Third person POV\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air around Moonstone sharp and clean. Sunlight streamed through the high windows of Cassian\u2019s office, warming the pale stone floor and the heavy oak desk that dominated the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A stack of reports sat half-read beside a steaming mug of tea, the fint scent of chamomile softening the sharpness of ink and parchment.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian barely looked up when he heard the knock. \u201cCome in.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
The door opened, and the room seemed to shrink.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan Silver Fang had a way of filling space even when he wasn\u2019t trying to. His presence was quieter these days, stripped of the arrogance that used to come so easily, but it carried the same weight. The kind of power that didn\u2019t need to be spoken aloud.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cCassian,\u201d he said, voice steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNolan.\u201d Cassian\u2019s tone was polite, neutral. \u201cYou\u2019re early.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI left early,\u201d Nolan replied simply, closing the door behind him. Didn\u2019t want to keep you waiting.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian gestured to the chair across from him. \u201cThen let\u2019s not waste any time.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan sat, every movement deliberate. He looked tired, not in the way that came from lack of sleep, but in the deeper, more bone -deep sense that came from carrying too much.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian chose not to comment on it. It was obvious what the cause was, and bringing it up would only make things awkward for\u00a0<\/p>\n
both of them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThese are the reports from our outer patrols,\u201d he said. \u201cThe rogues have been quiet near the northern range, but the southern border is a different story. Too organized. Too well-supplied.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan flipped through the page\u00a0<\/p>\n
his expression unreadable. \u201cPaid mercenaries, then.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s what it looks like. They\u2019re not hunting for territory. They\u2019e following orders.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhose?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian hesitated, the question heavier than it should have been. \u201cWe don\u2019t know. Yet. But if Felicity\u2019s behind it, she isn\u2019t working alone. Whoever\u2019s funding these movements has deep pockets-and a reason to stir up trouble between packs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan\u2019s jaw tightened, the muscles in his temple flexing. \u201cShe always preferred chaos when she couldn\u2019t control the outcome.\u00a0<\/p>\n
he question is, why suddenly focus on Moonstone? She\u2019s only ever caused trouble in Silver Fang before.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think we both know the answer,\u201d Cassian responded. \u201cEllie is here now. She\u2019s obsessed.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
A dark look crossed Nolan\u2019s\u00a0<\/p>\n
but he didn\u2019t argue the point.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c}\u00a0<\/p>\n
said softly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFelicity was always a bit\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian studied him carefully. There was no venom in his voice when he spoke her name now, just exhaustion.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHas she reached out?\u201d Cassian asked.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan shook his head. \u201cNo. Not directly. But I can feel her presence in every rumor. Every whisper that finds its way back to me. The trouble with the rogues has to be her doing. It would be too coincidental otherwise.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
They fell silent for a moment, the weight of unspoken history filling the room.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Finally, Nolan set the papers aside. \u201cIf she\u2019s pulling the strings, she\u2019s doing it from somewhere far enough to stay hidden. She\u2019s not in the Rogue Lands.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian\u2019s brows furrowed. \u201cYou sound very certain about that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
1\/2\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 160\u00a0<\/p>\n
+25 Bonus\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI am,\u201d Nolan answered sternly. \u201cI made a mistake by banishing her from Silver Fang only. I should have made sure that anyone giving her quarter would know it was an act of aggression against us.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you? Why did you only banish her from Silver Fang?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cSentiment,\u201d Nolan said the world like it physically pained him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd now she\u2019s hidden away somewhere, pulling the strings of these attacks. Why? Why is she still doing this?\u201d Cassian asked, sitting back with a contemplative look on his face.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI think Felicity would see Ellie\u2019s independence as an opportunity Nolan said quietly. \u201cIf she can\u2019t wound me directly, she\u2019ll go after what she thinks I still value.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she wrong to think that?\u201d Cassian asked. Nolan\u2019s wording was careful; he was trying to distance himself from Ellie. But it didn\u2019t fool Cassian. He could see the tension on Nolan\u2019s shoulders hat came just from talking about her.\u00a0<\/p>\n
There was a long pause before Nolan spoke again. \u201cNo. She\u2019s not wrong.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian didn\u2019t respond right away. His instinct was to defend Ellie to say that she wasn\u2019t a weakness, but even he knew better than to deny the truth. Ellie\u2019s presence-or absence-had become the axis around which both their lives seemed to turn.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cShe\u2019s safe here,\u201d Cassian said finally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan met his gaze. \u201cI know.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
It was simple, but the honesty behind the words surprised Cassian. He expected anger, suspicion, maybe even jealousy. Instead, Nolan sounded resigned.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t intend to interfere,\u201d Nolan continued. \u201cShe made her choice, and\u00a0<\/p>\n
accept it. For now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Cassian leaned back in his chair, studying him. \u201cThat\u2019s new.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Nolan\u2019s mouth twitched, something almost like a smile ghosting across his face. \u201cI\u2019m trying. It\u2019s not in my nature but\u2026 I guess I\u2019m learning restraint.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A Cold Marriage That Turned Warm 160 Third person POV\u00a0 +25 Bonus\u00a0 The rain had finally stopped, leaving the air […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23729","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-unremembered-mate-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23729","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23729"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23729\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23729"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23729"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23729"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}