Katrina's POV
I moved closer to Cassandra, my steps slow and deliberate. Her eyes widened with fear as she instinctively scooted backward.
I halted, allowing the tension to build before shifting back into my human form. The flickering torches in the grand hall cast eerie shadows on the walls, accentuating the intensity of the moment.
I locked eyes with her, searching for a flicker of understanding, of realization, but she refused to meet my gaze.
She darted her eyes away, her hands trembling slightly, though she masked it with an air of defiance. I pointed at Dorian, my voice cutting through the suffocating silence. "Do you know who this is?"
Cassandra blinked, then scoffed, tilting her chin upward. "Of course. He is about to be my husband."
A bitter smirk tugged at my lips. "Do you know he is related to Adolphus?"
Her lips curled in a smirk, and she folded her arms across her chest. "What does that have to do with me?" she asked, feigning indifference.
Adolphus took a step forward, his voice dark and heavy. "Do you know the reason why he wants to marry you?"
Cassandra's expression wavered, but she quickly masked it with an arrogant sneer. "It doesn't matter. I will become the Alpha of Crimson Pack, and he will rule by my side."
Adolphus let out a humorless laugh. "That's what he wanted you to believe. But the truth is, his intent was always to take over Crimson Pack. At first, he planned an attack, but then he saw an easier way, a more convenient method. He knew how desperate you were for power, how much you wanted to prove yourself. So, he decided to manipulate you."
Cassandra’s palm shot out before I could stop her. A sharp crack echoed through the hall as she slapped Adolphus across the face.
"Shut up!" she hissed, then turned to Dorian, her voice trembling. "Tell them it's not true. Tell them we will rule together! I will be the Alpha of Crimson Pack, and you will be the Alpha of Indigo Pack. That was our plan!"
Dorian smirked, shaking his head slowly. "No, Cassandra. I will be the Alpha of both Crimson and Indigo Pack."
Silence blanketed the room. A deep, eerie silence before the inevitable storm.
Cassandra’s breath hitched. "W-what?"
Dorian reached into his cloak, his movements swift and precise. A sleek, glimmering weapon emerged from the folds of fabric, the cold steel catching the torchlight. Before Cassandra could react, before she could utter another word, he struck.
A sharp gasp left her lips as the weapon made contact, and time seemed to slow. Her body jerked violently before collapsing onto the cold stone floor with a sickening thud. The world around us exploded into chaos.
Screams erupted from every corner of the hall. People shoved past one another, tripping over fallen bodies, desperate to escape the carnage that unfolded before them.
Dorian’s men stormed in, weapons drawn, slashing and striking down anyone unfortunate enough to cross their path.
Blood splattered across the grand hall’s pristine floors, staining them with the betrayal of a thousand unspoken words.
I dropped to my knees, grabbing Cassandra as she convulsed in pain. Her lips trembled, but no sound escaped them. Her wide, terrified eyes searched mine, seeking answers, seeking salvation.
"Cassandra!" I urged, pressing my hands against the wound. My fingers were slick with her blood, warm and unrelenting as it seeped through my grasp.
I looked up, my vision blurring with fury, just in time to see Adolphus charge at Dorian.
Dorian smirked, his hand tightening around the weapon. In one fluid motion, he raised it, aiming directly at Adolphus. A wave of terror surged through me.
"Adolphus, no!" I screamed.