Penance of Honor | BOOK 2 ✔️

T E A S E R

Cassius' P.O.V

It was quick, too fast for me to register anything until a stinging sensation began to populate my face. I feel the burn beginning to seep into my skin causing my eyes to narrow. Instead of saying anything, I put my hand on the cheek he had slapped.

"He was my son! My son! My only son I had left. Wasn't taking one away enough for you weres?" he asks as angry tears runs down his face. "Do you think Kaia is fit to be a Beta for our crumbling pack once I'm gone, huh?" He throws his hands up while pointing around to the Eastern weres looming around the room.

Before long, Stevens comes barging in sizing up the situation before pushing me behind him. "You and your kind will not lay a finger on him."

"Too late for that," Isaac mutters before rising from a chair he was sitting in.

"It was well-deserved anyway."

It's too painful to gaze into the eyes of a man who resembles every inch of Pierce. From his hair down to his very build. Even his voice has an echo of a resemblance to his.

"Do you want another war to ensue from this? Cassius is our King." It only makes Isaac scoff and turn his head away. "Pierce was his mate and your son. You both have suffered a great loss, but blaming one another is not going to help with anything."

I let out a shaky sigh trying my best not to let my heart show through my voice. The broken mess of what's left of it.

"I admit you had warned me, but he is my mate. Something you may never come to understand the meaning behind. Any one of you for the matter."

Isaac tries to lunge for me, but Stevens pushes him back with his hand causing him to growl and Stevens to snarl in return.

"We must find him."

"No, he is dead," Andrew states matter-of-factly. "The sooner you stop denying it, the better it will be for all of us." My heart sinks into the very pits of my stomach at the utterance. He eyes the marks on my neck with leering eyes only causes me to cover them with my hand.

"As soon as they disappear, you can select another mate. That's how it works in your territory, does it not?" My eyes narrow at his insinuation causing me to shake my head, but the Elders, damned fools, shakes their heads in agreement.

"Yes, although...he never had our consent to begin with," Elder Richard says with disdain. I glare daggers into each and every one of their eyes before gritting down on my teeth.

"I do not need any one of your consent to choose who I will love."

"Love?" Andrew asks filled with mockery. "Mating is not about love, it's about duty and prosperity. For you, it's that and more. The good of your territory is all that should matter to you," he goes on to lecture.

"He mattered to me. He matters to me." My heart is crushing at their words and the Elder's lack of support is only furthering my weakening resolve.

"All that matters?" an Elder questions causing me bite down on my lip. "The North is over-run by those disgusting humans and here you are still pining for a-!" He stops himself. "For an Easterner who has brought nothing but ill-will to you and to us."

"Ah, yes, do blame us for your King's transgressions." a woman in the room says with anger.

"Transgressions? You will do well to check your reigning Alpha who had caused this in the first place. Our King had done what was right and he was chosen by the Goddess, Avatea, herself." Elder Suzanne states offended.

"Do not speak such nonsense near us!" a man shouts.

"Heathens, the lot of you!" a Northern man yells.

"Enough!"

There was a moment of silence before he begins to speak once more.

"Cassius, the most opportune thing to do, as of now, is to partake in ceremony with Isaac, once that mark is gone. It will be the only thing to unite our packs together." I shake my head as angry tears begin to mass in my eyes.

"He cannot marry until he is of right age. It is the law that has governed us since the beginning."

I don't bother to look at Isaac's expression. I know he is feeling just as unruly about the prospect of sharing a life with me as I am.

"He is but nineteen."

"Twenty...he turned twenty on that day."

"How fitting for him to turn another year older on the day my son was taken from me. For him to live another year at the cost of my son's life, what a fine gift he made," he snarls wanting those words to hurt and they do. Goddess, they do. As if my expression says enough, Stevens grabs my wrist and tugs me out the door away from eyes that want to see me broken.

"Cass...don't...listen to them." Tears already begin falling from my eyes. "You don't have to do anything you don't want to do." I know he can feel my body shaking under the pure stress and anxiety wrecking through me right now.

"Goddess Cassius..."He stops tugging me out of the building until we are outside.

"You are a King," he states making an insufferable amount of pain trickle into my heart. It feels like someone has it in their hands and is squeezing it with all their might till it bursts. "You are my King." I lean against him until my head is tucked into his chest, muffling my sobs.

"And I will follow you wherever you go...whatever decision you make. Shhh now."

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[A/N]

This is a TEASER. Since you are all so patiently waiting and all, I decided to start a little earlier than I planned. However, do not expect weekly updates just yet!

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