< Chapter 43: Moonlight Kiss
Chapter 43: Moonlight Kiss
Chapter 43: Moonlight Kiss
(Olivia’s POV)
“Why are you and your mother being so nice to me?” I slurred, struggling to focus on Cassius Shadowcrest’s face through my wine–induced haze. “What do you want?”
My head was spinning, and paranoia crept in as I sat on my sofa. The Shadowcrest Pack was the most powerful in the Northern Territory. They had no reason to be kind to someone like me–a she–wolf abandoned
at her own mating ceremony.
“Is it my blood? Do you need it for some military experiment?” I rambled, my words tumbling out unfiltered. “Or my organs? I need those, you know.”
Cassius’s silver eyes widened slightly, genuine bewilderment crossing his features. “I assure you, Ms. Oasis, I
have no interest in harvesting your organs.”
“That’s exactly what someone who wants my organs would say,” I countered, wagging my finger unsteadily.
He sighed, his expression a mixture of patience and amusement. “If I wanted your organs, would I have rescued you from that entertainment staff member who was clearly taking advantage of your intoxicated
state?”
I frowned, trying to remember. “Hunter? He’s harmless. Just doing his job.”
“His job doesn’t include attempting to take you to his apartment when you can barely stand,” Cassius replied, his tone hardening slightly.
I blinked slowly, processing this information. “Oh.”
“Besides,” he continued, his voice softening, “you were the one who tried to kiss me in the car.”
Heat rushed to my face. “I did what?”
“You don’t remember?” A hint of a smile played at the corners of his mouth.
I shook my head, immediately regretting the movement as the room spun. “No, that can’t be right. I wouldn’t….
I mean, you’re…” I gestured vaguely at his entire person, unable to articulate just how far out of my league
Cassius was.
He stood and retrieved a blanket from the back of my sofa. “You should rest. The herbs in that water will help with the alcohol, but sleep is what you need most.”
As he leaned over to drape the blanket across my legs, I caught his scent again–that intoxicating blend of forest and power that seemed to wrap around me like a physical embrace.
“You’re so handsome,” I murmured, my inhibitions completely dissolved by the wine. My their own accord, tracing the strong line of his jaw. “I want to kiss you.”
rs reached
up
of
Cassius froze, his silver eyes darkening as they met mine. “Olivia, you’re intoxicated.”
“I know exactly what I’m doing,” I insisted, though we both knew that wasn’t true.
Before he could protest further, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his. The contact sent a jolt of
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< Chapter 43 Moonlight Kiss
electricity through my body, awakening every nerve ending. His lips were soft yet firm, and I found myself comparing them to moonlight–both gentle and powerful, mysterious and enticing.
“Your lips…like moonlight,” I whispered against his mouth before kissing him again,
Cassius remained still for a moment, clearly conflicted. Then, with a soft groan of surrender, he began to respond. His hand came up to cradle my face, his touch feather–light as if I might break.
“Open your mouth,” he said vaguely before his tongue came in and attacked my mouth.
“He’s such a good kisser,” I said contentedly to my wolf in my mind.
The kiss deepened, and I felt myself melting into him, my body humming with a pleasure I hadn’t experienced in years–if ever. This was nothing like kissing Graham. This was consuming, overwhelming, perfect.
Until it wasn’t.
A wave of nausea hit me without warning. I pulled back abruptly, my hand flying to my mouth.
“Bathroom,” I managed to gasp.
Cassius understood immediately. In one fluid motion, he scooped me into his arms and carried me to the bathroom, setting me down just in time for me to empty the contents of my stomach into the toilet.
How romantic.
The rest of the night became a blur of misery. I was vaguely aware of Cassius holding my hair back, his low voice murmuring reassurances as I continued to be sick. At some point, he helped me to bed, placing a glass of water and a basin beside me.
I drifted in and out of consciousness, each awakening bringing another bout of nausea. Through it all, I sensed his presence–steady, calming, protective. But by the time morning light filtered through my curtains,
he was gone.
I woke with a groan, my head pounding and my mouth feeling like it was stuffed with cotton. Squinting against the brightness, I tried to piece together the events of the previous night.
I remembered celebrating my birthday with Lily’at Moonlight Palace. There had been entertainment staff- Hunter, Jackson, and Liam–and far too much wine. But after that, things got fuzzy.
Had Cassius really been here? Or had that been a dream–another in the series of increasingly vivid fantasies I’d been having about the enigmatic Alpha?
The evidence suggested it hadn’t been a dream. My clothes from last night were neatly folded on a chair instead of strewn across the floor as I would have left them. The glass of water by my bed wasn’t one I recognized. And there was a faint, lingering scent in the air–his scent.
I reached for my phone, wincing at the brightness of the screen. It was nearly noon, and I had seventeen missed calls and thirty–two text messages.
“s**t,” I muttered, suddenly remembering the Monday morning board meeting at Storm Tig Company. The meeting where my increased control over the company was to be announced. The meeting my father, Ambrose Oasis, had orchestrated in a rare show of support for my position. The meeting I had completely missed.
I scrolled through the messages, most expressing concern about my absence. Blair White, my assistant, had
< Chapter 43 Moonlight Kiss
covered for me as best she could, but the damage was done. I’d have to deal with that later.
Right now, I was more concerned with the group chat between Lily, Sophia, Camila, and me. They had shared photos and videos from last night’s celebration, and I was featured prominently in all of them.
There I was, arm in arm with Hunter Walsh, belting out a karaoke version of “I Will Survive” with more enthusiasm than talent. In another, I was dancing on a table, my hair wild and my eyes gleaming with
drunken joy.
“Oh god,” I groaned, burying my face in my pillow.
I quickly typed a message to the group: “Still alive. Barely. Will call later.”
Setting my phone aside, I forced myself out of bed and into the shower. The hot water helped clear my head, washing away the physical remnants of last night’s excesses. But it did nothing to erase the nagging feeling that I was missing something important about my encounter with Cassius.
Had I really kissed him? And if so, what did it mean?
Wrapped in a towel, I padded back to my bedroom, only to freeze at the sight of a note on my nightstand that I hadn’t noticed before.
The handwriting was bold and precise, unmistakably masculine:
“I’ve prepared herb tea and venison porridge to help with your recovery. Rest well. – Cassius Shadowcrest.” The note slipped from my fingers as the full realization hit me. He had been here. He had taken care of me when I was at my most vulnerable and embarrassing. And if the note was to be believed, he had even cooked
for me.
The confirmation that Cassius was truly there, coupled with the lingering memory of our kiss and his thoughtful gesture of the healing tea and porridge, left me utterly bewildered.
