radicalducati Chapter 7
Chapter 7
Cassandra’s POV
She shook her head like she hadn’t heard me right. "You think? That’s not something you just think, Cassandra. Either he is or he isn’t."
I took a deep breath. "It’s complicated."
She scoffed. "No, it’s not. The mate bond isn’t some mysterious thing, Cassandra. When you meet your mate, you know. That’s how it works."
I sighed. "I know. But Adolphus is different. He doesn’t remember his past. We don’t know where he came from. And yet, ever since we found him, I’ve felt something."
Katrina crossed her arms, her eyes narrowing slightly. "So what, you just decided he’s your mate?"
I shook my head and raised a brow. "No. It’s more than that. I’ve been watching him for the past year. That’s why I had my father make him my bodyguard. I needed to know if the connection I felt was real."
Katrina was silent for a long moment before exhaling sharply. "Cassandra… you want him to be your mate, don’t you?"
I flinched slightly at how accurate that was.
"I don’t know," I admitted. "Maybe. But it’s more than that. It’s a gut feeling. And I need to know if I’m right."
She still looked skeptical. "And what if you’re wrong? What if the full moon comes and you feel nothing?"
The Katrina I knew was never negative, especially when it came to me. She was always after my happiness, always the one to lift my chin when things got dark. But here she was, standing across from me, arms crossed, eyes laced with doubt—against my wish to have Adolphus as my mate.
Katrina sighed, shaking her head. "You’re setting yourself up for disappointment."
"Maybe," I said softly. "But I need to know."
The silence stretched between us, thick and uncertain. I looked at her—really looked—and noticed the subtle changes in her. The tired lines beneath her eyes. The way she held herself a little more guarded now. Maybe this wasn’t just about me.
She watched me for another long moment before finally speaking again. "And what if Adolphus doesn’t feel the same way? What if, when the full moon comes, his mate turns out to be someone else?"
The question sent a cold shiver down my spine.
I hadn’t let myself think about that possibility.
Because if Adolphus wasn’t my mate, if he ended up belonging to someone else, I wasn’t sure how I’d handle that.
Would I pretend it didn’t matter? Smile and nod while he touched someone else with the same hands that once brushed against mine in passing?
I clenched my fists at my sides.
No.
Determination sank into my veins like fire, grounding me with its warmth. I met Katrina’s gaze, steady and unwavering.
“Trust me to deal with it,” I murmured. “Whatever it takes, Adolphus will be my mate. So will you help?”
Her jaw dropped, and for the first time in our entire conversation, she looked genuinely speechless.
"You can’t be serious," she whispered. "Cassandra, you can’t force the bond."
"I’m not forcing anything," I said. "I’m just… making sure nothing gets in the way."
Katrina stared at me like she didn’t recognize me. “That’s not you.”
I looked away. “Maybe it is now.”
That hung in the air, heavier than anything we’d said before.
“I care about him,” I added after a beat. “More than I probably should. And maybe that’s selfish. Maybe it’s dangerous. But I can’t ignore it.”
Katrina ran a hand through her hair, her composure cracking. “You’re playing with something sacred, Cassandra.”
“I know,” I said. “But when something feels right, you don’t just walk away.”
For a moment, I saw something soften in her expression—something that looked a lot like understanding. But it was fleeting, quickly replaced by concern.
“What exactly are you asking me to do?” she asked cautiously.
“I don’t know yet,” I admitted. “I just need to know you’re with me. That when the time comes, I’m not alone.”
Her lips parted, and she hesitated, like she was weighing the cost of standing beside me. Of possibly going against something bigger than either of us.
Then, finally, she gave a reluctant nod.
“I’ll think about it.”
It wasn’t the promise I wanted.
But it was something.
And for now, something was enough.