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**Where Soft Light Shines, Darkness Fades From Tired Hearts by Evan Holt Crane**
**Chapter 1**
**Trista’s POV**
The rain drummed softly against the windowpane, a low, melancholic sound that echoed like the night itself was exhaling, filling the quiet evening with a weight that pressed down on my chest.
I found myself alone on the expansive balcony, the chill of the night creeping in as I sat, fingers tracing aimless patterns on the tablecloth that had been meticulously laid for the occasion.
My eyes darted to the empty chair across from me, a silent reminder of what was supposed to be—a celebration, a moment of joy shared. Hope and anxiety danced a chaotic waltz within me, each step heavy with expectation.
Tonight marked three years since I had bonded with Cassian, the Alpha of the Ironthorn Pack, a union celebrated under the luminous glow of the Blood Moon.
He had promised me that every year, we would stand together under that celestial light, reaffirming our bond to the pack and to each other.
But as the minutes dragged on, he remained absent, still caught up in his “business trip.”
The dinner I had lovingly prepared lay untouched on the table: succulent roasted venison, stewed root vegetables that had simmered to perfection, a pitcher of Silverflame wine that glimmered enticingly, and a small cake, adorned with delicate icing, that I had crafted with my own hands. The candle, shaped like the number “3,” flickered weakly, as if it too sensed the tension in the air.
All my hope, my love, my tenderness—everything I had poured into this meal—seemed to evaporate into the cold night air.
Time dragged on like a heavy fog. The food grew cold, the candle’s flame dwindled to a mere spark.
A profound sense of dread began to seep into my bones, the air thickening around me, suffocating in its stillness.
Suddenly, my communication stone vibrated softly, breaking the oppressive silence.
It wasn’t Cassian’s name that appeared on the screen, but that of his sister, Wynn Simmons.
“Trista,” her voice came through, hesitant and strained. “Please, look at the visual crystal I sent you…”
With a trembling hand, I poured a faint trace of magic into the crystal, and the image that materialized instantly froze my blood in my veins.
There was Cassian—my mate—standing by the lakeside at Sacred Springs Valley, the very place that was supposed to witness our mating ceremony tonight.
The Blood Moon should have been casting its glow above us, illuminating our vows and promises.
Instead, brilliant fire magic danced above the lake, casting eerie shadows in the night. In his arms, he cradled a wolf cub, no more than five years old, its fur shimmering like starlight.
But it was Cassian’s other hand that shattered my heart; the one that had once placed the vow ring on my finger was now wrapped intimately around the waist of another woman.
Samantha Fernandez.
His first love, a name that struck me like a dagger, piercing right through my heart.
The pain was a cruel, icy wind, sweeping through my veins, leaving a trail of devastation in its wake.
She was the woman who had only existed in the tales Cassian shared and in that cherished old photograph tucked away in his study.
He had loved her fiercely, a rogue whose very existence had been anathema to the Ironthorn Pack, forcing her to leave the States six years ago.
I could barely bear to watch, but the next words that slipped from Cassian’s lips were like a tempest, ripping away the last shreds of my hope.
“I made the lemon cake myself,” he murmured softly, his voice dripping with affection. “May my love and my flame always protect you both.”
The crystal slipped from my fingers, crashing to the floor with a shattering sound that echoed in my mind like an axe splitting my skull.
Shards of glass pierced my ankle, blood welling up, but I felt nothing—a numbness enveloped me.
Panic surged through me as I attempted to connect with Cassian’s mind-mark, but all I found was a hollow emptiness, a void where our bond had once flourished.
This sight obliterated the last remnants of my illusions about him.
Frantically, I grabbed my comm-stone, desperately trying to reach him. Silence. Just an endless, suffocating silence.
I called again, my heart racing. Still, there was nothing but the void on the other end.
On my third attempt, he finally answered.
My knuckles turned white as I gripped the stone tightly. To my surprise, my voice emerged surprisingly calm, almost detached. “It’s our anniversary today.”
There was a pause, heavy and laden with unspoken words. Then his voice sliced through the silence, sharp and impatient, layered with a cacophony of background noise. “What is it? I’m handling important matters.”
His tone was curt, dismissive, as though I were nothing more than a trivial servant interrupting his grand plans.
In the background, I could faintly hear Samantha’s soft voice. “Am I bothering you? Maybe I should just…”
But she didn’t finish her thought, for Cassian abruptly cut the connection.
Helplessness, rage, and the raw pain of betrayal crashed into me like a tidal wave. The deep connection I had believed we shared felt as though it had been torn asunder.
I curled up on the cold stone floor, feeling the ripping of our soul-bond, and let out a low, anguished wail that only I could hear.
Grabbing my long hair, I released a suppressed, almost wolf-like shriek, and then the tears came—endless, unrelenting tears.
A knock came at the door, pulling me from my despair. I struggled to my feet and opened it.
Wynn stood there, her eyes wide with shock as she took in my state. “Luna Trista! Your hands and feet are bleeding!”
I glanced down, only then realizing how deeply my nails had dug into my palms. Lines of blood trickled down my wrists, stark against my pale skin.
I shook my head numbly, unable to comprehend the extent of my own pain.
“We need to go! Let’s confront him at Sacred Springs Valley right now!” Wynn’s eyes blazed with fierce protectiveness. “You are Ironthorn’s Luna. I won’t accept any other she-wolf.”
Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to regain some semblance of calm. “Wynn, this is between your brother and me.”
My mother, whose strength had waned while protecting our former pack, was resting at the Healing Center. She couldn’t bear any additional stress.
I couldn’t afford to break down completely—not now.
Wynn regarded me with a mix of concern and determination, ready to argue, but finally relented and stepped back.
The night outside was silent, wrapped in a shroud of darkness.
I wandered through the cold halls of the Alpha’s house like a specter, memories flooding my mind.
Born into the Silverlight Pack, I had always been the Alpha’s daughter.
Cassian and I had grown up together, our lives intertwined since childhood. I had given him everything I had, pouring my heart and soul into our relationship. Yet, it seemed his heart had always belonged to a woman he could never truly forget.
That truth had never been a secret, lurking in the shadows of our lives.
Our mating had been nothing more than an ancient alliance pact, a union forged in necessity rather than love.
For three long years, I had dedicated myself to being the Luna he deserved, striving to thaw the ice encasing his heart.
But instead of the love I had yearned for, I was met with the dramatic return of his old flame and their child, a painful reminder of the love I could never compete with.
From my first innocent crush to the depths of unconditional love, I had devoted twenty-five years of my life to him, filled with passion and hope.
It was time to awaken from this dream, this illusion that had held me captive for far too long.
**Chapter 2**
