After seeing off Sebastian, Cassandra returned to the quiet interior of Grace Mansion. Half an hour later, Adrian brought Aurora to her private study.
Cassandra sat behind her desk, organizing the monthly estate ledger. When the couple walked through the door, her gaze landed immediately on their intertwined fingers. She took a slow, steady breath, breathing in the soothing lavender scent drifting from the small candle burning in the corner of the room.
This was better. It was far simpler to have everything laid out in the open.
"Please, sit," Cassandra said, gesturing toward the armchairs across from her desk before quietly dismissing Lulu from the room.
Aurora had changed out of her military gear into a crimson pleated dress embroidered with gold thread, detailed with butterflies that caught the light with every step. Her skirt draped elegantly as she sat down, the fabric fanning out around her. She was not conventionally pretty, but years on the battlefield had given her a commanding presence that filled the small space.
Locking eyes with Cassandra, Aurora spoke first. "Cassandra."
Having spent years in the northern territories commanding warriors and slaying rogue wolves, Aurora clearly expected her dominant aura to intimidate the younger woman. To her surprise, Cassandra met her gaze directly, her clear eyes entirely unbothered.
"General Yates, please say what you came to say," Cassandra said calmly.
"I heard you wanted to speak with me, so I came," Aurora replied, her voice firm and uncompromising. "I have only one question for you. Are you willing to coexist peacefully with me? I expect an honest answer without any dramatic performance. Soft, helpless acts might work on men, but they do not work on me."
Cassandra looked at her thoughtfully. "The Queen Dowager once said you were a role model for women across the territory. Perhaps you can answer my question instead. Aside from coexisting peacefully, do I have any other choice?"
"You don’t need to dodge the question," Aurora said sternly. "Whether you have another choice is your own concern."
A faint smile touched Cassandra’s lips—a look so breathtakingly composed that a sudden flicker of unease crossed Aurora’s face.
Cassandra looked at the couple sitting across from her. "Of course I am willing to coexist peacefully with you."
Once the decree of separation was officially finalized, there would be no reason for any further interaction or resentment between them. She was more than willing to leave them in peace.
Aurora’s brows pulled together in a deep frown. "I told you not to play games with me. I can tell whether someone is being truthful. If you were truly willing, why go behind Adrian’s back to beg the Alpha King to revoke the marriage decree? And why would His Majesty even grant you an audience? Do you expect me to believe you didn’t use tears and pity to manipulate him?"
Cassandra’s gaze turned sharply cold. "General Yates, watch your tongue."
The sudden shift in Cassandra’s demeanor caught Aurora off guard. The soft, quiet woman sitting behind the desk suddenly carried an aura of absolute authority that cut through the room like a blade.
Cassandra’s face was unreadable, her eyes dark and razor-sharp. "Not every woman has the desire or skill to ride into battle at the head of a warband. Does that mean every woman who does not fight is merely putting on a show?"
She turned her cold gaze toward Adrian. "And as for you... When you came to the Marquis of Northwatch’s estate to ask for my hand, you stood before my mother and swore an oath that I would be your only mate, and that you would never bring another woman into your home. Now you have broken that vow. Do not act as though my quiet dignity is what stands in your way."
Aurora let out a short, scoffing chuckle, turning her eyes toward Adrian. "So you made those kinds of grand promises to her too? If that is the case, then it seems I am the intruder in your marriage."
Adrian tightened his grip on Aurora’s hand, his expression growing defensive and irritated as he looked at Cassandra. "I already explained this to you. I did not understand what true mate attraction was until I met Aurora. It was wrong of me to make those vows so easily back then, but my heart belongs entirely to Aurora now."
He leaned forward, his voice hardening. "We never intended to strip you of your standing. You will still hold the title of Luna in this household. Aurora and I will spend most of our months deployed at the military camps. You can raise our pack’s future pups here at the estate, which will only solidify your position for years to come."
Cassandra’s posture stilled, a flicker of sheer disbelief crossing her features. "What are you saying? You expect me to raise your children with another woman?"
"You may have your own child if you wish," Adrian said quickly, though his voice wavered slightly before hardening again under Aurora’s watchful eyes. "I will give you a son or daughter to secure your bloodline. But after that..."
He gritted his teeth, pressing onward despite the glaring absurdity of his own words. "Once you are pregnant, we will no longer share a bed."
Cassandra turned her eyes slowly from Adrian to the woman sitting beside him, her voice eerily steady. "And you, General Yates? Do you agree to this arrangement?"