Following his gaze, I spotted a young woman sitting on the edge of the fountain. She had the palest skin I’d ever seen, almost translucent, with platinum blonde hair that fell in soft waves down her back. When she turned toward us, I was struck by her ice-blue eyes—unnaturally bright against her pale features.
Sothing about her made uneasy, though I couldn’t explain why.
Cassandra’s face lit up when she saw Callum. She stood gracefully, smoothing down her light blue sundress before hurrying over to us. The way she moved was almost ethereal, like she was floating rather than walking.
“Callum!” Her voice was soft and lodic as she threw her arms around his neck. He caught her with ease, spinning her around once before setting her back down.
“I missed you,” he said, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead.
Cassandra blushed, ducking her head shyly before turning her attention to Sophia and . “You must be Hazel and Sophia. Callum has told so much about you both.”
“All good things, I hope,” Sophia replied with a friendly smile, extending her hand.
“Of course!” Cassandra took Sophia’s hand, then mine. Her skin was surprisingly cold to the touch, making suppress a shiver. “It’s wonderful to finally et Callum’s friends.”
“Likewise,” I said, trying to shake off my unexplained wariness. Maybe I was just on edge after everything that had happened with Annie. “We’ve been curious about the girl who stole our friend’s heart.”
Cassandra’s blush deepened, and she looked up at Callum through her lashes. “He’s been very sweet.”
Callum wrapped an arm around her shoulders, beaming with pride. “Hey, are you guys hungry? We could grab so dinner and get to know each other better.”
“I’m starving,” Sophia chid in. “There’s a new place that opened last week near the food court. Supposed to have great pasta.”
“That sounds perfect,” I agreed. Food would help settle my nerves. “What do you think, Cassandra?”
“I’d love that,” she replied with a timid smile. “I haven’t eaten since breakfast.”
We made our way through the crowded mall, Callum and Cassandra walking ahead of us, hand in hand. I noticed how he kept glancing at her, his expression full of adoration.
“They’re cute together,” Sophia whispered to . “Though she’s so... delicate-looking. Like a porcelain doll or sothing.”
I nodded. “That’s exactly what I was thinking.”
The restaurant, a cozy Italian place called Bella Notte, wasn’t too crowded. We were seated at a comfortable booth near the window, Sophia and I on one side, Callum and Cassandra on the other.
After placing our drink orders, I watched as Cassandra carefully studied the nu, her pale fingers tracing the list of dishes. Up close, her features were even more striking—high cheekbones, perfectly arched eyebrows, and those piercing blue eyes that seed to catch every bit of light in the room.
“So, Cassandra,” Sophia began once the waiter had taken our food orders. “Tell us about yourself. Callum ntioned you’re from Ironhound?”
Cassandra nodded, folding her hands neatly on the table. “Yes, I’ve lived there my whole life. My family isn’t high-ranking or anything special—just ordinary pack mbers. My father works in construction, and my mother is a teacher at the elentary school.”
“Do you have any siblings?” I asked, trying to engage in the conversation despite my lingering unease.
“No, it’s just ,” she replied with a small smile. “Which made growing up a little lonely at tis. I don’t have a lot of friends back ho either. I’ve always been... shy.”
She glanced at Callum, who squeezed her hand encouragingly.
“That’s why eting Callum was such a blessing,” she continued. “And now eting you both—I feel like I’m finally making connections.”
“How did you end up at Sophia’s party?” I asked, curious. “It seems like a long way from Ironhound just for a house party.”
Sothing flickered in Cassandra’s eyes—so quickly I almost missed it—before her sweet smile returned. “My cousin knows soone from Emberfang. When I ntioned I was feeling cooped up at ho, she suggested I tag along. I never expected to et my mate there.”
Callum grinned. “Best party ever.”
Sophia laughed. “Glad my chicken fight loss served a greater purpose.”
“Oh, the infamous chicken fight!” Cassandra giggled, the sound like tinkling bells. “Callum told all about it.”
“I swear I thought I slipped, died, and went to heaven after seeing you,” he cooed.
“Nearly drowned poor Sophia in the process,” I added, smiling at the mory.
Our drinks arrived, and we all took a mont to sip our beverages. Cassandra dabbed at her lips delicately with a napkin before turning her attention to .
“I hope you don’t mind asking, Hazel, but Callum ntioned you’re mated to the triplet alphas of Emberfang?” Her voice was hesitant, almost apologetic. “I’m just curious... I’ve never heard of soone having multiple mates before. How does that work?”
The question caught off guard. I set down my water glass, considering how to respond.
“It’s... complicated,” I admitted. “I’ve read about it but I didn’t think it would ever happen to . The bond feels different with each of them, but sohow connected at the sa ti. It’s hard to explain.”
“That sounds incredible,” Cassandra leaned forward, eyes wide with interest. “And they’re identical triplets, right? Can you tell them apart easily?”
“I can,” I said. “They may look the sa physically, but their personalities are completely different. Lucas is serious and protective, Liam is warm and compassionate, and Levi is playful and flirtatious.”
“And they all fell for you at the sa ti?” She tilted her head curiously.
I felt my cheeks warm. “We actually have a complicated history. They weren’t exactly kind to growing up.”
“Really?” Cassandra’s eyebrows shot up. “But now they’re your mates? That’s quite a transformation.”
Before I could respond, Sophia jumped in. “It’s been quite the journey for Hazel. The boys have had to work hard to make ands.”
“How fascinating,” Cassandra murmured, her intense gaze fixed on . “Mate bonds are so powerful, aren’t they? Able to overco even the deepest resentnts...”
Sothing in her tone made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. But before I could analyze why, the waiter approached our table carrying a large tray of food.
“Here we go,” he announced cheerfully. “The fettuccine alfredo, spaghetti bolognese, chicken parsan, and—”
Suddenly, a small child darted between the tables, chasing after another kid. The first child collided with our waiter’s legs, causing him to stumble. He managed to keep his balance, but the bowl of hot minestrone soup he was carrying tilted precariously.
Ti seed to slow down as the soup slid off the tray, splashing directly onto Cassandra’s arm.
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