Cass’s POV

Colt gripped the iron mask, his knuckles white. "How... how could they do this to you?"

"Even I’m shocked," Victor said, standing by the window. "I don’t think even Warrick would have thought of something this sadistic."

"Zao had a flair for the grotesque," I said, my hand instinctively going to the phantom ache in my temple where the iron had been bolted to my skull. "It was all a show for his audience."

I told them about the arena, about Kanda, and about the brutal efficiency of our escape. When I mentioned killing Zao and the witch, their stunned silence spoke volumes. I wasn't the same girl who had been taken months ago—the child in me had died in those pits, replaced by something much sharper.

After they left, Lotus pulled me aside, her eyes haunted. She confirmed what I had suspected: the witch Honora had played a role in my infancy.

"You were born with your wolf soul already surfaced," Lotus whispered, looking toward the room where my father slept. "You were dying, Cass. Your body couldn't handle the power. Your mother was desperate, and your father... he wouldn't allow magic in the pack. We did it in secret."

"What did Honora do?"

"I don’t know," she admitted, shaking her head. "But she saved you. You were a miracle child, Azalea. But remember—your mother left warnings about her.

Never trust a witch.

Magic is unpredictable."

I nodded, feeling a chill run down my spine. I had questions about my own suppressed powers, but my priority remained my pack and my father’s recovery.

Later, I checked on James. He remained a shell of a man, staring out the window at a world that had lost its color when Lauren died. I couldn't reach him, not yet. Some wounds were too deep for words.

Outside, I found Kanda watching Victor and Garret with a predatory glint in her eyes.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Just admiring the view," she purred. "I didn't know your pack came with such handsome men."

I almost choked on my own breath. "Those are my brothers, Kanda!"

"Hmm... interesting," she mused.

I left her to her wandering eyes, feeling entirely out of my depth, and headed back to my room. I found Colt still staring at the iron mask, his posture radiating a mix of protective fury and helplessness.

"Hey," I said, taking the mask from his hands and dropping it into the trash. "I'm right here. I'm whole."

He looked at me, his eyes softening. "I hate that they hurt you."

I sat on his lap, needing the contact. "I have something to tell you. My father and Lotus told me about my birth—about how I was born with my wolf already awakened, and how a witch saved me."

Colt listened, his expression shifting from surprise to concern. "Magic. I don't like it, Cass. We need to be careful."

"I know," I whispered, sliding my fingers up his chest. "But I have to understand my own power. I have to know why I am the way I am."

"We'll find the answers," he promised, his voice deepening as his hand rested on my hip. "But we have the rest of the day to ourselves. Let's make the most of it."

I leaned in, brushing my lips against his. The memory of the arena and the iron mask began to fade, drowned out by the warmth of his skin and the absolute certainty that, for the first time in my life, I was exactly where I wanted to be.

"I love you, Colt," I murmured.

He didn't wait for a response. He pulled me closer, his gaze possessive and intense.

"Prove it," he growled.