrive to an empty street and an old habit."
Eden glared at him, "You always assume I am weaker than you. But sorry to disappoint you, I'm not afraid of you anymore."
Cassian's dark eyes lingered on her, a slow, deliberate smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Is that so?"
Eden squared her shoulders, trying to reclaim control over her racing thoughts. "I hope you haven't forgotten your promise."
"Don't worry, I never forget anything, especially when it comes to you, Eden." Cassian spoke casually, a soft smile creeping on his lips.
Eden's pulse jumped for a second. What? She wanted to glare, but her stomach betrayed her, twisting with something sharp and unfamiliar.
She had no choice but to follow him to the office.
The Marriage Bureau fell into near silence the moment Cassian Blackthorn stepped inside.
Even the clerk straightened instinctively, eyes flickering with restrained fear. The Alpha of the legendary Blackthorn pack did not come here often.
They were guided to a private counter. Thick papers were placed before them, stamped with the seal of the Central Pack Authority.
"Names. Lineage. Pack registration. Bond declaration," the clerk said carefully, voice far more respectful now.
Eden picked up the pen with trembling fingers. Must she really sign it?
No she must. Just three years, she told herself. Three years of pretending, of standing beside him as his Luna, and then she would be free.
After that, she would disappear with Ishira somewhere no one knew her name and finally live quietly, protecting the only part of herself that still believed in hope.
"Are you going to stare at it all day?" Cassian said quietly, his voice cold and absolute. "What are you waiting for? Sign. It."
Eden gulped and signed the paper, Cassian also signed without hesitation.
The stamp came down.
Once.
Twice.
The sound echoed like a verdict.
"By pack law, you are now legally bound. Congratulations, Mr. and Mrs. Blackthorn. You're both officially a husband and wife now." the clerk announced.
Eden's breath caught as she stared at the document. Blackthorn. With that single name, the world that had crushed her so easily would now hesitate. People who once dismissed her would think twice.
Whatever awaited her now, it would not be small. And neither would she.
Eden let out a shaky breath as she stepped back from the desk, her fingers still tingling from the weight of her signature, when suddenly Cassian's hand latched around her neck.
He pulled her to him with one go, that her heart lurched violently. Eden shrieked at the sudden contact, pressing her palms against his chest "What are you doing?"
Cassian's eyes darkened as he leaned closer, Rael also getting excited. "What else, it's time to fulfill the ritual now."
Her blood ran cold. "What ritual?"
"What else? I'm going to mark you now." Cassian murmured near her ear, his voice low and merciless.
"Without it, no one will believe you are my mate, my Luna, don't you think so?"
Eden's eyes widened, terror and disbelief colliding. No! If he marks her, her secret will be exposed immediately!
The mate bond is not just romance. It is sacred, dangerous, and irreversible. It is the highest law of nature among wolves.
One bite, one marking, and Ishira would be exposed. One mark, and Eden would be bound to him forever.
If Cassian sensed Ishira and their mate bond, he would claim them both, body, soul, and wolf. There would be no escape, not from him, especially not from that lunatic royal wolf Rael..!
Cassian suddenly ripped her collar aside, exposing the smooth curve of her nape. "Now…be good, honey. It's going to hurt only a little."
Eden's chest tightened with pure terror as Cassian leaned closer. She can't get exposed now! Her hands instinctively shot up, pressing against his mouth. "No! You're not marking me!" she cried, panic clawing through every nerve.
Cassian's eyes darkened, sharp and dangerous, his fury coiling like a storm. "Excuse me?"
Rael's growl ripped through him, 'MARK HER! NOW!'