CHAPTER 5

ZARIA'S POV

The steady, rhythmic beep of a heart monitor was the first sound I heard as I finally drifted back into consciousness.

I blinked against the soft, warm lighting of the room, expecting the freezing rain or the damp earth of the ravine. Instead, I was staring at a ceiling of polished black marble. I shifted slightly, realizing I was lying on an incredibly soft mattress, tucked beneath crisp, high-thread-count sheets.

"Easy there," a gentle, reassuring voice said from beside me.

I flinched, my eyes darting to a kind-faced woman in a clean gray tunic. She was carefully adjusting the sterile bandages wrapped around my arms, her movements incredibly light and professional.

"Where am I? Who are you?" I croaked, my throat feeling like sandpaper. The lingering effects of the poison made my head throb, but the agonizing nausea was entirely gone. "And how did I get here?"

The healer offered a warm, comforting smile as she checked the vitals on the digital monitor. "You are safe dear. My name is Helen and I'm in charge of nursing you back to health." The smile didn't leave her face.

"Was it the Lycan King that brought me here?"

"Yes. Cassian brought you here." She said casually.

I struggled to process her words. Why would a legendary tyrant, a man feared across every northern territory for his ruthless efficiency, care about a broken, exiled wolf from a rival pack? It made no sense. What was he after and what does he want from me?

"Where is he?" I asked, my voice trembling as I tried to sit up against the pillows. "Where is Cassian?"

"He is right outside," Helen replied softly, patting my hand as she gathered her medical supplies. "Don't be afraid, dear. Rest now. You're out of danger."

Just as she stepped toward the exit, the heavy, automated black doors slid open with a quiet hiss.

"How is she?" A deep voice asked.

"Conscious enough to talk. She is fine. Take it easy with her if you want to talk to her."

"I will. Thank you Helen."

That was when I saw his face.

His massive presence instantly filled the space, making the large medical suite feel small. He had traded his heavy leather hunting coat for a simple, tailored black shirt, but the sheer power radiating off him was undeniable. His intense gaze locked with mine as he walked over.

I braced myself, gripping the edge of the blanket, waiting for the cold cruelty I had come to expect from powerful men.

Instead, Cassian quietly pulled up a sleek chair beside my bed and sat down. He just looked at me with a calm, steady respect that caught me completely off guard.

"You're awake," he said, his deep, rumbled voice surprisingly quiet in the still room. "How are you feeling?"

I nodded slowly. "I feel sick."

"The healers managed to flush the rest of the toxin from your system. You're lucky to be alive."

I kept my back pressed against the pillows, my guard completely up. "Why did you bring me here? Why did you save me im the forest. Why didn't you let me die?"

Cassian leaned back slightly, his expression unreadable. "I don't know the answers to that. But I thought you needed help. Or didn't you?"

I was embarrassed. I just questioned the man who saved me from dying in a very ungrateful way. I closed my eyes slowly with my head bowed.

"I am sorry. I just.... Thank you for saving my life back there. I owe you one."

He didn't reply nor did his eyes leave mine. He just asked, "What happened back there?"

The memory of the betrayal flashed through my mind, sharp and brutal. I swallowed the lump in my throat, forcing the words out in as few words as possible.

"My fated mate and my sister," I whispered, my voice flat but trembling. "They poisoned me, stole my coronation, and exiled me to die."

Cassian sat completely still as he absorbed my words. There was no pity on his face, but a dangerous, icy spark ignited deep within his crimson eyes. He looked at me for a long moment, evaluating the raw, quiet fury humming beneath my exhaustion.

"A pathetic, cowardly display," Cassian continued, his tone remaining completely level. "Do you want them to pay for it or are you going to forgive them?"

"I can never forgive them for what they just did. They tool everything from me. My own sister aided and abeited my own exile. I will take revenge on them." I couldn't even recognise my own voice. I was suddenly feeling murderous.

Cassian's eyes were still on me. A small smirk formed at the corner of his lips. He leaned forward, "what if I offer to help you get revenge on your sister and acclaimed mate?"

The offer hung in the air, so massive and sudden that it made my head spin. He was offering me a way to fulfill the threat I had whispered to Cynthia. A way to tear the Blood Moon Pack out of her lying hands.

But I wasn't the naive girl I was yesterday morning. Trusting people had landed me in a muddy ditch, marked for death.

I narrowed my eyes at him, my posture stiffening as deep suspicion took over. "Why would the Midnight King offer something like that to a stranger? What is in it for you? Nobody gives away that kind of help out of the goodness of their heart. What is your angle, Cassian?"

Cassian simply shrugged, a faint, dangerous shadow of a smirk touching his lips as he kept his true motives entirely hidden. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees, his crimson eyes locking onto mine with absolute finality.

"I simply help people who are treated unjustly," Cassian murmured, his voice dripping with dark authority. "The question is, Zaria... do we have a deal?"